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I'm happy that most of the people liked the last chapter and hope you all like this one too.
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The men were given tents outside the castle walls. They maybe loyal to Anna and didn't raise arm against their Queen, Eric knew they couldn't trust them yet. After sending men to collect their fallen comrades and giving them a proper burial. Eric had ordered to provide tents and warm food to the remaining rebels loyal to Anna, as his Queen asked him to.
"Thank you Sir Eric." Rider thanked him as they, meters away from the castle gates.
Eric knew Rider while they were in Corona and knew his connection to the Coronan Princess. "I hope you understand that our Queen is still apprehensive regarding your . . . friends."
Rider nodded in understanding. "I know. I understand. Queen Elsa is merciful for not killing my men."
"If there's anything you need, you can tell me." Eric smiled offered his hand for a shake.
"Of course, thank you." Rider shook Eric's hand.
Rider went by the fire, and John was across him.
"I apologize for detaining you." John stated. "You let yourself get caught." he glared at Rider.
"Sorry, I wasn't expecting it but what's your excuse of not telling me about the letters?" Rider questioned him.
"I didn't because I knew you would act like that. Your loyalty to our Queen is making you emotional." John simply stated.
"You're right." Rider sighed. "Now that we're here, will you accept orders from Queen Elsa and help her to keep the throne from the person who sent those letters?"
John was silent for a moment before saying. "Once they are married then I will."
Rider was satisfied with that. "Me too."
"Have a rest. We have to meet Queen Elsa tomorrow."
Rider hummed in agreement.
Meanwhile in the Vinter castle's family crypt.
After she scrubbed the blood from her skin by bathing in warm water, she dressed herself in all black. Black shirt, black waistcoat, and black trousers. And of course black cravat around her neck. She was carrying lavenders for her parents, her mother's favorite, and a single thorn less white rose for her sister.
Elsa was there standing in cold and eerie place, despite the lit sconces on the walls. She went to a section of their family crypt with a black wrought iron double gate with rosemaling patterns and at the center was a Vinter six pointed snowflake and at its center was the blazing sun of Corona. Her lips twitch a bit at the crest of her mother being added on the design, it seemed Pabbie had it added to honor her kind mother.
She gripped the key she was holding on her other hand as she eyed its lock. Even after she became Queen, she didn't have the courage to stand before her family because she haven't done what was needed, she was ashamed to face them.
Elsa took a deep breath and inserted the key and unlocked the gates. She pushed the gates open, lit the sconces and then when she turned, she froze on her place as if her feet were nailed on the floor. She almost choke as she her breath hitched her glacial eyes saw the black marble tombs of her parents and her twin, in an instant a lump on her throat formed and her lips quivered.
Uncontrollably, Elsa burst into tears and knelt on the cold floor while her hand touch the surface where her parents' names were engraved. She unknowingly crushed the stems of the flowers in her hand because of her strong grip to keep her from sobbing but it failed.
Soft whimpers escaped her lips at first then they became louder and louder. Whimpers turned into loud painful wails that echoed inside the crypt.
Her heart constricted as if thorny vines wrapped around it and gripping it with so much pressure. Her father's lifeless body on the cold ground, her mother's bloodied body, her sister's shocked and painful grimace and her brother's unmoving form were all Elsa could ever think of. Her painful wails echoed in the Vinter family resting place, she didn't give a damn if anyone would hear her, she wasn't given a time to mourn for them, she was immediately thrust into training of how to kill.
Her tears made puddles on the marble floor she was kneeling onto while her right hand was gripping the left side of her chest. It hurts her to the core for losing her love ones, nothing could surpass this pain she was currently feeling. Nothing could maker her feel the hurt more than she felt for her family. After twenty years, she finally saw her family again. She was near them again. She doesn't think she could survive something similar like this to happen again.
"Mother, Father. . . Elaine." Elsa heaved as she cried so loud that it echoed in the entire place. "I love you all so much." she hiccupped. "I'm so sorry for not doing this much earlier." her throat was raw and she had a hard time speaking. "I wanted to see you all since I became Queen- but I can't." she choked a bit. "Because I have no face to show to you. I felt I am not worthy to stand in your presence for failing to protect my siblings. . . for failing to end the lives of the people who did this to you much early." she sobbed uncontrollably. "I'm so sorry. Mother . . . Father. I wasn't able to save them. Not even just one of them." the memories of the bloodied body of her twin, as well as her brother flashed in her mind. "I'm so sorry." she kept on apologizing for few more minutes before her sobbing ceased. She sat on the cold floor and leaned on her side against the tomb of her twin sister.
She spoke softly. "I promise to rule Arendelle fairly and just -" she hiccupped. "I will defend it with my life." she wiped her tears using her sleeve but soon new batch of tears came. "I will defend the throne you paid with your blood and make sure your sacrifices won't be forgotten."
She felt so overwhelmed by having her family close to her once again after a long time. "I promise to visit you whenever I can." she touched her twin's tomb. "I'll bring you your favorite sweets next time." she did her best to get on her feet and wipe her tears away and smiled sadly.
She placed lavenders on her mother and father's tomb then the white rose on her sister's, and stayed there and prayed to the gods to take their souls in the halls of Valhalla.
About half an hour later
Elsa emerged from the crypt and went straight to the direction of her childhood bedchamber. She didn't share bedchamber with Anna in Vinter Castle since she knew there's no one would dare to harm the latter here, unlike in Arendelle castle which was filled with traitors.
As she walked through the hallway leading to her self-assigned room, she walked passed by a half opened receiving room and saw Marshall standing with his back on the wall while his arms were crossed in front of him, while she heard Eric's voice telling him something. She observed him closely and then she heard it.
Snoring
Elsa snickered and shook her head. She knocked on the opened door, gaining the attention of Eric and so does the sleeping Marshall.
"Your Majesty." both of them bowed.
"Good evening." she greeted them. "Eric, did you give them the things they needed?"
"Already finished." he smiled at his Queen.
"Marvelous. What about you Marshall did you sleep yet?" a smile was threatening to show itself as Marshall nodded in confidence as he tried to blink out his sleepiness.
"Yeah right." she went closer and ruffled his hair. "Sleep, you can have one of the rooms upstairs, just choose which one you like. You haven't slept since I asked you to come here to inform Granpabbie about the siege."
Eric laughed at him. "Seriously man you should sleep. No wonder Olaf is much younger looking than you even if he's older." his comment made Elsa chuckle.
"He's right." Elsa teased.
Marshall glared at them. He noticed his Queen's bloodshot eyes but didn't make a comment. "Ha ha. Very funny. I don't think I can go upstairs, I'll just crash here, but we're so gonna have a conversation on how worried I was when I heard loud screams as we marched here, I was supposed to be one leading the army!" he removed his dark blue uniform and dropped it on the floor before slumping himself one of the chaise and closed his eyes.
Eric and Elsa shared a smile.
"Alright, we 've done a wonderful job today." she fixed his hair before turning to Eric. "You too, you should sleep and we'll meet tomorrow."
"As her Majesty wishes." Eric bowed and chuckled after that.
"Yeah, yeah." Elsa left and closed the door behind her. She felt light for a moment. She proceeded upstairs and went to bed. That night was first peaceful night she had since she woke up after being unconscious.
Morning came and Olaf went to the Eldr Castle's dungeon with the some of his men. His glacial eyes were looking for the person who forgot to take his Arendelle uniform off before fleeing with Lord Ector. Olaf smiled at the man who was cowering in the corner of the cell.
"Good morning to you." Olaf greeted. "Kindly get him and tie him up on the wall using those chains." they did what he ask and tied the screaming man's wrists up.
"Let me go!" the man protested.
Olaf ignored him and to stand in front of the Lord Ector's cell, who was still suffering from his fall. "Good morning Lord Ector."
"What do you want?" he grumpily asked.
"Nothing. I just wanna see you." Olaf smiled at him. "Oh by the way, I would like to thank you for bringing out the treasure of Queen Elsa from the manor house, it made my job a lot easier."
Lord Ector growled. "Those were mine! My father gave them to my mother when she was still alive! I own them! And I am the rightful King!"
Olaf's demeanor changed. "Technically, you good old father was never meant to be King, he usurped it from the Queen's father and now she took what's rightfully hers and the manor house you owned was never meant to be give away because they are crown's property. And since your father doesn't have a right to the crown, that only meant he gave away what wasn't his and you tried to steal the gold and jewels from our Queen, hence you are charged with thievery and high treason."
"That's absurd! Your Queen is the usurper! She killed my father!" Lord Ector bellowed.
"Tell me something that I don't know."
"He's right! King Runeard wasn't supposed to be King!"
Olaf frowned at the sound, it sounded old. He turned to one of the cells and he moved to the farthest cell in the room. Olaf looked at him, he had long grimy hair and his beard was long and untidy.
"And who are you sir?" Olaf asked.
The old man lifted his head and said something that made Olaf's eyes widened a bit.
"I see. How can I make sure you are not lying about your identity."
His golden brown eyes looked at him and gestured to come closer. Olaf did come closer while still on guard. The old man whispered something in his ear.
Olaf was silent before standing up. "I have to confirm it first." he said. "I'll come back for you once I have it."
"I'll be waiting young man." said the old man.
Olaf got passed the cell of Lord Ector and stood in front of the spy. "Now where were we?" he smiled.
Fear found its way to the man's eyes as he stared to Olaf's face.
"No!"
At Lille Manor.
Lille was one of the manor house owed by the crown, it was the original family seat of the noble House of Mond. The House of Mond were minor noble family, the last head of the house was Viscount Edmond of House Mond, Lille manor was sold to the crown after his death by one of his relatives. Now the current occupant was Lady Marina of House Rey and her daughter Lady Ariel of House Rey.
"Ariel, precious precious angelfish." the purpled haired woman was currently caressing her daughter's soft and long red locks. "You look so beautiful today." the woman smiled at the sullen face of her daughter.
"What do you want mother?" Ariel asked with a sigh.
"You know what I want." Marina smiled at her. "I want you to go to court and catch the eye of the powerful nobles who would take you as their bride."
Ariel had enough of her mother's encouragement since the last nobleman that was introduced to her couldn't keep his hands to himself. "Mother, we are going to need an invitation from the castle for us to go there. You know that." she rose from her the seat of her vanity and took her shawl before going to the nearby window.
"You are King Runeard's daughter! They should give you the courtesy befits a princess!" Marina angrily stated. "That bitch of a Queen took everything from you! Even your yearly income from the crown." she went to Ariel and shook her. "Stake your claim to the throne! Your father's granddaughter is nothing but a prisoner now!"
Ariel didn't want the throne, she doesn't even like her mother since she had treated her like a prized pawn she could use whenever it was convenient for her, she often asked herself if she really was her mother because of the way she treated her. Ariel only followed her because she was raised by her, nothing more. If only she could go far away where she could live as Ariel not Ariel the bastard daughter of Runeard. Being a daughter of the King was good but being the bastard daughter of the King was a double-edge sword.
They have privilege's and wealth but it could only last long as long as the royal parent still lived. Now her father died and they lived with nothing.
Ariel could only sigh. "I am a bastard. If Anna, the legitimate heiress couldn't have the throne, what chances do I have to have it?"
Marina stopped at that.
"I think it is better for me to not to make myself known." Ariel looked at her mother. "There were rumors that father killed the current Queen's family. What makes you think that I am not next to feel the blade of vengeance? This blood I have from him might've given us wealth and power but it could also take my life." her blue eyes shimmered with tears.
"Oh my angelfish." Marina hugged her daughter. "Then how about you marry a rich and noble lord? For us my darling daughter."
"No mother." Ariel pulled away from her mother. "I will live my life the way I see fit."
Marina looked down. "So that was it. You're going to leave me living with nothing. Our money is running low. You have to get married because I am only looking after you, my precious daughter."
Ariel bit her lip. She hated this part of conversation. The guilt tripping her mother always use. "I. . . I'll try." she left her mother in the room, failing to her the triumphant smile she had on her face.
"Once you are married to a powerful family, we can solidify your claim." Marina smirked.
Anna was sitting on her bed for hours since she woke up before dawn. Her mind and heart were trying to grasp the fact that her father figure and King was a murderer, liar, pretender and a usurper. All of the bad things she called Elsa should be directed to her own grandfather.
New batch of tears rolled down her cheeks because she felt so lost. She lost her identity. Who was she now? Was she Anna granddaughter of Duke Runeard the murderer, or Anna from the disgraced House of Eldr or was she Anna the orphan who descended from the line of a murderer?
She felt so bad for saying those horrible things to Elsa. Elsa did what she did for her family so Anna couldn't fault her for acting out for revenge. All she thought Elsa was a power hungry and a lustful bastard the entire time but if even if she weren't those, that doesn't excused her rude behavior towards her.
Anna still hated Elsa's guts but that was the extent of it. Now she knew the truth about her grandfather's true colors, the intense driving force of her hate dwindled. And she couldn't be angry and reason out that Elsa touched her because latter admitted she didn't, though she has to wait for her blood moon to come in order to confirm it.
Also she had observed Elsa's actions, and based on them she was doing things because she had to do it, not because she wanted to. Time and time again Elsa had expressed her defiance either by words or her facial expression and mostly her glacial eyes spoke for her.
Anna wiped her tears away. "You'll never know, sometimes the truth can come from the least person you expect. . . that's what Gerda said, and she was right." she mumbled.
Elsa had been telling the truth since the beginning but who could blame her for not believing it since Elsa was the one who killed her murderer grandfather. Anna she couldn't explain how she felt about him anymore. "Now I am truly alone. I can no longer say I am the rightful Queen. No one would follow me anymore. I have no right at all. My the grandfather the Kin- the Duke gambled everything and lost, so now the victor had taken it all."
All of the things the Duke of Weselton said about her grandfather were true but was the union of the two houses to keep the peace true as well? But then again she was conspiring with the General Fjordian and got caught by the Queen herself.
The bloodied body of the General flashed through her mind. The way he was executed was horrible and repulsive. He was killed the way Elsa's family was killed. The Queen indeed made sure to keep the General alive to feel them all.
In the entire ordeal Elsa was dangerously calm. She didn't lash out nor raise her voice, not even once. She just realized Elsa's calm demeanor was far more dangerous than seeing her shouting and lashing out. It was once directed at her when her plot was uncovered, she only realized now how close she was to her death and yet the Queen didn't execute her.
Lying to the council was an easy one to get away with a right reason, and Elsa was the Queen, surely they won't question her authority . What baffled Anna was why bother making her lie because Elsa herself could handle it. Did she just save her life? If so why? Elsa kept on implying she wanted her dead and removed from the kingdom but why asking her to lie in exchange for her life? Why bother covering up the plot?
"What else does she want from me?" Anna asked. She stood up and got out of the bedchamber to ask Elsa herself about her motives.
She turned to one hallway only to see Marshall coming from the direction of the council room, based on what Wendy had told her.
"M'lady, good morning." he bowed to her in indifference.
"Good morning." Anna was still hesitant to interact with the man. "I was just passing by. Excuse me." she got passed him only to stop because she doesn't know where Elsa's room was. She turned then saw Marshall walking away.
"Marshall." Anna called, making the man turn, his eyes grew dark on the way he was addressed. She gasped at the way she addressed him. "Sorry. I mean Sir Marshall, I apologize for addressing you so casually. I just wanna know where can I find Queen Elsa?"
"It's General Marshall, M'lady." he corrected her. "Her Majesty is currently indisposed."
Anna mentally winced at his cold demeanor. He really doesn't like her.
"Oh." that's all she managed to say.
"I'll just find her later then. Why don't we head for breakfast?"
"Thank you for your invitation M'lady, however I have to go. If you would excuse me." Marshall bowed.
"Oh. Okay. I guess I'll see you later then." Anna could feel his cold aura on the way he looked at her. He didn't change since they first met. She was still very much scared of him.
She went to the dining hall only to be greeted by silence, no one was in the room aside from her.
"Lady Anna." Anna turned and saw a middle aged woman. "Good morning."
"Good morning." Anna greeted back. "And you are?"
"Bulda, one of the senior servants here in Vinter Castle." she smiled at her. "Oh your breakfast is on its way please have a seat." Bulda pulled out a chair at the other head of the table.
"Thank you Bulda." Anna sat and waited.
Few minutes later servants came in and arranged breakfast for two. Anna watched the servant arranged the breakfast where Elsa usually seated. The servants left her alone in the massive dining hall.
She waited for Elsa to emerge so she didn't touch her food. She wanted answers so she wanted to have an excuse of not leaving the room. About ten minutes passed, still no Elsa coming in through the double door.
Anna sighed and stopped herself on waiting. She started to eat in silence.
Her food got cold, even so she ate it since it was prepared for her. It would be a waste not to eat such perfect soup and poached eggs.
She was half-way to her meal when the doors burst open, revealing Elsa dressed in a dark blue high collared clothes with long sleeved jacket with black cuffs and black breeches. The clothes Elsa was wearing currently were much more Arendellian compare to the usual clothes she wore before.
Anna watched her took a seat at the other end of the table, usually despite their verbal jabs and open hostility to one another Elsa would always greet her first and it didn't matter if she would reply. But today there was no greeting at all.
The latter simply sat and ate her meal in silence, she didn't even look at Anna's direction, nor acknowledge her presence.
Well what would she expect? She was caught plotting with a traitor. Of course she would received this kind of treatment.
Anna just watched Elsa eat and didn't even continue her own. She opened her mouth to speak but for several times she failed to voice out her questions. She wanted to know Elsa's motive, she wanted to know why she was spared.
She wanted to know what was going on in Elsa's mind. This was the only time she was dying to know what would Elsa do next.
She continued to watched the latter eat and drink her tea, her own meal was long abandoned.
With a soft clinking sound of the tea cup Elsa stood up. Anna also stood up, rather abruptly, making her chair produced screeching noise, that should've made Elsa look at her but she didn't. Instead Elsa went towards the door's direction.
Anna almost tripped on from one the legs of the table as she tried to catch Elsa's attention. "Elsa wait!-"
A loud slamming of the door echoed inside the empty room. Anna faltered but soon found herself sprinting to the door's direction and opened it. Anna looked left and right to catch a glimpse of where Elsa had gone. Her teal eyes saw the wisps of Elsa's platinum blonde hair as she turned left. Anna lifted her skirt and made a run for it.
"Elsa wait! Elsa!" Anna turned and she was only few meters away from the Queen, who was only on a walking pace. "Elsa stop! Wait!" she ran again and caught up with her.
Elsa didn't say anything nor stop walking, she still walking while her gaze was fixed ahead, she didn't gave Anna any mind.
"Hey, stop. I want to talk to you." Anna walked alongside her. But Elsa kept on going and refused to talk.
"Elsa!" Anna shouted but she was ignored once again. Her anger flared, she hated it, she hated to be ignored like this. "Elsa!" she gripped Elsa's arm, that was the only time Elsa stopped walking but still refused to look at Anna.
Anna went in front of Elsa to look at her but the latter looked away.
Infuriated. Anna cradled Elsa's faced with both of her hands and turned her head to face her, but those glacial eyes still refused to meet her teal ones.
"Why won't you talk to me?!" Anna growled. "What is wrong with you?!"
No answer.
"Hey I am talking to you!"
"M'lady!" a deep voice, almost growling, shouted and within few seconds she was yanked away from the Queen. "You dare to speak to Her Majesty that way?!" Marshall growled and got in between them.
Anna glared at him. Her anger was much greater than her fear.
Marshall glared back.
Eric arrived at the scene as well, witnessing the glaring competition between the two.
"General Marshall." Eric called him.
Marshall kept on glaring at Anna.
"Captain, please removed her from my sight." Elsa ordered. "Make sure we don't crosspath again." Elsa got passed them and spoke again. "If she resisted, take her back to the capital and imprison her." she went away.
"How dare you! I am your wife! The stability of your rule depends on me!" she pretended not to know anything about the General ordeal.
Elsa stopped walking without turning and said. "This marriage is fragile just like any other, do not depend on it too much." she pause only to bring another blow. "And do not presume my power comes from you. I am where I am today not because of you, it's because of my own bloodline and my military prowess. If it were my choice you won't be calling yourself my wife. If you dare to speak to me that way again then you can forget what we had talked about before. Your life depends on two pieces of parchment, never forget that."
Anna paled at each words coming out of Elsa, before she gritted her teeth. "Just kill me then!"
Elsa turned and walked to the other direction then took Anna's arm, dragging her to her assigned room.
"Hey! Where are you taking me?!" Anna recognized the door and was dragged into it by the Queen.
Elsa locked the door and let go of Anna's arm.
"You really are a stupid woman." Elsa uttered. "Be thankful no one else heard you." her back was facing Anna.
Anna caressed the arm. "Why won't you look at me?!"
Elsa didn't answer.
"Why Elsa?!" seeing there won't be an answer to that, she asked another question. "Why did you save me?!"
"I did no such thing." Elsa replied almost immediately.
Anna scoffed. "You wanted me dead and those letters would surely bring me to the executioner's block! And yet you didn't want it! You can always reveal to the others I was not with child but you're making me lie instead! Why?!"
There was a brief silence.
"You asked why I won't look at you." Elsa turned and glared at Anna. "It was because I couldn't bear seeing the face of a traitor."
Anna took as step back and place her hands to her heart as if it would protect her from the platinum blonde. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out.
"Revealing the letters to the council and turning you over to them would deny me the opportunity to kill you personally that is why I didn't want anyone else to know!" Elsa gritted her teeth.
"Why don't you do it now! Kill me!" Anna challenged. "Just end me! That's what you've always wanted isn't it?! Why hesitate when I no longer carry a child?!"
"Yes I wanted that! I do! You don't know how much!" Elsa retorted as she ran her hand through her sleek of her hair.
"THEN DO IT!" Anna shouted.
"I CAN'T!" Elsa flung one of the perfume bottles from the vanity to the nearest wall and shattering it into pieces. She heaved heavily as she stared at the stained wall.
Anna was stunned. Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped.
"I can't." Elsa repeated softly.
"What?"
Elsa didn't respond.
"Why?" Anna asked in the same manner but still quite shocked.
Elsa was silent for a moment. "I-" she sat on the chaise near the fireplace and covered her face with her gloved hands. "I don't know. . ." she lied through her teeth. Of course she knew why. She threatened Anna in thought of keeping her under her control and it was because of Anna's political importance. She couldn't just tell her these for they were weaknesses, her reign just started and ending Anna's life would be like giving away the crown her family had died for. Her hands were tied she couldn't do anything at the moment, she had to endure it until she would find an alternative to her problem.
Anna took a shaky step towards the bed and barely managed to sit on its covers.
"You can't?" she asked again.
"Yes." Elsa felt frustrated. "This is what I've always wanted, I dreamt of ending his line and yet here you are in the same room as me and I couldn't do it." she scowled at the roaring fire in front of her.
"You confuse me." Anna said. She didn't wait Elsa to ask why when she continued. "You didn't want me and yet you married me. You wanted me dead and yet you spared me, and also saved me." Anna thought of the time Elsa had protected her. "It just occurred to me how you had guarded me at the night of your coronation. I was surprised to see about more than twenty guards guarding me that night. If you wanted me dead then why do all that trouble?"
"I married you to prevent a civil war. I had you guarded that night because there were foreigners in the castle, I only did what was needed. And as for the last one, I had to."
"Why bother doing all that? Doing all that for the granddaughter of the usurper and murderer?"
There was no hint of sarcasm in Anna's voice.
Elsa turned her head to Anna with her brows furrowed.
"Why save the person who was directly related to the murderer of your family. . . the General confessed it as you executed him."
Elsa's eyes widened a fraction. "How did you-"
"I was there. Pabbie brought me to the throne room for my safety. I was behind the throne." Anna admitted. "Hearing it from you wouldn't make me believe it but hearing that from someone with a direct connection to my grandfather and how he admitted his crimes made it a fact." her gaze was still on the platinum blonde. "I actually feel lost at the moment. I felt like my entire life was a lie now that I know the truth. I have no one to turn to. My hatred towards you is what drives me to survive each day and would try to take back what was mine, but it turns out there was nothing to take back since it wasn't even mine to begin with, so I lost my purpose." Anna lowered her gaze. "I was supposed to be only a Duchess not a Queen but my family lost the war and you won. Losing the title of a Duchess and everything that goes with it was the price to pay for my family's gamble in order cling to power even longer." Anna let out a pitiful chuckle. "And I got caught in a plot of dethroning you and would be branded as a traitor."
Elsa listened then faced the fireplace again. "Our lives got tangled in a messiest way possible. My family was wiped out because of yours. . .then I wiped out yours in return. It would be an unending revenge to each other. No wonder they wanted us to be united in marriage." Elsa already considered this as the biggest factor why they insisted for her and Anna to get married.
"Probably" Anna responded.
Elsa sighed because she knew sooner or later she had to show Anna to them, to keep things in control even if she didn't want to. She might as well tell her.
"Also you are not alone. You still have loyal supporters behind you and they are here for you. The remaining rebels refused to fight because they were informed about our union. They saw it as a notion of peace between two opposing factions. They didn't raise arms against me. One man had sworn allegiance to you and managed to convince the others that you are to be Queen alongside me. These rebels only wanted to restore you but the General had twisted most of them."
"Who is this man?" Anna wanted to know.
"He was saved by your father when he was a child and made his way up to the military ranks. He had sworn to protect you since you were born."
Anna didn't know man, she doesn't know what her father had done in his lifetime other than the usual things they told her about like his insterest. "Why did you let him live if he's loyal to me?"
Elsa stood up. "Believe me I didn't want to but I will kill him if he broke someone's heart. Come I'll let you meet them." she walked towards the door but halted. "If you again plot using them or anyone or anything against me. I won't just stand by and do nothing. Next time I won't hesitate to kill you, Anna." your precious council nor the Duke and Count won't be able stop me if you do it again. Elsa mentally added.
Anna did her best not to flinch and nodded. "I understand." she gulped at the coldness of Elsa's voice.
Elsa led her outside the castle grounds, they were followed by Marshall and Eric. There Anna saw the tents and the soldiers who were having their breakfast with the food from the castle.
Anna saw a man with dark brown hair and kind brown eyes, he has a goatee and was dressed in the Eldr livery.
The man's eyes and hers met and she saw how his face turned from calm into astonishment.
"Lady Anna." He said, then soon men were coming out of their tents before scrambling few meters from them then they knelt before her. "It's a great honor to be in your presence. And to you as well Queen Elsa."
Elsa only nodded in acknowledgement with a stoic face.
Anna's shimmered with tears as she felt an overwhelming feeling in her chest. These men were hers. Not her grandfather's, hers.
Elsa had observed the loyalty of the men in front of her to Anna. She knew they were a potential threat but she would wait on how this would play out from hence forth. She needed to keep her guard up even more. Most importantly she needed to be careful around Anna.
How was it?
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