AN: Enjoy the chapter and don't forget to tip your favorite friend on the way out!


Anna had spent years trying to break down the figurative walls between her and Elsa, but right now she wanted nothing more than to put as many literal walls between them as she could. She brushed past Alarik in the hall, head down and walking as fast as she could toward the door that promised freedom, and escape from her sister. She wasn't taking a guard or any sort of escort with her, just to spite Elsa. Anna knew that she was perfectly safe in the village, and with Erik, her sister just worried too much.

She pushed through the door, pausing on the wide stoop long enough to take a deep breath, reining in her feelings of disappointment and betrayal. Anna squared her shoulders and set off toward town. She had promised Erik that she would meet him, relay what Elsa said. She had expected to have good news, hadn't thought the conversation with her sister would go the way it did. She had been so sure that Elsa would help, that the no she had initially given in response was made without knowing the full story, or was a mistake.

But she'd been wrong. Very wrong.

Anna walked purposefully along the road, slowing her pace as she approached the small inn on the outskirts of the village. Before she and Erik had parted ways, he told her he and his brother were staying here for the next few days, before continuing their trip to Arendelle. Inside the inn was a brightly lit common room, with wide windows and a roaring fireplace. It was still early afternoon, and the inn was empty, most patrons off working or shopping. Anna spotted her friend seated in a chair near the fireplace.

Erik looked up, smiling as he caught sight of her. "Anna," he greeted. His smile faded when she didn't return the expression. His shoulders slumped. "I get the feeling you don't have good news."

Anna shook her head, then dropped into the chair across from him with a huff. "I don't understand why she won't help." She lowered her gaze to the table between them and picked at a loose splinter with her fingernails. "I mean, she's not usually this . . ." She twisted her hand in the air as she searched for the right word. When it didn't come to her, she sighed and slouched in her seat. "I thought for sure she'd help."

Erik didn't say anything, but his disappointment was palpable, like a third person sitting with them. Anna felt a sudden need to come to her sister's defense, although she still didn't understand Elsa's decision. The reasons Elsa gave her, they all made some sense, but didn't seem big enough to hold back aid when the alternative was the destruction of another people. Anna raised her gaze, meeting Erik's eyes. Arendelle's help had been the last hope of his people. "I'm sorry," she offered weakly, unable to think of a word in Elsa's defense that she could say convincingly when seeing his despair.

Erik slumped in his seat and dragged a hand down his face. "I had really hoped you would be able to convince her to help us," he said, voice muffled by his hand.

"And I really thought she would help," Anna said. "I don't understand . . ." She didn't want to repeat herself, but she was feeling lost in a haze of confusion. "She said she couldn't send any military force into an area outside the kingdom without proper reasoning." She knew there had to be more going on than just that, something her sister hadn't seen fit to tell her. But then, there were a lot of things her sister didn't feel the need to tell her. "Erik, I'm not sure there is anything I can do to help you. Elsa was clear on her decision, painfully so." Anna winced, remembering their argument. "If I tried to do anything now, I think it would just make things worse. For everyone."

Erik sat for a long moment with his fist pressed to his mouth, staring at her. "No," he finally said. "No, I don't want that." He exhaled and dropped his arm, rapped his knuckles against the tabletop. "I appreciate your attempt to help. It's certainly a blow not to have Queen Elsa's support, but my people have been around for centuries. We will endure this storm, like we have many that have come before it. We will just have to adjust our strategy."

Anna tilted her head, feeling even angrier with Elsa and more sympathetic with Erik's plight. She opened her mouth to tell him she would try again, that she would go right back to Baron Oskar's and corner her sister and make her understand. But before she could, another voice broke the heavy silence from behind her.

"Luckily for us, I have been working on that very thing."

Anna twisted and found a man standing next to her chair. He looked vaguely familiar and dressed similarly to Erik, but was taller, with broad shoulders and a muscled build that spoke of years of combat training.

"Tyr?"

Anna looked back to Erik, and realized that this was his older brother, the leader of their village. She started to introduce herself to the older man, but the look on Erik's face stopped her.

Tyr stepped up to the table and offered a small bow. "Your Highness. Perhaps there is still a way you can help our cause."

Something about the way he said it sent shivers down Anna's spine. Suddenly, she regretted her decision to leave the safety of the Baron's home without a guard.


Alarik stepped into the hall, pulling the door to his father's study shut behind him. He dragged a hand through his already mussed hair and let out a deep breath. A small part of him currently regretting his decision to come home on leave. Experience should have warned him, he and his father would spend the entire time at odds with each other. They never seemed to run short of things to argue about. He meandered through the house, his mind replaying the events of the past few days.

He had received a letter from his father about a month ago requesting his return. The letter had been missing half a page; the postmaster looking disheveled and muttering nonsense, Alarik felt it best not to bother the man further. In hindsight, he probably should have pressed him, seeing as the missing half of the letter had contained the details of why his father wanted him to return home. The man had always been one for tradition and customs and a proper way of doing things, something Alarik disagreed with. Tradition and customs had their place, but sometimes you had to look at the person behind the title. Like Queen Elsa, who seemed to be someone far, far more than just her title. He could tell the woman went much deeper beneath the surface than any noble he'd ever met.

Most nobles were quick to make sure people knew their rank and title, exactly how 'important' they were. The Queen, however, allowed him to go half the day believing she was no more than a maid to the Princess. In the few hours they spent together, while Alarik could plainly see that she was highly intelligent and well-educated, she acted nothing like he imagined the Queen of Arendelle would. Elsa was not the cold, shut-in Ice Queen people spoke of. He couldn't help but to smile, thinking of her awkward mud-covered grin, full of mischief, as her sister introduced her as the Queen. No, she was not like any noble he'd ever met.

The sound of raised voices coming from one of the nearby drawing rooms pulled Alarik from his pleasant thoughts. He looked around, got his bearings, surprised to see how far from his father's study he had wandered. As he drew closer, he recognized the voices, and could tell from the rapidly increasing volume of the conversation that it was not going well. He knew he should walk away; eavesdropping was always a bad idea and eavesdropping on a private conversation between the royal family seemed like a good way for one to lose their head. But he found himself stepping closer still. Like watching a sinking ship, you didn't want to watch, but you couldn't quite look away either.

"I'm trying to protect our people." The Queen's voice raised just enough for him to make out the words.

"At what cost?"

"Any cost!"

Alarik frowned. He couldn't help but wonder what they were talking about, but their voices dropped again, making it hard to distinguish what they were saying. As a military officer his mind spun with the possibilities of what they could be arguing about, what it had to do with the people and why the Queen and Princess would be disagreeing. From everything he remembered about his conversations with Anna, her older sister had always been her hero. That they would fight so viciously —

"Stop treating me like a child!"

"Then stop acting like one!"

Now there was a familiar exchange; one he'd had with his own siblings, particularly his younger brother, Danel. As the voices dropped in volume once more, Alarik took it as his cue to allow the sisters their privacy, and make a swift retreat. Before he got himself in even more trouble.

He walked a few feet from the room when the door flung open. Anna rushed out, looking like she was just barely holding back tears. Alarik wanted to say something to her, but she barreled past without seeing him, her gaze set on the exit at the end of the hall, the one that led straight to the village. He watched her leave the house, debating whether he should go after her and make sure she was okay. Then he remembered the reason the sisters were still in Valle. The Queen had fallen ill, something that he felt at least partially if not fully responsible for. Alarik didn't get sick often but knew was well aware how draining even the smallest of activities could be even with a simple cold. He knew an argument like the one he had just overheard couldn't have helped her condition.

Alarik cautiously entered the room Anna had just exited. The Queen in a chair on the far side, her elbows braced on her thighs and head resting on her clasped hands, looking far smaller and more vulnerable than he would have expected. He hesitated, knowing it wasn't his place to interfere and that he shouldn't have been listening in the first place, but he also knew that he couldn't stand idly by while someone was in pain just because of their title.

"Good to know family problems exist no matter your station," he said, trying for a joke.

Elsa startled at the sound of his voice, her head jerking upright. Her eyes widened before blinking hard, as though struggling to focus. Her cheeks colored, and she drew herself up. "I apologize for . . . that. It shouldn't have happened."

Alarik lifted a shoulder. "I'm pretty sure the Queen doesn't need to apologize for anything," he told her, hoping to lighten the mood.

Elsa wrinkled her nose, as though she disapproved of the statement. Or the sentiment.

Interesting.

"Regardless," she said, folding her hands in her lap and suddenly looking formal and very closed-off. "We are guests in your home, and such conduct is unbecoming."

Alarik pressed his lips together. He could practically see the walls coming up around Elsa, like she was trying to hide behind them. In a way, it helped to bring into focus how upset she truly was. He took a gamble, based on what he had learned about her the day before. Sinking onto the couch next to her, he asked, "are you okay?"

Elsa turned to him with wide eyes, but then her mask slipped away, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "How much did you hear?"

Alarik winced. "I didn't hear much. I was coming from my father's office, having just finished my own, though less heated, argument. I heard yelling, some insults." He glanced toward the door. "Your sister seemed pretty upset. She practically ran me over on her way out the house."

Elsa sighed, her frown deepening. "It's—" She looked thoughtfully toward the door. "She left? The estate?"

He nodded. "She was heading into town, I assume." The door she'd left through had a path right outside that led straight into the village.

"And would I be correct in assuming she was alone?"

It was less a question and more a statement, but Alarik nodded in confirmation.

Elsa sighed, rubbing her fingers against her forehead. He could see a hint of blue misting around her fingertips, though it could have just been a trick of the light. He thought of the frozen fjord from three months ago, the rumor that the queen had caused it, that she had magical powers over ice and snow. When the Admiral had briefed the officers on what had happened in Arendelle, he'd thought the man had been pulling a joke on them, or had gone off the deep end. He still held his doubts of the fantastical story.

"I swear, she does this just to spite me," Elsa muttered.

Before Alarik could respond, she stood and moved toward the door. Caught off-guard by the sudden shift in her demeanor, he hurried to follow her, catching up as she stalked down the hallway.

"Where are the kitchens?" she demanded.

"Just that way." He pointed to a hall that branched off from the main rooms. It was still early afternoon; the staff were likely taking their lunch in the kitchen. The queen must have known that, and Alarik suddenly wondered what she had in mind. "I'll show you," he offered, feeling a bit bad for the staff, wondering if she realized the heart attack that she was about to give them by entering so unexpectedly.


Captain Jogeir waited patiently as his coffee brewed, taking a moment to breathe deeply and inhale the rich smell of the life-giving liquid. There was no better smell in the world than that of a crisp autumn afternoon mixed with the dark scent of freshly brewed coffee; and he would fight anyone who disagreed. But considering Queen Elsa had expressed her agreement during a recent meeting, he doubted anyone would dare. No one disagreed with the Queen.

Not that Queen Elsa was a difficult person to deal with, or that she didn't listen to the opinions of others. Quite the opposite, in fact. Jogeir hadn't known much about the reclusive young woman until after the heartbreaking loss of the King and Queen, when he became Captain of the new Queen's guard. His first impression had been one of a timid girl lost in a world of cut-throat politics and unprepared for the rule of a kingdom that had been dropped on her shoulders.

It hadn't taken long for Jogeir to realize just how far off the mark he'd been. The Queen was neither timid nor lost; she listened to everything happening around her. Filed away even mundane asides to be used to her advantage later. In their time together, he found himself impressed with her forethought and learned to appreciate the Queen as a true strategist and tactician. It was these traits, however, that made it hard to argue with her. By the time she came to a decision, it was a safe assumption that she had done her research, debated the issue from all sides, and had become as much of a subject matter expert as she could. If you wanted to argue with the Queen, you had better come to the table as prepared as she was. Jogeir had watched many cocky dignitaries and nobles make that very mistake. That being said, there were still certain subject areas in which she defaulted to the expertise of her advisors, understanding that knowledge didn't always trump experience.

But that didn't mean the Queen was without her faults and shortcomings. Though she hid it well, Queen Elsa could be short-tempered when deprived of sleep, which had unfortunately become a common occurrence since her coronation. There was an unspoken understanding among many of the advisors and castle staff that, despite consistently being up with the sun, the Queen wasn't actually a morning person, and any bad news was best received at the earliest three hours after she had woken.

Jogeir had served the royal family for many years and felt both honored and privileged in his duty. His only regret was that he should have been onboard with the King and Queen when they sailed out. But the trip had been a last-minute decision, and he had already scheduled leave to visit his newborn nephew. He tried to cancel, but the King had adamantly refused, stating that if something happened during their journey, he needed the Captain there to protect his daughters. Thinking of the dark sea and how dangerous travel could be during the stormy autumn season, he tried to convince the King that it would be safer to make the trip in Spring, but he could not sway the man. The King telling him that his daughters had spent too many years apart and their current approach was no longer working. He was convinced there were answers in a place called Ahtohallan.

Despite his regret for not being on the ship with the King, Jogeir knew he was no sailor, and that it was unlikely he would have been able to do anything to save them. The sea was as unforgivable and untamable as a winter storm.

At the end of the day, Captain Jogeir was honored to serve the royal family, and swore he'd do for his Queen what he could not for his King.

The coffee finished brewing, pulling the Captain from his musings. He poured a large cup, inhaling the rich aroma. He looked around the large kitchen where the household staff was taking their lunch, as well as one of his three fellow guards who had made the journey to Valle. The other two were currently patrolling the estate, ensuring everything was in order. Queen Elsa had proved to be a devoted and well-liked Queen, but after thirteen years of isolation and a sudden exposure of magic powers, there were those not exactly thrilled with the idea of such a queen. He'd heard a few rumors floating around but hadn't come across anything substantial, at least nothing worth reporting to the Queen. But that didn't mean Jogeir wasn't going to take all necessary precautions and treat each as a potential threat.

He had just put the cup of coffee to his lips when the kitchen door opened, the Baron's oldest son stepping in to hold the door for the Queen. An impressive silence fell over the room, before the staff gathered around the table jumped to their feet in a mad rush of activity. Jogeir was fairly certain he heard a bowl clatter to the floor. The scene would have been comical if not for the stormy look on his Queen's face.

"Your Majesty," he greeted, straightening his posture.

"Captain." She did not seem to notice the others in the room—an immediate red flag. "I need you and your men to meet me in front of the manor in ten minutes."

"Yes, ma'am."

Without another word, the Queen turned on her heel and left the room. Jogeir looked to Alarik, hoping for some sort of clue to what was going on, but the young man simply shrugged as he followed her out of the room. He set his coffee aside.