AN: Surprise! Thank you all for your kind words and motivation. I hope you enjoy this next chapter, there is a lot going on here I think. Lots of subtle things. Also I think Elsa needs an extended nap. Maybe some hot cocoa. Oh, that sounds good. You read, I'm going to go make hot chocolate.

Enjoy! Thanks for the reviews! Don't forget to tip you local snow fox on the way out!


Anna told Kristoff everything she knew of her own guard rotation – twelve and twelve, with only two guards swapping – and what she knew of Elsa's, which was only that her guard was swapped out much more frequently. She used a blank page from the back of journal to scribble out a layout of the camp, or, as much as she had been able to commit to memory. Her chest ached as she watched Kristoff slip out and disappear into the camp, and tried to take comfort in the knowledge Alarik would be standing just outside her tent for at least half the day, and that soon this nightmare would be behind them. She just had to wait a few more days.

After Alarik took his spot outside and Kristoff left, Anna paced the length of the tent, thinking about how awful her sister had looked when she was brought back into the camp less than an hour ago. She sucked in a breath and when her circuit next brought her to the tent's entrance, she pushed the flap aside and strode out, passing Alarik without a word. Her sight was pinned on the command tent.

"Anna," Alarik said harshly under his breath, stepping forward and reaching for her.

She wrenched her arm away just as second voice said, "wait."

Anna turned toward the voice, saw Erik standing there. "I want to see my sister," she told him, lifting her chin.

Erik stared at her for a long moment before shifting his gaze to Alarik. Anna's heart thudded, and she worried whether he would balk at the unfamiliar face, sound the alarm that there was in intruder in the camp. There was a very real possibility that she had just put Alarik in the line of fire.

Finally, he nodded. "It's all right," he said to Alarik, with no hint of anything being amiss. "Let her see her sister."

Anna opened her mouth to thank him before remembering that Erik was the reason that she and Elsa were prisoners here in the first place. She pressed her lips into a tight line and averted her gaze as she resumed marching toward the tent where her sister had just been brought.

At the entrance of the tent, Anna paused just long enough to subtly looked back to Alarik and gestured to a spot just inside the tent, the place where her guard usually stood waiting for her. The man seemed to get the idea, sliding toward the spot.

Elsa was seated on the ground, listing against the thick tent pole. Her arms were shackled and tethered resting between her stomach and bent legs, and her eyes were barely open, her chest heaving as though every breath cost more energy then she had to expend.

"Elsa?" Anna rushed to her sister's side and fell to her knees. When she got no response from the older woman, she cupped Elsa's cheek, unsurprised to find her skin warm to the touch. Not exactly feverish, but certainly warmer than her sister normally ran.

Elsa jerked slightly at the touch, and her eyes flew open.

"Easy," Anna said softly. "It's just me."

Elsa blinked a few times before her eyes focused. "Anna?" Her voice was raspy, weak.

Anna's chest tightened at the obvious exhaustion and pain lining her sister's face. "Are you okay?" She knew it was a stupid question, but she had to ask.

Elsa smiled tightly. "I'm fine, Anna. Just tired."

No matter what Elsa said, Anna knew she wasn't fine, but she needed her older sister's reassurance in this moment. Anna smiled in return, then turned to where Erik stood looking down at a map on the table. "Can't you remove the shackles? It's obvious she isn't going anywhere."

"Anna," Elsa warned quietly. "I'm fine."

Anna shook her head. "No, Elsa, you're not." She stood and rotated to face Erik; mustering as royal a posture as she ever had, feeling embolden by Alarik's presence. "You need to untie her, now, and allow her to rest properly."

"I'm sorry," he said, without even looking up. "Tyr's orders are to keep her bound when she's not on the field." Erik did look up then, and there was possibly even some sympathy in the young man's expression, unless Anna was imagining it. He'd been kind to them so far; as kind as a jailer could be, at least.

Anna stomped her foot. "This is ridiculous," she said. "You already blocked her magic and worked her to exhaustion. Do you really need to treat her this way?"

"Anna!" Elsa scolded from her spot still on the floor.

Anna winced and bit her lower lip. Before she could say anything more, the flap to the tent was ripped open and Tyr stormed in.

The anger on the man's face sent a thrill of fear down Anna's spine. Without warning, she was pulled backward and shoved toward the tent pole as Elsa stepped in front of her despite the short leash. All traces of the exhaustion that had creased her sister's face had vanished, replaced with a fierce glare that Anna hoped to never be on the receiving end of.

She sent a worried glance Alarik's way, scared what Tyr might do next and anxious that the man might feel a need to step in.

Erik moved around the table faster than Anna thought he would, before either man had the chance to make a move. "Whoa!" He placed a restraining hand on Tyr's chest, barked, "hey!"

Tyr allowed Erik to stop him a few feet short of reaching his target, but still jabbed a finger at Elsa. "Some of the Vindarr soldiers escaped!"

Anna saw the faint worry that contorted Erik's features.

Elsa shook her head. "That's not my fault. Even I have my limits."

"Bullshit." Tyr rolled his hands into a fist. "I should have known you would betray us."

"I did no such thing," Elsa gritted. "Maybe if you want to slaughter retreating men, you should tell your band of thugs to be quicker about it."

Tyr's face darkened. "Careful, witch. My men are soldiers. They—"

"Soldiers have honor," Elsa spat, cutting him off. "Unlike you."

Tyr shoved his brother aside and stomped the last few steps to Elsa. Anna attempted to move into the way, but Elsa blocked her. A little-known fact about the Queen of Arendelle was under the layers of habit and lifetime of training Elsa had a temper, one that rarely came to bare. The fact that she was snapping back now, despite the risk, spoke louder than the lines of exhaustion about just how far past her limits Elsa had been forced.

Tyr stopped just in front of her and leaned in so that his nose was almost touching Elsa's. She didn't even blink. "Don't try my patience, witch, unless you want your little sister to have matching bruises."

The temperature in the tent plummeted rapidly, until Anna's breath clouded as she watched the scene unfold with morbid fascination. On one hand, she was glad to see the brute put in his place with her sister's quiet show of strength and power; on the other, she knew this could go very bad, very fast. She shot a glance toward Alarik, and saw he was standing just as tensely as she was. A faint crackling drew her attention, and she looked down to see ice spreading across the ground. The tension in the room was so thick, the slightest spark would set this whole powder keg off, and there would be no winner once that happened.

Instead of trying to step in between them, something she knew would end poorly for all parties involved, Anna swallowed her pride and turned to the only person in the room who stood a chance at diffusing the situation. "Erik," she said calmly. Once she had the man's attention, she gestured to the ice collecting at her sister's feet and hoped he'd get the message.

The younger brother's gaze dropped to the ground. His eyes widened and then he surged forward once, placing a hand on his brother's chest in one last attempt to diffuse the volatile situation. "Look, it's been a long day and we're all tired. Maybe even a little cranky. How 'bout we go to our separate corners."

"Tyr," Erik tried again, when no one moved. He pressed harder on his brother's chest, forcing him back a fraction. "Brother," he said softly.

Finally, Tyr shifted his gaze to Erik, expression blank. He looked back at Elsa, stepped back from her with a sneer.

Elsa drew a careful breath and kept her feet, her narrowed gaze tracking the older brother as he shot her one last glare before stomping out of the command tent.

Once Tyr left, Anna and Erik released a simultaneous breath. Anna felt lightheaded with relief that they weren't all about to die. It had been too close. She risked another glance at Alarik, who had a stormy look on his face, and she could only imagine what the man must be thinking.

Anna went to her sister and put a hand on Elsa's shoulder. The fact that she hadn't yet said anything was worrisome, and she noticed her sister's gaze was locked onto Alarik's face, her own expression one of confusion. Anna worried that, in her state, she was going to slip and point out their deception in front of Erik, and put them all in more danger. "Elsa?"

Her sister turned toward her, blinking rapidly "Ann—" she started, but never finished. Elsa's chin dropped to her chest as her rate of breathing sped up, her knees buckled, and she slowly dropped to the floor, like the burst of energy she had slowly drained back out of her.

"Elsa!" Anna scrambled to catch her falling sister and managed to take some of weight out of the slow fall, guiding the woman to her knees. She wrapped a hand around Elsa's shoulder as her sister began to tip forward to far. Her breathing quickly evened out, and Anna realized her sister had passed out. She held Elsa to her chest and looked at the cot only a foot away.

"Here, let me." Erik gestured to Anna to let him take Elsa.

Anna hesitated a moment, drawing her sister in closer. No matter how nice Erik may have been, he was still holding them captive and she didn't trust him. Not with her sister. But she didn't know how else to get her onto the small bed without hurting her further. She bit her lip and nodded, loosened her grip on Elsa.

Erik scooped up the queen with an unexpected gentleness and placed her on the cot, taking a moment to situate her arms so she wasn't laying on top of the chain. He started to move away but paused, looking down at the cuffs on Elsa's wrist. He wrapped his hand around her right forearm, lifting it off the bed and carefully studying the stone on the cuff.

Anna saw a brief glimpse of something akin to fear, or worry, cross Erik's face. "What's wrong?"

Erik looked up at her and shook his head, lowering Elsa's arm back to the cot. "Nothing. You can stay with her for a bit. I'll leave the guard in here with you, just—don't try anything," he said tiredly. He stared down at Elsa, then nodded. "I'll have one of the guards bring in extra blankets and some food."

"Thank you." The words felt odd to say, given everything they'd been put through.

Erik nodded curtly, then left them alone in the tent.

Anna lowered herself onto the cot beside her sister. She reached down and brushed Elsa's sweaty bangs from her face, tears prickling her eyes. She waited till Erik was gone and there was no one in the tent except for her, Alarik, and Elsa.


Alarik thought he knew what to expect in the camp. Or, well enough. These were members of a military, even if they weren't as well-organized as he was used to, and he knew what the throes of battle looked like. What the aftermath looked like. But to see the way this man Tyr had treated Queen Elsa…he hadn't been prepared for that. Standing by and doing nothing while the man threatened her and her sister had been one of the hardest things he'd ever done. But it was the right thing to do, to keep them all safe. Or, relatively safe.

He released a breath of relief after the man stomped out of the tent and turned back from the entrance to find Elsa staring at him with glassy eyes and a look of confusion. That man, Erik, was still inside the tent, along with another guard, and he worried the Queen would say something and give him away. Thankfully, Anna drew her attention before she had a chance. Elsa looked toward her sister, then went down in a slow, semi-controlled fall and Alarik once more had to fight with himself to not interfere.

It had been a surprise when Erik helped Anna settle the Queen atop the small cot that was pressed against the pole, though he still had an urge to yank the man away and keep him from touching her. Once Erik had cleared the tent, sending the only other guard inside to play fetch, Alarik hesitated only a moment, ensuring the guards outside weren't going to enter, before he crossed the tent to the Queen's side. This was most likely one of the only chances they would get to speak freely.

His breath caught as he saw the woman up close. From across the tent he had thought it was dirt coating her face and neck. After all, she had just gotten back from a battle, and they were messy in more ways than one. It was a shock to find that the color on the Queen's pale skin were large bruises, ones that looked to be several days old. He knelt next to her head, near where Anna was sitting. "How—" was all he managed as he reached out to tilt Elsa's head and get a better look at the bruising on her cheek, concerned when the Queen didn't respond to the touch.

"Tyr," Anna said simply, shaking her head. "I don't know what happened exactly. They only let me see her for a few minutes each day, just long enough so she knows I'm okay. But I know it was Tyr who did it."

Alarik pressed his lips into a tight line, making a mental note to ensure Tyr would die in the most painful way possible. He looked toward the tent's entrance, and when he was satisfied that no one was approaching, he turned back to the sisters. His gaze stopped on a glittering light dancing across the floor where Elsa had stood. It was ice. He frowned. "I thought you said the cuffs blocked her magic completely?"

Anna followed his gaze. "It does," she said. "At least, I thought it did. I hadn't seen Elsa use it since we got here, and I know she tried to. Like, really tried to." She rubbed absently at her wrist.

"Then how'd she managed to lower the temperature in here and cover the ground with ice? I didn't even see the cuffs glow." He added, remembering how every time Elsa had used her magic before, the stones on the cuff had glowed brightly.

"I'm not sure." She looked down at the cuffs, tilted her head. "Erik was looking at them before he left, almost like he was concerned about something. Maybe they're not working as well as they were before?"

Alarik couldn't see any obvious difference in the cuffs. The stone had the same muted glow it had the last time he'd seen it, except now there was one on each wrist. "Perhaps the Queen will have some idea."

Anna nodded and turned back to Elsa, brushing her sister's stubborn bangs away from her face with a guilty, upset expression. "Elsa," she said softly, tapping the Queen's uninjured cheek, trying to rouse her. When that produced no response, she shook the woman's shoulder, and it took a concerning amount of attempts before Elsa's nose finally scrunched and her eyes slid open half-mast. She blinked once, twice, then her eyes started to slide shut once more.

"No, no, no. Elsa, I need you to wake up." Anna tapped her bruised cheek, causing her sister to flinch away from the sharp pain, but it seemed to work to rouse her more. "I'm sorry. I know you're tired, and I wish I could let you sleep. God knows you need it. But I need you to wake up. It's important." Anna shifted on the small cot. "Help me sit her up."

Alarik tucked his hands under the Queen's back as Anna pulled her into a seated position and kept his arm across her shoulders once she was there. Elsa didn't seem to be hindering their manhandling of her, but she wasn't helping either.

"Elsa?" Anna ducked her head to meet her sister's glassy eyes.

Elsa blinked a few more times. "Mmm," she mumbled, then raised her hands, likely to rub at her eyes but was stopped short by the chain that tethered her to the pole. She let out a very unqueenly growl of frustration, a sound Alarik was positive she didn't mean to make out loud, as she dropped her hands back to her lap.

"You okay?" Anna asked.

Elsa didn't answer, only leveled her sister with a look that Alarik couldn't see from his vantage point. He got the idea though, when Anna dropped her gaze and tugged at one of her braids. "Right."

Elsa sighed softly and shook her head. "Anna, I'm sorry, I—"

Anna held up her hands. "Don't, seriously. I think you earned the right to be cranky. But we don't have much time, and we have something you are really going to want to hear."

"We?"

There was an uncomfortable, raspy quality in her voice, and Alarik looked once more at the bruises circling Elsa's neck. All he could think of were the different ways he could murder Tyr, and anyone else who dared to touch the Queen or Princess.


"We," Anna echoed, gesturing to where Alarik was seated behind Elsa.

Elsa seemed to just then realize there was someone sitting outside her view. She frowned tightly and tried to rotate her body but was stopped short by the chain crossing to the pole on her left. Thankfully, Alarik got the message and shifted, keeping on hand on Elsa's shoulder as he moved into her field of vision.

"Your Majesty," he said with a small smile, a dip of his chin.

Elsa blinked.

Then blinked again, lifting her hands to her face only to be stopped again by the metallic clank. She looked down at the chain, confusion causing new wrinkles around her eyes. Almost immediately, they started to slide shut.

Anna glanced worriedly at Alarik, placing a hand on her sister's knee. "Elsa?" she asked, leaning forward.

Elsa jerked her head up, blinking rapidly. She tried lifting her bound hands once more only to be stopped again, like she kept forgetting the chain tethering her to the pole was there. She shook her head. "No," she said in a soft voice, gaze turning to Alarik. "No, you're dead."

He lifted his eyebrows. "That's news to me."

Elsa squeezed her eyes shut. "Tyr," she said. "He had one of his men..." She swallowed thickly, her breath hitching. "He burned down the barracks, with everyone inside."

Anna's eyes widened. Suddenly, she understood with painful clarity what the look of defeat on her sister's face had been, when she woke up in the cart. There had been just over a hundred soldiers in that fort, and even if those men had questionable loyalties, they were still people. Anna knew how heavily something like that would sit on her sister's shoulders.

"The barracks?" Alarik shook his head, his brow furrowing tightly. "The barracks weren't burnt down. The only thing in the fort that burned was the dining hall off the courtyard, and no one was in there at the time." He tilted his head thoughtfully. "In fact, the barracks of Sioaskard are under the courtyard, and surrounded by stone. I'm not sure they could be burnt down. That's sort of why they are there instead of up top."

"But the soldiers. . ." Elsa tried to shift but was stopped by the chain.

"All fine," Alarik assured her. "Relatively speaking. They were confined for questioning and such, but they're all alive."

Elsa dropped her gaze and blinked rapidly as she worked to absorb the information, and Anna hoped the news would work to alleviate some of the weight her sister had been carrying.

A knot formed in her stomach, watching her sister. Anna knew the woman was tired – exhausted, really – considering all she had been through, but she hadn't expected this level of confusion. Elsa was quick-witted, sharp, and above all else, poised. To see her slouching and curled in on herself, struggling to connect the pieces of conversation together into a single thought had Anna wanting to beg Alarik to get her out of the camp now, before anything else could go wrong. But she knew, logically, that it was unlikely they would get more than a few feet beyond the command tent. Just like she knew that Tyr wouldn't hesitate to kill them if they tried. The goal wasn't just to get out of here; it was to get out alive.

She threw a glance over her shoulder to the entrance of the tent, knowing their time was limited and there was much to discuss, but also worried about overwhelming her sister.

"Whoa," Alarik said, drawing Anna's attention back just in time to see her sister listing to the side, her eyes sliding shut.

"Elsa." She reached out to cup her sister's face, tapping her fingers lightly against Elsa's cheek. "Hey, not yet. Just a few more minutes."

Elsa wrinkled her nose and made a frustrated sound that under normal circumstances would have been amusing.

"I know, I know. But it's good news. Alarik is here. Admiral Naismith and the Army are on their way. Just a few more days and we'll be out of this place." She felt like she was stating the obvious but wasn't sure her sister could make the connection for herself. She also worried if her sister would even remember this conversation the next time she woke up. A few more days, Anna told herself. Then Elsa could sleep until her heart was content. And Anna was going to make sure that she did just that.

Alarik leaned in, kept his voice low. "Is there anything you know that we can pass on to the Admiral?"

Elsa scrunched her face up tight, then nodded against Anna's hands.


Erik brushed a hand through his hair as he hurried out of the command tent, pausing only long enough to send the soldier stationed there to fetch some thick blankets and food. The news about the Vindarr escaping was certainly unwelcome, and he knew his brother was pissed. He also knew exactly what Tyr was worried about. So far, the Vindarr had yet to send anyone with magic into the fight. Before the Queen, there had been no need for it; the Sirma had lost their connection with the Landvættir and therefore their shamans, and the Vindarr took the advantage to hit hard and fast, obliterating their defenses and giving them no time to recover. After that, the Vindarr hadn't needed to send any of their magic users to fight. There was little point in risking a valuable resource in a fight you were already winning.

Now, with the Queen at their disposal, the Sirma were winning again. But in order to keep their magical advantage, it was important that no survivors were left to tell the Vindarr leader. If they could make a big enough dent in the Vindarr military, it wouldn't matter how many magic users they sent to fight, there would be no one to protect them.

If Vindarr soldiers had escaped the battle, they would surely report back what they had seen. Even so, there was still a good chance the Sirma could win this, if they were careful. The Queen had proven to be a lot stronger than the magic users they were used to seeing, and while that had initially been a good thing, they now potentially had a big problem on their hands.

Erik knew where Tyr would be – the same place he always retreated to cool off, a nearby hill that offered a raised view of both the camp and the river that ran along its base.

"You're too soft," Tyr said as Erik approached, without even turning around. "You have to stop protecting them."

"They are innocent," he countered evenly. "You have to stop being so . . . rough with them."

"The witch allowed the Vindarr to escape on purpose," Tyr said, folding his arms over his chest as he stared out over the camp.

Erik sighed and stepped up next to where his brother stood. "I really doubt that. She didn't push back at all during the last battle. She's just exhausted. This last battle . . . she had only a few hours' rest before you had her out there again." He dropped his hands to his hips, shrugged. "Of course, she was exhausted, she's not a soldier. Hell, she's not even a commoner, Tyr. She's a queen. Manual labor probably isn't something she does on the regular."

Tyr huffed. "Well, she's going to have to figure it out, because now thanks to her, we're gonna have to strike at the Vindarr before they—"

"No."

Tyr finally turned toward Erik, lifting an eyebrow. "No?" he repeated.

"Look," Erik said, "it's going to take the ones that escaped some time to get back to their leader, and then it will take even more time for them to muster their soldiers and come up with a suitable battle plan. If you don't allow the Queen to rest, she isn't going to be of much use at all. If you keep pushing her, though . . . " Erik rubbed the back of his neck. "The right cuff is broken, Tyr."

Tyr jerked his head back and stared at Erik for a long moment before finally shaking his head. "That's impossible, and you know it."

"No," Erik said. "It should be impossible, but clearly, it's not."

"You're mistaken," Tyr said firmly. "Those cuffs can't be broken."

"Tyr, I spent years studying those cuffs, trying to find a way to reproduce them." Erik stepped closer to his brother, ensuring he had the man's full attention. "The etchings, the stones – I know every tiny shift of color and speck within them. And I saw a large fracture running through the center of the right stone, just under the runes. Thankfully, it didn't break any of the runes, so the cuffs are still functional. But if she keeps . . ." He fought to come up with an appropriate word. "Pressing against them, it will break."

Tyr seemed unimpressed. "These cuffs have survived magic users for centuries," he said, turning back toward the camp. "None who came before her has so much as put a dent in these cuffs. How would she be able to break it?"

Erik clenched his jaw and stepped to the side, moving into his brother's field of vision. "She covered her kingdom in twenty feet of ice when she had a panic attack. She's a lot stronger than any magic user our people have seen."

"Which should only make the power of the cuffs stronger."

Erik pressed his lips together. "Perhaps in theory, but not so much in practice."

Tyr raised an eyebrow and gestured to Erik to elaborate.

"Think of the cuff like a dam," he said, "and her magic like water. The water hits the dam, and it stops the water from going any further. It uses the water to power itself, so the more water, the stronger the dam. However, the dam can only absorb so much water at a time, so if you throw a tidal wave at something meant to hold back a river, it will get overwhelmed and start to break. The cuffs can't absorb a burst of magic like that fast enough."

Tyr bobbed his head, rubbed at his chin. "And if it breaks?"

Erik resisted the urge roll his eyes. "You beat the crap out of her, then almost cut off her sister's hand. What do you think is going to happen if that cuff breaks?"

Tyr looked up sharply. "Then we should get rid of her now, before she becomes a problem."

"Whoa." Erik threw his hands up and blocked his brother's way as the man turned back to head down the hill toward camp. "You can't kill her. She's a Queen."

"That's not my problem."

"It will be," Erik insisted, "when her kingdom decides to obliterate us for killing their ruler."

"She stole her magic," Tyr argued. "Her kingdom would be better off without her."

"You don't know that."

"She doesn't deserve it."

"And that's for you to decide?" Erik dragged a hand down his face. "She was right. You never had any intention of letting her go after this is done."

"I swore to protect my people," Tyr said, rolling his hands into fists. "No matter the cost."

"Except you aren't paying it, she is." Erik shook his head, trying to grasp what he was hearing. He would walk through fire for his brother, for his people, but Tyr was talking about killing a woman they had dragged into this war, in cold blood. About using her and then discarding her like a spent quiver. He couldn't let Tyr do this but had to find a way to stop his brother without losing him.

He held up his hands. "Look, the cuff is doing what it's supposed to for now, and we still need her to finish this war. Let's take a few days – at least two – and let her rest and recover while we plan for the next battle."

Tyr seemed to consider the suggestion before finally nodding, "Fine, but you better keep her under control until then."

"Fine," Erik said. Considering how dead on her feet the Queen seemed, and how she passed out earlier, he doubted she would require much to be kept under control. "Just do me a favor and leave her be, okay? Don't talk to her, don't even look at her. Same goes for the Princess."