A/N: Finally finished it, the chapter not the book. We've been building to this for a bit, if I've done my job well. I hope you like this little bit of action. I hope you like it. As always I don't own Frozen or any of it's characters, they are the property of Disney and its creators.
Confrontation
The entirety of the Privy Council of State was summoned to an emergency meeting with the Queen first thing in the morning on her first day back to duties. The original plan had been for Elsa to ease back into work to ensure no setbacks by meeting with each council member separately in short meetings across the week. Yet here they all sat before her, their faces calm but serious.
"Your claims, Your Majesty, are disturbing and come with no shortfall of consequences; are you absolutely sure, you had been incapacitated at the time," Prime Minister Marius questioned. The lines of his aging face pulled tight in a way which Elsa had never seen before, as if there were a raging fire within him that he was trying to control.
"Absolutely. Prince Oskar planned for one of his men to shoot a gun off near me in order to spook my horse. I don't believe he meant for my accident to occur, but he did want to ingratiate himself by saving me. That is not all however." Elsa took a deep breath, she could feel her magic tingling at her fingertips, she'd been experiencing surges from it with her emotions ever since she overheard Prince Oskar the day before. She glanced to her immediate right and saw Kristoff giving her an encouraging smile. She'd already spoken with him about what she'd heard and used him as a sounding board for her plans for what would come next. "While in the garden yesterday afternoon, I overheard Prince Oskar speaking with Prince Phillipe, the abridged version of his statements are that Sweden grows tired of this hesitance to choose a suitor and should it be prolonged further or I settle on the wrong suitor there will be consequences, likely war I'd imagine."
There was silence for a moment before the room erupted in commotion, everyone trying to speak at the same time. Elsa simply held up her hand and cleared her throat loudly. The room quieted instantly. "Please, I know this is startling news but please one at a time. Prime Minister, please?" Lord Akenfjord rose to his feet. "Your Majesty, are you quite certain your interpretation of what you overheard is correct? Sweden has no problem posturing, but at the end of the day they aren't known for starting wars alone."
"The Prince specifically stated they had powerful allies." Elsa stated blankly.
"Their navy is skilled though no larger than our own. Their army is lacking; however." Admiral Pederson added.
"I don't understand though, why risk their trade agreements with a war over who our queen will marry. It's potential economic suicide." Minister of Trade Espen Johanson wondered aloud.
"Sweden has been looking to make a union with Norway since the Finnish-Swedish Union fell apart a generation ago. If you remember, the Norwegian and Finnish monarchies are so closely linked due to the union. The Swedes didn't want to dissolve the Union, that was the Finnish. They may be close now, but it wasn't the same a generation ago." Lord Englefjord the minister of Foreign Affairs informed the council. "What better way to force a unification between Norway and Sweden than by either marrying into the Arendellian monarchy or taking over Arendelle."
"My larger concern is who their allies are," remarked the Minister of Justice and Public Safety Fredrick Christianson. "They'd have to be a rather powerful country for Sweden to feel they can be so bold as to instigate a war." Fredrick was a tall lanky man with mousy brown hair, hazel eyes, and goatee on a pointed chin. He was the youngest member of the council, though he had earned the respect of every member of the council including Elsa, he was quick witted, resourceful, and fiercely loyal. Elsa could tell by the tone in his voice and the concern in his eyes that he was taking her words seriously.
Minister Karldotter nodded her head, "that is concerning and we should try to determine who they are but the more important question is what to do with Prince Oskar at the moment."
Elsa sighed and leaned back in her chair a bit, she was getting a slight headache but she wouldn't admit that to anyone. "At the moment there is nothing much we can do. We have no evidence of his plot to spook my horse, and while I personally overheard his conversation, I would like more than my own word to confront him with. We can't tip off Sweden that we know what they are planning."
Admiral Peterson leaned his elbows forward, and turned to look at the others. Though in his early fifties the man clearly kept up with his physical training. He was broad and of average height, his skin permanently tanned leathery from years at sea, his charcoal hair and beard were starting to grey giving them more of a salt and pepper look. "If I may, I propose we send out a fishing vessel as a scout ship, to determine where the Swedish Navy is at the moment. Our naval games with Corona did push them off our border but that ended a couple weeks ago so they may have returned."
Elsa nodded her head as she folded her hands in front of her. "I believe that would be a good idea. Any word from our border with Norway?"
"Yes Ma'am, They report no major movement from the Norwegian army, they've neither come closer to our border nor withdrawn. They haven't increased their numbers either from what we can tell."
"I'm not surprised, I've received a letter from the King, Prince Harkon has requested to return to court for the final weeks of the season. I've not written back as of yet. Thoughts?"
The council sat all for a moment thinking before Minister Lief spoke up. "I believe at this time it would be in our best interest to allow the Prince to return. With Sweden stirring we don't want Norway to consider doing the same."
"I concur with Baron Brikeberg," Baron Englefjord added, "Let's try to avoid a war on two fronts."
The Prime Minister cleared his throat, " Before we grant the prince's request, Ma'am have you come to any decisions about Prince Pieter? Will you be entering a courtship with him?"
Elsa internally sighed but kept her face neutral, "Unfortunately between the requests from the other suitors and my injury I have not been able to spend time with His Highness in several weeks. I hope to remedy that situation soon, and therefore have an answer for you, Lord Akenfjord."
"I see your Majesty. Then perhaps you delay your response to King Ivar a week." He stared at her, and Elsa could tell he was trying to read her, to determine if she spoke the truth about her intentions with Prince Pieter. "It would be best not to elude to a possibility of courtship with Prince Harkon if it does not exist."
Elsa internally bristled, it was moments like this that she was almost grateful for her father's instruction on keeping one's emotions hidden. "I agree with the Prime Minister, which is the exact reason I've not written back." By now her head was pounding and she needed to go lay down before she passed out. "I believe that is all for today, good day Ministers."
She didn't allow them to leave before her and she hurried towards her room, she shouldn't have been surprised to see Gerda standing at her door with a tray of tea waiting. "God Bless you Gerda." Elsa smiled as the two entered the room. Elsa climbed into her bed while Gerda drew the curtains and poured a cup of tea. "Shall I wake you in an hour, Ma'am.
"Two." Elsa admitted and closed her eyes as she drew in the smell of the chamomile tea. In minutes she was asleep.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The wind blew fiercely into Elsa's face as if it knew what was about to happen and begging her to turn back. Lord knew she wanted to just go back to the castle and forget everything that's happening right now, but she couldn't. She had to do this, it was what was best for Arendelle. She was once again on the Aurora, this time with far few suitors, in fact there were only four aboard, Prince Oscar, Prince Garreth, Prince Pieter, and Lord Greenock whose arrival had sparked this very voyage.
Elsa was once again enjoying a picnic with Prince Pieter in the garden one week after her meeting with the Privy Council. So far the afternoon had proven to be the exact distraction from the situation with Sweden that she had needed. It had been agreed upon by the council that she shouldn't accept any more invitations from Prince Oskar. He'd been extremely displeased when she'd claimed she wasn't yet in the right state for private outings with any suitors when he'd come to prevail upon her the very same day she was able to return to her duties. Her current outing with Prince Pieter had been conducted in secret and no suitors were permitted on place grounds today in order for the two to not be seen.
It still took Elsa by surprise how at ease she felt in the presence of Prince Pieter. He was a reserved man but not nearly as much as she, he enjoyed the quiet like she, but wasn't afraid to fill it either. His gestures were always gentle and sincere. Elsa was sure that if nothing else she was beginning to consider this man a friend.
They were discussing the works of Charles Dickens when Elsa's attention was drawn by the quick pace of shoes on the path near them. She looked over to see Kia followed by a man she'd never seen before in tow. She stood to her feet when she saw the look on Kia's face "Kia what is happening?"
Her long time servant bowed low as did the stranger before speaking, "My apologize Your Majesty, I don't mean to intrude on your outing, however, the Lord Greenock has just arrived with an urgent message for you."
The man behind Kia stepped forward, he looked to be in his early thirties, chestnut brown hair and eyes, a round face. He was of average height for a man, about an inch taller than Elsa. He wore a British officer's uniform with the rank of captain. "Your Majesty, I was asked to give you this letter by my good friend the Viscount Bath. He said it was urgent."
Elsa took the proffered letter and began to read, her stomach sinking. Apparently upon returning to England William had heard rumors that Sweden was secretly probing other European countries' feelings towards a war with Arendelle. He'd gone to his friend, Lord Greenock, whose father was a General in the army and found that the Swedish army had been seen boarding vessels. Elsa could feel her magic leaking out of her, she could see the frost growing on the letter and the grass around her. She looked up at the Baron.
"Thank you for delivering this with haste." She dismissed him but he didn't bow and leave.
"Ma'am there is one more thing that I am sure the Viscount would have wanted me to tell you, on my way here, as we entered Arendellian waters just to the south of here we spotted in the distance an armada just out of your territorial waters, it was hard to tell but we are pretty sure the flags were of Sweden and Finland."
It wasn't 12 hours later that Elsa proposed her; as Anna put it, hairbrained idea. Now 24 hours later and she was aboard her ship with just two other frigates behind her for support. The Privy Council had been reluctant at first to approve of her plan, but after much discussion and insistence on Elsa's part they had agreed. The plan was to take the princes of Finland and Sweden out on one last cruise before the winter set in. They would sail to where their scout ship, who had arrived mere hours after the Baron Greenock, with the same news, had last seen the Swedish and Finish Navy. Once there Elsa would show the princes what she was capable of.
A hand on her shoulder startled her but amazingly she did misfire her magic, she looked over her shoulder to see Kristoff staring down at her, concern in his eyes. She'd originally refused his presence on the ship, but Anna had threatened to come herself if Elsa didn't take Kristoff with her. His eye twinkled as he gave her a lopsided smile; "Are you sure you want to do this? There is still time to turn around."
Elsa took a deep breath, she understood his and everyone else's concerns, what she was about to do was something she'd sworn she'd never do, but she honestly did know what else to do. Kristoff didn't know that the guards had found both princes preparing to leave when they delivered her invitation that morning. If the princes were trying to slip out of Arendelle without Elsa's knowledge then it was clear to Elsa and the council that war was coming to her shores.
"I must protect my people."
"At the expense of your own sanity, morality?" He asked earnestly.
"Yes. I vowed to serve and protect my people above all else and that is what I shall do. My feelings don't matter here."
Kristoff grabbed her by both shoulders and turned her, he looked at her like he had never before, not as a subject to a monarch or friend to friend, but as family, as a brother to a sister. His voice was low and tight, filled with an emotion she couldn't place. "Your feelings always matter, do not lose who you are to this job Elsa. Please remember you are more than the Queen of Arendelle, that is just your job."
Elsa closed her eyes and pulled away, "It is all I am." She then walked away from him and towards the Captain who was standing at a respectful distance away.
"Captain Nielsen?" He bowed his head to her before speaking. He was a young captain Elsa thought, his caramel colored hair and sea green eyes held more youth than wisdom, but Admiral Pedersen ensured her he was the best Captain in the Arendellian Navy.
"The armada has been spotted by the crow's nest. Your orders Your Majesty." He glanced over her shoulder where she was sure that Kristoff was standing. She could not lose her resolve now.
"Are they in Arendellian waters?"
The Captain nodded, "That we can see them from our present location it is undoubtable that they are within our territorial waters by at least an hour."
"Very well, proceed. Though Captain as carefully and subtly as possible."
"Yes Ma'am" He turned and made his way to the helm a moment later the ship was turning and signal flags were going up to the accompanying frigates. Elsa noticed Prince Pieter and Lord Greenock look her way, she hadn't told them of her plan, she'd just simply sent them both an invitation to join the cruise, stating that she may require neutral witnesses. She'd made sure they knew they didn't need to attend, though both had showed up.
Twenty minutes later the Swedish and Finnish Armada was in clear view, Kristoff had rejoined her side but had not spoken with her. "Queen Elsa." The clipped voice of Prince Garreth came to her ears, she turned to see him and Prince Oskar approaching her. He guards subtly moved closer to her and she felt Krisoff step us so his side was touching the back of her shoulder and arm.
"Prince Garreth, Prince Oskar, are you enjoying the cruise?"
"This is no cruise, where are you taking us, I can see the ships in the distance as plain as the nose on my face." Prince Garreth responded. Elsa was somewhat surprised, this was the most forceful and authoritative she'd ever heard this man be. He however forgot whom he spoke with.
"You should watch your tone, Your Highness, do not forget to whom you address. I am the Queen of Arendelle and you will address me as such." She noticed him flinch slightly at her tone. She drew herself as tall as she could. She also noticed that Prince Oskar stood behind, his eyes nervously shooting between her, Prince Garreth, and the ships. Could it be Prince Garreth was unaware of what came their way.
"Do you not know?" she asked, her eyes piercing Prince Oskar.
"Know what?" Prince Garreth was now looking between Prince Oskar and her.
Elsa smiled and gestured to the armada they were getting ever closer too, "Why that is the Swedish and Finnish Navy. They've decided to anchor well within Arendellian waters. I am sure awaiting your and Prince Oskar's safe departure from Arendelle before they attacked my country, isn't that right Prince Oskar, it was why you were so hastily packing this morning?"
Prince Garreth turned quickly to Prince Oskar, "Oskar, say she lies."
It looked as if Prince Oskar was about to crumble before Elsa could see the resolve settle within him. "She isn't my cousin. Our fathers have grown tired of her hesitance to marry, to choose either of us as her king." He then turned to Elsa, "You've brought this on yourself. Scandinavia is meant to be a strong united kingdom. You refusal to join the royal houses of Scandinavia through marriage is treason. Arendelle will fall, then Norway will have no choice but to join our union. The Kalmar union will stand again under the rule of Sweden."
"Father would not have agreed to such a Union, Finland is autonomous now." Prince Garreth retorted.
"And it will remain so, that was the agreement between our countries in exchange for Finnish support should she not choose either of us as her king."
"Enough." Elsa demanded. "No one will be my king, I am the Queen Regnant and will remain so regardless if I marry or not. Arendelle will not join a union with any country, we are independent and will remain so for as long as breath draws from my body." She looked over at her guards and nodded. They stepped up and took a hold of the two princes.
"What is the meaning of this?" barked Prince Oskar.
"Your navies have entered my waters with ill intent, as admitted by yourself, that is an act of war." Elsa walked closer until she was a mere inch from Prince Oskar. "Arendelle will not be bullied and We do not fear you or your allies."
"Guards be sure they do not leave this spot. We will see how strong their Navies are." Elsa was seething inside. How dare these men try to force her hand into a marriage in order to resurrect an old union that Arendelle had never been a part of. Her great ancestor had fought off invasions for power hunger countries and she would do the same.
Ten minutes later the Aurora was nearly in cannon range from the armada when the lead ship shot at them. Elsa smirk, perfect, they were playing right into her hands. She steadfastly walked to the bow. She could see Kristoff had moved just off to her right at the bow starboard side. She took a deep breath finding the well of magic that always seemed to fill her chest. She released her breath and let her magic flow from its heart inside her and out to the sea. She'd never even attempted something like this before, she could feel the difference between freezing fresh water and this salt water, she concentrated harder, focusing on dropping the temperature of the sea around the armada in her mind's eye while not affecting the air around them. She heard a creaking sound and opened her eyes which she hadn't realized she had shut. She was shocked when she saw that all 30 of the warships were frozen solid in ice. Elsa felt light headed and her knees buckled, she was saved by Kristoff who quickly grabbed her under the arms. She recovered quickly and turned to approach the two princes who were quiet, their eyes wide in shock. Kristoff stayed close to her and a discreet hand on the small of her back.
"This is the least of what I can do." she said in a low fierce voice she didn't even know she possessed. " I will never use my powers to start a war, to invade a country, to harm the innocent." She once again drew herself up, she stepped away from Kristoff support, "I will however defend my country with every fiber of my being be that with my pen, my sword, or my magic." She glared at both princes, they visibly gulped and looked away.
"Arendelle is not a pawn in your power games, we are free, we are independent. First I will personally throw every one of your cannons in the ocean, then you will leave this vessel at once and join your fleets. You will then send someone with a signed writ that Sweden and Finland illegally and unprovoked entered Arendelllian waters with the ill intent to threaten and harm Arendelle and will henceforth withdrawn from Arendellian water and not return until permission is given by Arendelle, and then and only then will I thaw my ice and let you go." she paused to see if her words were registering, "You will then go home and tell you fathers that Arendelle will not be bullied. I will not marry either of you nor any representative of Sweden or Finland. They are then to send representatives to my court on the first spring thaw to discuss the state of relations. Do I make myself clear?"
Neither men answered. Elsa whipped her hand up and a furry of cold wind blew around them. They both startled and cringed. "Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes Your Majesty." They echoed together.
Elsa nodded to her guards who escorted the two princes and their aides to a waiting dingey. Elsa walked to the port side and with a wave her hand unthawed a slim strip of water. Once that was done she turned her attention to the warships stuck in the ice. She should go to each vessel to do this to be sure she doesn't miss a cannon but it was unlikely anyone would allow her to do so, so instead she once again closed her eyes. She'd studied blue prints of war vessels from all of Arendelle's allies and neighbors, she pictures the location of where the cannons should be and again reached into the heart of her magic and sent it forth this time in an ice cold wind that wrapped around every cannon it came in contact with. The cannons were ripped from their anchors and began falling onto the ice below. When she couldn't hear the distance thuds and crashes of the falling cannons and her wind could find no other target she let go. She swayed but was able to steady herself. Her body felt weak and tired but she knew she had more work to do. It wasn't long before a solo man arrived back in a digney with the official writ Elsa had requested. She took it and dismissed the Swedish clerk. He looked horrified to be in her presence but she pushed away the hurt. She read over the document and found it to be sufficient. Walking again to the bow of the boat for a third time she dipped into her magic, she reached deep and sent the tendrils of her magic to the ends of the ice and with one wave of her hand the ice dissolved. Elsa's stomach dropped her knees buckling quickly and as she fell her eyes closed but not before she saw Prince Pieter rushing towards her.
XXXXXXXXX
For the second time in a month Elsa woke to a pounding head in her bed with no true recollection of how she got there. She groaned as she turned her head to see her sister lounging on a chaise that had been pulled up next to her bed. Anna was staring at her, her face for once portraying no emotion, Elsa glanced around the room, there was no one there.
She turned back to her still eerily quiet sister. "How long was I asleep?" Elsa ventured to say.
"A day." was the short retort. Elsa knew this wasn't good, she pushed herself up in the bed, feeling extremely weak and sore.
"Anna…." she started.
"No don't Anna me." Anna uncharacteristically snapped. "Are you trying to kill yourself?"
"What no!" Elsa couldn't understand where that had come from.
"Are you sure, because in one month I've witnessed my sister being brought secretly into the castle unconscious and then sat next to her bed for hours wondering if she'd wake up."
"That's not fair Anna, I didn't plan to get thrown from my horse." Elsa corrected, her head was starting to pound but she wouldn't back down, not when Anna was being so unfair.
"No, but you did go out on a ship with a prince who staged your accident, then you faced a 50 ship armada that started shooting at you all alone, and then you exert yourself and your magic to a brink that you passed out. You really think putting your body under that much stress is a good idea after just having recovered from a concussion." Anna at this point was standing her hand on her belly as she huffed and puffed.
"Anna calm down before…."
"Don't tell me to calm down!." Anna's face was bright red.
Elsa raised her hands in the air, "Anna please for the baby, calm down and sit next to me." Elsa pleaded.
Anna seemed to consider it for a moment before relenting and taking a deep breath before lowering herself onto the side of the bed, though she didn't accept Elsa proffered open arms.
"What's not good for my baby is watching my sister nearly get herself killed. I told you not to go, that it wasn't a good idea." Anna turned to look at her, her red face fading her eyes filled with fear and concern and unrelenting love. "I don't want to be Queen, please don't make me Queen." she finally begged and began to cry falling into Elsa's arms. Elsa sighed as she wrapped her little sister in her arms and placed her cheek against the top of Anna's head. She ran her hand through the auburn locks and hummed their mother's lullaby. After a few minutes Anna had composed herself again and sat up. "I'm serious, you aren't allowed to leave me."
Elsa smiled, "nor you me. Anna you have to understand, I have to protect Arendelle when I can."
"We have an army and a navy for that." Anna remarked as she rubbed her eyes dry.
"We do, and I hope we never need their services in war. If my interventions prevent mothers from burying their sons, wifes their husbands, and children their fathers, then I will do so. Conscription was my idea, I will do whatever it takes to try and prevent those men going into battle." Elsa desperately tried to help Anna understand her position.
"Even if it means facing armies and navies all alone and draining yourself of your magic so much that you collapse or die? I don't see how losing another monarch is in the best interest of Arendelle." Anna replied curtly.
Elsa sighed and lay back. "I don't know Anna, I don't know what my magic is capable of, today I was acting on blind faith in it. I don't want to use it the way I did today, I don't want to give other nations reasons to distrust me, to fear me. I don't want to be looked at as either a monster or a phenomenon."
"Then why go through with it today. Why put yourself in a situation in which those very fears could come true." Anna requested. Her hand was holding Elsa's and squeezing it gently.
"Because I knew that Prince Oskar and Prince Garreth were afraid of my magic already. I knew that if I could show off just enough power, without being overly offensive, that I could get them to withdraw the armada. We can't afford a war right now Anna, not so early in my reign, not so soon after the disaster of my coronations. The people need to know I will do anything to protect them."
Anna shook her head, "And what of the next time, what if someone else tries to send a fleet or a battalion or whatever at us, you've set a precedent Elsa, the people will expect you to go out and fight instead of our military. You aren't invincible."
Elsa knew Anna was right, she'd considered it before going to the council with her plan. The original idea was to keep the evern quiet, but perhaps there was a better way.
"If we let it slip that I passed out of fatigue from the effort, no one will expect me to face a foriegn military alone again. They'll think my magic has its limits."
Anna rolled her eyes, "it does, you did use too much and pass out."
Elsa shook her head, "no, I had plenty of magic left, I am not sure if it is limitless or not, but I could have done more magic. I am pretty sure I passed out because I was still recovering from the concussion." She couldn't be sure of course, but something inside told her that if she'd been truly healthy the large use of her magic wouldn't have fatigued her nearly as much.
"Let's not find out." Anna finally stated. It was clear she was done with the conversation.
"Deal." Elsa smirked and then pulled Anna back down with her. "Come snuggle with me, it may be my last chance before my niece or nephew arrives to monopolize your time."
Anna giggled and then turned to look at Elsa seriously, "I'll always have time for you."
Elsa smiled; "And I you."
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