Early May, 1848
Northuldra Encampment
Near the Border of Arendelle and Weselton
"He believes that if he can eradicate the Northuldra, then he can take their lands and thereby lay claim to Arendelle."
She listened, hands behind her back as she paced within the hut, the tails of her simple white coat shifting as she walked. "That arrogant little weasel has no more rights to the lands of Arendelle than the Isles to the South do." A boldfaced lie, considering you have married their king and borne him two children. "He has made a grave mistake, crossing into Arendelle. If he wishes to enter into Northuldra- and therefore Arendellian- land, then he will be entering an empty encampment. How are we doing with getting everyone out?"
"We just have a few left, and the reindeer herd to move." She turned towards the chief, nodding. "Though our warriors insist on fighting alongside you. This is our land as much as it is yours, Majesty, and we will defend it just as you will."
Elsa's gaze moved slowly over Yelena; the older woman had many more years in leadership than she; had born two children, and helped her tribe to grow and thrive in the years since becoming chief. The younger woman would not show false respect to a fellow ruler; there were a great many things she admired about Yelena- especially given that the tribe had even been willing to share shelter and food with her and her soldiers the moment they stepped into the encampment. Granted, it had been a tense few moments between the two leaders, but once she made it clear they were there to drive Weselton out of Arendelle- and essentially, the tribes' lands- the tension melted away and they were warmly welcomed.
"What brings the Arendellian queen to our lands? And with soldiers?"
"I've come to drive the Duke of Weselton from my country; he has no right to cross into the our borders, in hopes of wiping out your tribe and laying claim to your lands and thereby laying claim to all of Arendelle. I do not take kindly to men who believe they can do as they wish in regards to my country simply because I am female. I am more powerful than any man who attempts to lay claim to my crown. You may be Northuldra, but you are also Arendellian, and therefore you are my subjects, and I will do all I can to protect my people from those who wish to do them harm."
"Very well, ready your best warriors." She turned back to Matthias, her own words fading from her memory. "Ready our men. We have the element of surprise on our side; the darkness of night, as well as the fact that Weselton does not know this land. He does not know Arendelle. We hold the advantage, and we will use it to the best of our ability." The general nodded, turning and heading from the tent.
Once he was gone, she relaxed, rubbing her hands over her face quickly to soothe herself before letting her hands fall. Out of habit, she reached up, feeling the ring nestled between her breasts, and sighed. This shall be over soon, and then I will return to you, my love. "We both will. But until we do, please, forgive me."
"He understands to a point, but he will never fully understand the mother's instinct." She turned to find Yelena watching her.
"I'm sorry?"
"You husband."
"Oh, I'm not-"
The older woman closed the gap between them, reaching out to lift her chin. "You have no reason to lie here; you are not the first warrior queen to walk into battle with a child forming in your belly." Elsa opened her mouth, but quickly closed it. "Men will never understand the struggle we go through to bring new life into the world. Those of us in positions of power must find a balance between bringing forth new life and taking it, and it is never easy. The thought of death weighs heavily on your mind, but nor for you- for your men."
"Am I that easy to read?"
Yelena pulled away, going to a basket and pulling something out. She returned minutes later. Without a word, she unfolded something, shaking it out, and Elsa saw that it was a brightly colored shawl; the deep hues of red, blue, purple and burgundy shone in the weak firelight. A moment passed, before the older woman reached out, draping it about the queen's shoulders. "There."
"Why are you giving me this?" It was beautiful, and so soft, as it lay about her shoulders, but the gift confused her.
"This possesses the symbols of the elements- Water, Fire, Earth and Air, as well as Spirit, that which resides in everything. Only someone who possesses the fifth Element is worthy of such a shawl. That you are so willing to walk into battle while your child grows within your belly, for a tribe that lives within your country but that you have never interacted with, shows you possess not only great bravery, but strong spirit. You see value in all life, not just those within the densest part of your country, and you are willing to fight for it and them, and that makes you worthy of being called Northuldra."
Worthy of being called Northuldra. She blushed, studying the shawl, humbled by Yelena's words.
"He will never understand the trials a woman must face to carve her place within the world, the battles we must wage to gain respect and acceptance. Just like childbirth, he will never know the pain and struggle you will go through to build your reign. This child may be of his seed, but it grows within you, it will come from your womb; it will be you who endures the pain of birth, not him. He will be grateful and humbled, but he will never understand, not in the way he should. And for that, you must forgive him. Men do not understand what they do not experience. They understand war because they experience it, and those who experience fatherhood understand it, but they will never fully understand the bond a child has with its mother. He will never understand the struggle to build your reign, because his struggle is different to yours. Just as you wish him to forgive you, you yourself must forgive him. I suspect his spirit is strong, but not as strong as yours." She cocked her head. "In the building of your marriage, you are infinitely stronger than he. I suspect he is more of fire and air than you, who is more of water and spirit."
Elsa blushed, hands moving to caress her belly. Yelena's gaze followed, and she smiled softly. "Do not worry, each child you bear will be of equal parts of both of you- fire, air, water and spirit." Blue eyes widened in confusion. "Do you truly think you will not survive this? Majesty, you are destined to do more than die in a small battle with a lowly country; you will birth a monarchy that will puncture the heavens above. The legacy you build will rival that of the queens who came before you."
"Your Majesty?" Both women turned as Matthias returned. "We're ready."
She nodded, glancing at Yelena. "I will be right there, General, thank you." With a nod, he left, and she thanked the chief softly, tucking the shawl beneath her armour. As she moved to go, Yelena spoke up once more.
"Majesty." The young queen turned back. "Remember, you are Spirit personified. He may be your mate, but it is you who will start a revolution. What you are doing will become legendary."
She looked around at her men, who waited for her order. Despite the moon high in the sky, the trees of the forest obscured it, casting darkness about the land, giving the Arendellian Army the distinct advantage of surprise over the Duke. She paused, feeling her child shift within her. The pregnancy had come as a surprise; not long after her twenty-fifth birthday she had begun to notice the familiar signs that the seeds her husband had released within her had taken root. Her belly had grown, and the babe had made itself known by its movement within her; strong kicks and stretches that seemed to signal a healthy heir was on its way. Like her other pregnancies, her belly was noticeable but small- she would not truly gain weight until the start of her final three months, as was common due to her small stature. She also made sure to wear loose-fitting clothing as opposed to the dresses she wore back at Linnea.
Her husband's shirts- always several sizes too big for her- did the trick of hiding her belly, and the breeches and coat she had crafted from her ice only added to the striking effect. The armour she wore helped to protect her growing belly as well, but ultimately, it would be her powers that would do the most good. Despite being comfortable in men's clothes, she still preferred dresses to breeches and shirts, satin slippers to riding boots, but she would have to make due for now.
"Weselton has no right to enter Arendellian land under hostile circumstances! They have no right to destroy our lands or our people, and the Northuldra are our people! Weselton has been a thorn within our side for too long, and must be dealt with! My ancestors have served you faithfully for centuries! Clan Bekkerdahl has protected and cared for you because it is our duty! It is my birth-right to serve you, as my ancestors have! Arendelle was claimed for Clan Bekkerdahl centuries ago, and I will not allow her to fall into Weselton hands! He will not come into our lands, he will not take what is not rightfully his!" She looked around at each of them, seeing the faces of many men who had known her back when she was Crown Princess. They had served her as faithfully as she had served them. She swallowed; the babe shifted and stretched within her. You again carry the next line of Bekkerdahls inside you, you are doing more than your duty to your people. You are loyal and faithful to them, as they are to you... you are not fighting for Arendelle, you are fighting for them, make them understand that.
She licked her lips, gathering her thoughts. "I am not here only fighting for Arendelle, I am fighting for you- and all future Arendellians, born and unborn! I am the daughter of King Agnarr and Queen Iduna I! They fought for Arendelle, for you, as I am! Do not fight for me,"
She looked up, searching for the moonlight among the dense leaves of the forest, Yelena's words returning to her. You will birth a monarchy that will pierce the heavens above. It is you who will start a revolution. What you are doing will become legendary. The babe kicked inside her, and she rested a hand to her belly, the reigns tight within her grasp, to make it look as though she were trying to control her horse as it pawed the ground. In that moment, she knew what she had to say to rally their bravery.
"Fight for Arendelle." Her voice was steady, strong. "Fight for her, and every person who resides within her! Fight for the future she will have, and the future we know she will embrace! Fight for every Arendellian- those of our past, our present, and our future! Show Weselton that he cannot come into Arendelle and expect her to bow to his demands! She is stronger than that! She is wiser! Arendelle's future is bright, and the Duke of Weselton will not darken it!" The horse reared lightly, and she tugged gently on the reigns. "I am Iduna Elisabeth II, the daughter of King Agnarr and Queen Iduna I, I have birthed you two heirs to the throne- I will bring Arendelle and her people into a new era! And I will destroy any who dares try to bring her progress to a halt! Weselton will learn that I am no mere queen, I possess powers over ice and snow, and he will taste the bite of my fury! He has already taken the lives of many Northuldra- or Arendellian people! He has spilled the blood of my subjects, and I cannot let that pass! If he believes the spilled blood of Arendellians will force me to submit to him, then I will bring the full fury of winter and war down upon him and his men, and I will show no mercy! Blood for blood! Innocent Arendellian blood has been spilled! Our empire is threatened! We will fight, for Arendelle and the generations of Arendellians not yet born! And I will go into battle by your side, for this is as much my fight as it is yours! For Arendelle!"
The sight of their queen, seated upon her stallion, dressed in armor, prepared to fight alongside them tugged at the hearts of every man there. General Matthias glanced at each of his men, before raising his sword. "For Arendelle and Queen Iduna Elisabeth!" Cries of agreement rang out.
Under cover of darkness, they moved through the forest, and as dawn broke over the horizon, Elsa rolled her hands, before bringing her palm to her lips and blowing. A fierce storm rolled out, enveloping both her arm and the duke's; it trapped them, leveling the playing field as they fought. He let out a squawk at the sudden storm, the only intelligible word screeched loud and clear for all to hear, "Monster!"
So turned around by the sudden snowstorm, the duke didn't realize he was in Elsa's sights; the smell of blood and the sound of metal-on-metal hung in the air, but Elsa's attentions and actions were fixed on the man who had spilled innocent blood. The queen was not a violent woman, but when threatened, she would do all she could to protect those she loved- and she loved her people dearly. The arrogant little man had deliberately stumbled into the lair of a mother lioness- and like any lioness, she would protect her cubs against all enemies come to do harm.
"You're wrong, Sir. The monster is you." He put up a good fight, but it wasn't good enough.
Days later, Hans looked up from his pacing as the library door opened. He'd come to Linnea weeks earlier, to spend time with his family, and also to calm his wife when she learned of what Weselton had done. It had resulted in an argument, and he'd stormed off; she'd left not long after, chasing after Weselton, and Hans had lived with the guilt since. But upon remembering that his wife was six months into her current pregnancy, his guilt was quickly replaced with anger-
Now though, she stepped into the room, shutting the door softly behind her. Anna, who'd been sitting on the sofa staring into the fire, turned towards the sound; her eyes swam with tears- she had been convinced her sister would die in battle, so to see her standing before them... she choked on a sob, rushing towards the queen, stopping just steps before her, gasping at the sight of blood splashed across her sister's uniform. The riding boots, breeches and long coat she wore hugged her figure, though the round swell of her abdomen was evident, and after a moment, the queen shook her head, the meaning clear, it's not my blood. We're safe.
Anna choked on a sob, and Elsa embraced the princess, whispering that it was okay, that she was all right, that the baby was all right, before pulling away and going to her husband. He met her in the middle of the room, wrapping his arms around her. "Gods, Elisabeth, what were you thinking? How could you do that? You put not just yourself but our child at risk!"
She shook her head, reaching up to brush away the tears that dashed down his cheeks. "I'm okay, my love. We're okay. Both of us. I promise you. The Northuldra's shaman checked me over afterwards, and we're both fine. Our child is strong." She tugged his hand down, until it rested against her belly, and gently pressed; a sharp kick was the response, and he shook his head, choking on a sob as he pulled her into his arms again, burying his face in her hair.
"Gods, Eliza... I feared I'd lost you..."
She held him close, squeezing gently. "I'm sorry I scared you, love, but we're okay. I promise." She pulled away, meeting his gaze. "Weselton is gone; dead. I saw to it personally. And we and Arendelle are safe. I promise you that." To prove and seal her promise, she sealed it with a kiss.
