Chapter 7: Prisoners

Anna trembled and pulled her blanket tighter around her shoulders. She was back in her bedchamber, far from the gruesome murder scene in the ballroom. However, she felt far from safe. The castle was no longer warm and inviting. Not with King Wilhelm gone.

King Wilhelm…. Anna sniffled, and wiped her nose with her index finger. She tried so hard no to think about what happened downstairs. She had already retched into a chamber pot once and didn't want a repeat performance. Unfortunately, what she saw was far too traumatizing to block out. With her room so quiet, she could still hear the horrified screams of the people—mostly women—in the crowd, though none screamed louder than Queen Helene and Princess Josephine. Their pitched cries were like a constant ringing in her ears. It was even worse when she closed her eyes. She could picture King Wilhelm's lifeless body crumpled in the center of the floor with a pool of blood growing larger beneath him.

Everyone's last moments in the ballroom were chaotic. Those closest to the doors tried to leave, but the Alvanian soldiers blocked the way. It seemed like an eternity before Beker managed to get the panicked screeching to stop so he could address the room and take command of the situation. Anna couldn't remember exactly what the Chancellor said. She was too distracted the royal family. But once his speech was over, soldiers had rounded up the guests and began escorting them out.

A few more tears started falling down her cheek and she used the corner of her blanket to wipe them away. The late-king wasn't the only member of the family to face violence. Prince Oscar had lunged for Beker once the king fell, but he was roughly pulled back by Alvanians stationed in the crowd. He even tried to pull the ceremonial sword hanging at his hip to fight back, but was struck in the head with the butt of a soldier's rifle for his efforts. It wasn't enough to knock him out, but it left a good trail of blood running down the side of his face. Oscar's final stand came when another soldier came for her and grabbed her arm to take her away. The prince had wrestled free to try to protect her. Only a desperate plea from the queen to Beker made the roughhousing against the prince stop. Shifting the blanket off to the side, she could still see the red blood stain on her left shoulder.

"I hope he's alright…." She sighed out loud. When she was being escorted out, she last saw Oscar standing before his father and clutching his sobbing sister. Helene was on the floor with her arms throwing over her husband. No doubt, it would be the last time they'd ever lay eyes on the king.

Now what's going to happen?

Anna glanced over to the locked door. Not long after she was brought back, a higher ranked officer barged into her room. He never introduced himself. He only asked her several questions about who she was, what kingdom she hailed from, and the specific inquiries about Arendelle and their neighborly relations. She didn't have answers to every one of his inquiries, and before she got the chance to turn the tables on him and demand answers of her own, he left and locked the door behind him.

Her mind started racing. What if she was going to be stuck here for a while? What would become of her? And what did the Alvanians want, anyway? If Beker and his men came for King Wilhelm, well… that's done. What else could they possibly need from the rest of the guests? She let out a gasp. What if they wanted some sort of ransom? They'd write to Elsa… oh gods. What—er—how would she react? A-And Kristoff? They'll be so worried when they find out what's happened….

Will the rest of us end up sharing Wilhelm's fate? What about Helene, Oscar and Josephine? What will befall them? They're the ones in the most danger.

There were too many questions and no answers to put her at any sort of peace.

Hans wiped some sweat from his brow as he navigated his way through the lower floors of the castle's servant wing. Every hallway was empty. Eerily empty. The only men around were Alvanian soldiers as they stood guard over every exit out of the castle. And he made sure they didn't get a glimpse of him.

These intruders must have everyone confined in their rooms…. Or somewhere else. He thought to himself. He was fortunate that he hadn't been interrupted in his wandering and taken prisoner. Again.

Fortunate, or just plain lucky. A rarity for him.

Hans supposed he was already on some sort of streak. After all, he wasn't shot on sight when Alvanian soldiers burst into the barn hours earlier. And he was thankful that the years of dodging his elder brothers made him quick on his feet. While waiting for inevitable, he had purposefully soiled up his appearance. When they came for him, he led them to believe he was merely the stable-hand on duty that night, and back to the castle he went, along with his armed escort. He was certain he would have been detained with the other staff once they got back inside but thank goodness the one guard tailing him was called away to complete 'the mission'—whatever that was. He was left with the threat to return to his room without detour, and if he wasn't there when they did a check, he would be hunted down and shot on sight.

Pleasant thoughts.

One thing was for certain. He couldn't stay in the lower levels of the castle forever. He had to find out what happened to Charlotte. Further, he had to find out what was going on.

He was about to turn the corner at a stairwell when he stopped dead in his tracks. In the distance at the top of the stairs was another armed guard blocking the door.

Well shit…. Hans flattened himself against the wall and stealthily glanced around the corner. He didn't anticipate the access to the main floors to be guarded as well. Somewhere, somehow, there had to be a way up. It wouldn't do him any good to be trapped below for too long. Especially if his escort came back. That would certainly be the end of him—and maybe Charlotte as well. And he certainly couldn't stay in this one spot and ponder what to do. There was the slim chance that the guard may have spotted him—or at least his shadow on the ground. Keeping his body pressed against the stone, he backtracked down the corridor until he felt he was at a safe distance, then he started opening doors. This was going off the assumption that most, if not all, of these rooms were empty simply because there were no Alvanians around to watch hostages. And if they had to pull soldiers from the servant's wing for some other task, then the important action was likely taking place upstairs.

But how long would they stay upstairs?

One of these rooms has to have something that could help….

Two unhelpful halls later, he found himself in the kitchen. To immense surprise, the cook and her many kitchen maids were present and seemingly left alone.

"Y-y-your highness!" The plump older woman exclaimed and placed her hands on her cheeks in shock. "Goodness, y-you're—"

"Shhh!" Hans rushed over and clamped a hand over her mouth. "Don't talk, just nod. Do you understand?" He looked around the rest of the room, indicating that the request was for everyone, not just the cook.

She nodded, and so did the rest of the staff.

"Is everyone alright?" He whispered.

She nodded again.

"Are you being watched?"

"y-yes." The youngest maid near him squeaked out and immediately covered her mouth.

Hans sighed and looked around the kitchen. Many of the young girls had a look of fear in their eyes. Whatever was going on upstairs, the effects had already began trickling down to the staff.

"Do you know what's happened?" He whispered directly to the cook.

Tears started building up in her eyes as she nodded. She reached up to tap his hand. He took the hint and removed it from her mouth. "H-his m-majesty…" she choked out. She opened her mouth again, but nothing came out this time.

"… it's ok. Never mind." Hans whispered and urgently turned back towards the doorway. If these women really were under observation, he didn't want to linger. "Is there another way out of here? I can't get back upstairs."

"There's a back stairway." Another kitchen-maid came forward and gestured towards the pantry. "It makes a stop outside the dining room, and then continues to each floor until reaching the royal chambers. It's how we serve the meals."

"Do they know about it?" He asked.

"I don't think so." The cook replied and dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief.

"Then I'll try it. It's the only shot I have." He started to cross the kitchen. "Please. If anyone asks, I was never here."

He didn't waste any more time. He bolted for the stairs and took them two at a time. And to his immense relief, there was no guard at the first landing. Still, he hesitated before opening the door. This was the first exit he came across. That meant this led right to the dining room. Walk out here wouldn't be the smartest course of action. The main floor would no doubt be full of activity and for all he knew, he could walk right into a trap and be shot on sight.

Hans backed away from the door and started up the next set of stairs, skipping the second landing and going to the third to tempt fate. His palms were sweating, and he wiped his hands on his trousers before gripping the doorknob.

Slowly now….

To his immense relief, the corridor was empty. Now all that he needed to do was regain his bearings.

I suppose I should have asked what part of the castle this was. I don't know these halls all that well. Think, Hans, think. The dining room was in the east wing…. I think. So, unless this hidden stairwell was windier than I thought, I should still be there. Now, my room and Charlotte's are both in the north wing. And at least, if this really is the third floor, I won't have to any more steps to reach her. That is, assuming she's even in her room.

It didn't even occur to him until that moment that she might still be in the ballroom. Or virtually anywhere else in the castle. But there wasn't much time to mentally debate the issue. There were shadows moving on the floor further down the corridor. Someone was coming. Moving fast, he ducked into the first door he came across. It was a conference room, thankfully empty, but from the sounds of footsteps outside, it may not stay empty for long. He quickly scanned the room. Meeting table, chairs, and a few short cupboards along the walls. Nowhere real practical to hide. The only potential place would be behind the full window curtains. It would have to do. He bolted behind the drapes and let out a huge sigh of relief. These weren't just windows. They were doors to a small balcony. He could hide outside! And there was just enough time to perch himself in his hiding place when the doors to the chamber opened, allowing several men inside.

"I'd say that went rather well." Said the first voice. From the tone, it sounded to come from an older gentleman.

"Yes. The castle take-over is complete." Said another.

Curiosity was getting to Hans. He strained to hear what was going on inside. The balcony door was still open a sliver. Just enough for him to hear without letting any breeze blow the drapes and give away his location. He wanted to learn more about the situation at hand. All he had to go off was the king's name.

If the castle really has been taken over, then the royal family will probably be confined somewhere, just like the serving staff.

"What of the king's body?" Another man spoke. "I think we all agree we care very little to what happens to him now, but the corpse cannot just remain in that ballroom."

Wha—King Wilhelm is dead?! Hans' eyes widened in shock. That certainly explains everyone's panic in the kitchens.

"We'll leave that up to Chancellor Beker when he returns." The first voice replied.

"Where has he gone?"

"He and the king's former assistant were off in the study looking for something."

Hans raised a hand to part the curtains just enough to see. There were more men in the chamber than he realized. Two guards at the door, and three military officers surrounding the far end of the table. Two appeared middle aged, the third, he assumed to be the oldest due to his graying hair and numerous medals and decorations adorning his uniform. He held a stack of papers in his hands and was rifling through them.

Hans' hand immediately retracted and he shrank back against the outer wall when the conference doors opened. One of them was a servant, most likely the previously mentioned assistant based on the way he was dressed. That would mean the other man was Viktor Beker. After waiting a few minutes for his pounding heartrate to return to normal, he returned to his eavesdropping stance.

"Is everyone confined to quarters?" Beker asked.

"Yes, sir." The older man replied and passed his leader the papers. "This is what I've collected from my rounds."

"Ah, yes." Beker nodded and placed them down on the table. "Let's take a look at our honored guests—"

"—You mean King Wilhelm's guests!" The servant standing off to the side said in a sudden outburst.

Beker raised a brow and glanced over his shoulder. "Late-King-Wilhelm—"

"Queen Helene's then!" The man rebuked. "This is their land. This is their home! And you and your kind are not welcome here!"

"Silence, you worm!" One of the other officers barked back, and he raised his hand to strike.

"No, stop." Beker said calmly and quickly. He placed his hands on his man's shoulders to settle him. "Let this man be, Sturgis. After all, we have only just arrived, and it will take time for him and the rest of the staff to adjust to their new masters."

"NEVER!"

Beker sighed and motioned for one of the soldiers at the door. "Take our young friend here back to the servant's wing, would you? I have no more need for his services this night." He turned to watch the men leave. "Just be prepared. I'll be giving your staff instructions first thing in the morning. And I expect full cooperation from everyone." The threat in his voice did not go unnoticed.

Once alone, Beker turned to his older comrade. "I take it the staff was secured as well, Andersen?"

"Yes, sir. All but the kitchen maids, though we are keeping eyes on them."

"Good, good." Beker nodded and sank down in the empty end chair. He turned his attention back to the stack of papers. A frown formed as he compared parchment, he brought along to the ones Andersen gave him. "Interesting. Based on the glitz and glam of the guests tonight, I expected a lot of more royal attendees."

"Domestic nobility, sir. Extended family and regional aristocrats of Rheland."

"Yes, I can see that now. Ah!" He formed a slight smile as he scanned a page. "King Alastor of Malengrad. I am familiar with him." He nodded his head here and there as he found more names in the guest list. "Well, well, what have we here? A lone queen in our midst!"

"Who?" Sturgis asked.

"Queen Charlotte of the Southern Isles." Beker replied with an intriguing grin forming across his face. "I look forward to making her acquaintance."

The mere mentioning of Charlotte made Hans' heart race all over again, and his hands flexed in and out of fists. He couldn't bear listen to these Alvanians and the unpleasant manner that they discussed his brother's wife.

Charlotte wasn't the only reason he began to grow nervous. If Beker's men were keeping tabs on the guests, how soon would they discover he was missing? Have they been to his room? Would they go on a manhunt searching the castle from top to bottom? Would they go after Charlotte for information?

As the men inside continued to discuss the guest list—or as Hans thought of it, the list of hostages—a new sour feeling formed in his gut. What did Beker want? He couldn't have come all this way just to kill King Wilhem. And why do so in the first place? Political statement? Alvania was already an alienated country thanks to its barbaric history. What did they plan to do with everyone else? Did they want demands from other kingdoms? Is this all a stunt for random?

"… we'll hold position here to allow time for our forces to fully commandeer Rheland's resources."

"It's not just Rheland's, but the surrounding lands, too." Beker explained, "As you all know, this was only step one. To continue our mission, we will need all of our strength before going out to sea. Claiming Armensgrad for our own was just the beginning. Our toughest challenges await once our campaign spreads to the north…."

Hans swallowed hard as he continued to eavesdrop. So, this isn't the only stop? Are they planning to go after every damn location in the realm? What good would that serve?

"…Arendelle will be the biggest threat to our campaign." Andersen said. "Queen Elsa and her unholy magic will have to be neutralized. And we can't rule out the navy of the Southern Isles…."

As much as he should continue, he couldn't bear to listen in anymore. It was even more important that he find Charlotte now. One last peek through the curtains told him the men weren't planning on leaving anytime soon. With no way back inside the castle, his only choice now was to go on foot through the grounds outside. Pushing away from the castle wall, he stepped to the edge of the balcony and peered down. Scaling the wall from the third floor wasn't ideal, nor would it be easy. There were no nearby trees or shrubbery to help his climb.

With a deep breath, he swung a leg over the railing. Well, here goes nothing.

Finding his way in the dark was just as hard as he imagined it would be. Hans spent more time crawling behind bushes and getting flat on the ground more than he did walk. Though in some instances, he managed to slip through an open servant's entrance and dash down dark, empty corridors. He didn't dare try to return to the main floor of the castle. He kept to the shadows until he found another exit to the outdoors. And he let out a tremendous sigh of relief when he came across the familiar square garden. And to top it off, there were no guards patrolling the immediate area.

Almost there.

Hans glanced around to get his bearings. One of the many balconies above belonged to him. Charlotte's room faced the garden from a different corridor. He had spent one afternoon in her room, and he tried to remember how her view was oriented. Of course, just getting to Charlotte meant climbing the wall again. The thought made him groan. Climbing down the first time was hard enough. There weren't many deep ridges in the stone for him to securely grab.

It took a while, but he managed to get onto the balcony in question. A loud grunt escaped his lips after he practically threw himself onto the ledge from the wall, and it was a bit of a shock to his system hitting the floor so hard. Once the pain wore off, he turned his head to look into the room. The heavier drapes were still pulled back, and through the sheers, he could see right in. The fireplace was lit, and he was immensely relieved to see Charlotte inside, pacing back and forth by the hearth. She was still dressed head-to-toe in her formal wear from the party. The light from the fireplace was reflecting off of the diamonds of her tiara.

"Charlotte!" he hissed and rapt his knuckles on the glass of the door. It only occurred to him afterwards that this could also be some type of trap, and she may not be alone in the room. But it was too late now. Tempting fate again, he banged a bit harder this time to get her attention. "Hey!"

That got the queen's attention and she stopped in her pacing to glance about. Once her eyes landed on his form, she rushed to the doors and yanked them open. Hans didn't waste any time crawling inside. Once safe, and the doors closed behind him, he collapsed down on his back onto a soft area rug near the fireplace.

"Hans!" Charlotte exclaimed in a hushed voice. Her hands went up to cover her mouth as she quickly looked him over. Once the shock of his sudden appearance wore off, she lifted up her skirts to drop onto her knees and threw her arms around him. "Heavens, thank goodness you're alright! How on earth—"

Her hug felt wonderful, but the affection quickly felt like it was smothering him. He gently pried her off and forced himself into more of a sitting position. The chaise lounge wasn't too far, so he scooted back and leaned up against it. "Well, it's a bit of a long story." He replied, not wanting to get into the gritty details too quickly. "Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?"

"No-no, I'm alright." She shifted and sat on the floor beside him. "Physically, at least. To put it mildly, it's been a terrible few hours."

"I can imagine." Hans replied with a frown. "What exactly transpired earlier? I only know bits and pieces."

"What exactly do you know?"

"Only that the king is dead. That and the castle is swarming with Alvanian soldiers."

Charlotte nodded. "Viktor Beker and his men showed up at the ball during the king's speech. I think this was all some sort of ploy to kill Wilhelm and disrupt the festival. The man murdered Wilhelm in front of us all! He just…" she waved her hands about, trying to find the right words, "he just pulled out a pistol and shot him dead. A-and then afterwards we were all sent back to our rooms and locked inside. You're the first friendly face I've seen in hours. No castle staff, no Agatha." She sighed and let her shoulders slump. "I'll never hear the end of this."

"What do you mean?"

"Frederick." She clarified. "From the instant we arrive home, he will never let me step foot outside the Isles again. I know it."

"You mean if we ever get back to the Isles…." Hans said morbidly. "And even if we do manage to, it may not be the same Isles that we remember."

Charlotte raised her brow curiously. "Hans? What are you talking about?"

Hans took a deep breath. There really wasn't an easy way to explain this. "It's a bit of a long story."

"I imagine part of the long story you mentioned earlier." Charlotte replied and gestured around them, putting more emphasis on the locked door to the corridor. "It doesn't seem like either of us will be going anywhere for a while. Just start at the beginning."

He brought his knees up to rest his arms on and began to divulge his activities from the last few hours, starting from the moment he left the ball. Charlotte remained quiet as she listened to his report, and to no surprise to him, visibly paled when he got to the parts of the servant's detainment.

"What about the visiting staff?" She broke her silence. "Agatha, and the others that came with other royals and ambassadors?"

"I didn't see them." Hans said. "I think everyone was confined to quarters, all but the kitchen staff."

"Why only them?"

He shrugged. "Even invaders need to eat?"

"Hmmph." She bristled. "They can starve for all I care, for what they did to King Wilhelm and his family."

Hans was taken aback. That was certainly not something he ever expected Charlotte to say. "Freddy really is rubbing off on you, and I'm not sure I like that."

The queen rolled her eyes. "Never mind that. You weren't finished with your story." She waved him off, "keep going."

He hesitated and glanced over towards the door. There was a good chance that a guard was posted outside. And while no one had barged in on them so far, it didn't help put him at ease, especially with what he had to add—the most important part of his report. He leaned in closer to her and spoke just above a whisper.

Charlotte gasped and quickly covered her mouth as Hans shared what he knew of Beker's plans. "Y-you can't be serious." She whispered back, "it's… it's…" she was at a loss of words.

"I am." Hans said. "This goes far beyond the mere murder of a king. There must be something this man wants from us. From Freddy. From your father. From everyone. And it's clear he doesn't give a damn about moral and political boundaries. If Armensgrad has already fallen—"

"No one even knew!" She said in a hushed tone, "Frederick surely would have mentioned such a thing! We certainly would never have been allowed to this festival if we knew Alvania was expanding its territory."

"Well, too late now. We're here. They're here. And they certainly won't stop with Rheland. If Beker truly plans to spread north, then our entire realm is at risk. The Isles, Arendelle, Vallacia, even Weselton… how many monarchs are going to get murdered while this man goes on some mysterious vendetta?" He raked his fingers through his hair and got a glimpse of the panicked expression forcing its way across her features. "What are we going to do?" He asked after a long pause, "or… what can we even do—we're trapped here as prisoners. And who knows what will happen to us in the end."

He averted his gaze momentarily to glance out the window. When she didn't immediately reply, he turned back towards her and froze. Her face had become incredibly pensive. Clearly, the gears were turning inside her mind.

"I suppose, as prisoners, there's really only one option." She responded after a lengthy pause. "Escape."