*pops head in frame* Hello there!
This week's chapter drops early! :D Thank you all so much for the support so far. Please leave a little comment, it means a lot.
CONTENT WARNING: Moderate Graphic Depictions of Violence.
Other chapters will have the same warning, so I will leave the rating as M from now on. Our beloved characters are going through action!
Chapter 5:
Everything will never be the same again
"Ma'am, we need to evacuate you." Announced Kai with insistence.
The Queen shook her head. "No. I'm staying here. You go first. You, go with him." She ordered, pointing at half the soldiers who stiffened and stood tall at attention. "And you, stay with me." She added, indicating the second half.
"Ma'am!" Exclaimed the butler, shocked by her behavior.
Anna stared at him. "You know I won't leave the castle so quickly. A captain is the last one to leave the ship, isn't it?"
The butler stared at her for a moment, the soldiers waiting. Then he sighed, with a slight smile. He walked forward and put his hand affectionately on her forearm.
"Be careful, Anna."
The latter smiled warmly. He rarely was that physical and familiar with her; after all, part of his job was to be devoted and at her orders, so it would be inappropriate to do so. He had no shame breaking the formal barrier in front of the soldiers, though. The guards obeyed Anna's order and split in half.
"Once you put him safe," the Queen said to the group leading Kai into the corridor, "go on land near the harbor where the pirates are going to arrive. Wait, on second thought, go help at the ramparts too, because they will certainly try to climb the walls. Now!"
They quickly walked away, just as quickly as the other half followed the Queen who was already trotting in the other direction.
"Where are you heading?" Asked the captain of the guard.
Anna had a decisive pace. "To the nearest balcony, but for safety reasons, one that isn't on the side they're attacking. I need to invoke Elsa with the Spirits Call."
Honeymaren smiled warmly as she spooned her lover from behind, her nose lost in the long untied hair of the blonde, her brain soaring as she inhaled her natural scent. Elsa had her forearm above hers on her belly and was passively holding her hand, smiling in her sleep at the sole presence of the protective Northuldra.
Slowly, her smile faded and she frowned, stirring. Honeymaren opened her eyes in a snap, startling to sit up and look around them.
Her experience of living in a forest all of her life told her that even in a goahti, no one was ever truly safe; even a wild animal that didn't mean any harm in the world could want to peek inside with its muzzle to sniff for food. After her inspection, Honeymaren didn't hear nor see anything dangerous, but Elsa stirred again, and this time, whatever was disturbing her woke her up fully.
"What is it, love?" Worried Honeymaren.
It was weird, her acute huntress ears didn't sense a thing. So she came to the evident conclusion.
"Is Ahtohallan calling you?"
She followed Elsa's concerned expression, turned to the opening at the top of the goahti. "No. Gale." She specified, not adding anything to focus better.
She stared at the sky like she was waiting for something, and Honeymaren waited, remaining mute in case she was communicating with the Wind Spirit.
Elsa frowned. "She's panicked. Her tingles make no sense."
She closed her eyes, eyebrows knotting in magical focus. "I'm trying to calm her down, but she insists."
Honeymaren sat upright to look at the opening, even though it was a useless reflex; by Elsa's attitude, she could tell that Gale was still far from the camp, coming back from a far off land.
"Okay, she's talking - I mean, communicating - slower now."
The Spirit tried to translate as she went. "Arendelle… Danger… Attack…" Her eyes widened as she twirled to her lover.
"Arendelle is under attack by exploding ships!"
"Exploding ships?" Repeated Honeymaren.
Now Elsa had told her everything about the navy, but not that. The blonde was breathing at a quick pace.
"I think she means cannonballs. Someone is shooting cannonballs at Arendelle." She panicked. "But who could be–"
Suddenly, Elsa startled, and it was even more intense than before.
"Anna?!" Gasped Elsa, astonished.
Honeymaren frowned. That was a weird way to mention her sister.
"Anna's voice. She used the Spirits Call." Muttered Elsa in disbelief, because of how weird that felt.
Sure, it wasn't the first time the redhead sang it; Elsa remembered her headaches from the first month in the Forest due to how many times Anna and Honeymaren had tried out the call. Her head hurt either from hearing them singing all the time, or with actual efficiency when it hit that Spirit duty part in her and tugged her to hurry.
However, this time, it was serious. Strong. In the short notes that came to her, Elsa could hear that Anna's voice was urgently calling her elder.
It kept going and going, and the Spirit jumped out of bed, the pelts falling with her. The Northuldra kept still in alarm.
"She's calling for help and–" Elsa interrupted herself with a wince, her head tilting. "Is it really what it's meant to feel like?"
She had never felt it so intense, even when the two other women had tried to make it sound urgent. This time, it actually was linked to real danger, and she could feel Anna's distress.
"How is it?" Asked Honeymaren. The situation was critical, she knew it, but she worried for her lover and, undeniably, was very curious about the process.
"It's like… I have to go. Right now. And– And I must." Tried to explain Elsa, her voice bouncing as she hopped around to put her ice sandals on.
"So the Wind Spirit warned you before Anna even got to…" Smirked Honeymaren with fascination. "What a snitch."
She then realized how unrespectful that was. "Sorry, sacred Spirit. Please tell her I didn't mean that in a bad way."
"She got it." Smiled Elsa as she quickly flicked her wrist to craft herself her usual white outfit. Minus the double cape, because something told her that she should remain practical. "I'm calling Nokk. Wake up Yelena and tell her to be prepared in case the camp will also be under attack."
"I'm sure that she's already awake and wondering why the Wind Spirit is nervous in the sky." Smiled Honeymaren.
Elsa hurriedly put one kneel on the bed and kissed Honeymaren's forehead before rushing outside, and the latter had barely blinked after the bumping kiss that she heard Elsa whistle to get Nokk. A few seconds after, she heard an epic powerful neigh and the sound of ice hooves hitting the ground at high speed away from the camp.
The brunette was left in silence, seated on the bed, still in her night tunic.
"What a badass." She murmured, astonished.
Then she shook her head and urged to prepare herself and her tribe for a possible assault.
Elsa was galloping so fast on Nokk's back that the loud whistling of the wind in her ears was deafening. She knew by instinct that she would have to fight, and she didn't like it; but she had to. So she squeezed her thighs tighter on the water horse's flanks and used her hands to tie her hair in a ponytail. Anyone else trying this trick would have miserably fallen off, but she had trained to use her hands while riding the Water Spirit, and he didn't slow down when didn't feel her hands at his neck anymore.
In her peripheral vision, Giants were running along the shoreline to accompany her, and Bruni was chirping from one of their enormous hands as a 'pick me up!' advice. When the bank got close to the straight line Nokk was doing to reach Arendelle as fast as he could, the tiny salamander jumped on Elsa's stretched arm and gripped to his fingers to not fall, a remarkable stunt given their speed of movement. The Fire Spirit then trotted to reach Elsa's shoulder.
Despite the impressive speed that she had thanks to Nokk's magical gallop and Gale's push in their backs, it took some time to reach Arendelle. The Snow Queen felt like she was late, and her suspicions were correct when she reached the kingdom. She could only witness the extent of damage already.
A huge part of the west rampart had been destroyed and was collapsing into the fjord. As she passed at high speed in front of the falling stones, she let out an emotional gasp; these walls were unbreakable in her mind, even if she knew that no wall was impossible to pass. She immediately let out a mental order to the Giants to pick up the fallen pieces and try to complete the rampart again. Nokk let out an exclamation meaning it was too late, and really useless, but she insisted.
She then hopped down as soon as the Water Spirit approached the coast, and he whined at their separation.
"It's okay." Assured Elsa. "Go check if no soldiers fell from the walls into the water. And try to prevent the last ships from approaching the harbor."
They both looked at the float and its progress, then Nokk gave a stare at his fellow with glowing blue eyes. Elsa let out a whine.
"Yeah, most of them have landed, I know. But please, try to limit the damage."
Her eyes darted around, trying to see what she could do before running in and looking for her family.
She felt powerless. It was ironic because the four Spirits were literally turning around her waiting for orders, their energies dynamic and ready to give all they had. However she found herself completely out of ideas already, lost in the crazy situation. She had had courses during her royal education about crisis management, but at this moment, it was like it had all flown away from her mind. She didn't expect at all that one day, she would actually live a war, even less to direct Spirits of Nature through it.
Nokk neighed to bring her back to reality.
"I'm so sorry." She muttered, her throat tight. "I'm so lost, and… And they destroyed my home, and… I'm not sure I can give orders right now."
Gale tingled above her head. 'Then help in what you can do. We will take care of the rest, don't worry.'
Elsa had a touched smile and she lifted her head to salute the Spirit. "Thank you, my friends. Deeply." She said out loud, though she could have just sent her message mentally. But she cared, and wanted to address them like actual people.
Her eyes then filled with determination, and she ran forward, while the other Spirits all dashed to their speciality. From the sky, it was like they had all parted in the shape of a snowflake, and Gale twirled in happiness at the epic coincidence.
The Wind Spirit was the first one to jump into the fight; some pirates who were running on the hills next to town found themselves ejected in the air then dropped down with a low gravity, and Gale made sure to ground them. Next to her, two Giants lifted a piece of land to form a shield and protect a part of Arendelle that was vulnerable. Bruni jumped on each arrow that was raised by the archers on the ramparts, surprising them at first, but they were glad to have magical boiling hot arrows that went to skillfully lodge themselves where it hurt the most.
There was a huge crack noise as Nokk snapped a ship in two like a kraken with a huge mass of water, and one could hear everyone on board scream as they fell into the fjord. The Water Spirit then picked them all up in individual blobs that floated to the shore, and he dropped them there in front of Arendellian soldiers.
The latter just had to grab and tie them up as prisoners, for how powerless they were as they panted for air and crawled on the ground, completely soaked.
The Spirits successfully were slowing down the attack, even if it was well under way and the pirates came by hundreds.
As for Elsa, she jumped above debris to finally join the courtyard, seeing that the gates had been blown apart, and she winced at the irony. She and Anna had wanted to never close them again, but in times of conflict, she would have preferred them to remain locked… She ran the fastest she ever did to the entrance of the castle, when a cannonball whistled in the air and smashed the wood decoration above the doorway. With a gasp, she ducked aside to avoid getting crushed by the falling pieces that shattered the stairs, sending wood and stone chips flying around. Elsa created herself an ice shield to protect herself from the falling debris, but thought with a wince that it would have been more clever to use her hands to cover her ears, now ringing with the sound of the explosion.
She looked at the horizon and saw the extending float of ships all firing at the ramparts and the castle, and wondered how many victims the attack had already made. Despite the ringing of her ears, she could hear the distant yells of the Arendellian soldiers and the screams of panic from the townspeople, and her heart felt torn apart at the realistic conclusion that houses were blown apart.
Elsa crawled away from the destroyed entrance and looked for another way to get in; she had to join her sister as quickly as possible. She dearly hoped that she was safe inside.
And then, once she found a window she could climb to with an ice ladder, she saw thugs running in the corridors through the glass, and her heart leaped in her chest.
Fifteen minutes earlier
Anna was breathing fast and hard as the thugs were searching for her in every corridor. For once, she actually was very glad to be smaller than the average height, with the amount of times she had ducked under the furniture through the castle to not be noticed when a group of bandits came by.
"THERE SHE IS!" Shouted a man who pointed at her with an enormous curved sword as she was continuing her progress through the corridors, and she blamed herself for not checking left and right at the corner.
Thankfully, he was alone, and his alarm call didn't seem to bring anyone. Anna however shrieked as she twirled around and ran for dear life away from him as he dashed to her position.
She passed in front of the dressing room and immediately stopped, her mind reeling. She could take advantage of the long dresses and other outfits hanging there to hide. Alas, the bandit was hot on her trail, and pursued her the second she barged in the room. She jumped behind the curtains but quickly realized her mistake, for the man had no pity in trying to reach her skin with his long blade through the fabric, not minding a second that he was cutting the dresses in half on the other side. With fast horizontal slashes and quick stabs, he was effectively ruining most of the wardrobe in an instant, cleaving them like paper. Anna let out an emotional gasp after she ducked again and again between them and saw shreds of her favorite outfits falling on the floor. Devastated, her sadness turned to anger and she quickly barged out of the curtains, throwing one at him, and made her way to the vanity. She opened the drawer in one strong move, which knocked the man in the crotch as he was right at her side after cutting the curtain in half. Inside, she grabbed her powder case and opened it before twirling over and blowing on it. The man had just stood up from the hurtful hit and immediately received powder in his eyes, and he yelled in pain. He stumbled back and found himself in front of the window.
The stained glass represented a big crocus, and was illuminated with the rising sunlight from the East, bursting in bright colors. It felt like a divine sign sent from gods with a high sense of irony and timing.
And Anna thought that the opportunity was too great to miss it. After all, the dressing room was in such a state of destruction that some broken glass would be a minor addition.
Without further thinking, she lifted her leg and hit it on the torso, which projected the man backwards, and he hit the window.
Nothing happened.
'Oh. I expected it to go spectacular like in adventure novels.' Mused the redhead.
She understood that the issue came from Arendelle's solid materials, and her hit hadn't been strong enough. She quickly repeated the gesture as the man was retrieving his balance and breath; Anna's blow had blocked the air in his lungs. This time she did her hit with a grunt of effort, and the bandit could only let out a shriek as he got propelled backwards and exploded the wood and glass of the window, plummeting from a dangerous height.
A satisfying but horrible crushing noise echoed to Anna to signal her that he was certainly dead, flat on the cobblestones that bordered this side of the castle.
She whined at the destroyed window.
"Too bad. I loved this stained glass."
She sighed she had a look at the destroyed room and felt devastated.
At the exact same time, a loud shout echoed in the corridor, and she was actually glad that a thug was stupid enough to announce his arrival with a war cry, or she would have not been able to notice it. To be honest, he was very big, and had to lower his head to enter; so he would have made his presence clear by his heavy steps if the Queen hadn't heard him shout. He reached her in a second, and jolted an enormous hand the size of her torso towards her. Anna hastily slid aside, and the man clenched his hand on the sharp pieces of colored glass that remained on the window frame, notching his fingers.
She hissed and the man screamed in pain. Obviously, it didn't stop the giant thug here. Quite the opposite, his eyes filled with rage.
With a new grunt, he tried to grab her to slam her down, but she was way lighter than him and hurried away, quickly fleeing the dressing room. She started to run and run and run as she heard him right behind her. He may be more massive, he had longer legs, and only one stumble from her part meant that it was the end.
Anna didn't notice any axe or sword at his belt when he had approached her, but she could tell that he was the kind of bandit to love to crush skulls with his bare hands. Wait, did those men exist in real life? Well, now she knew, given the surrealistic yet very real situation she was living, that life could truly be that insane.
She turned at the angle of the corridor at high speed and nearly tripped when she did. She let out a swear scolding herself for not putting on socks, then kept running.
Anna felt a bit disappointed at herself for fleeing the man instead of facing him. Sure, he was twice his size, but he was in her home, goddamnit. She needed a weapon. Right at the next room she passed by, she saw arrows planted in the wood of the doors. They surely had lodged themselves there when a dozen bandits had been shooting at the castle with their bows from the rampart. The broken window on the other side of the corridor confirmed her theory.
She opened the doors and looked at the arrowheads. But what the hell could she do with them? She was ready to bet that it would be just a sting to that thug.
Thinking about him, she turned to see where he was at, and snapped her eyes wide when she saw his belt half a meter away from her face, before the man accidentally knocked her over. In the split second she found herself doing a barrel roll, the Queen thought she got very lucky to have opened the door, or she would have her back breaking through the wood right now.
They fell on the floor of the room and rolled down. Anna quickly jumped on her feet, taking advantage of the fact that it would take him longer to do so. She scanned her surroundings and understood that they were in the library where they had game nights. She was so panicked that she had completely forgotten the castle map, which she usually knew by heart.
Her eyes darted from one element to another. She defended herself with a mandolin in the past, would the decorative violins hanging on the wall in front of her be enough? No, she thought, they would easily break, they were fine pieces. With ragged breathing, she turned to her left. The bookcase? Too heavy. To her right. The portraits? Certainly not. The castle already was in a disastrous state, if she could save the paintings, all the better. She went to reach for a metal candlestick, when the man grabbed her collar and Anna got strangled before having her back slammed on the floor. She grunted in pain, and the thug let out a guttural chuckle as he lowered himself on her in a way that did not bode well. She frowned and crawled to escape him, knocking his face with her foot; or rather trying to, for he grabbed her tibia, which was tiny in his hand, and made her lose her balance. She wouldn't let herself be dominated that easily, and had trained her abs enough to bend and bite his arm violently. He let out a shout and released her, so she ran away while spitting in disgust. The candlestick was still far, and she lacked time. She sadly realized it and anticipated the thug's attack, twirling around to block his arms. It was clever and she succeeded, now holding him, and they both found themselves facing each other fiercely.
They soon were pushing each other against each wall of the room, stumbling over furniture and breaking several items of decoration. It only accentuated Anna's rage and she groaned as she pushed him one more time away from her, but he had grabbed a sleeve of her cardigan and due to her powerful push, they actually both stumbled over the back of the couch. In a twirl, they found themselves on the floor, Anna on all four and him on his back.
The thug had knocked something over when they fell off the couch, and it was the side table; something rolled in front of Anna's eyes and she squinted as she tried to understand what it was.
A hourglass.
The hourglass they used in charades nights.
When the bandit rose from the floor at the corner of her eye and searched for her, Anna grabbed the hourglass and turned to slam it on the back of his head.
It shattered in a mix of wood, glass and sand, not hurting the Queen's hand thanks to the small bars, but absolutely hurting the man's skull when pieces of glass harmed him for the second time in the day. With a strangled noise of surprise, the man fainted and slammed his head first on the floor.
Anna stared at him, waiting for him to stand, but he didn't. She dusted the sand in her hand and stood up to go check his pulse.
He was alive.
The Queen barely had the time to sigh before she heard a new thug arriving at a quick pace in the room. She turned her head to the entrance and saw a bandit stepping over the threshold, grinning as he finally faced the Queen, the target all the pirates had in common. He reached for the pocket inside his jacket before pulling out a dagger.
The redhead couldn't help herself but groan with slumped shoulders. "Really?"
Then her eyes widened when she saw how fast that newcomer was. He was twice as reactive as the hefty man she had just knocked out.
She ducked with the exact same speed and gesture than the dash move she had studied with the Arendellian guards in the courtyard, perfected by observing the Northuldra doing staff fight practice.
The thug stumbled on the ground after missing her, and grunted as he twirled around to better aim at his opponent. He thought that the Queen would be an easy target, but she truly wasn't; however, he liked it. At least it offered him some challenge after the dull raid his team and him had done on the ramparts. He smirked and toyed with his dagger, skillfully passing it from one hand to another.
Anna hadn't detached her eyes from him, knowing a predator when she saw one. With a yell, he pointed his blade forward, and the redhead jumped back right in time. She lost her balance for a moment as her heel had bumped the carpet, and waved her arms around. The bandit took that opportunity to grab her forearm and make her twirl. In any other context, it would have looked like a two second dance, but here Anna easily guessed what he meant to do. With a sinister laughter, he placed her against him and held her in place, then closed his second one in a bow, the end of the dagger pointing at her throat…
Anna frowned and briskly lifted her right thigh to smash her heel on the man's knee. The thug let out a roaring yell that made her ears ring and he pushed her away, sending her rolling on the floor. He dropped his weapon and screamed in pain at his aching fracture, losing his balance and stumbling down.
There was a noise when his dagger hit the floor, the blade and handle clinking on the polished wood.
A moment of silence crossed the room as the thug and Anna panted and looked at each other, both on the floor. Then they looked at the dagger, and at each other again.
Then they both launched themselves forward to grab the dagger and be the first one to strike. Anna congratulated herself for being the fastest to go on all four, or rather she would have congratulated herself if her mind wasn't filled with panic and survival instinct as she grabbed the dagger with her right hand. Her hold firm, she punched the man with her free hand when he reached out to twist her wrist and take the weapon back from her. He was pushed back, but not for long. He jumped on Anna again, and she knew she had to do something or she would basically die.
So she jolted her right hand in a bow and stabbed him at the temple.
In an atrocious sound that reverberated through her whole soul, the sharp steel blade transpierced his skin and skull to the hilt before jamming in his brain.
Anna's eyes didn't blink as a thought came to her. She needed to keep the weapon in case he wasn't dead yet to defend herself. With gritted teeth, she took it out, and clenched her jaw at the horrible noise and sensation it gave.
The thug was in such agony and shock that he couldn't make a sound, and he died before the blade was fully out. Anna grunted and dropped the dagger on the floor in a tinkling.
She didn't detach her focus from the man's face, and neither did he. His eyes fixed her essence as his departed from his body, then his members turned limp and he fell down at her feet like a disarticulated puppet. Anna let herself drop on the floor. She was so terrified that no scream could escape her lungs. She however let out a few terrified whines seconds later when she crawled back to avoid being touched by the blood of the bandit expanding in a large puddle.
The redhead panted heavily, her heartbeat drumming loudly at her ears and the adrenaline distorting her whole environment. She couldn't believe that she had just survived a third murder attempt in a row. Stabbing a man's head with his own dagger, exploding an hourglass on another's skull, and defenestrating one other man, all were activities she wished to never do nor witness ever again, and she still trembled from them. But truly, what shook her the most was how this morning could have been her last on three consecutive occasions. Her thoughts naturally came to Elsa and Kristoff and Olaf and how she didn't say goodbye but she immediately shook her head to push those mental images far away. Anna focused on the present.
The floor she was at in the castle suddenly seemed very quiet now that she had gotten rid of the thugs. Of course, the battle still was raging outside, with explosions and war cries. For now, apart from her wheezing breathing, the wing was calm.
She tried to stand up and slipped on something. Panicked but still a curious person, she looked down and wondered why there was minced meat on the floor. Then she realized that they were bits of brain, and felt her bile coming up to her mouth at high speed, nothing else jolting out of her stomach due to her lack of breakfast. With her hand on her lips and a controlled cough, she refrained herself from throwing up, and used the couch to stand up while staring at the wall. She tried to regain her normal breathing, though she wondered if she would ever do it someday. The air smelled like death and burning and blood, and the castle was utterly affected, she could tell even without having stepped outside yet.
If she could ever make it out…
She slowly walked through the door and the corridor, holding onto the walls and stepping over the sadly multiple corpses soiling the carpets. Bandits and guards were mixing in patches of colors covered in red, said guards who had been at Anna's side only minutes ago. Minutes that felt like centuries… Before dropping dead one by one, giving their lives for her. The Queen shivered at their sacrifice.
She assembled all of her courage to not let herself drop and cry right then, continuing her walk.
Further, she heard a muffled cry, and frowned trying to identify where it came from.
She understood that it was from the small workshop room on her right, and the door was closed. On that thought, she remained cautious, slowly grabbing the handle and pushing the door, just in case it was a trap from one of the bandits.
When she opened it wide enough to see what was inside, she met the panicked eyes of a maid, who jumped in fright at her sight, tears covering her face.
She then recognized the Queen and melted in tears.
According to her state, and her lack of warning that she would have given despite her clear shock, Anna understood that it was just the two of them in the room, and stepped inside.
"Hey, it's okay, breath–"
Her words vanished in her throat when she bumped and nearly stumbled over a corpse on the ground. She looked down and a bearded pirate, with his beige shirt covered with a large patch of red on the chest, was staring at her lifeless with a surprised expression on his face.
The maid sobbed even more when she saw the wide eyes of the monarch, and her shoulders trembled as she clenched to the pair of scissors that she had in hand.
No need to play clues to understand what was the weapon of the crime.
"Y-Y-Your Majesty, I-I…" Blabbered the woman, her mouth twisted as her blood-covered hands shook, though they still were firmly holding to the scissors like a life thread.
"It's okay. It's okay." Calmed Anna, raising a hand as she walked to her. "He's gone. You're safe."
She inspected her uniform, which was obviously stained. "Are you hurt?"
The maid struggled at first, but managed to shake her head to say no.
"Are you certain?" Verified the Queen, because shock could change her point of view.
The maid thought for a moment, like she mentally checked her own body, not leaving her eyes from Anna like she was scared she would judge her for what she had done.
"N-no, Your Majesty."
A silence passed, and she sobbed furthermore. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry…"
"For what?" Calmly asked Anna.
"When they started to burst into the castle, I heard them, and I was working here, so I hid and… And… I was… Oh my goodness, the King's… The King's outfit…"
Her story was a bit deconstructed, but Anna followed her gaze, as it finally stopped being planted in hers. She noticed that one of Kristoff's official attires was laid on the table next to the sewing machine, as the maid had apparently been busy stitching it before she got interrupted in the worst way. Anna also noticed that the outfit obviously was covered with drops of blood.
"Okay, I see. You know, he will be fine if you don't finish it. He doesn't like those kinds of complex clothes anyway. And to be honest, I prefer when he wears the simple ones, it suits him better." Smiled Anna with a light tone, trying to make the maid smile.
The corner of her mouth twitched slightly. She remembered how many hours the King had spent in this very room trying to make his vest fit, blushing when several maids turned around him, while Anna leaned in the doorway and giggled at his struggle.
Anna's humor actually helped the maid continue her story.
"I thought I was safe hiding under the table, but… He saw me when he entered, and… He scared me so much… He grabbed me and lifted me up to slam my back on the table… So… So…" She paused with a gulp. "I grabbed the scissors from the sewing kit and s-stabbed him."
A silence followed. Anna urged to end it, to make the maid understand that she wasn't scared of her, which apparently was the issue.
"You did well, Birghild. I was attacked too, and you had great reflexes. They saved your life."
The maid's eyes widened suddenly. Fear was replaced by astonishment.
"You… You know my name?"
She had just started a month ago in the staff. The only times they had seen each other were during fitting sessions, and they didn't talk much. Besides, she was certain that her colleagues hadn't used her name once during those sessions, too busy focusing on the touch-ups.
"Of course I know it. And I'm not going to forget it any time soon, when I see how badass you are." Winked Anna, to appease the maid and lift her spirits.
She nudged the carpet with her foot and used the corner of it to cover the bandit's face, erasing the present corpse out of their minds. Then, she closed the space between them and delicately took the scissors out of her hands, then put them back on the table.
"There, there… It's okay." She assured in a soothing voice.
Birghild couldn't believe how kind and gentle the Queen was, and she found herself speechless when she started to rub her arm. For a moment, she forgot that they technically were at war, and that explosions were sounding outside. Maybe that the redhead had magic too, after all, not just her sister. Because it felt like she was in a cocoon out of this world.
After a while, however, her duty caught on her and her genuine care for the young woman made her frown.
"Ma'am, where are the guards who were accompanying you? Surely Kai assigned some for you."
Anna gulped. She didn't know if she could find the words to say that they had all died protecting her.
"They… They did an amazing job." She breathed out, stating something else instead.
"I see." Understood the woman.
She could hear the Queen's labored breathing despite her effort to hide it, a sign of the absolute hell she had been through. Losing Arendellians, seeing the castle and town attacked, looking for survivors around… It was way too much for such a young monarch, and the maid had a pinch to the heart. If she weren't trying to give Anna the right amount of space to breathe, she would have hugged her dearly. Well, to be honest with herself, she also didn't dare. Even if the Queen looked like a harmed child, she also exuded an impressive aura, which she didn't want to break.
"Come on, let's find a safe place for you."
"Thank you, ma'am."
"Once again, there's no need to thank me." Insisted Anna with modesty.
As they carefully made their way through the castle, the redhead muttered to herself.
"I really, really need a weapon right now."
The woman had a small smile. The Queen she served was fierce and would not abandon the castle that easily, nor abandon a fight destined to kill her.
"I think I know where I can get one." Continued Anna when she noticed she had been listening.
"I'm sorry if I'm changing your plans…" Muttered the maid.
"No, are you kidding? I want to bring you to safety. Also, this is a surprise war, of course there's no plan. Which is great. You know I like some adventure." She winked, and the woman's heart beamed in her chest.
She truly felt like she was being escorted by an angel.
Soon, her daydreaming thoughts were interrupted by a secret escape tunnel entrance opening in front of them in the corridor.
"Here!" Whispered a man strongly to attract their attention, and he made a quick gesture to tell them to rush as he stepped out.
Anna immediately joined him. He was one of the cooks, and she definitely took note in a corner of her mind at how brave he was to have waited for everyone to go through before leaving. Also, he had blood on his apron and on the knife tucked under his belt, and Anna knew that it definitely didn't come from the preparation of breakfast. He gave Birghild a sheltering gesture, rubbing his hand along her back. Anna concluded that she was completely safe with him.
"You're amazing. Thank you." Said the Queen, and the man bowed.
"We're the last group, Your Majesty." He informed, keeping it to facts to hide his emotion.
Behind him, several members of the staff were waiting in the stairs carved in stone. Anna nodded.
"Good. Good. Perfect. I'm glad to know that you're all safe."
"I nearly didn't make it out," said the maid, still trembling in disbelief of how her fate had changed. "But I'm alive thanks to you."
The redhead smiled modestly, and put a hand on her arm. "No, you were amazing on your own. You faced that guy alone, and succeeded."
She smiled at her colleagues. "Please take care of her."
"We will. Be careful, Your Majesty."
Anna nodded confidently.
The door to the secret stairs then closed, and she didn't lose any second before she resumed her running. She felt like she had been crossing the castle from one end to the other, and yet she still needed to reach the room where she knew she had stored a crossbow.
She had seen how triggered Elsa was at the sight of that weapon when the guards trained with it, so she had kind of hidden it when they offered one to her to avoid any mishap.
'Elsa. Where are you?' She thought, her heart tight.
Somehow, she could feel that her sister was close, so close, like a presence watching over her. But she had no idea what time it was and how much longer Elsa needed to reach Arendelle.
A clicking noise made her startle and she turned around slowly, paralyzed by what it meant.
"That's right." Grinned the bandit who was aiming at her with his gun from the end of the corridor. "You lost, Queenie."
The redhead lifted her arms with an ironic smile. "Well, at least someone has the decency to have respect for the title."
He snorted, and stepped forward, still aiming at her in case she would suddenly dash away. Anna did nothing of the sort. The man seemed very skilled with his long pistol, and she knew that if she made only one move, he would kill her on the spot.
She closed her eyes as the thug closed the distance between them.
'I wish I told you goodbye.' Thought Anna, and she gulped.
However, as doomed as she thought she was, she refused to not look at her murderer in the eyes. She only had closed them for one last prayer. She opened them fiercely and stared, which was a good thing because she could see in all its splendor the blur of white that suddenly emerged from the opened room that happened to be between the bandit and her, said blur suddenly standing protectively in front of her.
Out of legitimate reflex, the man jolted and pulled the trigger of his long pistol.
The instant Anna registered that the white blur was her sister and that Elsa was therefore right in the way and wanted to scream, the bullet had left the muzzle and was flying through the corridor.
In a frown and one swift move, Elsa raised a two-meter high semicircle ice shield from the floor, and the bullet lodged itself in it. The impact of the blow made an impressive horizontal cone shape in the shield, though it wasn't alarming given how resistant and thick the magic ice was.
Elsa looked at the bullet in her snowflake-shaped creation, and lifted disdainful eyes to the man through the blur of the ice.
"Guns. So primitive."
She flicked her wrist with contempt and returned the projectile to its sender, the bullet flying back with powerful magical propulsion to the shooter who could only widen terrified eyes before it hit his chest, sending him reeling back, and he dropped still on the carpet.
The Snow Queen then casually waved her fingers and made the shield vanish in the air, before turning to her younger sister.
Anna was standing with slumped shoulders, speechless, then she let out a chuckle.
"Elsa!" She breathed out in astonishment. "So the Spirits Call does work."
The blonde smiled and walked to her.
Surprisingly, the first thing that the elder did was to tuck Anna's hair behind her ear. The latter couldn't tell if the gesture was nervous, tender or practical.
"Are you okay?" Asked Elsa, and her azure blue eyes seemed to scan the Queen's very soul when she placed her hands over her face and shoulders and arms to inspect her.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Assured Anna, letting out an emotional sigh, admirative like always when Elsa saved her life in such a badass way.
"Where's Kristoff?"
"Abroad."
Elsa didn't ask about Olaf, for he was pretty much immortal and resourceful. The redhead saw that her sister frowned at her state and tried to joke to ease the mood. "Don't judge my appearance. Believe it or not, I woke up barely an hour ago."
"I'm not looking at that. You're covered in blood." Remarked the Spirit, very serious.
"It's not mine." Shrugged the Queen.
That reply actually worried Elsa just as much. "Did someone die in front of you? Next to you? Did you…" Her eyebrow knotted in emotion. "...kill someone?"
Anna gulped, then winced. "Can we talk about this later, please?"
It wasn't out of annoyance or exasperation. She genuinely wanted to avoid the traumatic topic. Elsa accepted, of course.
"You're right. The most important thing now is to evacuate you."
Anna blinked. 'Eva- What?'
Before she could say anything, Elsa dragged her back to the room she had just come from and placed her in front of the opened window.
The blonde waved her hand above the sill and formed a pile of soft snow on the courtyard, several floors below and vertically aligned with their position.
"Jump down, I walked by some soldiers and ordered them to lead you to someplace safe. They're waiting for you right below. Go."
Only confused teal blue eyes answered her with a blink.
"Do you hear me?" Worried the Spirit. It was very likely that Anna had turned momentarily deaf because of the numerous explosions. She tilted her head to face her fully so she could read on her lips.
"Jump. Now." She repeated, pointing her finger at her and the window so she could understand.
Anna scoffed in disbelief. "You can't be serious."
Her voice was weak in emotion, and Elsa didn't understand what she actually meant. Rather, she thought that she was worried about the fall.
"It's perfectly safe. I use this pile of snow to jump off Giants' shoulders to gain time. I can add more snow if you want–"
Her raised wrist got seized by an increasingly upset Anna.
"I'm not leaving without you."
In that simple sentence, Elsa heard the usually admirable rebellious tone of her sister, but she really didn't appreciate it now.
"Anna. Jump." She frowned.
The Queen scoffed. She couldn't believe that her elder was giving her zero choice.
"The soldiers are waiting for you. Jump!" Insisted the blonde.
Anna shook her head.
"No, no question. Not without you."
"I'll be fine."
"I am not leaving without you!"
"Yes, you will!" Scolded Elsa.
She tried to push Anna, but the latter skillfully avoided her arm. The Fifth Spirit stomped her foot.
"For heavens' sake! If you don't jump, I'll command Gale to pick you up!"
Anna now grabbed her elder's arm and held firmly to it. "Yeah, good luck in not picking both of us at the same time."
"I'm serious, Anna, if you don't go now I'll freeze your a–"
Gunshots rang out in the corridor, and they both turned around in a jolt.
"It's now or never!" Warned Elsa, nearly whipping Anna's face with her ponytail when she twirled back to her.
The redhead's breathing was ragged with emotion. Her previously upset eyes now were imploring.
"Why?" She asked, half of her body dangling in the air through the window with Elsa's push. "What makes you think that you have the right to stay and I have to go?"
"I'm bulletproof, Anna, and you're not."
The redhead's face crumbled in shock.
"This is way too familiar." Murmured the redhead with glistening eyes.
She blamed the fear and adrenaline of the past hour crashing down like a wave inside her for her feelings to take over her so easily, but she truly couldn't help it.
Elsa was about to reply angrily when suddenly her answer got stuck in her throat. A flash of when she had told Anna that she needed to go up North alone appeared in her mind. Then a flash of when she pushed Anna away on that ice boat seized her heart. The Spirit's eyes remained wide open for a moment, fixed on her little sister, and the Queen started to have hers filled with tears.
Elsa then briskly grabbed Anna's collar, and when the redhead thought that she was going to throw her by the window, she actually dragged her close and helped her take a few steps back in the room.
'Wait, what?'
Elsa looked down at the men that had been waiting with their heads up and wondering what was going on. "Go help the others! See if people are stuck under falling beams or need to escape from fire! GO!" She yelled with a powerful regal voice, and the soldiers didn't even double check the order with their Queen before running down the courtyard.
The blonde then retreated inside, vanishing the pile of snow in a flick.
Anna had remained stoic. "...Elsa…"
A silence followed. Both sisters were out of breath, and only then did they notice how panting the other was. Elsa frowned.
"What? Didn't you want to stay with me?"
"I– I just…"
Anna couldn't find her words, her brain still mushy after her fights through the castle, her ears still ringing with the sounds of the guns, her heart making leaps after what had just happened. So she chose to jump in her elder's arms and gasped there.
Elsa was a bit disoriented, but returned the hug with eyes closed.
Actually, it felt really good to finally embrace each other with what was going on. Both couldn't believe that they had omitted it so far.
"I'm so sorry." She whispered to her baby sister. "I shouldn't have."
Anna had a whimpering scoff. "At least you apologize for it. Thank you."
The blonde cleared her throat out of awkwardness, and stopped the hug, a reaction to which Anna grinned tenderly.
"Alright. Hum. We should go though." Said the Spirit, pointing at the door.
"Yeah." Sniffed the Queen before fiercely rubbing her tears away. She nearly forgot that some new thugs seemed to approach. She then looked at Elsa's outfit. "Oh no, I soiled you."
The Spirit barely looked at her previously white outfit now covered with stains, then shrugged. "I couldn't care less. Let's go."
Anna smirked as they started to run in the opposite way of the corridor than where they heard the noises. "I thought that you cared a lot about keeping it bright and clean." She teased.
"I can always replace it in a second, but I prefer to save my magic energy…"
She interrupted herself when a man suddenly ran to them at the angle of the corridor, and she placed a hand on Anna's chest to push her aside before throwing a human-size net made out of ice chains at the bandit, who was about to slay them with his sword. He found himself propelled in the air and slammed on the opposite end of the corridor where the chains stuck to the wall like a spider web.
"...In case someone attacks us."
The man tried to move but was simply unable to. He yelled insults at them but they got lost in the noise.
Anna was astonished. "Dang, did I ever tell you how much I love you?"
"You would have done the same." Modestly said the Snow Queen.
"Yeah, that's actually true." Admitted Anna before they resumed running.
They kept dashing in the corridors, sometimes stopping in their tracks when they saw a shadow or thought they heard someone, or because they had to change their direction because of a fallen beam.
"Do you think that the staff will be able to clean up the water stains on the tapestries after I made the ice nets?" Suddenly worried the elder.
The Queen let out a scoff.
"Elsa, I doubt that there even will be an 'after'. I don't even know if we'll ever go back to the castle."
That was the heavy truth, and it hit her like a ton of bricks. As a matter of fact, and it illustrated Anna's statement perfectly, an explosion destroyed the entire wall at the foot of the stairs they were descending. It sent dust flying everywhere, as well as left both of the sisters' ears painfully ringing. They fell on the steps with grunts, closing their eyes as they got stunned by the feeling. Several men entered and clicked their guns, looking around for victims. When the smaller of the five thugs saw that both sisters were crouched in the stairs right above them, he grinned.
"Jackpot!"
The others let out happy exclamations, and six guns - one of them had two pistols - had their barrels pointed at them. Elsa widened her eyes and gasped, lifting one arm to protect her sister and extricating her other from under the rubble to aim at them in return, but she feared it was too late.
And then the five thugs got engulfed in a gigantic pink flame and got burnt alive in a roaring sound. When the terrifying flame dissipated, it left the sisters astonished and the guns melted and distorted, dropped next to the carbonized remains of the bandits.
Anna blinked as she looked at the only way the enormous fire could have come from: the whole in the wall.
A tiny itsy bitsy salamander appeared on the floor among the rubble, chirping at them.
"Holy shit." Gasped the redhead.
"Bruni!" Exclaimed Elsa. "I owe you one, my dear fellow."
Anna's jaw was still down. "Remind me to never make him angry."
Bruni chirped. Elsa grinned, turning to her. "He's saying that he located me with the magic bond, so you should be thankful."
Anna helped her sister stand, then dusted the particles off her nose. "I still think that there's no way he said all of that in one noise."
"Now's probably not the time to analyze Spirit telepathy."
They carefully made their way down the stairs, holding where they could after everything was destroyed. They took a break to retrieve more regular heart rates.
"You were right, Anna. The castle will never be the same again." Admitted Elsa, looking at the state of the wall, carpet and even the railing.
The Queen let out a sigh. "You made all this effort to avoid it getting washed away by a tidal wave, and now it's getting blown apart by cannonballs."
Elsa tapped her back in support.
Bruni chirped at Anna's feet, and she nodded to let him climb along her leg until her shoulder. He cuddled there and she smiled. "You did amazing, little guy. You earned a nap."
The sisters didn't even need to consult each other before both stepped outside in one move. It would have been stupid to not grab this opportunity.
The sisters started to walk along the wall of the castle - or rather, what remained of the wall, numerous giant impacts deforming it, which squeezed their hearts - and Anna was leading, then she turned to her elder.
"Wait, speaking of fire..."
"We weren't, but I'm glad to see that your active brain is still on even in such a crisis." Replied Elsa, yelling in the same tone Anna did to make themselves heard above the chaos.
"You said to the soldiers earlier that they should help people stuck in fire. There are fires?"
Elsa gave her sad eyes. There was no need to lie to her. She nudged forward with her chin to indicate Anna to turn her head and look at the town.
The redhead gasped at the numerous columns of black smoke and flying ash they could see from there.
"I arrived from the shore." Explained Elsa, justifying why their point of views were different. "The castle is attacked by cannonballs just like the ramparts, but the town is ransacked and set on fire."
Anna slammed the wall with her fist, and Elsa fully shared her anger.
"Why?" Muttered the redhead with a clenched jaw.
"Those bandits are led by Hans. Surely he told them that the townspeople were stupid to follow and admire a Queen like you and worthy of being stolen from. Pirates don't shy away from loot." Winced Elsa.
A silence passed, and she realized she was maybe too harsh.
"Sorry, I… I shouldn't have said that."
"No, the truth hurts. Your theory stands." Admitted Anna.
She had a look at the town, then lifted her head to the towers of the castle, and the few spires that remained. 'But not Arendelle's dignity.'
They kept walking and Anna was abnormally silent, so Elsa placed a hand on her forearm.
"Anna. The Giants are taking care of evacuating the people. I can feel them in action. It will be fine, don't worry."
The Queen still had her head turn away from her. "Will it? Will it truly?"
Elsa sighed and looked down. Of course not.
A huge sound of broken wood sounded from the other side of the wall, and they jolted in shock.
The thugs had just destroyed the chapel of the courtyard, according to the position of the column of smoke. As soon as they shouted in victory, however, Elsa and Anna could hear the soldiers present in the premises defending and pushing away the intruders in a concert of metal and clanks and painful grunts.
It was a good thing they were on this side of the wall. The Spirit could easily guess that her sister wanted to take part in the fight, but helping citizens was a good objective too.
"This way." Anna ordered, and she pointed at a discreet path along the rampart that joined the hills on the side of the castle. Elsa followed without a word.
They had to make pauses to avoid dying. Each time they advanced, they had gritted teeth and clenched jaws, wincing at the deafening explosions around them. The air would whistle ominously and the second after, the ground near them would blast with a cannonball. It happened several times a minute and each explosion seemed even closer to them as they ran for their lives on the hills, or rather what once was the beautiful patch of land between the castle and the fjord and now had turned into a real battlefield. Each time, the two sisters would alternate in grabbing the other's collar or arm to prevent her from being blown up by a cannonball or head shot by a bullet; they weren't in the mood for counting how much they owed each other, but they saved each other's skin more than ten times.
They met several fighting men on their way; none of them noticed their presence, though, too busy trying to kill each other.
At some point Anna pointed at a crater that was a bit on the sideline, and Elsa quickly nodded in agreement as they both threw themselves in it. Panting and wheezing, trembling in fear despite all of their adrenaline and determination making their hearts beat faster and act quick, they looked at each other, palpating to search for wounds. Their clothes were covered with dust, dirt, and blood that wasn't theirs, seemingly spurting from everywhere and in an unending stream since they had stepped into the battlefield.
"You okay?" Managed to yell Anna between two loud fires that sounded a few meters away.
"I am! And you?"
The redhead nodded. They tried to catch up with their breathing.
Elsa peeked from the top of the crater, slowly and carefully despite her shaking. "I wish I could freeze all of this and make it stop…"
Her whine was heard by her sister despite the hell around them.
"I wish I could too, not gonna lie." Winced Anna. "But for now we have to rely on each other."
She barely finished her sentence when a cannonball hit the ground just in front of them and shook the earth, propelling their bodies in the air. They fell in grunts from a short height, thankfully, and immediately lifted their heads once they were down to check each other. Elsa couldn't help but look at her magical outfit as she helped Anna stand up. Not a single spot of it had remained white. She grunted a sigh and looked at her sister.
"Where should we–"
She got interrupted by another explosion, but it was further and less dangerous; they however both curved to protect their faces from the falling pieces of soil that landed on them in a rain of heavy stacks.
Bruni spat out a bit that had found itself in his mouth, attracting Anna's attention.
"My goodness, I nearly forgot you were there, buddy. Are you okay?"
The Fire Spirit seemed to nod from under her untied hair that fell like a protective curtain. She placed her hair back for him to rest. Speaking of Spirits, she was astonished at their power and range, fighting on their level while they were running on land. Of course, Bruni and Elsa were at her side, but she took the time to lift her head and watch Gale grab several thugs to throw them into the fjord with violent moves as the men screamed in confusion and fear at their invisible enemy. Nokk was trying to tilt the biggest of the ships to prevent its crew from landing, a wave the size of a giant hand grabbing one side of the vessel and ignoring the futile attempts of the bandits shooting at the water to harm it. Speaking of Giants, Anna didn't even have to turn her head to witness another incredible act; eight or so Giants had been directly walking down the water from the shores and were blocking the progress of the ships with their massive bodies.
The bandits were also trying to shoot at them with their cannons, this time looking more efficient; the Giants were losing arms and shoulders at a glance. Anna winced as she watched stone debris and scraps fall into the fjord. They had their backs turned to her so she couldn't see if they screamed in agony.
"Please tell me that they don't feel pain." Whined the Queen as she turned to her elder.
The Fifth Spirit gave her a look, filled with fear and sadness. Anna gulped. Yes, it was obvious that they did. Every Spirit did.
"They fight so well." Said Anna anyway, because it was true and she wished to say it out loud. To recognize their help as the Queen.
Elsa patted her shoulder blade. "Come on. Follow me."
They made their way through the battlefield, ducking to avoid an accidental blade of cutlass or a stray bullet.
"ANNA! ELSA!" Yelled a voice, and both sisters gasped when they recognized it, twirling to their right.
"KRISTOFF!" Shrieked Anna, and it was so loud that Elsa winced next to her like an explosion had just happened.
The redhead runned with all her might to the also running man who was joining them with open arms. Elsa let out a scoff of disbelief. Sure, she was thankful he was alive, but how did he end up here? Didn't Anna say earlier that he was on a royal mission abroad?
"H-How?" Asked Anna when they were almost on the same level.
"The Giants brought me back!" He then pointed at behind him, but realized that the Giants in question already were gone to take their part in the fight. "I think that they could sense that their… Counterparts… Were fighting here, so when they met me on their way, they picked me up. I was super confused."
Anna then tackled him in a powerful hug and he responded to the embrace with strong arms. They both closed their eyes and whispered loving words, relieved and at the verge of tears. Elsa eventually joined their position and placed a hand on Kristoff's arm, sighing in content.
"They wanted to put me somewhere safe but I insisted that they brought me with them." Murmured the King.
"How did you even understand them?" Scoffed Anna against him, in disbelief but still hugging him tight.
"I used non-verbal communication with Sven for years." Chuckled Kristoff with nostalgia. Anna chuckled in turn, and they parted.
When he finally looked at Elsa, she started inspecting him.
"Are you hurt? Injured?"
"No, I'm okay. Really. I just arrived, you know." Added the King when he saw her stare that meant 'Don't you dare hide any wound from Anna'. "How are you two?"
"Fine." Answered the sisters in one voice. Then they looked at each other and had tired smiles. They were far from fine, but at least they were alive.
The blond allowed himself a humorous pose, his hands on his hips and smirking at them. "I feel like you have a lot to tell, given this synchronization."
"Shame that we don't have time for a jinx game." Nervously joked Anna.
Kristoff laughed. He was happy to see that the two women were okay. A faint whistling then came to his ears. He thought that it was the ringing that wouldn't leave his brain since he arrived in this loud area, but it became clear that it was in the air and heading right toward them, slowly but surely.
"What's that noise?" He worried, and looked around.
Elsa looked up in the sky and widened her eyes. "A rain of arrows!" She screamed. Then, at the exact same time, she felt something magical floating a bit further above them.
"Gale!"
The Wind Spirit instantly looped and hurried, obeying her and covering the whole part of the sky above the hills in a powerful gust. The blast of air effectively snapped and blew away the arrows. The group let out gasps.
Pieces of destroyed wood fell on the ground; the rest of the arrows got blown back to their senders on a ship, where several archers yelled in pain. Aboard, a redhead man frowned at their state.
"There's no need to keep doing that." He told the captain - or rather barked - "She has those damn Spirits on her side, and just reunited with the Snow Queen."
He shoved his spyglass in the captain's hands.
"You need to send your men on land. Directly go for Elsa's neck. Once she's down, the Queen will be. Mark my words."
The captain nodded. It seemed like a perfect cruel plan, which suited his job and moral very well. He yelled new orders to his crew, and the bandit at the helm turned the ship to head towards the hills the three royals were on. It actually was a strategic point; Arendelle's army mostly was busy on the other side of the castle, and they would have very little difficulty in progressing given their number.
The captain realized that the man who had come to the company of pirates and paid them handsomely wasn't just a wealthy person or an aristocrat or something. He also had a strong plan and was a clever strategist.
What was his name again? The captain was so interested in the booty that this kingdom could offer with its castle and rich town, and the comfortable wage that he received, that he didn't even bother remembering his name.
Oh.
Right.
The last son of Westergaard, that royal family in the Southern Isles. Or rather, as the man now was denied from that kingdom and exiled… Hans, the fallen prince.
The captain looked at the coast and side eyed the redhead. He mentally noted that the latter had been cleverly preventing any difficulty for his own person. This ship was the smallest of the fleet, so it was easy to forget its presence from the eyes of someone on land. And above all, it was the only ship that had not attacked on one of the sides of Arendelle that wasn't immediately protected by the rampart. Now the captain understood why Hans had asked to board his ship when they all prepared and not the others. Other pirates had mocked him - and the small ship by the same occasion - saying how stupid it was, but they truly were ages away from his scheme.
Hans had been planning this specific docking all along. He knew that their main targets would be on those hills. How did he know? Had he already seen a royal running away from this castle? At what occasion?
The movement of the plank on the side of the ship took him out of his thoughts, and he switched to powerful encouragement to lead his crew to the attack. Before walking down the plank to run on land, though, he turned to Hans, whom he thought would secretly stay on board while they did the dirty work. However, their eyes met as the redhead actually was waiting for him to walk down.
"What?" Grunted Hans.
The captain simply scanned him down. He was wearing protection, that was something he noticed when they had left, but he had, as a sole weapon, a one hand sword.
"You're going to fight with that?" He snorted, and found himself switching his mockery tone to a caring one. He had started to have pity for him. He was a young lad compared to him, after all. The boy wanted revenge, that was clear as day. Why was he such a refined tactician but so poorly prepared for fighting?
"Here. Take one of my muskets."
He offered one of the four pistols attached to his chest. Hans refused it immediately with a raised hand.
"No. I intend to go there with my sword only."
The captain was astonished. "But son, that is pure suicide."
Now Hans gave him a determined stare that he had never seen him show during the entire trip.
"Captain, I have trained for years with this very weapon to do what I intend to do. I have someone to behead."
His green eyes were so filled with willpower that the man didn't say anything. He even stepped aside, and without a word, Hans ran down the plank past him.
The captain watched him go, and put his musket back with a scoff. Well, the lad had surprised him until the very end. Then he raised his voice with a war cry.
"Alright, hearties! Let's give Arendelle hell!"
The other thugs yelled in approval as they all ran on the hill.
