Chapter 24
The next day, Hans and Donny sat together on the coast near Hans' farm looking at the ocean.
„This is it. You've got the farm back and the princess is back with her sister. Nothing more," Commented Donny making Hans shrug his shoulders.
„I've got her friendship," Stated Hans. „Of course after what happened between us yesterday it's difficult to accept the fact, that we're both not meant to me,"
„You sure didn't expect, that both of you would become friends or even better friends,"
„You mean best friends"
„The one before best friends,"
„Good friends?"
„I think so," Responded Donny. „You two got along with another so well. You had a couple of things in common, you understood the similar issues in life you had with another,"
„I really enjoyed having somebody, that understood me. After all these years of loneliness,"Confessed Hans watching Donny lie his head down on Hans' leg to show his joy by wagging his tail. Hans patted the dog behind his back, then looked around the sand, then wondered about seeing nothing else on it. „Weird how there's not even a single stick lying on the sand. Sometimes they are a lot lying here because of the rain,"
„Why do you need a stick?" Asked Donny.
„I thought if you were interested we could play fetch," Offered Hans making Donny pant.
„Cool," Commented Donny getting up, then looked around to see the same as the human. „Wow, there really is nothing here,"
„Yeah we'd need to look for something else," Commented Hans, then Donny smelled Hans on his boot catching his attention, which took out one after the other and watched Donny shove his snout into the boot. „I don't think that smells that good," Commented Hans watching Donny throw it aside, warping his snout bothered by the scent that was stronger for his nose. Hans chuckled, then Donny had an idea and grabbed the boot, then ran towards the water and looked back at the human.
„Where are you going?" Asked Hans watching the husky wag his tail.
„I have a game for us," Mumbled Donny. „Come on!"
Hans smiled, then got up on his feet to race behind the husky and Donny sprinted very fast along the coast surprising Hans at the velocity of the young puppy.
„Boy, where did you get all that energy?" Questioned Hans following the dog, trying to keep up with the newly-adopted pet. Hans laughed as Donny looked back at the man while running afterward Donny stopped to look at the human, which fell down on his knees and grabbed the boot, making Donny growl playfully. „Hey be careful, those are my only boots I have," Warned Hans, then Donny let the boot go watching Hans fall down on his butt.
„That was fun," Commented Donny making Hans smile, which had an idea and got up, then showed Donny his boot.
„Hey, what about we play fetch with the boot?" Asked the Danish man making Donny move his body excited and Hans threw his boot across the air watching Donny race behind the boot to catch it. Afterward Donny trotted back at the human, then dropped it in front of Hans making him clap.
„Great boy!" Complimented Hans patting him on the head, afterward Donny licked Hans above his face, making Hans warp his face again as Donny done it. „Slow down, your tongue is so sticky,"
„Will we continue playing?" Questioned Donny sitting beside the man, which smiled and threw the boot further, so the canine would run behind it making Hans smile.
Donny picked up the boot, then stopped to get it back into his mouth as he didn't grab it right and returned to Hans to receive affection from the man.
„That's good little buddy," Commented Hans, then Donny lied down on his back, so Hans could pat him on the belly. Donny put out his tongue while being caressed on the belly, afterward Hans looked up at the coast and noticed at the end two men standing together talking with each other. „Look we're not the only ones on the beach," Commented Hans watching Donny lie back and look at the people.
„What about we befriend them?" Suggested Donny making Hans shrug his shoulders. „Come on, maybe they're good ones,"
„Hmm I could come along," Commented Hans, then Donny bite Hans on the sleeve to help him up and ran along the sand to head towards the men. „Donny wait a second, I don't know if these man like friendly dogs!" Called Hans following Donny along the coast. „Slow down, buddy!" Yelled Hans watching the dog stop by the man and bark at them. „Donny!"
Donny looked back at Hans happily, then back at the men and Hans at the approach had stopped a little tired.
„I forgive my dog's excitement…...He loves people," Commented Hans, then looked at the long, dark-blue coats the two men wore and around their neck a medal with the Danish flag on it and a specific chevron, which Hans could recognize very well.
„Skit!" Mumbled Hans and dropped his chin as he recognized Viggo and Dustin, two of his older brothers.
„Viggo, it's our little brother," Spoke the oldest man making Viggo smile
„Wow, he turned out pretty handsome…..And just like Franz, he's got sideburns," Commented Viggo, then Hans rolled his eyes down a little shocked at the discovery and Donny sank down his head.
„I'm sorry," The dog apologized, then Hans held open his hand to calm him down.
„What are you two doing here?" Questioned Hans crossing his arms.
„Our father heard about a mysterious letter mother received. A certain friend of yours told her you were alive," Said Viggo making Dustin nod.
„And since Miika's kingdom has been fighting us for a long time due to your disappearance we had to come look for you,"
„And lucky us, we found you right here," Added Dustin making his middle-older brother nod.
"Ja, thanks to your little friend here, justice will be served and this argument between us and the Finnish kingdom will be put on hold," Viggo explained, then Donny began to bark at the two men, causing them ton laugh at the sight of the small dog.
"Your little guard dog wont scare us away" Warned Dustin, then Hans looked up at the hill and picked up Donny to get up there and stopped as he recognized his father along with another Westergaard prince having the same idea as the other two men.
"Hans Westergaard, I cant believe that this is the best thing that you can do. Running away from your responsibility," Stated the father. "You were no expert like your brothers, but worse you were not capable enough to stay back and stand tall for a crime you've committed,"
"It was a mishap. I was holding Miika back but he was too heavy. I know I should not have left and just hope that more people would understand that what I have done happened unwanted,"
"You have been warned to stay inside your room. You didn't listen and messed things up. Sometimes people will have learn it the harder way and I feel like this is your only chance," Scolded the king, then Viggo packed Hans along with Dustin by his back and Viggo held Hans from behind his neck.
"Don't worry. You have around 48 hours more or less to be conviceful to the judge, but if you fail...you'll have to pay with your life," Commented King Magnus making Hans raise his eyebrows and worried about his future.
Donny growled, then jumped up to bite Magnus on his hand making him yell, shrieking Hans.
"Donny! Put yourself in safety" Warned Hans watching the husky snarl at the king, then he raised one ear from hearing the click of a trigger to see Dustin hold out a gun at the dog making it sink his ears in fear. "I will be fine Donny, go back to Anna and make sure she's alright," Hans begged, then the dog looked up at the king, which kept staring at the puppy and Dustin gave a warning shoot on the ground shrieking Donny which raced upwards the hill.
"I will call help!" Announced Donny surprising the quartet from hearing the dog speak, then all looked at Magnus which was surprised as well.
"Father that pooch knows whats up?" Questioned Viggo, then Magnus looked at Dustin, which had the fire gun and whistled to call the son's attention.
"How many bullets do you have?" Queried the king watching the son show from the inside of his pocket two more bullets.
"I have only them with me. You said we wouldn't need them,"
"Follow the dog and try to put him down. I'm sure a dog confessing something receives more attention than anything else," Ordered the Danish-descendant king then watched his son ran over the hill to follow the dog along the terrain, noting that the animal was very swiftly as to be expected.
"Where did you get that energy?" Questioned Dustin while sprinting behind the Siberian Husky into a path that led in to a familiar forest to the dog.
Donny moved aside leaping above a cut tree trunk, then followed another direction still having around him various large pine trees making Donny a little anxious from not being focused on his nose at the moment, but on his survival instinct. Donny heard Hans's older brother move the trigger and Donny moved aside and got hit on the shoulder yelping at the hit of the man afterward made a short stop to look for another direction, then moved back to the left side to continue his escape and saw in shock as Dustin seemed closer to him than before, then Donny turned to the right again heading towards another cut tree and got around it to move to the right side again, continuing his escape. Furthermore, the hunt had proceeded with the time and Donny had approached another, yet larger tree trunk and the puppy jumped up on it, then crashed with his belly on it and tried to move his hind legs to make it up on the trunk. Donny looked back to see the man in a far distance, then listened to the trigger being pulled once more and as it was released Donny made it and jumped down followed by the bullet pass by his fur again, then Donny looked up to see he had gotten injured before, then heard the footsteps from the man and knew he wouldn't be able to lose him so soon, then whimpered a little and suddenly he remembered as the princess had tried to teach him tricks during the train ride afterward Donny lied down with his four paws, then closed his eyes while shoving his tongue out of his snout and kept that posture very stable. Dustin Westergaard passed by the trunk, then stopped and encountered the puppy lying on the ground, only noticing at the moment the hurt shoulder of the dog, making Dustin wonder how exactly he had taken the puppy down. Before Dustin could touch the dog he heard the foghorn of the ship, then shook his head and placed his fire gun back.
"I've caught him. Soon or later he will be succumbed to the wounds," Told the man himself and ran through the forest back to return to the family.
Donny moved his head up, still having his tongue out to observe the prince leaving, and at the moment he was out of sight Donny got up, then began to sniff on his wound and passed his tongue above it to tidy it up a little, afterward he placed his nose down on the ground and tried to pick up the old scent left behind by him and Hans as they had left the village to come home to Hans's farm.
Queen Elsa, Princess Anna and along with the Weselton men, they had met up with had gotten together at the city center.
„Prince Oscar said he would be back in a quarter of hour after speaking to a certain man called Frode. He would perhaps be able to help Princess Anna out of her curse," Said the man with long facial hair over his face exchanging looks with the duke of Weselton.
„What is this man able to do?" Questioned the elder man making his bodyguard shrug his shoulders.
„Sir, from what I heard, this man is related to the one, who cursed the princess. I assume he is on our side," Commented the second bodyguard.
„I don't believe he will be any help to us. One of these magicians cursed the princess, then there was this odd story with the Snow Queen years ago, which had frozen King Harold's son because he…...uhm what happened again?"
„I believe he asked her for her hand," Commented the bodyguard. „According to rumors."
Queen Elsa sat together with Anna on a bench, while the men stood across them waiting afterward the queen looked at Anna, which held in her hand a white mug filled with tea looking with a deadpan face at the Weselton clan.
„Have you noticed anything happening to you over the past 20 hours?" Questioned the older sister making Anna shake her head.
„Besides, that I couldn't fall asleep?"
„Anything," Answered Elsa making Anna shrug her shoulders.
„Nothing," Commented Anna, then Elsa placed her arm around Anna's back and leaned her forehead on hers.
„We will find a solution together, I promise," Proclaimed the matured sister, then recognized Oscar's voice and looked at the left side to see him come along with the guards.
Queen Elsa got up to meet the young man, which faked a cough before he would talk.
„Your majesty, at the moment Frode shouldn't get out until tomorrow due to his injury, but he told us, that it would be the best for her, if she would try to break the curse in time as needed," Oscar foretold the siblings making Elsa sigh and Anna frown.
„This had happened before, why didn't it solve it?" Questioned Anna making the prince shrug his shoulders.
„Where should I know? He could without a problem remove your curse he said. The other problem would be, that Sigmund could reverse it again and Anna would be in the same issue as before,"
„We're running out of time. Anna and Hans were so closer to the goal than ever and it didn't work. I'm starting to think, everything we're doing is worthless," Scolded the queen making Oscar nod, feeling a little helpless with the situation.
„I'm starting to believe this curse history is just a joke. You can't see if you're doing any progress nor if you succeed it. Perhaps I never was cursed and this was all just a setup to gain power over Arendelle!" Theorized the young princess slightly annoyed at the situation. „I was four years away from my sister, just because of this nonsense,"
„I saw it along with Kai happening. I didn't understand exactly what he mumbled under his breath, but he had used magic on you when you were unconscious," Told Elsa to the sister, which looked aside annoyed at the drama.
„You know what, the best thing we could all do would be to look for this wizard, confront him and take him down. All our three kingdoms together as one," Suggested the Duke and looked up at his henchmen. „Just like in my times,"
„How are we going to fight as three kingdom?" Questioned Osmon. „Arendelle only consists of women at the moment," Commented the guard looking at the princesses, then Anna frowned and moved her small bow bag up to show him the arrows.
„Are you sure we're no fighters?" Questioned the strawberry blonde sternly, then Osmon grinned embarrassed and stepped behind Oscar, which got confused about the guard's deed.
„I would love to see that!" Announced a voice from the far, leading the group to switch looks and search from the outcome of the deep voice.
„Who said that?" Asked the duke rolling his eyes around, while his bodyguards stepped closed to their boss, packing their swords on their belt and Anna got up to pick up a arrow from her bag, then adjusted it on her bow to prepare herself from what was coming.
„I know you're here somewhere. Show me your face!" Ordered the young princess observing the surroundings carefully.
Sigmond came from behind an alley and stepped closer to the group, which looked at the magician, then the bodyguards of the duke approached the man. They blocked the way for the wizard to come closer, then the wizard held his arms up.
„Take it easy. Two against one isn't so nice," Commented the wizard, then the duke whistled to call his men back and they allowed Sigmond to approach the women, while Anna kept the same posture following the magician with the arrow.
„Hello, Anna. It's been a while since I've seen you. Have you been enjoying the freedom so far?" Questioned Sigmund, then Anna approached with the arrow closer to the wizard, which had a smirk plastered over his face.
„Give me one reason why none of us should put you down," Bellowed the princess making the villain chuckle.
„Takes a lot of courage to treat someone twice as strong as you," Commented Sigmund making Anna flinch her teeth annoyed.
„The curse. Tell me about it, is there a curse set on me?" Questioned Anna. „I need answers. Now!" Ordered the woman, then one of the bodyguards approached Sigmund carefully from behind while the senior was distracted.
„Yes, since the day you were brought to be healed. Your sister and the castle's servants know about it," Commented Sigmund, then he turned his head back to see the bodyguard with the beard jump towards the magician, which raised his hand and used telekinesis to send the guard against the duke and the other guards shrieking the other three men.
„Hey!" Shouted Anna earning Sigmund's attention. „Leave them out, it's not with them,"
„It was just a little warning," Commented Sigmund glancing at the trio, where the other bodyguard was checking out on his partner and the duke stood behind the men fearing the magician.
„He ain't a magician. He's a w….w….witch!" Stuttered the duke, then Anna took down her bow to stay face-to-face with the man.
„The curse I have I could only get rid of if someone would fall in love with me and vice versa, right?" Questioned Anna making the man nod.
„Yes. You had it so easy, princess. Around four years have passed and now you only got a couple of months,"
„The fun thing is, that I've spent these four years inside of a stupid castle," Hissed Anna back. „You haven't made it anyone easy here, but as I heard it's all for the sake of a kingdom. You're the one who has it easy. Hopes to gain with less effort the entire kingdom of an already-broken soul by taking her away from the only person that remained of her late family,"
„Don't you think your so-called sister would have spared you all this if she had just passed the kingdom over me?" Questioned the wizard. „Isn't family the most important thing in both of your life?"
The man stared into the eyes of Anna, which was angrier at the magician, then heard Elsa speak out loud.
„Family is what matters the most for me," Warned Elsa crossing her arms. „But I can't also put the fate of hundreds of villagers on yours, because of your manipulation,"
„So, this is why you prefer to have Anna go through all this and yet we're all here, because apparently you assumed with the time she would make it, huh?…...You're going to assume, she's still going through all this up to the summer solstice?" Sigmund commented looking at the queen, which pondered about his words, and looked at Anna, which stood by the man looking at the older sister with a remorseful look. Elsa raised up her chest, then looked sternly at the man.
„Oddbjörn….we have a new deal. You remove the curse of my sister and you'll get the kingdom. The servants, the guards, everything will belong to you. No tricks, nothing," Offered the platinum blonde making Anna drop her chin in shock.
„No Elsa, you can't do that!" Anna marveled in shock at her sister's offer. „We can still go through this. I know it,"
„I know Anna, but I can't watch you take more misfortunes as this one. We can't see, what awaits us in the future if you don't go this way,"
„Elsa, I beg you. There must be another way!" Pouted the princess making Elsa sigh, then glimpse at the wizard.
„This is my offer, Sigmond," Commented Elsa, then Sigmund nodded and looked at Anna, which gazed back at Elsa, which sank her head down sad.
„Don't worry, it will feel a little uncomfortable, but it will go fast," Promised the magician and formed his hand into a claw to launch an ice-blue-colored ray at the princess hitting her on the side of her belly causing her to laugh and her body suddenly got lightened up into a yellow color making Elsa furrow her eyebrows in shock while the magician got surprised about it as well and stopped.
„Wow I felt as if I had been tickled by my mother!" Commented Anna joyfully, then Sigmund repeated the task causing Anna to burst into longer laughter making the guards exchange looks with Oscar, then rolled their eyes at Elsa, which was confused as well.
„What is going on?" Questioned Elsa taking a step forward to see the wizard stop leaving Anna sitting on the ground snickering.
„I can't believe it. How did she make it in so less time?" Questioned the wizard annoyed making Elsa slowly understand what was going on and looked down at the sister, which looked up at the two.
„Am I free?" Questioned Anna looking at the dumbfounded queen.
„You already were," Chided the Norwegian leader. „It had already worked before with Hans," Spoke Elsa making Anna giggle, then stop for a second.
„Wait, what?" Asked Anna, then looked up at the magician.
„The curses of my sort are meant to leave silent. I wasn't expecting that you would make it in time and as I see you did it! How is this even possible?" Questioned the wizard loud making Elsa shrug her shoulders.
„So…...I had broken the curse already?" Questioned Anna raising her eyebrows eagerly at the realization. „We did it! I knew it!"
Elsa began to laugh excited about the discovery, then looked at the wizard, which looked annoyed at the princess.
„Hey Oddbjörn, as I see, we don't need to pass you over the kingdom anymore," Commented Elsa making the man growl, then look at Anna and formed his hand into a claw again and levitated Anna into the air shrieking at the people around, watching her hobble in the air while passing her hands on her neck feeling the wizard use the magic to strangle her. „Let her go!" Ordered Elsa, then the guards attacked along with the second bodyguard of the duke and were blown away by the magic of the wizard against the walls, leaving the duke back alone with the injured bodyguard. Oscar approached Elsa, hoping for advice.
„I usually carry around my sword, but now at the moment I could need it I just left it at the shack," Complained the prince making Elsa sigh, then had an idea.
„I may have a bad idea," Commented Elsa, thereafter they heard a familiar, medium-pitched bark and looked aside to see a teenaged-dog came across them, which they had recognized. Sigmond had put his eyes on the animal and Elsa noticed his distraction and moved her hand hasty against the air to cause out of her hands to slip out an ice ray, which catapulted the wizard across the sky leaving Anna to fall down on the ground.
„What the?" Blurted the prince out watching the wizard crash against the roof of a well and landed down on the ground. Anna watched the villain try to get up, afterward, she ran against the magician and punched him into his face, followed by him responding with another fist and grabbed the woman, then tried to push her into the well as the continued to fight back to get away from the man.
„You two are doing a big mistake," Threatened the magician making Anna growl as she tried to move her back up with the double weight on her.
„Anna!" Shouted the dog watching Anna continue to avoid herself falling into the hole. Donny stopped by, then barked loud at the two and the magician tried to kick Donny anywhere on his body, after that Donny used his tooth and grabbed the man by his leg, causing him to yell. Anna managed with all her strength to shove the man away from her and elbowed him hard, causing him to get back against the well's wall, there after Elsa took her shot to launch another ice blast to push the man into the well. Anna took a glimpse into it to watch the man yell while falling followed by splashing into the water. Elsa approached the object and held her arms above there to create a ice shallow to prevent the magician to get out of the water.
„This is the last time you messed up with someone like this," Warned Elsa, then shrieked as Anna embraced her sister tightly and pecked her on the cheek.
„Great job, Elsa!" Complimented the young woman. „You defeated that moron, almost all by yourself," Elsa chuckled, then shared a hug with the younger sister, and the few men around the two applauded at them.
„I had no idea you were a magician as well," Confessed Prince Oscar making the two guards nod.
„It's a hard topic for me to talk about. But seeing the people he caused harm to, including my sister, I felt the need of making an exception for its use,"
„It was a good choice," Admitted Garth, then heard Anna squeak as she patted Donny and spotted a bleeding part of the canine.
„What happened to you?" Questioned Anna showing the puppy the blood she had found on the pet's shoulder. „Where's Hans?"
„Three of his brothers were around to take him away. One of them followed me with a fire gun and did this to me….I even had to play dead before to make sure I would get myself to safety. Hans told me to stay safe, but I came here instead to get help,"
„What's with his brothers?" Asked Elsa, then Anna looked up at the sister.
„He's been framed for something, that happened by accident and I think now he's getting arrested. He told me, when he was young he tried to hold up someone by the shirt and that person ended up falling into the death, but the ones who witnessed it didn't see clearly what happened," Anna explained to the sister, which nodded.
„And you've got any idea, where they could be taking him?" Questioned Elsa looking down at the dog.
„I do have an idea. His home place," Noticed Anna. „The Southern Isles,"
„The Southern Isles…...Denmark you mean?"
„Yeah, he used to be a prince and all, it's a long story,"
„He was a prince?!" Asked Elsa surprised. „You mean one of the Westergaards or something?"
„The youngest of the clan,"
„Okay. What do you think they'll do to him when he gets there?" Questioned Elsa. „Do you think it will cost his life?"
„I do have the right answer to it, cause I had been in a partnership with that kingdom for a long while and they take it quite hard with the punishments towards certain criminals," Mentioned Oscar making Osmon nod.
„I have heard from a fewer villager here, that used to live there that the justice there was really unfair. I've heard about cases, they didn't even give some the chance of a court session or anything. Just think about the ones, that lost their life innocently" Commented Garth the guard. „Remember Yanik? His older brother was framed for a theft he never commit and got his life taken away without any proof,"
„Will anyone of you come along with us?" Questioned Anna grabbing Elsa by her hand waiting for any of the guards to offer their help, then the duke moved his hand up in the air.
„We have our airship. We can bring you there and come along and convince the king to let your friend free," Offered the duke making Elsa nod, then look at the Swedish-descendant men.
„Osmon and I can join the airship as well if we are allowed to board on,"
„Can we meet up later at the ship? I want to get my sword in case we need it," Asked the prince making Anna nod, then Elsa had an idea and raised her hand to grab the prince by his shoulder.
„Oh and I'd like you to make me a little offer before we go," Asked the queen making the prince look at the blonde curious to listen to her ask.
