It reminded him of his home.
That had never been a good way to describe a place for him.
Night had blanketed the land when he had made his way up north with one place in mind until dry path had slowly turned into damped black pebbles and sand crunching under the sole of his boots. The salty sea air offered some familiarity for him, who had much preferred the ocean than staying at his kingdom back when he was younger and had not yet made his trip to Arendelle, but still the knowledge of where he was and what it was famed for sent a shiver down his spine.
He had never once saw the Dark Sea, not with his own two eyes, as tales of it had driven him away from the vicious waters, for even he was no desperate fool to come near and to discover what laid beyond the raging waves.
And for it to resemble the Southern Isles' beaches in some aspects had made him uncomfortable.
There were no mountains to block the howling winds and no sandy beaches to muffle the roaring surf.
That had been his own words and description to his wife, back when they were only returning from their honeymoon years ago, when she had asked him to tell her of the kingdom he was born and raised in. This place, this beach, it had the same physicality as the Southern Isles.
"Papa?" Wilhelm's hand had come up, reaching for his face and prompting him to look at his son, noting how his brows were knitted as his eyes looked directly at his. "Papa okay?"
The question made his heart swelled, for he truly was his mother's son, such gentle touch of affection could only be inherited from the Queen, even when the rumbling thunder had made him whimpered earlier, he was still able to tell when his mind was troubled. Taking his small hand in his, he had offered the young boy a reassuring smile. "Yes, Wilhelm, Papa is fine. But we should find your Mama."
This was no leisurely walk, he was well aware of that, but Wilhelm had wanted to be let down -which was a little strange since he had always been the one who just loved being carried around everywhere he went, and he had taken his hand as they walked over the beach in search of the striking platinum blonde hair that they both knew so well.
Ahtohallan was located across the Dark Sea, the map had said so itself, but a part of him had hoped that his wife was not insane enough to cross the raging waves to reach a place that was not even confirmed to exist. Though the fact that he had seen her anywhere had made his hopes flattered.
Wilhelm's hand slipped from his grasp as the boy had suddenly took off ahead of him, not turning around even after he had called for him, stumbling and even had fallen down once and yet he had only picked himself back up and continued on without even a cry or a whimper. He had followed close behind, close enough to see the boy had stopped by a rock, reaching for… something blue.
The sight had made him picked up his pace then, fearing for the worst of what might have happened to his wife. Had she been knocked unconscious, helplessly lying here on this godforsaken beach, without anyone else to help her? Or was she, God forbid, de—
Jacket. It was only her jacket that was laid there, tossed aside, with her boots on top. A part of him had let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, because his son did not just find his mother's body on the ground, but another part of him had to bite down a curse he did not wish for Wilhelm to hear as he looked over the sea.
She crossed.
"Why Elsa?" His murmur was more to himself than to anyone in particular, as he really was starting to question her common sense ever since they had come to the Enchanted Forest, had been noticing how different she had been acting.
When he had looked back down, ready to get his son, he was met with the sight of him managing to wrap the jacket around himself, the adorable sight of how he was drowning in the large piece of clothing had prompted the corners of his lips to tug into a smile as Wilhelm had given his own wide one up to him from under the fabric that he had also covered his head in, proud of his work.
Bending down, he had picked the toddler up along with his wife's jacket, letting the boy had it as it seemed that Elsa had no need for it any longer. There was still a faint scent of her perfume coming from her jacket, though it had been badly mixed with the salty sea air. She had gone, but perhaps not that long ago.
Making his way toward the sea, waves washing against the toes of his boots, his green eyes had searched far ahead, though he could not find even the smallest of glimpse of Ahtohallan or any dry land for that matter, it was far too dark for him to. Even if he wanted to attempt to do what she did, to swim across, he knew he couldn't. He couldn't bring Wilhelm along and yet he couldn't leave him behind either. Then there was the thing about his injury. To soak it in salt water would only mean that he was torturing himself.
Still, there was no way that Elsa could have swim all the way across, it was too far and to go against the waves would cost so much of her stamina, there simply was no possibility for him to believe in.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see the way Wilhelm's head had perked up from under his mother's jacket, blue eyes looking far beyond the horizon as his hand reached out, clenching and then unclenching repeatedly. He had seen this look on his son enough times to know that he had heard of that voice once more as he let out a quiet round of longing babbles.
"I know, Wilhelm, you miss Mama, I know."
But what could he possibly do? He was merely a man, he was not gifted the way his wife had been.
What was he supposed to do? What did Elsa expected him to do by leaving like so? He had nowhere to go, no place to stay. Kristoff must have joined the Northuldra to head for the meadows, far in the west, Anna's location was unknown to him, the Princess had been separated from the Queen but to where he did not know, and Arendelle was still far too dangerous to be lived in.
He had turned his back toward the raging ocean, had taken steps away from it as he carried his son when the young boy had suddenly exclaimed rather excitedly as he tried to go over his father's shoulder, and for one hopeful moment he had wished it was her that Wilhelm had seen.
Instead, he was met with a stallion made entirely out of water, standing tall just a few inches from where the sea met the land, glowing eyes empty as they narrowed back at him. He would have been surprised by the presence of it, if only he had not seen the other spirits in the forest early on.
He was a man that had always found interest in horses, the creatures always seemed to fascinate him, he had grown up liking them, had understood what he had to do. But this one was different, this was no ordinary beast, this was Nokk, the water spirit.
Tales were heard of it, of the being that drowned men and women alike should they come close, taking form of a handsome man with a violin, a beautiful and enchanting woman, or a horse that lured those foolish enough to ride it. It was the one being that sailors had told him of what had caused the Dark Sea to be as vicious as it was, and though he had merely taken the story as a fairytale, to see it now with his own two eyes had opened his mind into believing that perhaps those men were right indeed.
He should fear it, of the thing that had brought sailing ships down under high rolling waves, stealing lives of those aboard, but it's eyes were not even on him to begin with, it's focus was not directed at the auburn haired man. Instead, it was staring right at the young boy in his arms.
His body moved out of instinct to protect his son, twisting until he had shielded him away from the spirit, standing between the two, prompting the horse to finally turned it's gaze toward him, eyes narrowing even further. He didn't trust spirits, he could never, not when they had been nothing but hostile each time.
Not when they had done nothing but prompted Elsa into continuing on with this quest of hers.
"What do you want?" He was rather unsure on whether the spirits could understand him or his words, and even if they did he couldn't tell exactly how they would answer -or if they wanted to answer in the first place, but he had the right to ask, he was growing tired of them. "Why are you here?"
As expected, Nokk didn't answered with words, but it's eyes adverted back toward Wilhelm, letting out a snort as it's front hoof dug against the lapping waves, expressing it's impatience.
The gesture made him take a step back, moving his son further away and out of reach of the spirit as one of his hands cradled Wilhelm's head. He may have been mistaken in his way of understanding it, but if he was right and the water spirit had only wished for his son then he will be damned before he would let it get close.
He could have sworn that the Nokk was glaring at him then, and he had feared that maybe he had angered the ancient spirit and put his son at risk for something that he had done so carelessly, yet the water horse had suddenly turned around, alerted as it gaze far beyond the rolling waves, and as if Hans had not existed anymore it had melted back into the ocean, leaving the two humans at the beach as if there had been nothing at all in the first place.
The whole ordeal had made his brows furrowed, as the change of action that the Nokk had gone through was rather strange. Why would a spirit even bother into revealing itself before a mere man such as he and then leaving so suddenly without doing much of anything? What did it want with Wilhelm? Why was it's interest was only for the boy?
"Papa," Wilhelm's yawn had drawn his attention away from his own thoughts to see the boy rubbing his eyes with his clenched fist. "Sleepy."
He should have slapped himself across the face for his ignorance.
He had been so immersed in finding his wife that he had failed to notice how exhausted his son must have been. Wilhelm required his daily naps, he was merely a toddler after all, and he had been kept up throughout their trek in following Elsa's trail without much time to stop and rest.
Carrying the boy back toward a large rock, he had lowered himself until he sat on the pebbled beach, leaning his back against the rough surface as he placed his son on his lap, facing him, letting him slump against his chest the way he had did against his mother's during their journey leaving Arendelle, pulling the blue jacket over him as a mean of blanket even when he knew that the cold had never bothered his son, an ability inherited from his wife herself.
"Sleep, my darling, safe and sound," Wilhelm had hugged the ice crystal close against his chest, and though the chill did seep through the Northuldra's clothing he wore, he had not expressed any sort of discomfort from it. "When all is lost, then all is found."
They will find Elsa, they had to.
He must have fallen asleep as well.
It had not been long and had not been a heavy one, more like where his mind drifted in and out of consciousness as exhaustion had slowly gnawed on him, he had still noted the sound of crashing waves and the claps of thunder even when there was not a single drop of rain that showered them. His wound had ached every once in a while, especially with his son's body against him, but it was nothing he couldn't bear as he had been worse situation and lived through it nonetheless.
But it was Wilhelm's sudden whimper that had brought his attention into an alert.
With his eyes snapping opened, his hand had automatically grabbed for the staff by his side, ready to defend himself and his son from whatever it was that had come and pose a threat, but looking around he had found nothing was amiss. Nothing had come for them, not even when he had narrowed his eyes and took closer inspection to his surroundings.
Wilhelm's whimper had continued though, and only when he had taken his time to look down that he found what had caused it.
The ice crystal was… disintegrating.
Particles of ice and snow slowly rose into the air, flurrying away and reducing the crystal in his son's hands, and the sight had upset him.
The magic in it was fading.
"Mama…"
Something gripped his heart just as Wilhelm had looked up at him, eyes filled with pooling tears ready to spill, lips trembling. Something happened to Elsa, something bad.
But not too far or you'll be drowned.
"No. No."
It couldn't be. Elsa couldn't be…
But how else would her magic fade like so? His wife had created many wonderful things, delicate artwork that had been admired by many, made entirely of ice by her magic, never a single drop of melted water had ever touched the ground. Even Olaf, a magical talking walking snowman, could endure through glaring sunlight unbothered.
She had gone too far.
Wilhelm's cry soon broke, for even in such young age he must have felt something terrible had happened to his beloved mother, his connection with her was so deep that it had subconsciously alarmed him that something had happened, and for once in his life the auburn-haired Prince Consort had done nothing to stop his son.
Instead he had gathered him in his arms, cradling him close as he felt his own legs losing it's strength -thankful that he was not standing up at the moment or else he may have fallen down then, letting the poor boy sobbed against his chest as his small hand gripped against the fabric of his clothes.
He wished to comfort his son, he wished to utter words of reassurance that everything was going to be alright, that perhaps the ice crystal had nothing to do with Elsa's condition, but he was at loss of words himself, as who he was trying to lie to anyway?
She was his wife, his best friend, the mother of their son, his home. She was this person that was able to steal his heart even when she had done nothing but to avoid him, she was the one whose smile could brighten up his day even during difficult times, she was the one he trusted the most to share his painful past -and he was one to be trusted by her with the knowledge of her magic.
And now he had lost her. He had lost half of himself.
For Wilhelm, she was his mother, one that raised and nurtured him with all that she was, one that loved him more than anything in the world, one that would protect him from any harm until the last take of her breath.
He didn't deserve to lose her in such young age when he needed her the most.
All because of this damned voice that had led her into facing all sort of dangers that the Enchanted Forest holds, she lost herself by trying to be everything for everyone else without thinking about herself.
He had seen dark before, had lived through it, but this one was different. This one was cold, empty… numb.
The ice crystal had been completely gone by the time that Wilhelm had started hiccupping, his body trembled with his tears soaking his father's clothing, and Hans had pulled him even closer as he rubbed a soothing hand against his back.
His own tears had run down his face in a silent cry, yet had been quickly wiped away before the boy could see, it was too much already for him that having to see his father crying would have only worsened the situation.
What would he do now? Without his wife by his side, without her love and her guidance for him to be a better man each and every day, without her care and her encouragement, he was lost.
"Papa…" Wilhelm's voice had trembled as he pulled away from him, looking up with reddened face and damped wide eyes. "Mama. I want Mama."
"Mama," his voice had gotten caught in his throat as he steeled himself from breaking down, instead wiping the tear streaks on his son's cheeks with his hand. He couldn't utter the word to his son, he didn't have the heart, and he was unsure Wilhelm would understand the situation completely.
This grief had a gravity that pulled him down, entrapping him to just… give up. But Wilhelm, this young boy of his, he was his reminder that he had to go on, no matter how lost he was and how his hope had felt like it was gone completely, because he had to fight for Wilhelm, he had to be strong for him, he had to do the next right thing.
So he struggled to put a smile, just a small one to comfort the toddler, as he had heaved himself back up onto his feet, ignoring the shake of his legs as invisible burden had made his shoulders heavy. "We will wait for Mama back home, alright?"
Just do the next right thing.
Trudging his way through the beach, he had followed the path from where he had come from, intending to head back to the Enchanted Forest. Home. He didn't even know if Arendelle would remain standing now that Elsa had… But Wilhelm needed to be comforted, it was the least that he could do right now.
He wouldn't look too far ahead, unable to stand the thought of living so differently now, all he wanted to do was to find his sister in-law, at the very least, to see Anna and maybe he would figure something out then. He couldn't even imagine what the Princess would feel, how she would react, when she had discovered the fate that had befallen her older sister.
All he knew was that nothing would ever be the same ever again.
This is definitely not my best work, but I've been struggling so much that I can't find a way to make it better, I'm sorry. I hope future chapters wouldn't disappoint though.