"This is worse than treason."
The council chamber echoed Elsa's voice ominously. The council swallowed with difficulty.
"Your highness-"
The man was cut off due to lack of explanation. The public had been barred from this meeting. As had servants, guests, and even family. Several members of the council itself were instructed to stay home.
"Councilor Deerman, what exactly would you say to this?" She gestured towards the paper. He stared, dumbfounded.
"It will get Anna back," He said, "Isn't that what you really want?"
Elsa sighed wearily, "I... love my sister -my beautiful, powerful sister- more than life itself. I would die for her. And right now, she is in more pain than I can," She paused, adjusting her new hat, "Then most of us can imagine. So understand when I say that what I want is Anna back, I want my baby sister back."
The council sighed in relief.
"But."
They took that sigh back into their lungs.
"This... this is wrong. And foolish. And short-sighted and a dozen/thousand other things my father hated."
She pushed the paper away.
"It was foolish of us to put any faith in that... Hans man, anyways," explained Council Surna.
Elsa's eyes flickered back and forth from Deerman to Surna, "Yes, well... at least he didn't make a deal with these savages. You act like this is a nation. That they have a king."
"This "Black Spot" fellow-"
"Is simply the 'leader' not the recognized king. There are no laws, no people, no business. This isn't a country, or a 'peoples' we are dealing with, this," She pointed to the line to whom Arrendelle's money would go, "is a group of international criminals. If we are caught, Arrendelle will lose all standing in the community."
The council exchanged glances, remembering her disastrous coronation.
"Furthermore," She stated, "You must all know what will happen when word of this arrangement gets out, and it will; absolute best-case scenario; embargo. Worst? Annihilation."
"We have no choice," Said a third councilor, Newson, "With Hans gone, no one has the familiarity with which to combat these men. They've come to close to destroying this nation already."
He gestured to her.
The queen bulked. It was true, they had come close to destroying/humiliating her. But that was beside the issue. The council had asked her to sign a 'treaty' with the Black Spot pirates. It was a bad idea for two reasons; 1) they had no formal government to implement the treaty and 2) If anyone got their hands on this piece of paper, it was proof Arrendelle was negotiating with extremists.
"I won't," She said.
"I'm sorry," Said Councilor Victoria, "But you don't have a choice. As treasurer, I have already liquidated our finances. Once the demand for Princess Anna comes in, we will negotiate a settlement."
Elsa bit her tongue until it was sore. She thought of many things to say to this council, but realized silence was all the more condemning, so she simply turned, and walked out.
The paper was signed, sealed, and handed off.
Elsa waited until she reached her room to feel the crushing guilt from allowing poor, sweet Anna to deal with such torture.
Across the pond, Anna had something to say in the matter.
"Ah! Ah... no! Please..."
Crack.
"Ooooh... much better," She sighed, turning her head to the free masseuse, "Take five, I'm just going to soak up some steam."
Princess Anna of Arrendelle, blissfully unaware, bathed in the pleasures provided, free of charge, by Prince Baragor. He'd been so helpful! It was hard to believe he was related to, bleh, Hans! After those pirates separated the Winter's End from her escort, Baragor had come along, helped with repairs, and demanded she be given royal treatment at his private estate. Her entire crew tagged along, more than happy to take a vacation.
It crossed Anna's mind that something wasn't quite right. Elsa was probably having an emotional meltdown right now, but, so what? It's not like she was going to refreeze Arrendelle!
Besides, the repairs on the ship were almost completed. Baragor had left on business, but within a few days, she'd be back in her room, convincing Kristoff kissing her was the greatest of his accomplishments.
She stared guiltily at the pen and paper. Her men were allowed to write home, those that could, but no letters had come back. Anna knew if she wrote now, she would never hear the end of her sister's grief.
She clapped her hands twice, "Okay, we're going to do the lower back now. And don't be afraid to really get in there, okay?"
Everything was fine. What was another three days?!