Author notes in the end.
Chapter VII
A crown's fall
-ooo-
Her days in the Enchanted Forest were quiet. Never had she had so much time to herself: ever since taking Arendelle's crown, alone time had been a precious luxury. Some days, she had managed to sneak into the hidden room Anna had gifted her for a few, never-lasting hours. Eventually, her sister found her, and they spent the time chatting, cuddling or simply sitting in front of one another, silently enjoying each other's company.
Even years after her parents' passing, she could never think of their rooms as her own: the royal study would always be her father's. The vanity on the royal quarters, her mother's. Unlike Anna, the castle never felt right for her. The threat of accidentally exposing her powers kept her on her toes: she couldn't afford to risk her secret if she were to indulge on the hobbies her sister had picked up over the years. And so, she kept mostly to herself, immersing her own emotions in the fictional words of books and stories.
To be fair, she had been jealous of Anna's life.
Where her sister saw the miracle of her ice-wielding powers, she could only see a curse, powerful, yes, even whimsical, but dangerous.
Now, Ahtohallan was her home. It taught her, the true meaning behind her magic.
Nonetheless, guilt began to take root inside her heart. The freedom she felt, living under the North's open skies, amidst her mother's people, came with a heavy cost. She could see it on Anna's eyes, unknowingly pleading, each time she visited her.
As the months passed, she couldn't help but wonder. Had she made the right choice? On the evenings, all she could think was of her cocky, loop-sided smile. As she rode through the dark sea, she thought of her blue-ish eyes. As the sun rose over the forest's tall, auburn peaks, she saw Anna's fiery, untamable hair.
She had left her behind, pursuing Ahtohallan's call. Loneliness settled in, tinging most of her uneventful, peaceful days.
It all changed one day, just as the summer gave way to autumn.
A presence, ghostly and insidious. The Northuldrans soon noticed it as well: the whole forest shook under its pressure.
Corruption. Darkness. Like a heart's beating she could sense leagues away, slowing pushing its way into the forests soil and waters, spreading like a raging disease. It tapped into the magic flow of the land, mindlessly searching…
-ooo-
Idris had fucked up.
No. That's wasn't quite right. The fool had fucked her over.
Anger coiled and trashed wildly inside her chest. The Stone's whispers shrieked: a tumultuous, ever-changing voice that growled at the bottom of her mind, like an animal scratching its way up inside a pit. The bitch had escaped. She had felt it too late: the bastard's task with the northern savages had taken her more time than she had anticipated. By the time she had come back to the mountain, the shining essence had left.
Inside the dark cavern, her frustrated scream echoed on the damp, rough walls, mimicking the Stone's angered cries.
After years of having lost her sight, she had come to rely on the Stone's muted senses. Were before had been color, only dim, fractured lines remained. She wasn't blind in the strictest of senses. She could see, but not with her now useless eyes. Perhaps it was best that way. The world had never brought her anything but pain, its beauty a mocking, cruel joke.
The only downside was, she had become more reliant on its power. It took more and more effort just to keep the dark voice at bay.
Unconsciously, she scratched and pulled at that damned collar. To her, it was even worse than the one she had worn when young. At least as a slave, the collar had been only a symbol: it could not give her pain, unlike this one.
She screamed again. She hated how weak it sounded, for now fear had slipped onto her heart. What would Falax do to her once he found out? Would Mother pay once again for her mistakes?
The Stone whispered. It told her to not care: to abandon the woman and leave after the White Sorceress.
It would be useless. She could faintly feel her shine, thousands of leagues away. If she had reached her country's capital there was nothing she could do. The bastard would not be happy. The White Sorceress, the one they called Elsa of Arendelle, was a dangerous loose end to his plans.
Falax was such a simpleton. All he saw, all he pursued: just a fragile illusion. So meaningless.
It angered her, to do the bastard's biding. What were his ambitions when compared to the taste of true power?
Then again, what did it say about herself, to be chained to such a man?
She waited till dusk to leave the cavern. The sun's light often overwhelmed her, even with her black cloak and hood. Perhaps, later at night, she could try to sneak out of the palace and see Mother for a little bit.
For now, she would have to face judgment for Idris' failings. It would not matter if it wasn't her fault she had escaped: the price she would pay with her own blood.
-ooo-
-ooo-
-ooo-
The castle's gates, like in those bleak months after her parent's deaths, remained closed. During the first, peaceful years of her reign, she had made a conscious effort to keep engaged with her subjects. Audiences became part of her routine, one she did actually enjoy. The courtyard had bustled with activity: she hosted frequent festivals, filled with visitors and merchants. The city kept flourishing, kept growing. It was the least she could to keep on her father's policies, continued by her sister and now herself.
She mounted up, patting her horse's neck gently. It was especially cold, as demonstrated by the little puffs of vapor she saw around her guard's and their horses' mouths. It would not be long before the first snows began.
As she had done countless times, she rode up the main street, turning left to continue through the market. The people looked up to her, but she could feel it, the slow shift that had begun months ago. They were scared. They were suspicious. The beggars were left alone now: fewer and fewer people ventured outside their homes.
On the back of her mind, she kept going over the Capital's issues. The city's chief administrator had meet with her first thing in the morning. Work on the few refugee camps she could afford – built outside the city walls – was almost finished. For the time being, the grain and fish reserves held, but they were now rationed, tighter and tighter after each passing week.
It was as if the whole city was holding its breath, apprehensive of what would come next.
Mama, papa, she thought. What else can I do? There were moments like these where she couldn't help but guess. What would they think if they could see her? Would they approve of her choices?
As she rode, she touched Elsa's stained scarf.
She was all she had left. Sighing, she briefly looked up.
The skies above were grey and dull, a cluster brought by the fierce northern winds.
Before she finished her stroll of the market's calm day, a few loud cries reached her. Frowning, she reined her horse calmly, looking for the source.
It came from one of the most modest sellers on the west side of the plaza. A woman cried and pleaded to one of the merchants, who seemed rather embarrassed as he shook his head. Some peasants were beginning to stare in that direction as well.
She quickly dismounted, followed closely by two of her guards.
"What's going on?" she asked, keeping her tone friendly. She didn't want to intimidate anyone unless necessary.
The merchant, a mild-looking man, with strong arms a thinning, grey hair, glanced at her off-handedly before turning around with wide-open eyes.
"Y-your Majesty!" He squeaked, turning to face her.
Anna smiled, trying to give the nervous man some confidence. The pleading woman turned as well. Her face was thin, with an angular chin and high cheekbones, with pale, sickly-looking skin, framed by long, greasy strands of chestnut hair, showing just glimpses of grey on their root.
"Your Grace…" the woman muttered, stepping back, looking like she would scurry away any moment.
The young Queen stared at both, waiting.
"Your Majesty…" the seller began. "There is no problem, no. Well…" he trailed off.
"It's all my fault. This…" the woman declared, holding in her hand some cheap-looking earrings, "is all I have left. My husband…" the woman sniffled, clearly struggling to keep her composure.
"I have a daughter, and she is hungry…" She looked down.
Anna could see what had happened, and her chest tightened painfully. This reminded her of her meeting with Weselton. They may not know it, but the Queen herself had done the same too, pawning her family's jewelry for food.
"I'm so very sorry, your Grace, but… I cannot take this for payment, nor give it for free. I have children too, you see? My little Huri, my little Gnari…" He explained, passing his hand nervously over the few strands of hair he had left.
She knew she shouldn't. It wasn't fair. How many more people, same as this woman, needed similar help? She could not play favorites.
By the Gods. What will become of them?
Almost unconsciously, she took from her dress' pocket a few silver coins – marked with her own mother's profile on one side – and gave them to the merchant.
"Is this enough?" She asked.
The man's eyes opened even more wide, his ears and round cheeks blushing.
"Yes, your Majesty! Of course, of course." He bowed deeply. "Thanks you, your Grace."
He took some of the little bottles of milk and some bread from his stand and gave them to the woman. She stood there, looking a little dumbfounded.
"Thank you…" she said, smiling through her teary eyes. "May the Gods bless you, your Highness." She bowed too, leaving in a hurry.
Anna saw her go. She knew this little act was nothing more than a drop in the ocean. A mere leaf against the blowing winds of war. But it was a drop more, nonetheless.
-ooo-
She had been on her study for the better part of the evening. The nurses were tending to Elsa back in her room, so she took the chance to get some paperwork done.
Does it ever end? She thought, annoyed. Mountains of paper seemed to be conjured out of thin air every single week, only to land on her desk, piling up mercilessly if left unattended. She was worried, too. Lord Grenn's reports had stopped coming, with no word of the garrisons of the mountains passes. She quickly reviewed the orders for the few troops that would leave for the forts. She signed her approval on the supply caravan for the northern front, making sure the numbers hadn't been altered by one of Lord Jarwood clerks.
Necessary arrangements, she knew. Nevertheless, it all felt so… mundane. Truth be told, there was only one matter she wanted to fix, and it drove her mad that she couldn't. Elsa's condition hadn't changed: she didn't get better, nor worse.
She sighed, perhaps for the umpteenth time on the day. She continued to scribble away, trying hard to keep her mind on the matters at hand.
After a few minutes, Kai's voice reached her through the litany of reports she had been reading. She looked up, intrigued.
"General Matthias, your Grace." Her steward announced from the doorway.
"Yes, of course!" She jumped, stretching.
Matthias stood martially on Kai's side, holding a little bag on his good hand. She gestured him the seat in front of her desk.
"Thank you for your time, your Grace." Matthias said casually as he sat down.
Anna groaned. Ever since he had come back with Elsa, she had been so busy she hadn't been able to catch up with him.
"I'm so sorry. With everything that's going on…"
Her General shook his head. "I understand, your Grace. War's never easy. For anyone."
She shook her head.
"I don't think I have thanked you yet." She apologized. "For finding her…"
He smiled comfortably at her. "No need, your Majesty. I did my duty, same as my men. I just wanted to run some things by you, if that's all right."
He lifted the bag he had been holding, passing it to her.
"These are Lady Elsa's belongings that we found with her. Very few things, but perhaps there's something you may find useful."
Anna opened the little leather bag, spreading its contents over the table. Some quills, a tiny bottle of ink; foreign coins, too, and some rags and pieces of parchment. The only remarkable objects were a handful of little black stones of clear-cut faces, shining as they reflected the soft evening's light. They seemed a little like precious jewels, only completely black.
"There were many like those surrounding the throne on the mountain, your Grace." Matthias explained as the Queen took one of the stones and examined it.
"Throne?" she questioned.
Matthias hummed briefly. "A… figure of speech, your Majesty. The cave were we found her and the mage, in its center had a sort of… altar, or throne, you could say, made of rock. Around it were shards of that same stone, and Lady Elsa's bag contained a few, as well. I took them with me before we fled, just in case."
Elsa had them, Anna thought. Perhaps she knew something about them we don't.
She repacked everything into the bag, leaning back on her chair with arms crossed. Matthias looked at her, his face neutral.
"How did you find her?" She asked. "I'm told Faraxia is quite big."
The man pondered the question for a bit. "Faraxia proper is small, your Grace. The Coalition, on the other hand, is actually enormous. Faraxia is just a small country, with many other annexed to it over the last decades." He explained.
"Through your sister's letters, we tracked down most of the path she took, until we arrived at the old Faraxian borders. There her track muddled for a while, but we found some innkeepers who had seen her in the months past. At that point, all that was left was to reach the mountain."
Anna nodded.
"Then, again, thank you. You brought her back, and that's something I'll never be able to repay."
The General smiled, a little sadder this time.
"We all have our duty. You have proven a capable monarch, and all I've done is do as any subject would. Your grandfather's crimes have been repaid, and I got my life back, thanks to you as well."
She smiled back.
They both sat in silence for a while. She was about to dismiss him to go back to the paperwork when he spoke again.
"If I may change the subject, your Majesty. What happened to our fleet? War Master Dunarr could, or would not, tell me about it."
"It's hidden." Anna answered simply. "Somewhere on the straits. Elsa built a little hidden fortress on the northern sea when she took the crown. Even I don't know where it is, but she told me they could remain hidden for a while. It's safer that way."
"Quite smart, your Majesty. Lady Elsa's previsions have proven sound over the years."
Oh, yes, Anna thought. Her job as Queen would've been much harder if Elsa hadn't prepared such an array of safeguards for her and the kingdom. While she had teased her sister in a number of occasions for her cautious nature, time had proven her right.
"Very well," said the General as he stood up, "I'll leave you to your tasks, your Majesty. Will we address the upcoming battle on the next Council meeting…?"
His voice was cut short. One of the study's windows opened suddenly, letting in a rush of wind and leafs that whistled through the room.
Anna shot up from her seat.
"Gale!" she called. The spirit fluttered around her, leaving a tiny note on her desk. Matthias laughed as the spirit circled him playfully before leaving the room in a hurry.
With high hopes, she read the message.
'We will arrive at midnight, through the fjord.' were the simple words on the parchment.
"What's that about?" inquired her General.
"Yelana's coming." The Queen announced, grinning a little.
-ooo-
She made a mistake. The dark, foul beating had grown closer than ever before. She had been careless.
Chaos ensued after the sorceress attack. She let her powers go, but to no avail. Each time she launched an attack, the shadows meet her efforts.
Enough! She cried. Wielding the power of everlasting winters, she pushed, willing an enormous blast of ice forward.
Through the mayhem, she saw the sorceress twisted smirk. Like a tidal wave, blackness rose from every corner, crashing against her assault. Elsa gasped. As her ice crashed and melted against the foul magic, she felt its presence tapping into her mind. Whispering.
Once again, the two forces broke as the collided, sending shards of ice in every direction.
The black, thick mist swirled across the room, making it hard for her to see anything. Most of the men were still fighting, but it was dreadfully obvious whose side had the upper hand. From the corner of her eye, she saw the shadows lean fingers rushing towards a figure in white. She recognized Eugene, with an unconscious Rapunzel in one hand and his sword raised with the other. Her blast sent the black magic recoiling, trashing through the room only to gather on one side once more, like a treacherous snake getting ready to strike.
"Elsa?" Her sister's weak voice rose above the screams.
Anna! She thought franticly. She looked around, horrified and scared. Her sister had crawled to her left side, protected over the wooden table that someone had managed to turn on its side. Then, she saw her uncle's pale face, and a new wave of fear crashed through her.
Eugene reached the table, looking down at the former King, with his angular features twisted in fear and sorrow. A few of Falax's men followed him, protected by the shadows. The dark sorceress still stood in the middle of the room, weaving his arms as she commanded the darkness around.
Anna's eyes met her own. She could see the fear in them. And also the hope. Through their shared glance, Elsa could see the unwavering certainty her sister had that she would protect them. She breathed deeply, gathering her magic's strength inside her chest before releasing it all in a violent blizzard, creating a circle of protection around them. The cries and gasps from the enemy soldiers disappeared, but she could sense it through the snow: the sorceress blind eyes, looking for her in the tempest she had released.
We don't have much time, she thought wearily. She knelt on Anna's side, avoiding the silver cutlery spread on the floor.
Her uncle Frederick's eyes were closed in a grimace, his chest rising heavily on his bloody chest. A few rests of dirtied, black-ish snow remained over his royal vest. Shards of ice, mixed with the black mist. A hard lump gripped her throat. Her aunt Arianna held her husband's hand, quietly muttering on his ear.
"Elsa!" Anna's voice sounded distant, like the distant echoes of a dream. "Elsa, we have to get out of here!" Suddenly, she felt slender fingers wrap around her own, breaking the spell. She blinked hard a couple of times, regaining her bearings. From the depths of the white winds she had summoned, a black thread shot through it like a whip, blindly striking against them. It missed by just a few feet before vanishing, leaving behind a horrifying screech.
Two more black needles shot through the winds, their aim true this time. With a quick flick of her wrist, she deflected them before they could reach any of them.
"Eugene!" Anna shouted. "Hand me Rapunzel. Help my aunt!" She pointed to the wooden doors behind the throne.
"Right," he muttered, delicately handing Rapunzel's unconscious body to her while taking Frederick's by the arms and lifting him off the ground.
More shadows ripped through the snow as they made their way to the back door.
They backed slowly. She kept the raging snows up as they limped their way through the portal. Once they had all passed, she vanished the storm. Immediately, the black mists shot through the ballroom. She raised a wall of true ice over the door. The shadows collided with it, being repelled from only an instant before they stroke again. This time, however, they stuck to her shield like tentacles, slowly piercing through it.
The hallway was strangely silent, but she could hear the phantom noises coming from the ballroom.
Her aunt Arianna and Eugene lowered Frederick's body, resting it against the wall. The former King had opened his eyes, but she saw how weak his gaze was. Anna had mirrored them, carefully examining Rapunzel's head. The newly appointed Queen of Corona remained unconscious.
The shadows kept creeping through the ice. Keeping an eye on it, she knelt beside Anna.
"I think she is fine," Anna conjectured, "but it seems like a concussion. She may not wake up in a while."
"She saved me." Flynn said mournfully. "One of the nobles sneaked on my back, and she fought him. Someone managed to hit her before I could help." His jaw was clenched, his eyes hard and angry.
Her ice wall cracked loudly.
It won't hold for long, she noted, worried.
Frowning, Anna stood up, walking to the east side of the corridor.
"Oh, gods…" She muttered, her eyes wide open as she stared out the hallway's window. Elsa could see little dots of light dancing on her cheeks. Their group looked up.
The city was burning.
Flynn stood up as well, looking wide-eyed too at the chaos. Long flames burst through the city's streets and homes, spreading through the districts. The fires' glow enveloped the profile of the Coronian towers, giving it the look of a faded memoir, a nightmarish landscape only madmen dreamed of.
Her uncle couched roughly, groaning as he tried to get up. His wife shoved him gently against the wall, preventing him from hurting himself further. The man shook his head, his eyes searching for someone.
"Son…" her uncle whispered. "Leave. Please." He glanced weakly at Flynn. His eyebrows furrowed as he knelt on front of his father-in-law.
"Go now," Arianna seconded. "Do not stop until you've reached Arendelle safely. Go…" her voice softened.
"Wait, we can't leave you here." Her sister interrupted. "We all can make it!" Frederick shook his head again, coughing violently again. Elsa saw, horrified, tiny beads of blood drop from his lips.
The former Queen held her husband's hand, looking worriedly at him.
"Aunt, please…" Anna cried.
She ignored her, instead staring into Flynn's distressed features. They exchanged no words. Eugene hung his head, struggling. The Queen of Corona nodded to him before refocusing on her husband. She caressed his cheek with bloody fingers, reclining over him until their foreheads touched.
"We must go," Flynn said, his voice coarse and raw. "We cannot risk Rapunzel's life." He regarded Elsa, the message clear.
Anna is at risk, too, she thought.
The redhead locked glances with her, her eyes imploring. She held her gaze, but another crack on the wall made her decision evident. Anna's head fell, stubborn tears falling through her flushed cheeks.
Eugene took Rapunzel's body on his arms, passing his sword to Anna. He looked at Elsa.
She nodded, turning back to face the obstructed doorway.
The ice wall cracked once more, with little, shining splinters falling around its edges. She closed her eyes for a moment, concentrating. Deliberately, she let the barrier weaken little by little, while in the meantime creating a whole web of ice over the arcs of stone above the entrance. She willed her powers to filter through the structure, making it especially cold. Any human who touched that kind of ice – ironically – would burn his skin at contact.
Years ago, she wouldn't have been able to achieve such a thing, but Ahtohallan had taught her much about her power's reach.
Mentally she let go of the barrier.
The moment the wall fell, shadows and men rushed through the opening. With her arms extended to maintain control, she expanded the ice in between the rock beneath the entrance. The stone shattered, taking down the whole ceiling on top of their assailants, burying them with a sickening crush. A few strands of the darkness, however, managed to pass the falling debris, so she waved snow around them to disperse them.
When her ice touched the shadows one last time, she heard it again. A voice, talking in a language she had never heard, yet she could understand its meaning.
'Come,' it whispered. 'Come, 'fore is too late.'
She staggered backwards, a little dazed.
"That won't stop them for long." Elsa declared, shaking the confusion, already feeling the shadows pressing forward through the rubble.
"C'mon, this way," Flynn said, pointing towards the empty hallway. "This is the most direct path towards the barracks. If we're lucky, we can reach the ships in a few minutes."
Before fleeing, she looked back, same as Flynn and Anna. Her aunt lay over her husband's chest, her head sunk on his ample shoulder. They were completely still, seemingly oblivious to what had just happened.
Farewell, Elsa thought. She held back her tears. They would do no good right now.
The deepest parts of the castle were mostly empty, and they had no trouble leaving through the stables. There were no horses left in them, so they ran away from to the castle's keep.
The Coronians, peasants and guards alike, fought tooth and nail to contain the fires while others clashed against some of the mercenaries who were raiding the streets, trying to keep the growing mobs at bay. Their little group kept to dark alleyways and lone streets, guided expertly by Flynn. As they ran towards the southern part of the Capital, she couldn't help but shut her eyes in a futile attempt to push off the madness around her. The night was filled with screams full of hatred and anguish.
Finally, they managed to reach the docks, but what they saw stopped them on their tracks. The enemy soldiers had surrounded the ships, burning every last one. On one end, she could see the glowing rests of their ship, too, slowly sinking into the low bay.
"Now what?" asked Eugene. His forehead was covered in sweat, and his breath had grown labored.
Anna looked up at her, her blade tightly held in anticipation. Elsa shook her head.
"We won't fight through them," Elsa said. "I have a better idea."
She wouldn't admit it, but the fighting had tired her too. While she was certain she could take them all out, the dark presence of the sorceress had grown closer again, following them from the castle.
"Let's go." She said, running to one end of the docks, thankfully empty of enemies.
Glancing over her shoulder, she conjured an iceboat, just large enough for the four of them. As they boarded, she concentrated, tapping deep into her connection with the spirits. She would need them soon.
Their improvised vessel abandoned the Coronian port, leaving behind its black waters and the burning city reflected on them.
-ooo-
He had always had a soft spot for his kingdom's countryside. Even after years being part of the royal family, he was still fond of the outdoors.
Years on the run had thought him everything he needed to know about jobs like this. Hidden routes on the mountains, large caves and secluded lakes he used to station his men in preparation for one of their many raids.
He looked to his men, gathered and hidden in the bushes that overlooked the dirt road ahead. They all had a simple, stylized eagle on their coats or painted over their armor plates. All over the countryside, peasants had begun to stitch it on their clothing as well, a symbol to make known their allegiance towards his little group of rebels: the Flynn Raiders.
Eugene munched on an apple, his mind wandering as they waited.
He thought of the parents he lost, even if they had been only his in-laws. How accepting they had been: his previous exploits, pardoned; his low upbringing, not cared for. King Frederick and his wife, Arianna, had embraced her daughter's dubious choice.
Now, he had gone back to his old ways. The difference was, this time it felt right. Before, he couldn't shake off the guilt for what he did, even if he never showed it. Now everything he did and endured, was for a noble cause. This time, he could make things straight for the kingdom, and the people, that had given him another chance.
It was funny, in a way. Everyone thought he had saved her, while in reality it had been the other way around. Deep down, he knew it: his luck would run out, sooner or later. The kingdom's peacekeepers had been closing in, and his growing reputation would've meant he would soon be recognized anywhere he went.
For a moment, she pictured Rapunzel's gentle eyes. A stroke of wild luck, or perhaps blind fate, had steered him towards her tower. He was grateful for that.
A soft whistle rang twice through the forest's edge. About time!
Soon, he heard the telltale noise of the carriages' wooden wheels. The first mounted guards appeared over the road's corner, followed by some of the brigands Falax had provided. In total, he counted about a dozen armed guards.
Piece of cake, Eugene thought, amused. For all they had to lose, the nobles were certainly cheap with their own protection.
This particular nobleman had slipped his efforts for months. They had tracked him down – the ringleader of the traitorous nobility – thanks to the information betrayed from one of his abused maids.
Once the whole caravan entered his field of view, he whistled loudly, three times.
Their enemies stood no chance. His raiders – over thirty fully armed men – jumped from every side of the road holding pikes and cheap swords, quickly surrounding the guards and mercenaries. The latter threw their weapons the instant they saw they were surrounded, and the former did as well, even though they were far more hesitant.
Eugene smiled. He liked it when there was no bloodshed: many of his raiders were young people, sons of farmers, bakers and blacksmiths recruited. Every time one of them fell to the nobility's guards, it meant one more grieving family he had met personally.
Through the main carriage's window, he saw a blur of movement. A lean man, clad in slick, fine clothes, bolted from the vehicle, trying to sprint towards the back of the caravan. One of his most loyal raiders – a monster of a man, more than eight feet tall – intercepted him, lifting his arm to hit the man squarely on the face. The noble crumbled, falling comically on his backside before crawling back, his eyes bulging out of their sockets. Some of his men laughed.
He flicked his wrist. One of his lieutenant stepped forward, double-tapping the man in the chin and belly. The noble howled in pain, falling into the dirt, retracting into a heap. Unsheathing his blade, he walked over him, trampling his leg with his heavy boot.
"Count Fallin." Eugene acknowledged casually, using the tip of his sword to lift his chin.
"Y-you…" he grumbled, looking up. His elegant features glared at him with unconcealed hatred.
"Yes, me." The King answered, smirking. "Did you think Falax's men would be able to catch me?" He laughed emptily. "Do I have to remind you what I used to do for a living?"
"I'm curious. What did he promise you in exchange for your loyalty?"
The man snorted through his fear. "H-he promised to rid us of you. An upstart, a cutthroat, made our king!"
"King Regent, Count, do not forget." Flynn replied.
The Count's mouth twisted in disgust. "Yes, how could we? You and the lost daughter… the one you brought back." His voice was full of poison.
From the confessions he got from the other nobles over the past months, their motivation had become quite clear. The Coronian crown. They had hoped that, after Rapunzel's disappearance, the royal family would have had to abdicate the throne eventually, with a council of their own taking over. But, unknowingly, he had thrown their ambitions out the window. Him being made King had just been salt over injury.
"I should execute you for treason," he declared, keeping his voice casual and relaxed. "But I'm a believer in second chances."
Count Fallin's face showed a glimpse of hope. Eugene cocked an eyebrow, pressing the tip of his blade just a little bit harder against the man's throat. His prisoner whined, but he did not dare to make any sudden moves.
"That being said, do not think I'll let you go that easily. First, you will do some things for me. Then you may go… stripped of all titles, of course." The noble's eyebrows sunk even more deeply.
Eugene signaled his men. One of his raiders grabbed the noble and lifted him roughly by the armpits.
"Let's go," he ordered. "It's a long way back to your State, Count."
And time's of the essence, he thought, worried.
-ooo-
Anna stood alone on the hidden dock. She had her mother's shawl around her shoulders. A symbol, the Northuldra had said, of their mother's inheritance. Behind her, she felt Gale's presence as it flew around.
The fjord was calm, its waters completely dark. The moon's cycle had ended, so the nights were darker and longer, too.
Winter is close, she thought. Most of the trees on the Capital had shed already, same with the ones on the castle's gardens. She knew it would be the longest she had ever experienced. Time was running out, for all of them. Once winter came, the northern waters would freeze, and what little resources they could gather from the forests would disappear.
Things would become even harder.
Gale whistled happily, circling her. The Queen squinted her eyes as a tiny speck of blue light appeared over the port's entrance. The tiny figure sped up through the fjord with its powerful, frantic trot. Like in the hellish night after the fall of Corona, the water spirit carried behind him a little boat through reins made of water.
Nokk arrived at the little dock outside the rock's crest, huffing wildly. The spirit looked at her. Smiling, she bowed her head a little, mirrored by the water horse as a sign of respect.
The boat's few occupants stepped out into the dock. Honeymaren and her brother, Ryder, bowed to her, both carrying colorful bags made of wool.
"It's been a while, your Majesty," said the young woman. Over her shoulder, a little lizard poked his head, the one her sister had named 'Bruni'.
What kind of name is that, anyway? Anna wondered, amused. Sometimes Elsa could be such a dork. Her expression fell as sorrow settled on her chest once again.
"You didn't bring the rock trolls too, right?" Anna joked, trying to lift her own soured mood.
"No, we did not, your Grace." Behind them, an elderly figure walked towards her, helped by a long, carefully ornamented cane. Yelana had barely changed since Anna last saw her. Her golden eyes settled on her.
"Your Majesty." She greeted with her deep, sagely voice.
"Thank you for coming." Anna said. "I don't know of anyone else who could help her."
The old woman nodded thoughtfully.
"I hope my preparations will help our Protector in her time of need." She declared.
"We do not forget what she did for us. What both of you did." Yelena said, gently touching Anna's arm. "Shall we?"
The young Queen agreed, guiding them towards the hidden entrance to the castle.
-ooo-
They arrived at the southern ports of Arendelle early in the morning. Nokk had met them halfway through, helping them travel across the waters.
She felt drained, numb. Her hands trembled on their own. It worried her. Never had she felt so weak after using her powers.
Anna had remained awake the whole time, with a determined look on her eyes as they crossed the calm seas. Her hairdo was ruined, with loose strands of bright, red hair waving wildly in the wind. Her cheeks and forehead were smeared with ashes, and her blue dress was dirty and ragged at the bottom, with one of its shoulder straps ripped, showing Anna's freckled skin.
Elsa gazed at her unabashedly.
She was hopeless. How happy it made her, to have fallen so deeply.
They disembarked in silence, everyone lost in their own thoughts. After taking Rapunzel's limp body from the boat, Elsa willed the vessel away. Seagulls squealed over their heads, signaling the rising morning.
"Can you reach your castle safely?" Eugene asked as he fixed his sword's sheath on his belt. "I assume you guys can arrange for one of those ships to take me back?" He pointed to some of the vessels anchored on the merchant docks.
Elsa's brows furrowed. Her sister did as well, looking incredulously at him.
"You want to go back?" Anna exclaimed, voicing her own concerns as well.
He shook his head, looking longingly at his wife before turning to face them.
"I have to go and help them. They're my people. Someone has to, and it is my duty. Believe me, I want to stay with her, but we must act fast."
"You can't go alone." Anna countered.
He smirked, dusting off the vest he just took off. "I'll be alright. I know how to avoid the authorities after all."
"I'll send word as soon as I can. Take care of her, please."
Anna's face betrayed her conflicting feelings. Eventually, she nodded her reluctant agreement, her whole posture regaining some of its more regal pose. Eugene turned to face her.
"Elsa, you have to go back, too. I fear this has only begun."
Of course… Elsa thought.
King Falax's words rang on her mind. 'Elsa of Arendelle, the all-powerful ice witch'. They had wanted to kill them all, not only take Corona.
They wanted Arendelle too.
-ooo-
-ooo-
-ooo-
A.N.: Just a quick question. Are you guys enjoying the other POV's? From now on, we will see more of Onix and of Flynn, with some side characters thrown in every now and then. Lord Grenn's POV was a one off thing. Almost all of the players are in now, and things are gonna move fast!
Here is to hoping that I can manage to keep their stories as interesting as the main one. We've finally reached the Coronian coup, one of the parts I was most looking forward to write. Thanks to all who have reviewed, followed, favorited and read so far.
Beta reader's position is still open, so if anyone's interested, hit me up with a PM.
Until next time, cheers!