Chapter Twenty-Two: Inner Turmoil

"I know what you truly are." Mathias kept on replaying in his head as he laid there on the bed unable to sleep because he didn't know if he was trying to intimidate him or just playing dumb. The intimidation worked and he feared he would come back and use that knowledge to blackmail him. One thing he said made him sick to his stomach was when he said what would Elsa think of him when she found out the truth about him. He growled in frustration as he sat up knowing he wouldn't get any sleep tonight. The party ended only a few hours ago and these thoughts didn't bother him till now.

"I wonder how Elsa is faring at the moment." He thought as he sat there thinking about what that noble men tried to do to her and what would've happened if he didn't arrive in time. The thought angered him as he remembered Joseph having her pinned against the balcony railing forcing himself on to her. He made a crackling intake of breath as he got off the bed and left his room.

Elsa didn't know what she was looking at as she walked down the mostly destroyed path. Some objects unfamiliar to her as she walked past them. They were either crushed or burned just as the buildings around her. She saw a group people run past her toward the direction she was heading and she hurried to catch up.

"H-Hey!" She called out as she maneuvered around another crushed destroyed object. She finally caught up with them as they slowed down to a stop.

"Get down!" One of them ordered and the hid behind the debri and she was confused till she heard something ahead of her. She heard some of the men whispering something but she ignored it as she was about to look over the debri when she heard something fall and shatter behind her. She spotted something rising as if it was turning, to her it looked more like a tail and indeed it was as she saw a shadowed being behind it as it turned fully in time as the lighting struck behind it showing it's massive size. It took a step forward shaking the ground beneath her feet as the creature came to view. She could see the massive claws on each hand and the teeth sticking out of the sides of it's mouth. But what shocked her the most was it's eyes they were so full of anger as she remembered see it before as the creature reared his head back. She was afraid it would attack but instead let out a deafening roar that finally struck a chord in her memory.

"M-Mathias!" She said to herself in disbelief but she heard another roar echo behind her. Within the fire rose a creature that looked more like a bug than anything except it had red eyes as it stared at it's opponent before charging, one of it's legs hitting one of the closest building causing some debris to fall down toward her. She woke up with a shout, her body shaking with adrenaline as she tried to calm herself down. She nearly jumped off when she heard a knock on her door and calmed a bit when she heard Mathias behind it.

"Come in." She said as she got herself situated in time as the door opened and Mathias walked in with a look of worry on his face as he strolled up to her bed.

"I was walking down hall when i heard you yelling." He said as he looked around the room before sitting on the bed next to her. They were quiet for a few moments before Mathias cupped her cheek and looked into her blue eyes.

"Are you alright?" He asked her worriedly and she gave him a false smile trying to reassure him that she's fine. He looked her over as for a few moments in silence before he slightly glared at her.

"You're lying again." He said annoyed and Elsa went to protest but a finger on her lips stopped her from doing so. His glare slowly turning into a reassuring smile as moved himself in front of her. Elsa's body tensed when Mathias made a crackle in take of air as it sounded just like the monster in her dream. She gave a frustrated sigh knowing this would eat her alive and yet she knew deep down it would help just like all those months ago when she had a nightmare similar to this one. With the dream still fresh in her memory she looked to the man who had the same characteristics as the monster in her dream.

"I still remember you telling me how you got those scars and before i say more i want to know what the area and that woman you fought looked like, give me details." She said and Mathias's body tensed as she said those words to him. She waited patiently for him as he thought of how to tell her in ways only she'll understand.

"Huh, this is going to be a long night." He thought as he started to explain a different version of the parasite, much to his distaste and everything else that happened that night.

Somewhere on the North Mountain three figures stood watching Arendelle from afar. Each one was wearing a hood to hide their faces. A fourth figure appeared from the forest and knelt down before the one in the middle.

"I did as instructed sir." He said and a chuckle could be heard among the group. They all looked at the one in the middle as he walked away toward the cliff overlooking the kingdom.

"It won't be long till their "relationship" falls apart leaving poor Elsa vulnerable. She wouldn't even know what she had in her possession till it's too late. Now all we have to do is just speed up the process. Adam! This i leave to you, but till then wait for my command." He said and the man on his left bowed a little.

"Yes sir, Prince Hans." The man said as he removed his hood to reveal the ex-councilor Adam Juggerson as he let out a sadistic smile toward the castle below.

"Just you wait Mathias, i'll make you suffer for everything you did to me!" He thought as he walked away into the darkness of the forest.

The sun began to raise over Arendelle and the duo was still awake in Elsa's room still talking to eachother. Mathias was confused but yet shocked when Elsa began telling him about the dream she had and wondered why she was seeing things that happened to him as his true self. He noticed how afraid she was when she mentioned him and how terrifying he was to her and this hurt him knowing she'll find out one day but not know.

"Mathias i'm curious when it roared it sounded just like you, please tell me what you're truly hiding from me." She pleaded as she set a cool hand on his arm which caused him to slightly flinch. Mathias then remembered what Elsa said when he first started to stay here and knew he wasn't the only one with secrets.

"Why do you want to know so badly, last time i checked you aren't exactly clean either. What about the great freeze you mentioned a while back." He snapped which caused Elsa to slightly gasp in shock.

"Did you really think i would forget something like that, especially if it caught my interest. So why don't you tell me about this event because i've heard it a few time in public already and i want to hear it from you." He said as he crossed his arms and waited patiently for her to speak. He noticed how nervous she was as frost started to form around her fingertips.

"It was fourteen years ago, i was only a little girl having some harmless fun with my sister in the ballroom. We made snowmen, skated around like there was nothing wrong in the world." She said and Mathias looked surprised as he remembered he had a dream similar to what she was saying.

"You were letting your sister jump on the pillars but she was moving too quick for you and when she jumped you tried to help her but you slipped and your ice hit her in the head." Mathias said surprising Elsa as she stared at him wide eyed. Mathias knew he might as well explain his dream to her before she continued.

"I-I've seen it in a dream of mine a while back and it still confuses me of why i had such a dream when it didn't even concern me till i saw the scared look on your face." He said with a low grumble in his throat as he looked at her with hurt in his eyes.

"You may continue." He said gesturing to her story and she readied herself before speaking.

"Since you are aware of that painful incident what happened next was when my parents took us to the valley of living rocks. There she was erased of her memory of me having this power and us being isolated for thirteen years. During that time my parents died in a storm out at sea and that's why i've become queen. Now how it all started was ad the party of my coronation when i finally see my little sister in thirteen years and she shows up with a man as you are well aware as Prince Hans of the Southern Isles." She said but was interrupted by Mathias low growl at the mention of his name.

"That son of a bitch." He hissed to himself and Elsa decided to continue.

"Anyway Anna wanted to marry the man and i could allow that since she just meet him and so i told her she could marry a man she just met and Anna got furious and we argued till she took one of my gloves it was my only sense of control back then and i got frustrated and as i wiped my hand ice formed between me and Anna and the rest of the party. Fearing for her and my self i tried to run in the end Westleton's men only made things worse so i fled up the North mountain as i thought it would be better to isolate myself and where my powers couldn't hurt anyone. The next day Anna finally found me up the mountain, she wanted me to come back and yet i refused her." She said and paused herself remembering what she did to her baby sister.

My guess is that things went down up there. But how the hell was the ex-prince involved in any of it?" He asked and Elsa knew she had to get right to it.

"Well after i forced Anna and Kristoff out Hans and a few men came up for Anna except the two henchmen of Westleton. My other creation Marshmallow fought of most of his men leaving the remaining two to go after me. They didn't even hesitate in trying to kill me so i went on the offensive disarming the two, having one pinned to the wall and the other nearly pushed to his death. In the end i ended up back in the castle except in the dungeons. Hans asked me to stop the winter i caused but i tried to explain it to him that i couldn't. When he left i knew something was off so i escaped and because of my stress i caused a blizzard on the fjord making it hard for me and everyone else to see." She said with sadness in her voice and Mathias rested his hand on her exposed knee encouraging her to continue. She gave him a small smile as she rested her hand on his.

"H-Hans followed me in the blizzard and when he found me, he told my sister died because of me. M-My world shattered and my nightmare of hurting Anna became true. After the blizzard stopped i remained there crying as i thought i murdered her, i even heard the sword being unsheathed. Anna sacrificed herself for me and the love i have for her stopped the winter." She finished and noticed that Mathias was trying not to chuckle.

"Whats so funny?" She asked him with a slight glare. Mathias gave her a smirk and crossed his arms.

"So you're telling me that the love for your sister stopped the winter in Arendelle." He said as he started laughing a bit. Elsa stared at him in disbelief but it turned into an icy glare.

"If something like that could ever happen me then all the damages and the deaths of the innocent would've never happened." He continued as he got off the bed and looked at her. He walked over to the door but stopped as he looked back at her with a small smile.

"You are really something you know that. You even managed to use your abilities for a good cause so don't let others pester you about it your methods of control because their methods, hell even my methods for controlling such power wouldn't even come close to what you've achieved so far. He said and Elsa's glare softened and what she heard next surprised her even though she wasn't supposed to hear it startled her.

"You're the first human to ever look at me and not think i'm a monster." He said quietly as he left her to wonder on what he meant by that.

Mathias strolled down the halls as his face was twisted in anguish.

"W-Why didn't i just tell her the truth." He said to himself in anger upset he had to lie to her for both their sakes.

"She is the only one that might understand me, the "real" me and i keep on wasting time here when i was suppose to find the people responsible for this." He thought but stopped his line of thoughts along with his walking.

"D-Do i really want to leave or is it the fact that i'm afraid of what a single human would think of me if she found out about the things i've truly done. I-I love her. She is one of the few that treat me like i'm not a monster that continually destroy things. She is the only woman who tamed me, the only one who could stop my rage when i'm out of control. As long as i've been around she's the only person to me is worth protecting. I the king of all monsters can finally be at peace with the ones i care for. Now all i have to do now is wait for the right time and i'll tell her the truth- the "real truth" about me. But first there something i need to do before any of that happens." He declared as he began walking again except this time out of the castle gates.

There wasn't much movement in the town like it should but Mathias knew it was too early in the morning for them as he looked up ahead to the forest across the fjord. He let a low growl as he began walking fully aware that someone was following him from a far distance.

"I know where you are Hans, i caught your sent on Joesph last night so now the hunt begins and only one of us is going to walk away from this!" He thought as he kept on walking as he only knew where his target was, his eyes full of determination as he knew of what's to come.