July 22nd, 1840
Arendelle Dock Districts
It was well after midnight as the sailors stumbled out of the tavern, to head back to their ship. On liberty, they would have normally had simply rented a room to sleep off their intoxication. Due to the overcrowding of soldiers however, the men were forced to make their way back to the ship.
The streets had long been emptied by this hour, other than the handful of people who made the nightlife of Arendelle their livelihood. Now Arendelle was by far an upstanding town, but every town has a bad part. For the capital the dock area was that area. Looser enforcing of the laws was routine, as the Mayor and past Monarchs long ago figured that it was better to let the sailors have their fun. Otherwise they might go start trouble in decent parts of towns.
As it was, the taverns and gambling dens stayed open all night, as did both the street walkers and the brothels. For these particular sailors, sleep was a greater desire than any of the flesh and they made their way towards the ship. They would have stayed out of trouble too if it wasn't for a very unusual circumstance.
"Hi, my name is Olaf and I like warm hugs!"
The four sailors stopped abruptly, still swaying as they eyed the animated snowman before them. Their glazed red eyes wide open with shock, the sailors began to chuckle. Pointing at the snowlem, they began to comment and laugh.
"Hey, it's the fucking snowman the Queen Made!"
"Heh, I like warm hugs too Olaf! Just not when I'm wearing clothes!"
"Hey, it has some sort of cloud above it!"
"I heard that it keeps him cool!"
Without fail, the sailors stuck their hands into Olaf's flurry, and were amazed by the frosty temperature inside.
"We should have found you earlier, Olaf! We could have used you to chill drinks!"
More laughter. Olaf himself found himself chuckling, though he didn't know why. It wasn't purely from joy, as the felt a certain degree of nervousness. He was simple and naïve, but even he could feel vibes.
"Hey Kamerater, I got an idea…"
…
Elsa wasted no time making her way to see Anna upon waking at six in the morning, stopping only to dress and conduct morning hygiene practices. Her dressing had shifted as well, Elsa deciding that while this was hardly the time for regal clothing fit for a queen, wearing an ice dress that radiated cold was not best for Anna.
Elsa thusly decided to don a casual dress, something she had not done for a long time. A simple cotton skirt and blouse with a woolen jacket, these clothes were more in line for picnicking than ruling. But for visiting Anna, they would do.
Elsa made her way through the hallways of her castle home easy enough, thankfully without some messenger sidetracking her from her path. While they woke the Queen only for emergencies during the night, once she was up and about she was fair game. Making it to the infirmary, Elsa was surprised to find her sister awake and as always, making a fuss.
"Your highness, you really need some rest. Please stay in bed!"
"Oh relax, I only passed out!" Anna began, any trauma from yesterday's revelation seemingly absent. "Besides, I slept for like-"She paused, peering at the clock to determine what time it was. "Holy cats I was out for nearly a day! And I got up before breakfast!"
"With any hope you'll be on a normal schedule now." Elsa wryly commented, causing Anna's face to light up.
"Elsa, thank goodness you're here, now can you tell them that I'm fine?"
While Elsa did want to please her sister, she was also concerned for her sister's safety. "Nurse, is there anything wrong with her?"
"To be honest your Majesty, she's fine as I'm able to tell, but I was concerned about the stress streak."
Elsa's eyes grew wide in panic, her heart skipping a beat as she blurted out. "A stress streak! Where?"
"Left temple your majesty, less than half an inch wide."
Elsa looked over to Anna, the streak hidden but Anna looking far guiltier than she should be. Elsa's concerned look shifted to a scold, before she berated her sister.
"Anna."
Anna sighed, before parting healthy hair to reveal the same color of white streak that she carried for years after the accident. The scold became angrier, and Elsa began to sharply rebuke her sister.
"Anna! How could you try to hide something like this?"
"Because I'd knew how you would react!" Anna started defiantly. "Look, I was going to tell you, I swear! But not until tonight."
"Why?!"
"Because, Kristoff doesn't come back from the mountain 'till tonight. And he's the only one I know who knows where the… experts on my condition are."
Elsa paused for thought, actually impressed on Anna's forethought. She had been told all about the trolls after the Great Thaw, but still did not know how to reach them. And she understood that no modern science could stop or even really slow its progress. But Elsa was not happy with Anna's reckless attitude.
"Anna, that is still incredibly reckless of you! What if something happens to you? What if your condition gets worse?"
"Elsa, you can't worry all the time! You can't control everything!"
The argument was far from over, but a scene far more distracting tore them from their current row. A harsh Scottish accent rang out from the hallway, full of spite and anger.
"Oi! What the fuck do you ye' think yer' doing!"
"I'm walking?"
It was Olaf, completely clueless to the fact that a less than understanding man might take his words for sarcasm. And as the other party was William the Royal Custodian, who was very much a less than understanding man. A soldier during Napoleon's wars, he was in an argument that left an English officer dead, William found himself a fugitive from the British Army. Before long he fell onto Prussian service, where he met and befriended their father. William never looked back.
"Don't give me lip ye' bastard! Ye know full well what ye' be doing!"
Deciding that perhaps it'd be best to intervene on Olaf's behalf, Elsa strolled out into the hallway calmly, before clearing her voice forcibly. The mad Scotsman spun to face his boss and Queen, immediately straightening his posture and adopting a more respectful tone.
"My apologies yer' Majesty, I dinnae see ye' there. But yer' snowman is dragging filth into the hallway."
"I understand William, but Olaf is my creation and I don't appreciate you yelling at him. Besides, it's only mud. I don't see what the issue is."
Before William could respond, the smell hit Elsa hard. While far from sickening, it certainly got her attention, her calm regal expression twisting to one of disbelief and surprise. She looked towards Olaf, trying to confirm what her nose already told her was true.
Olaf was yellow, and it wasn't the yellow tint of the Castle lanterns that made it so…
…
Arendelle Naval Yard
Hundreds of sailors stood in the now bright morning light, many bleary eyed from a night of shore leave. They had been woken and formed up mere minutes before, the reason why not explained. But most of the sailors knew enough to know what was coming. Before long the senior officer present arrived and put things into motion. Rear Admiral Aeksen had recently assumed command after the resignation of the previous Admiral of the Fleet and the death of Admiral Westergard. Flustered with the increased responsibilities and hardly an understanding man, the Danish-born man was hardly one to take trouble quietly. And so he got straight to the point after taking the platform.
"Good morning, Gentlemen. I'll cut straight to the point. Who the fuck pissed on the Queen's snowman!?"
Sailors across the formation groaned, angry at whoever had just drew the ire of the brass. Others suppressed laughter and giggles, despite knowing where this was going. But nobody was about to sell out their comrades, come what may.
Aeksen knew this as well, deciding to not waste time. Honestly, he'd rather they didn't snitch. The Queen was angry, but she wasn't really looking for heads to roll. However, the Admiral decided that some sort of punishment was needed to discourage this behavior in the future.
"Fine! Since nobody wants to come forward, that makes this simple! Shore-leave is canceled for both enlisted men and officers! You fucking apes want to play fucking games? I'll play some fucking games! I'll drill you into the ground! Back to your ships!"
The sailors shuffled off both victorious and defeated at once. While they would suffer the wrath of the admiral, no one had broken either. They'd take their punishment and just make it up the next time they got shore leave again. Most of the older veterans had played this game before. They knew how win.
…
The Queen's Highway, 25 miles north of Arendelle
Inspector Falksen shook his head as he surveyed the carnage of crime scene, completely baffled as what the hell caused it. To call it a crime scene was an understatement of a high degree, no this, this was a massacre.
Across the Queen's highway remained the corpses of at least six men, maybe more. Getting an exact number was difficult due to the dismembered state some were in and the remarkable distance some were found from the main site. All were mutilated by what appeared to be either claw or blade marks, with some through blunt force trauma. The bloody scene was made worse by the light rain that fell in the morning, spreading the already massive amount of blood and creating bloody puddles in the road. At least it disturbed the insects and kept the flies away for the time being.
Falksen decided to wrap it all up, rallying his experts before going over the evidence one final time.
"Okay, gentlemen. What are we dealing with?"
"Okay." It was Jorgensen, his expert of the 'rogue's gallery'. Jorgensen was extremely knowledgeable of the underworld, having a solid memory and records of Arendelle's criminal population. "It wasn't easy, but I identified two of the dead. Both are known highwaymen. Based on the weapons, equipment and their initial position, I'd say that this was a stick up gone wrong."
"It can't be." It was Svensen, liason with the Customs office. "No major caravans or armed parties went up and down this road last night. According to the innkeepers, during the night only lone travelers went up and down the road. And there is no way one man did this."
"I concur." The Police's Surgeon concurred. "These wounds, are incompatible with human strength. One of the victims was tossed through a goddamn tree. And some of these blows crushed bones. I do not know where the blade like marks came from, but I'd bet claw rather than sword did this. Alrik, what do you think?"
Alrik was a seasoned mountain man hired by the police due to his extensive experience with Arendelle's wildlife. Also a seasoned tracker, he could track most game very well. So what came next was just as frustrating. "No damn animal I know did this shit. The creature has strength greater than a bear, yet has small claws, almost like that of a man's. Yet I haven't seen such savage blows from anything but a badger. As for the marks, some have to be sword blows. No creature has claws like that."
"So what, it's some kind of man-bear-badger?"
"Very Funny." Alrik paused, producing a pipe before lighting it. "In all seriousness, we could be dealing with a werewolf."
Inspector Falksen rolled his eyes. "Are you a child?"
"Sir, the Queen has total mastery over Ice and Snow, up to creating life. Do you really think that a werewolf or some other creature is that far-fetched?"
Falksen sighed, his logic defeated but still not believing what he was going to say. "Your right. Whatever did this is long gone, and honestly we have no idea what did it. Send messengers out, letting them know that there's… something out there that can do this. Something supernatural."
…
The two sisters ate lunch in silence, both worn out from argument and duty. Elsa was exhausted after dealing with the Navy as well as the extensive amount of magic used to clean Olaf to a pristine state. Not only that, but the running argument with Anna was hardly rest. Why couldn't Anna just understand that she only wanted what was best for her? And yet Anna hid a potentially life ending injury from her like a child hides a broken vase. Elsa still doubted that Anna fully grasped the dangers of her powers, which boggled her mind as Anna had already nearly died last time.
For her part, normally talkative Anna was also silent and sullen. Having spent most of the day in bed arguing for her case to be released, when she finally was granted leave it seemed like a hollow victory. The reason why was simple. Elsa had not truly taken her words to heart, instead relenting due to irritation rather than a change of heart. Every five minutes, Elsa would check the "stress shock", failing utterly in subtlety. Anna hardly had a death wish, but she also saw no reason it fretting over what couldn't be helped. It was this attitude that enabled Anna to survive the many years of solitude. Even so, in the deepest part of her conscious, a deep chill took her. If Elsa's fears were realized…
What both sisters pondered the most was the reoccurrence of the white streak of hair. Wasn't an act of true love supposed to cure Anna? If it did, why did it come back? It was a question they could not answer, not now. And even if quiet contemplation could solve the question, they would not have too much more of that.
A muffled conversation outside shook them from their thoughts, before something snapped and furious shouting erupted. Knowing a Guardsman's zealous nature could be the cause, Elsa rose and headed to the door. Being a recently installed light door it made little noise as she opened it, revealing the commotion. A Guardsman and a young noblewoman were in a yelling match, made pointless by the fact that the two were yelling in two different languages.
The Guard was speaking Norwegian, his birth language reasserting itself due to anger. While Elsa could speak the language, the man's yelling and quick talking pace made it barely possible to make out bits and pieces of the contents. As for the noblewoman, Elsa recognized the language as being Slavic in nature. However, Elsa's knowledge of the Russian language was not advanced enough for her to know which Slavic language she was speaking. Never the less, she had to intervene.
Speaking to the noblewoman, she spoke plainly and forcibly. "Excuse me, miss."
The two turned and recognized the Queen with two different reactions. The noblewoman raised an angry eyebrow, before crossing her arms and stamping her foot while muttering what was likely a curse in Polish. The Guardsman on the other hand, popped to attention, giving a slight bow and an apology. "Forgive me for disturbing you, your Majesty. She was insisting that she see you right away. When I ordered her to return to her room she became angry."
"Very well, Guardsman. I'll take it from here." As he departed, Elsa just realized that she dismissed the Guardsman without really being in control the situation. A little too proud to ask Anna for her help, Elsa decided to take a leap of faith.
Let's just hope she knows Russian…
"Uh, vy govorite po-russki?"
The unknown noble-woman cocked an eyebrow as her face twisted in offended disbelief. Before she could respond, Anna swooped in with a verbal barrage of something in Slavic, apologies and explanations judging from the tone. Upon seeing the other woman loosen up, Anna asked a few questions. The woman responded with a few phrases Elsa did not understand, but one she did.
To the final question, she responded with a single word. Elsa didn't understand the question, but she understood the answer. It was a name, her name.
Rapunzel.
…
Elsa and Anna sat as Rapunzel sipped from a cup of hot tea that was brought in at Anna's request as a peace offering. As Rapunzel inhaled the fine aroma of the tea, Anna leaned over to Elsa and whispered quietly.
"In the future Elsa, if you don't know the language, don't guess. The Polish are not… fond of the Russians and certainly do not enjoy being mistaken for one."
Elsa turned red, kicking herself over an easily avoidable mistake. She thought that an honest mistake might have been forgiven, but in diplomacy they are often not. What bothered her even more was the fact that she failed to recognize her own cousin of all people. Anna didn't either, but it still made her feel like a fool.
It did help her pride that Rapunzel didn't look anything like the portrait sent to her after her rediscovery. Upon inspection the painting and the model shared the same facial structure, but in terms of actual appearance and bearing, they were very different. The painting depicted a young quiet woman with beautifully groomed hair, a crown and a formal dress worthy of the finest families of Europe. Her eyes conveyed an image of thoughtfulness, as well as a hint of quiet joy and belonging. Elsa received that painting days after her parents left for the last time, and she thanked God that it came when it did. Hearing the story of Rapunzel and seeing that painting and it's suggestions that a girl like her, a prisoner of isolation could one day become free, gave Elsa the hope she needed to survive during her darkest hours. After all, that's what Elsa saw when she saw that painting. Herself, only free.
The real Princess before her was entirely different. Her bearing was more similar to Anna's except more rough and tumble. She was bursting with energy, and moved, spoke and gestured like a peasant which made sense as Elsa thought about. After all, unlike herself or Anna she was raised by a commoner. A commoner who was a several hundred year old hag, but still a commoner. It wasn't until she was into adulthood that she even discovered she was royalty. And that was three years ago. Elsa was amazed that Rapunzel could even function in high society, let alone not make a constant fool of herself.
Rapunzel sipped her tea, before calmly setting her cup down and beginning to speak to the sisters in a calm, slow-paced German. It wasn't perfect, but for only three years of study it was damn good.
"I am sorry that I caused a scene with your guard. When I get angry I slip back into Polish."
Elsa nodded, before responding. "It is no trouble. My Guards have been on edge ever since the incident last week. I also must apologize for guessing that you may have spoken Russian."
"I should have been more understanding as well. I forget sometimes that Polish is not spoken in any court in Europe. Even my parents speak German, thanks to the Prussians. I must ask however, why has it taken so long for us to finally meet?"
"I do apologize, but I have been incredibly… busy."
"Busy?"
Anna jumped in, cutting Elsa off. She knew Elsa was about to take the blame for the matter and Anna was not about to let that happen. "Well, there was the attempted murder and coup by Prince Hans. Then she found out that her own government is trying to overthrow her through legal action while the Army needs to be reined in like wild dogs before they start shooting people on the street. Half of our allies have disowned us and the over half are trying to marry us. On top of all of this it turns out your dead Uncle Agdar may have been a war criminal. So yes, we've been busy."
This time is was Rapunzel who blushed and looked away for a moment. "I see. I remember how mother and father worked constantly after I returned, only for tragedy to still strike. I only hope I am blessed enough to never resolve crisis as they did. "
Anna responded with a question that Elsa already knew. "The War of the Coronan Succession?"
"Yes. I still feel guilty about it at times. So many soldiers dead over such a stupid reason. Sometimes I wonder if was better off staying in that tower."
"No!" Elsa shouted, startling both Anna and Rapunzel. As both pairs of eyes fell on her, Elsa felt a little embarrassed, before shaking it off and explaining herself. "Rapunzel, don't ever think that it would have been better in the tower. Trust me, it's not. I know how appealing that tower must be at times. But sealing yourself away from the world is not living. It's just waiting to die."
Anna also weighed in with her own angle. "Rapunzel, because you left that tower, you found Eugene and you found your parents. You can do something now that neither I nor Elsa can EVER do again. I would do anything if it brought my parents back, no matter what Papa may have done."
Rapunzel sat speechless for a moment, before smiling. "Thank both of you. Sometimes it's nice to hear someone other than my parents or Eugene say that. I may not have had you two when it was rough for me, but if I can be here for you in your time of need, I will."
It was at that moment that Elsa noticed something odd. For a brief moment after she had thanked them, Rapunzel continued to look at them, while still smiling. It was only now, that Elsa could see the girl from the painting.
…
Ásta washed herself, making an effort to stay clean after the… mess she was in the night prior. She long since recognized the need to do this, but had not found a secluded point until she reached the Fjord. Even then she waited until nightfall to carry out bathing herself. Thanks to her abilities, she could see even in near darkness, and thus required no major light source to see what she was doing.
Upon finishing, the corpse emerged naked from the water, her withered blue flesh dripping with now unnatural water. As Ásta dried herself she felt a difference, stopping and risking exposure to light a lantern before looking into a mirror she had received from the mad Major. There was a new appearance to her face, to her joy.
Now Ásta had never been vain, but most people didn't want to look like mummified corpses either. As before, her blue eyes were still the only living thing about her face. But the rest was coming back now. She no longer was always bearing teeth as her mouth tissue and lips had returned slightly, and her skin was no longer was stretched tightly from her jawline to her cheek bones. Thinking about it, Ásta's hair was no longer falling out with a mere scratch of her head either. Hell, she just washed it and it was all there still. Still, she couldn't shake the odd feeling that she was staring into a strangers face as she looked.
Nevertheless, she stopped to think about the source of the rejuvenation, before settling on the most sensible theory- her eating habits. Every night since her awakening she had consumed a creature no smaller than a goat, the last night an entire horse, just as she intended to slay and consume one of the bandits' horses tonight as well, as soon as she finished business.
She quickly dressed, before orientating herself on the map. Tapping into her spiritual sense, it was too easy to sense and locate the Snow Queen. The young sorceress had so much power, and yet made no attempt to hide it. This made locating her as easy as finding a lit match in a dark room for the corpse. Knowing exactly where this Elsa was, Ásta tore off into the night.
…
The three cousins stood outside, each engaged in their own way. Rapunzel was busy attempting to light a floating lantern, as Anna stood on, quietly studying the contraption. Elsa for her part took a moment to breathe in the warm summer air and look at the stars. Even though the Industrial Revolution had come to her country before she was born, her father's determination to keep Arendelle itself free of big business meant that the capital's skies were still largely clear. Elsa easily spotted a large number of constellations, as star gazing was yet one of the many hobbies that kept Elsa sane after many years stuck in the castle.
"Ready!" Rapunzel chirped, pleased that the floating lantern was finally ready. She had certainly displayed her frustration early with a number of Polish curses, yet had become happy once more now that the device was ready.
The floating lantern was just one of a number of activities done today by the trio, in which the two parties learned quite a good deal about each other. On their end, Elsa and Anna found that Rapunzel was an odd mix of the two sisters. She could go from Anna's stunts and bike races to quoting passages of literature in a blink of an eye, assuming the literature was German or Polish. In short, both sisters loved spending time with her, and vice versa. Now it was late at night, and Rapunzel had come up with an idea in light of her own experience.
They would light a floating lantern, in the hope that their parents' spirits would make their way home, and as a remembrance. It was a nice idea, and both Elsa and Anna agreed to participate.
Now lit, the three grasped the lantern each making a prayer to the spirits of Agdar and Idun. Rapunzel, having never known them simply wished them peace in heaven. Anna wished desperately for them to return and reunite the family. After all, she considered her reunion with Elsa just short of a miracle. Why couldn't she have her parents back too?
Elsa was more cynical, only praying for their peace and guidance. She especially begged revelations from her father.
Papa, please. I need help and answers. Did you do what they say you did? And if you did, why? I feel lost without you two, I wish you could light the way for me, like you both always did…
Their prayers complete, the three released the lantern on cue and watched as it gently drifted up into the night sky. The stood in silence for well over a minute, before Anna shifted to another subject.
"Who's thirsty? 'cause Rapunzel, there's a wine you just have to try."
…
Elsa and Rapunzel had been waiting patiently ever since Anna ran off to try to find some of her favorite wine. To break up awkward silence, Rapunzel had brought up a topic that had been bothering her for quite some time.
"Elsa, you were born in December, correct?"
"December 21st, the winter Solstice, actually. Why do you ask?"
"Well if you were born in December why did you get crowned in July? I thought it was your 21st birthday you came of age."
"Well, for a number of reasons. You see, according to our laws, it is actually the 21st anniversary of one's christening that one actually come of age. And took me that long to get christened for a number of reasons. Firstly, being born in winter made it difficult to spread word that I was born to begin with. As such, it wasn't until the spring until ships even set sail with the news. And being the Crown Princess, I was a major deal. So everyone had to come. With such slow travel time, it wasn't until July that everyone that was considered vital could make it. Plus, considerations had to be made for my then newly emerging Ice Magic. All in all it was a mess. Hence July 14th."
"I see. One other thing Elsa?"
"Yes?"
"Who is that on the walls?"
Elsa turned and looked up, seeing the figure Rapunzel was talking about. Dressed in dull colors head to toe, the figure took a moment to make out in the darkness. It was a woman, wearing well-made riding clothes, including breaches oddly enough. Even more odd was the cloak and hood, concealing her face. Elsa knew better than to panic. Anna had disappeared about twenty minutes earlier, and pranks like this where her M.O.
"Come on, Anna. You're not fooling anyone!"
The figure noticed it was spotted, and preceded to simply step of on their side of the wall, dropping over twenty feet onto cobblestone. She landed perfectly in a kneeling position, before effortless standing back up without a sound. Elsa was now less sure that this was Anna now.
"Anna?" Her voice was concerned, as she began to feel fear grip her heart.
At that moment, Anna reentered the courtyard carrying a bottle of wine. "Sorry Elsa, the servants had already went to sleep and who is that?"
"We thought it was you." Rapunzel responded, her accent becoming harsher as fear impeded her own speech.
"Well, that's not me. Elsa can you do something?!"
As Elsa raised her hands in a defensive position, the mystery woman began to step forward while chuckling. As she did so the Castle alarm was raised, as sentries began to dash down the walls with rifles. If this concerned the hooded woman, she did not show it. Elsa held her ground as Anna and Rapunzel fell in behind her, confident in her magic.
"Stay back!" Elsa shouted. "I don't want to hurt you, but if you come closer I will!"
The chuckling became laughter. In between bouts of laughter, the figure responded. "Put those away before you hurt yourself, child." Finally, the woman came into full view, revealing her face. Or to be exact, the mask covering her face. It was solid steel, and shaped into that of a woman's face, with only a slit for breathing and two holes for seeing out of. Her eyes where revealed as well, glowing with the same eerie glow Anna had seen moments before Elsa had lost her temper during the council meeting.
Closing within feet, Elsa felt she had no choice. She willed ice into being, encasing the masked woman with ice. Before she could even sigh in relief, the would-be prisoner jerked, cracking the ice before pushing through it. As the ice shattered, the woman again begun to speak.
"Come on, did you really think entrapping me was going to work? Try to actually hurt me. Like those two thugs at the ice palace…"
"How did you…" Elsa gasped, before refocusing. She didn't want to, but the figure was nearly within sword striking range. At this moment a stench hit them, a cross between an excessive amount of perfume and just a slightest hint of the sickly sweet smell of death. More nauseating to them was the feel radiating from the woman, as if there was something terribly wrong about her. She approached ever closer still, and her hand was starting to creep towards the sword. She had to stop her. As such she waved her hand in anger, and watched as jagged spikes spread out in a semi-circle. Two of the spikes impaled the figure, who abruptly stopped.
Elsa paused, lowering her arms in relief. Before she could relax, an unnatural chuckle rose from the intruder, before she smashed the spikes and continued forward laughing as she began to speak.
"Do you know what I am? Do you think mere pitiful spikes can end me? Foolish girl, you can't stop me. Now, accept your place and kneel before me."
At that moment rifle shots rang out, slapping into the stone around her as the masked woman stood unflinching before the fire. Some more ran into the courtyard, sabers and rifles ready. A zealous Corporal shouted out what seemed to be common sense, but in doing so he saved the Queen.
"Protect the Royal Family!"
The woman paused, computing that the Ice Queen and the red haired girl before her were sisters. And then it struck like a ton of bricks. Elsa stood in confusion as the figure that had shrugged off impaling and rifle fire suddenly clasped her head, shrieking. Like a person on fire, she bolted for the nearest wall, plowing through a Guardsman before bolting up the wall. Her fists clawed into the solid stone, each time throwing her up further, before reaching the top. Still clutching her head in agony, she tumbled over the side. Guardsmen rushed to the location, peering over the side with lanterns only to find nothing.
With the threat still out there, the Royal Guard secured the perimeter as Captain Edvard arrived. Still partially undressed, he reported to the Queen.
"Your Majesty, what happened?"
"I don't know, Captain. I don't know."
…
Ásta stumbled into her lake-side hideout, finally free to let it all in. As such she collapsed clutching her head as tears streamed down her withered cheeks as memories flooded back into her head. She moaned and sobbed as a lifetimes worth of memories where experienced at once, and unfortunately for her, she did not live a very happy life. As such she was powerless as she re-experienced it all over again.
Dead childhood friends. Love followed by heartbreak. Plague, war and famine. Atrocities, both Pagan and Christian. Betrayal from those she loved and trusted. Watching people she once thought the world of fall so very far…
All this pain she had to endure all over again, as what made her truly Ásta was once again made whole. It lasted nearly an hour by the time it finally stopped, letting her finally rise from collapse. She still shook as if sick from spoiled food, with her bones themselves feeling feverish and aching as she rose to a crawl. She was still too weak to stand, and as a result she crawled over to the lakes edge. Reaching the water she removed her war mask, as she gazed into the water.
Before when she had seen herself there had always been a strange disconnect, one that could not be explained. With no memories and as such no real sense of self, Ásta had always felt as if she was trapped in a stranger's body. With her memories restored, that was no longer so. As she stared into the water, even with her withered and dead face, Ásta finally saw herself again. And she could see things much more clearly now.
She remembered her old life, and what had transpired. How such injustices were carried out, and how if she could do it all again, she'd know what she would have to do. The mere thought of her story filled her with rage, rage so intense it made her shake. Even the worshipers of the false Christ-god did not deserve as much hate as her new target. Her holy war against the Carpenter King and his lackeys was no longer her primary focus. Her new focus was much simpler.
The Snow Queen had to die.
…
Bit of Notes-
Another month, another chapter. This one was actually about halfway done by the end of July, when life just got very busy for a while. Unfortunately work on the next chapter of Hans' Fate has not even begun besides a basic outline, so those of you who follow that are likely to have to wait a minute.
This chapter had a number of things in it that have been due for a while, that I found difficult to write, hence why it took so long. Rapunzel being the chief among these. I had the idea of Rapunzel being Polish for a while, as the various inspirations for Corona in Tangled are located in Modern day Northern Germany and Poland, right where Prussia would have been. As such, Corona in my head-canon exists as a client state of Prussia, though it is the closest thing to an independent Polish state. While Rapunzel's family would speak the language of the court, which is German, they are ethnically Polish. And while the court might speak German, the population would certainly be Polish. As such Mother Gothel and Flynn/Eugene would have spoken Polish and Rapunzel would not have ever learned German until she was reunited. Just one of those odd things. A similar situation would be the English Royal Family and how until the First World War, they spoke German in the Palace.
Returning to my point, I found Rapunzel hard to write for due to her personality, which could be described as very fluid. As a whole, she is closer to Anna, but still displays a good deal of Elsa at times too. I rewrote her entrance seen several times before settling on the current form. I hope it seems authentic.
As for the Corpse… fun times are ahead. I've been waiting to write this scene for a while now, as it is a major indicator of things to come. Ásta has a revelation, and it's a fun one too. As for the plot, things are about to swing into high gear. The coming week or two will settle the fate of Arendelle, and Scandinavia as a whole. Hope you all enjoy the ride.
Glossary-
Vy govorite po-russki?- Do you speak Russian?