As Elsa closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of the ocean far below her, cold gusts of wind painted her pale cheeks a ruby red. She had looked out at these same waves time and time again in her life – as a child with her sister laughing beside her; as a teenager watching her parents sail over that horizon for the last time; as a young woman watching the twins depart back home to Astor, before she was ever a queen, a time that seemed so long ago it may as well be a dream.
When she opened her eyes from atop her wall of ice, that evil ocean was there again, looking violent - an unyielding beast preparing to unleash its fury on her Kingdom. The sun was just beginning to crack over the horizon and the melancholy pink and yellow sunrise was cloaked in a swirl of dark clouds from the west. The day would be cold and grey and full of death.
To her right stood Aaron, clad in the armor of the Arendelle royal guard. He looked knightly in the grey steel and a dark green cloak, a shortsword at his left hip and his dagger, Belle, at his right. He wore spiked boots and a pair of silver gauntlets that caught the light as he clenched and unclenched a fist anxiously. His dark unkempt hair swayed in the wind as he tightened his jaw underneath his beard. His helm was under his right arm as he stared out at the ocean with the queen, waiting with a somber expression and a deep intensity in his eyes. Elsa wondered what he was thinking about in that moment. Probably better I do not know,she thought.
A host of soldiers surrounded them, covering the length of the ice wall from one rocky cliff to the other. Marksmen wielding crossbows lined side by side between torches spaced ten feet apart. Two hundred feet below, waves crashed against the wall in a rhythmic pattern like a metronome counting down the hours until the battle.
"Every man is to have a shield and well equipped with bolts," Aaron said to the captains who he had gathered for their final orders. "I can't pretend to know what my sister will do when she sees our defenses, but we have to be prepared for a full siege. We'll reign down on them if they get close enough. Even if only one in one-hundred bolts hits its mark, it will be worth it."
"As you command, Prince Aaron." The captains saluted and scattered back to their respective posts, shouting at their men as they went.
"They've taken to calling you Prince again," Elsa observed.
"Half of them, yes," Aaron replied. "The other half wouldn't hesitate to shove a spear up my ass and send my head back to Astor on a pike, make no mistake." Elsa knew he was right.
The wall was twenty feet thick, plenty enough room for the needed men, but thin enough so Elsa could see each direction from her vantage point at the center. Before them was the ocean, behind them the frozen fjord, leagues of solid ice and snow stretching to the city of Arendelle in the distance. Rows of snow-covered houses and buildings stretched up and down steep hills, dwarfed by icy cliffs, and on the far side the castle loomed over it all.
Elsa gazed back at her home nestled in the mountainside and wondered if she would ever return to it whole. She closed her eyes and reached out with her mind, casting her thoughts out with her magic, probing for a second consciousness. When she found it, she heard its voice.
"Master?"
"Marshmallow," Elsa replied. "Are you with my sister? How is she?"
"Little red girl is here,"the beasts voice boomed in her head. "Blonde ugly man, too. They give warm liquid to little people."Elsa assumed that to mean they were at the safehouse handing out drinks to the women and children of the city.
"Good. Do not let them out of your sight, no matter what. And Olaf?"
"Little brother went to get pieces of cloth and cups of hot goop."
It took Elsa a moment to realize he meant blankets and bowls of soup. Marshmallow's manner of speech was sometimes confusing, but Elsa had grown used to it. "Okay. Keep your ears open, Marshmallow. It's possible I may need you at any moment."Then she severed the connection and once again turned her attention to the fjord where her army stood in formation.
Aaron had roused her in the dead of night to tell her the Astor fleet was only hours away, and entire city had awoken to a call to arms. The former prince had been able to track the army from Calidae through visions from his sister's eyes, but still the approach had caught them by surprise more than they had hoped. Elsa had immediately donned her armor forged by Kristoff and the trolls and rallied the Arendelle army while Anna gathered the civilians at the safehouse.
Through all the commotion, Elsa had barely had a chance to speak with her sister. The queen had only wished Anna luck and given her one last embrace before forcing herself away, shedding her role as a sister and becoming the Snow Queen. Be strong, Anna. I'll be back. I swear.
The city had been prepared for this day, though not nearly as much as Elsa would have liked. She had constructed an enormous staircase at either side of the ice wall, but the trek from bottom to top was a long one and it had proven difficult to carry enough supplies and weapons up for a lengthy siege. She would have liked to have more trebuchets mounted on the wall, but it was difficult to hoist them up the ice and in the end Lorne Blackwater had kept most of them back near the castle as a second line of defense. The bulk of the army was brought to the fjord and nearly every man trained in archery was placed on the wall, but no matter how many men she had, it never seemed like enough.
By Aaron's suggestion, Desmond Holdt was ordered to stay at the city near the safehouse and castle with his guard and a small force of soldiers. The captain had been reluctant to leave the queen he was sworn to protect, but eventually he acquiesced, swearing that if Elsa got herself killed without him by her side, he would find her in the afterlife so he could lop her head off all over again.
As dawn approached, everything they could possibly do to prepare had been done. All there was left to do now was wait.
Elsa stood strong at the center of the wall, the very heart of her army. In her silver mail and open-faced crown helm, she looked both fearsome and beautiful. Hundreds of soldiers stood on the ice below her; some old and seasoned, others young and green, all awaiting their fate in silent anticipation, ready to give their lives for their queen. Many of them will die in my name today, Elsa thought sadly. I cannot let it be for nothing.
There were no words for them now. Nothing Elsa could say would justify the bloodshed to come - and there was no need. A quiet calm took over all of Arendelle in that instant, and every life that stood on that frozen fjord was at peace, even for just a moment.
Then it began.
"Ships!" someone shouted to Elsa's right, and she whirled to face the ocean, stepping forward to the very edge of the wall.
Elsa could only see one on the horizon, a tiny speck in the distance with no form. As it grew closer, she could make out its tall black and red sail with the naked eye, flying the unmistakable flame symbol of Astor. Then more came into view, one by one, sprouting from the water like krakens from the depths. Soon there were more than Elsa could count, a horde of fire in the water coming to light them all ablaze.
"It's Astor! They're here, lads!" One of her captains roared down at the main army. "Those bastards are here to burn our homes, kill our wives and our children! Let's send 'em where there's plenty of bloody fire to keep 'em warm!"
The army erupted in battle shouts and horns bellowed from atop the wall. Men pounded on shields and stamped their spears into the ice. Elsa joined the war cry, summoning a flurry of blue light above her that exploded into sharp ice shards that reigned down angrily from the wall into the sea. The soldiers bellowed at their queen's magic, taking its energy and turning it into bloodlust.
When Elsa turned to Aaron, he was not taking part, instead staring out at the ships with a sad look, deep in thought. Then suddenly, he winced and clutched his head. "What is it?" Elsa asked, placing a hand on his back to steady him. "A vision?"
Aaron recovered from the spell after a moment and furrowed his brow. "Elsa… something's not right."
"What do you mean?" Elsa asked, surprised at how little panic was in her own voice.
"I saw him, just now. My uncle. He split off from the main army." Aaron scanned the horizon, studying the horde of ships. Then he shook his head. "He left Sophie and Efreet and went off on his own… I think he was going to land somewhere else, on foot, with his own host. They mean to take us by surprise from both directions."
Elsa took a deep breath. Think. This is no time to panic. Think!
"There's only one peninsula he could land without us seeing, a few miles to the south." She pointed. "It would take him straight to the city gates of Arendelle. He must be attacking the city at the same time as the fleet. I have to go, I have to warn Anna, and Desmond –"
"No! Listen to me," Aaron said calmly, but firmly. "I'll go back to the city. I'll find Desmond and we'll hold them back as long as we can while you defend the wall."
"But if Alexander is there, I need to be the one – "
"No," Aaron cut her off again, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. "You have to be here to hold the wall. It only stands because of yourmagic, if you were to leave it could be brought down by Efreet far too easily. I can handle my uncle – at least temporarily. Hold the wall and I'll bring him to you. I know for a fact that he won't be able to resist roasting me if I give him the chance."
Elsa looked to the advancing ships and knew that there was no time to argue the point. Hesitation could only lead to defeat. Still, a moment of dismay passed through her at the thought of Aaron leaving. Even ignoring her feelings for him, Aaron was her anchor - he was her teacher, master, mentor, and the only reason she had made it this far at all.
But she let it pass. Nothing can tilt me now. I can do this."Okay," she breathed. "Good luck. I'd tell you to be careful, but…"
"I don't really know the meaning of the word." Aaron smirked for half a second. Then he tossed aside his helm and began ripping off his gauntlets and leg guards.
"What are you doing?" Elsa asked.
"I need to be light on my feet," Aaron grunted as he shed his breastplate, leaving nothing on but the light mail covering his leather vest. "Besides, steel armor won't do me much good if I happen to take a fireball to the face."
Elsa couldn't find the humor in that particular, very possible image, but she pushed the thought aside. When Aaron was ready, he turned back to her and placed both hands on her shoulders, staring deep into her eyes. "Do not underestimate my sister," he told her. "She will do something crazy – that I can promise. Hold the wall. I'll see you soon." Then he pulled her into a tight bear hug and Elsa clung to him for as long as she dared, not even caring if the men around them saw. Then he let go far too soon and ran down the length of the wall to begin his trek across the ice and back to the city.
The men were beginning to quiet down as the fleet grew closer still. Elsa stepped to the edge of the wall and looked down, magic creeping towards her fingertips. She could now make out the soldiers that lined the decks of all the ship, armed with spears and clad in red and black armor. Oars appeared below the decks of each ship, crashing through the water to thrust them closer to the wall as the wind turned against them.
It's time, Elsa thought, summoning her magic. Her eyes glazed over white as a torrent of ice and wind flew from her outstretched hands. Swirling clouds of blue and grey formed in the sky, amassing into an angry maelstrom over the fleet. The wind picked up aggressively, churning the waters and rocking the ships from side to side as they fought on through the elements towards the wall, making progress little by little.
At the head of the fleet was a ship twice the size of the others, a black and gold behemoth with a red sail and a golden statuette of a man decorating its bow. Its deck was crowded with men in arms, shouting orders and pulling ropes, guiding the ship against the waves along with dozens of pounding oars. Then Elsa spotted them.
Sophie Sinclair stood strong at the ship's head, a hand on the hilt of her sword, her black hair billowing in Elsa's cold fury. Next to her stood a colossal beast with a body made of stone and ash and fire, great red eyes piercing the air to look up at her. It roared towards the sky, a sound which made Elsa's hair stand on end. Efreet, she thought. It's even more hideous than I imagined.
Elsa put everything she had into the magical storm, fighting to create as much chaos on the ocean as possible. The soldiers on the wall were looking on in awe at the sight, clutching the braziers and trebuchets and each other so as not to fall from the massive gusts of wind. Snow and lightning soon came, and the sky beyond the wall looked as though the heavens were opening up to unleash a righteous fury on the Astorian ships.
And yet the battleships pressed on. There was no sign of turning back, no sign of surrender. Slowly but surely, they came, until finally they were in firing range of the Arendelle men above. Up and down the wall, commands were given and crossbow bolts were loosed in unison. They rained down on the ships in wave after wave, most of them falling into the water and being carried by the wind, but some finding a deck or tearing a hole in a sail, making the push that much harder for the Astor army. Massive stones were loaded into the trebuchets and loosed as well, wreaking havoc on any ship they came down upon.
Nothing was enough to stop the horde, though. Sophie's massive warship was the first to come upon the wall, grinding to a halt on the slope where the ice met the water in the dead center of the structure. There was barely enough shallow space between the wall and the water for a ship full of men to disembark, let alone the whole army, but it seemed to make no matter to the commanding princess. The ship went straight on until the bow met the wall and pierced it like a massive icepick.
Soldiers poured from the ship, Sophie somewhere among them, and to Elsa's dismay they began to climb. Spiked boots, ropes, and icepicks in hand, they dug into the ice and thrust themselves upward with bloodlust coursing through their veins.
"They're coming!"shouted a captain. "Give 'em everything!"Crossbow bolts, flaming braziers, and stones alike were flung from the wall to drop down on the climbing soldiers, but whenever a man fell, another would hoist himself up to take his place.
Elsa tried to ignore the chaos and keep her storm in full force, but there was a monstrous sound she could not ignore and she looked down to see Efreet approaching the center of the wall in a violent rage. It clapped its volcanic hands together, creating a mini inferno, and plunged its fists into the wall.
For an instant, everything in Elsa's vision went black. She physically winced and stumbled backwards. What is happening…?She felt a hand on her back as the men around noticed her falter.
"Her Majesty!" someone shouted. "Protect the Queen!"
Elsa went to her knees. It was as if some invisible dagger were being driven into her mind, her soul, her magic.
Magic…
All she could see was red, all she could feel was heat - her world was suddenly only flame, death, fire, fire, FIRE.
Elsa couldn't help but scream, the feeling so horrible it threw her into a bubbling rage. The wall, your wall, it's destroying your wall. Get out, get out, GET AWAY!
Something inside her was howling, taking over, as if her magic itself were under attack. Suddenly she was on her feet, surrounded by men who had come to her aid, but she ignored them. She stormed to the side of the wall, her hands glowing blue and white and focused all her energy on the wall where Efreet was thrusting his fiery hands in an attempt to create a massive hole. She began to repair her work piece by piece, adding ice wherever the flame melted it away, undoing the damage just as it was done.
But the beast pushed back, his own magic flaring. The two were locked in a trance, a magical duel, one fighting to destroy, the other to create, and all around them the battle raged on. The wall was being swarmed by the Astorian soldiers as more and more ships reached the base of it. The bulk of the effort shifted to keeping men from reaching the top and that was proving increasingly more difficult as each new man joined the fray.
The world around Elsa seemed to disappear as her only thought was on keeping Efreet at bay. If the wall was completely burned through, the battle would be lost, she knew. Nothing in the world was more important to her in that moment than keeping the wall intact. All she was able to see was blue and red, all she could hear was Efreet's fire as it burned against her ice. Magic became her world. For how long, she could only guess.
Elsa never sensed Sophie Sinclair breech the wall. She never saw the slaughter that followed, men screaming as they were hacked down like stocks of wheat defending their queen. She never heard the Princess crack her knuckles in anticipation as she approached her prey.
And then the Black Swan had her arms around Elsa, with a sword to the queen's throat and a smile on her lips. Time stood still. Their cheeks touched and for one delirious, beautiful moment, Elsa felt like she was in Aaron's safe embrace – but she could not have been more wrong.
"Did you miss me, Elsa?" Sophie whispered in her ear with a queer lack of sarcasm in her voice. Under any other circumstance, it would have sounded a sincere question.
Then Elsa felt a powerful palm on her chest and was thrust backwards so hard she felt her breath leave her body. Her back hit the ice and she slid, reaching out instinctively just to find there was nothing to hold onto but ice and more ice, and then suddenly the wall was gone from beneath her.
As she was launched into the white abyss over the harbor, Elsa caught the quickest glimpse of Sophie's face before it disappeared behind the ledge. She could have sworn there was a twinkle in those green eyes.
The world became nothing but sky and rushing wind as she plummeted. Millions of thoughts bombarded her all at once – she panicked, then braced herself as the ice far below came up to meet her with a quick and cold death. Time seemed to halt as the fear overcame her and then slowly morphed into something else. What is this feeling? she thought. Is this acceptance? Is this how I die? Have I lost? Failed…?
Come on Elsa. Even I've survived bigger drops than that. Anna's voice echoed through Elsa's thoughts, clear as Queensice, and a jolt went through her body, summoning her magic to her fingertips. There was a blast of cold and a sound like thunder and the next moment the queen found herself rolling down a mountain of soft white snow, barreling towards her army, armor rattling and body numb. It was impossible to tell which way was up, but Elsa did her best to relax and let gravity take her safely to the ground. She finally slid to a harsh stop on ice at the base of the wall with a grunt, winded and bruised, but otherwise unharmed. Soldiers were already at her feet by the time she opened her eyes and realized she was still alive.
"Your Majesty!" Elsa stood as quickly as she was able and pushed them all away from her.
"I'm fine!" she lied loudly as she found her bearings and scanned her surroundings, taking in as much information as she could, knowing that time was scarce. She was incredulous at how far away the top of the wall looked and just how far Sophie had managed to toss her like a sack of carrots. From down here, the princess was nowhere in sight.
She really is Aaron's sister,Elsa thought as she clutched her left arm, realizing after the initial shock that she was in a huge amount of pain. I'm out of breath and my shoulder is massively bruised, but I suppose that could have been far worse.She had to crane her neck to look up on top of the wall where steel clashed on steel as more Astorians made their way over. Sophie was nowhere in sight. Men from her main army were climbing the staircases on either side of the wall to help defend it, screaming and clashing with men above them in a flurry of limbs and steel. It's only a matter of time before we're completely overtaken here….before that beast…
Uninhibited, Efreet was now making progress; Elsa could feel it gnawing away at her magic as the wall was being melted chunk by chunk, and suddenly her shoulder was the least of her worries.
Elsa turned to the nearest captain to her in the swarm of Arendelle soldiers that had appeared around her, looking to her for orders, looking to their queen for hope. "The wall has been overtaken." She stated coolly, not allowing any sign of pain or fear to show in her voice. "I want every man down here on the harbor - the fight for the wall is lost. Sophie Sinclair has come." She could see fear plain on the faces of the men around her at just the mention of the Astor Princess' name.
The captain in front of her clasped the hilt of his weapon uneasily. "The Black Swan… Understood, Majesty."
"I'll handle her," Elsa said confidently. "There's a bigger problem." She pointed to the center of the wall about a hundred yards away. The thick ice was a solid blue from this side, beautiful and strong in the sunlight, but a massive red glow had appeared within it, growing larger and brighter with every second. Elsa was doing her best to conceal the nagging mental pain the burrowing beast was causing her. She clenched her jaw. "When that thing makes it through, we need to retreat and draw it back to the city. We can't fight it here."
"Thing? What thing?" a soldier asked in horror as he stared at the red light piercing the wall, but there was no time for an answer. An incredible blast shook the ice beneath them and most of the men around Elsa lost their footing all at once. Massive chunks of ice reigned down as a giant hole exploded right through the center of the wall, closely followed by flame and heat, and Efreet emerged from the chaos, roaring like a demon unleashed from Hell. Behind him, red soldiers flooded through the newly created gateway from their ships beyond and stormed the frozen harbor, screaming for battle with weapons drawn. The men around Elsa were at their feet at once, swords drawn, with a battlecry on their lips. They met the Astor army head-on, and not a moment later the harbor was transformed into a battlefield.
A/N: Sooo, some of you are probably wondering what the hell this story is and why you're getting an update after so long. I know it has been forever. I don't really know what to say other than life got in the way. I had these words written and unpublished for a long time and am now deciding to put it out there. The rest of the story is outlined but not fully written by any means. Many of you probably figured I abandoned it. If there are still people out there interested, please let me know. I'd love to finally finish this behemoth of a story as I really have put a lot of time and effort into it and I feel it deserves a finale.
I don't want to promise "regular" updates though. They will continue but may be sporadic still. Thanks for reading this far, truly. The kind comments I have received really do encourage me more than you know.