Chapter Five: Order and Chaos
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the idea to adapt this story to a long running series, beyond that I don't own the original works in which this is based upon nor do I stand to profit from this work whatsoever. I merely write this so that others may enjoy.
Author's Update: First off I'm changing the name from Author's Note to Author's Update because it's more like an update than a note, plus I'm going to put the notes at the end. For starters I thank Yuki Hamasaki-Sama, for your kind words throughout the latest review of chapter four that you posted, your words of encouragement and your thoughtful insight truly serves to help motivate and inspire me to continue onward! Next I thank you FancyGirl for your expressed ability to relate to one of the scenes I wrote as it shows me that I can write relatable and realistic scenes while having the characters react normally. Finally, I thank , for reviewing my story. I've been following Constance's Until The Stars Fade, an amazing FanFic about the romantic story of Jedi Penn Thayer and Bastila Shan in a unique take on the classic story within the acclaimed, Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic. I definitely recommend all of you check it out and see for yourselves. I thank each and everyone else who has both read my story and contacted me through the Private Messaging, I do enjoy seeing that people like to read my work and talking with those across the database about matters both involving fanfiction and whatever else pops into our heads. Boy, this update's getting away from me so I'm simply going to apologize for the incredibly long delay as it was not my intention but the bureaucracy in my life…well…anyway I thank all of your for your patience and understanding and I do hope you enjoy this next chapter. Forewarning though, there's going to be another long wait considering the hectic weekend that approaches but after that I assure all of you that I will adhere to my set schedule. Now…ON WITH CHAPTER FIVE!
Update on the Update: quick last minute shout-out to Yoponoma for your review and I hope that this chapter doesn't disappoint!
Play…Pause…Rewind….Play….Pause. Judge Bjorgman religiously adhered to this set pattern nonstop for nearly an hour and a half, analyzing every single fundamental detail within the salvaged Security Drone footage with the slim hope of discovering a previously overlooked detail holding the key to the case. Directly following the nearly three-hour long discussion between himself, Chief Kai, and the Royal Family, the Street Judge immediately adjourned to the provided living arrangements assigned by Her Royal Majesty, Queen Idun. Any objection the gruff Street Judge contemplated putting forward vanished at the concurrence of Chief Kai in the decision resulting in the mandated stay in MegaPalace One. Effectively caged within the fortress walls, the Street Judge sequestered himself within the temporary residence and buried himself within the collection of files and evidence collected from the scene of the crime. Following several hours of intensive memorization and analysis, the rigid officer came to the unique conclusion that Princess Anna hadn't been distracted by inherent behavioral characteristics as previously assumed, but rather the redheaded royal appeared to have been searching for something or perhaps someone when the perpetrators approached and began their assault.
"Who….or what…were you looking for?" The concentrated Street Judge internally pondered as he leaned forward and closed the gap between his Kevlar helmet and the holograph projection screen. His scowl slackened slightly in thought as he paused video at precisely three-point-five seconds into the runtime. Full engrossed within the image of a young Street Judge shown as facing directly opposite of the camera and holding her arms akimbo, Judge Bjorgman clearly determined the young Princess apparently realized the futility of her search only too late as the assault team comprised of Street Judges crept behind her defiant visage. To the Street Judges credit, his focus was impeccable as well as impenetrable but this also allowed for a mysterious stranger to enter the room undetected.
"Please tell me that you've not put this over seeing me in the six hours you've spent within these guarded walls?" A wizened feminine voice softly resonated throughout the room effectively startling the gruff young man from his intense reverie. The mysterious figure observed from the corner of the room as Kristoff reached for his weapon as he swiveled about to face the intruder. Utter silence consumed the living quarters, engulfing the frazzled Street Judge and the mysterious occupant within before the speaker stepped forward into the dim light cast by the holographic screen. Instantly Judge Bjorgman's expression contorted from that of complete shock and anger to one of slight relief and mild annoyance.
"Gerda, I could have killed you in an instant if I hadn't hesitated." The Young Street Judge exhaled with a groan as he repositioned the chair to face the maternal figure gracing him with her presence all the while replacing his Lawgiver within its holster.
"Ah-ah, but you didn't, won't, and never will. Come now, don't you remember a time when you called me 'momma'?" The pleased woman quipped as she rapidly lifted the sizeable Street Judge off his seat and into tight embrace. Kristoff remained stiff as a board for the next several moments before slowly returning the display of public affection to his surrogate mother earning a caring grin and a sigh of maternal devotion from the older woman. From the moment Kristoff entered the academy, the familial title of 'momma' and 'papa' were abandoned in favor of either a first name address as with Gerda or a titular recognition as seen with her husband, Chief Justice Kai.
Gerda seized this rare moment to hug her adopted Son for all he was worth, seeing as the last time the two had interacted for any meaningful period of time calculated be around six months ago and closer to a seventh month than the sixth. The surrogate mother never truly supported her adoptive son's decision to dedicate his services to the Grand Hall of Justice, but how could she object when the very man she joined in marriage was none other than the Chief Justice himself and in facing that particular dilemma she'd begrudgingly consented to sign off on his application papers. The Chief Justice spent a significant portion of time assuaging his concerned wife's fears pertaining to the health and safety of their adopted son, fortunately for the sake of their marriage these maternal worries softened as in light of the Chief's insistence that his wife refrain from following the MegaKingdom Information Broadcast for a lengthy period of time until he was confident her worries could be managed accordingly.
Kristoff naturally returned his adoptive mother's love filled embrace, allowing for the briefest hint of childlike wonder and joy to penetrate the very depths of his duty-driven heart, stirring the fond memories of times long since passed, times before there was the Hall of Justice and the duty uphold the law, times where the only thing he loved most was ice. Shaking his head visibly at the notion of this evocative action, Kristoff slowly broke from his surrogate mother's tight grasp to find her smiling with an expression implying a personal satisfaction in her efforts. With a brief exhale the Street Judge reached over to activate the main light switch to allow for a more optimal conversational environment.
"Ah that's much better! Kristoff, what have I told you about keeping your helmet on when you're a guest in someone's house? I swear it's as if all of the etiquette lessons went in one ear and out the other." The exuberant mother huffed when she could finally see her son still wearing his duty uniform and armor complete with Kevlar helmet. Shaking her head, the older woman reached out to grasp the battle scared protective gear when she caught the Street Judge's arms slowly attempting to rise in effort to impede her efforts. Arching her eyebrow with an warning cough, Gerda leveled the most intense maternal glare she could muster to impart upon her dearest adoptive son that his helmet was coming off and the process by which it was removed could either be quick and painless or harsh and potentially demeaning. Gulping in response, Kristoff's entire form relaxed with a capitulating sigh as he allowed the woman who'd known and raised him since the very beginning of his cognitive memory.
Slowly the victorious mother grasped both sides of her adoptive son's helmet and lifted with moderate effort seeing as the whole procedure required standing upon the tips of her toes as the Street Judge before her very eyes essentially slouched in defeated and embarrassed manner. In moments, the older woman successfully removed Kristoff's Kevlar helmet and gazed upon her child's world-weary appearance in its entirety. Her son's hair had recently been cut shorter than she had last seen, particularly along the back and sides of his head yet the front forward reaching back had grown longer but not in an obstructive sense, but purely in the fashion that the growth was slightly noticeable. What shocked the older woman the most had been the emotional turmoil raging within the light brown eyes of her only child, as wave upon wave of anguish, rage, and immeasurable loyalty collided in a hurricane of profound feelings coursing through the portals into his soul.
"Kristoff, every day I thank God that Kai had found you when he did. When I found out I couldn't have children, it was unbearable and I thought I would never recover…but then you came along and brought so much joy and pride into our lives. Now I want you to listen to me and listen good mister! You may be a Street Judge whose sworn duty is to uphold the law, but first and foremost you will always be that sweet baby boy we…we found wandering the streets looking for ice." Gerda proclaimed with teary eyes as she reached up to hold her sons' cheek, gently rubbing the stubble-laden face of her handsome Street Judge son. Kristoff's intense scowl cracked ever so slightly, revealing the makings of a small proud grin before immediately returning to the intimidating half-scowl which sent every criminal on the street running for the outer walls.
"T…Thanks…mom" The gruff Street Judge muttered softly as he met his adoptive mother's stare, pride swelling deep within at the mention of how much good he'd brought his adoptive family while missing the momentary conflict-ridden expression that flashed across his mother's face. Breathing out an expansive sigh, the Street Judge returned to his seat and offered his mother to do the same, which she strictly declined, much to the Judge's confusion.
"Always a pleasure, Kris. Now, let's get down to business…" the elder woman paused thoughtfully as if to choose her next words carefully. "…A little birdie saw fit to inform me that you were invited the attend tonight's dinner which takes place in about fifteen minutes, am I correct?" Gerda inquired dominantly, knowing that if she betrayed the slightest instance of weakness she'd lose the upper hand over her adoptive son.
"Kai…it was Kai wasn't it?" Kristoff groaned with displeasure. The fact that he'd been given very little leeway in conducting the investigation in addition to the qualifying conditions of focusing on the retrieval of Princess Anna as well as the mandated accompaniment of Princess Elsa, the irritated Street Judge felt the prospect of joining the Royal Family and his adoptive parents for collective dinner to be more or less undesirable. The fact that he'd merely grunted at the Queen when she'd extended the invitation and mumbled out the necessity to focus on the investigation immediately alone was thought to be enough of a sign that the Street Judge really didn't want to attend. To his misfortune, he'd not thought of how Gerda would react to his perceived inappropriate behavior when etiquette came into play.
"Don't you give me that attitude Kris! You were invited by the Royal Family to attend an official dinner before you head out on your investigation. Do you have any idea who's going to be there? The King, The Queen, Myself, Your Father, and the lovely and single Princess Elsa, and if anything you should start thinking about getting to know the young girl seeing as how she's your new partner for the forseeable future." Kristoff's adoptive mother firmly declared as she lifted a rather cumbersome looking suitcase upon the Queen-sized bed, and entered the combination to unlock and reveal the contents laying in wait.
"Yeah…wait? Single?!" Kristoff barely caught the subtle implication his mother had tossed into her tirade and frowned in mild annoyance.
"Yes Kristoff, she's single, she's beautiful, she's a princess…and I just want to see my baby boy have a family with beautiful little ones running about, is that too much to ask for? I…I may not be around for too much longer you know?" The older woman dared not face her son as she employed the tried and true guilt trip that she'd adopted for quite a long time now. Adding false stutters and heavy inhales to insinuate a mysterious foreshadowing of her impending demise, the older woman was careful not to betray her true expression directly before her son as she was certain that while it wouldn't entirely fool him that I would make her son think about the prospect of starting a family…after all a mother could dream, couldn't she?
The Street Judge motioned to rebut but paused at her very last words. In that moment, Kristoff found himself faced with the horrible prospect that he'd long since known to be true but never really acknowledged until his mother threw these sort of fits. For over twelve years she'd been pulling this charade on him in order to coerce him into performing whatever task needed accomplishment. However, the Street Judge truly failed to consider the passage of time in its vast entirety and that sooner or later he'd face the prospect of his parents laying upon their deathbeds and with nothing to show for themselves but distinguished careers and a distinguished son, never once thinking about life outside his duty in this regard. The gruff Street Judge never devoted much time to a family much to his mothers disappointment, his duty came above all others including friends and family. But with emotions running dangerously high at the moment in the wake of today's events, Kristoff decided this was not what his adoptive mother needed to hear right now. Reaching out to touch the sobbing woman, the awkward Street Judge cleared thought to garner the attention of his mother.
"Mom…perhaps, I'll…I'll look into taking some time off after this case. How does that sound?" He treaded lightly, praying silently that his words weren't the activation codes by which the emotional time bomb that stood before him needed to reach critical mass and explode. Matching the older woman's eyes, Kristoff knew that this small concession had reached his mother on some deep level. Kristoff sighed heavily muttering about years of academy training wasted and how this whole event was ludicrous, but quickly ceased as the stern look his adoptive mother cast his way. Uttering a small apology, the Street Judge moved to hug the apparently inconsolable woman to which she responded with rapid reciprocation. Careful not to allow her son the pleasure of escaping his invitation, the once weeping mother quickly separated herself from her sons arms and blew her nose with defiance in a hanky before beginning to speak.
"G…Good. We can talk more about it after you find our sweet Princess Anna, but right now you need to shave, shower, and get dressed because I will not have my son arrive late for his first Royal Dinner in MegaPalace One!" The seemingly somber woman's attitude immediately shifted from sorrow to sheer excitement almost instantly. Kristoff merely blinked as the very woman who raised him for as long as he could recall saw fit to retrieve his formal dress uniform in addition to the many service medals and commendations he'd received in his years of service to the MegaKingdom. The Street Judge once again conceded defeat as he performed a mental cost/benefit analysis and concluded that his personal objection wasn't worth the risk of upsetting his mother. With a forlorn sigh, the Street Judge nodded to his mother after she'd given him explicit instruction to be groomed and presentable within ten minutes.
Pleased with her results, the older woman gave a slight bow to her son and informed him that she would be awaiting his return outside the room so that he would receive the appropriate measure of privacy required to dress and prepare himself for tonight's event. With a smile, Gerda vacated the room and saw fit to rest her back upon the adjoining wall by which she turned her head to see a very anxious Queen Idun standing with her fists tightly clenched together, obviously worried about the outcome of the entire scenario. With a chuckle, the surrogate mother slightly shook her head before approaching the Queen of Arendelle, not bothering to bow considering the two had known each other for over three decades.
"Well?! Is he coming? Please say he's coming?! I really…really…think that my little Snowflake has taken to him and I think it'd be really great if he came to dinner because that way he'd…" The Queen found herself effectively silenced by her old friends warm hand, resulting in a half annoyed and half anxious sigh to escape her lips in a most un-royal and un-lady like fashion. Gerda simply chuckled at the Queen's reactions, if she'd not known better the elder woman would have sworn Queen and her daughters were sisters considering their close appearance and near identical behavior at times such as this very instance.
"I've made sure that, Judge Bjorgman, will be attending tonight's dinner as intended. Besides, I've already sewn the seeds of potential romance within his very brain, or as much as an adoptive mother can, but he will be there on time and I'll see to it myself. Plus, I think my Street Judge may have a thought or two about our Snow Princess, if you catch my meaning?" The elder woman of the two winked with a conspiratorial grin as the Queen furiously clapped with glee and brough Gerda into a tight energetic embrace before leaping away to find her husband and daughter. Gerda stood in the middle of the hallway with an expression of pure bewilderment. Shaking her head, the Chief's wife contemplated the origins of her Queen's boundless energy and ability to handle the whole situation rather well. Then again, Gerda rationalized that overwhelming exuberance trumped depressive and potential vitriolic behavior every day of the week. This train of thought brought the pensive mother to the grim realization that somewhere out in the MegaKingdom the joyful Princess Anna remained in the clutches of her kidnappers, her fate resting entirely upon the mercy of the man responsible. Gerda clutched her chest for a brief moment and let loose a shaky sigh.
"Oh Princess, I do hope you're safe. Do not worry wherever you are, my Kristoff and your sister are coming to save you!" The Familial friend prayed silently. Her dark thoughts on the matter of the Royal Daughter's abduction were completely dismissed at the sound of her surrogate son's door opening and closing in rapid succession. With a prideful smile, Gerda interlocked her arm with her son's and began the short jaunt to the main Dining Hall where the night would undoubtedly take several interesting and unique turns for all parties involved. The Street Judge merely grimaced as the pair approached the large wooden doors. Looking down upon his mother, the Street Judge was greeted with an expression of pure elation serving only to add to the overwhelming displeasure in being roped into the event itself. Taking a large breath, Kristoff gathered his strength and proceeded to push the massive and ornate wooden doors open to face the music.
"Time to face the music." The agitated Street Judge whispered to himself as the colossal doors swung wide and offered no methods by which he cold retreat from this planned ordeal. The Street Judge hoped this formal dinner would prove to be most uneventful, but within several moments of opening the door he knew that tonight would prove to be anything but a simple formal dinner.
Meanwhile in an undisclosed location…
The young redheaded Street Judge's eyes bolted wide open with a burst of profound energy and anxiety. Rapidly moving to her feet, the young woman quickly allowed her eyes to roam about her surrounding environment and in doing so she absorbed every detail regarding the lavish furnishing as well as the ornate décor littering the room. Within moments, Princess Anna concluded her captors had brought her to some type of high-end establishment but for what purpose, she'd failed to deduce. Swiftly raising her left forearm to her mouth, the young redhead started to dictate commands to record before she frowned in annoyance at the sight of a barren wrist, completely devoid of the built-in computational system standard to all active Street Judges. Dramatically, the young woman threw her arms up and began to pace to and fro before stopping to take a deep breath to reenter her long forgotten focus. Within moments, the novice Street Judge began to assess her situation…literally.
"Assessment: Honorable Street Judge Briar Rose presiding; it appears that I've been taken hostage by three armed assailants, potentially…potentially….ummm, oh yeah potentially fellow Street Judges! Their names were ummm…let's see that one's name was…ummm…well forget his name! The names will come later! Currently, I'm being held presumably within the bowels of the enemy fortress, the enemy not presently making him or her self-aware to my knowledge at this point in time. As it stands I've been stripped of my primary and secondary weapons, my external armor, my helmet, my forearm computer, and…" The young princess halted her verbal recount of her current predicament in sudden and profound realization that whoever had successfully kidnapped her had seen to the removal of her dress boots. Fuming at this realization, the young girl grabbed her pillow and screamed as loud and hard as physically possible before tossing the sleep aid aside to continue her verbal assessment.
"They…they took my boots! The nerve, the absolute nerve of these scoundrels! I mean it was certainly kind of them to lock me up in this very beautiful and amazing room…but STILL! My shoes, I mean whoever put me in here is going to have another thing coming if they think I'm just going to sit here and"
"Are you going to write a novel while you're at it, Your Majesty?" A soft pleasing voice echoed from the back of the room, completely shocking the rambling young woman from her diatribe into a state of pure terror. Her eye's darted about the room before landing upon the origin of the intruder who so rudely interrupted her very professional and extremely detailed recount of this crisis.
"IT'S YOU! OF COURSE!...Whooooooo the heck are you?" The second Royal Daughter of Arendelle declared unabashedly before coming to the realization that she'd never seen this man a day in her entire life. In fact, if she'd experienced this first-glance opportunity under more cordial circumstances, say not when she'd been kidnapped and held hostage by those seeking to destroy the MegaKindom as she knew it and her family as well, she'd be taken aback and perform one of those things the ladies of the olden days did, swooning she believed to be the term. Vividly shaking her head to eliminate such strange and distracting thoughts, the young woman stomped her foot in determination and demanded once more that her questions be answered at once.
The young man chuckled as he stepped forward and moved a gloved hand to gently caress her fair-skinned cheek, earning a scornful glare and a sharp kick to the shins for his efforts. Hopping around on one foot, the young abductor cursed profusely before regaining his composure and leveling a furious stare upon the defiant royal. Menacingly, the redheaded abductor calmly closed the distance between him and Anna, to which the young girl absent-mindedly flinched in response to her captor as the young man raised his hand fiercely almost preparing to render a debilitating blow only to bring it down to straighten his attire and slick his hair back all the while swiveling his seemingly stiff neck about to relieve the building tension caused by his troublesome charge. Seizing this opportunity to size up her opponent, Princess Anna scanned her agitated abductor in search of any discernible weakness or indication of the man's true identity.
Her immensely agitated kidnapper wore a unique and fine cream jacket complete with the appearance of a yellow vest beneath his regal jacket, and a striking red sash diagonally crossing his defined torso wrapping around entirely. Rapidly shifting her eyes downward and back up to meet this man's gaze with steadfast rebellion, the young Princess noted the expensive black boots he'd worn along with a hint of white stockings beneath. Taking in his appearance on the whole between the red and golden designs and patterns as well as the matching cream Ascot, Princess Anna knew based upon the her intimate knowledge of Pre-War regality and from her extensive experience in speaking to the various portraits adorning MegaPalace One that this individual either dressed ridiculously because he was madder than a hatter, or because the man who stood before her very eyes came from one of the dozens of families ruling different MegaKingdoms around the world. In any case, the young redhead had to be certain before she could start kicking his shins again.
"Who…Who are you? Why have I been brought here? Why did you take my shoes?!" The Princess demanded answers to these vital queries, which could very well hold the keys to her release. The young redhead with sideburns laughed heartily at this and turned about his heel to pour himself a drink containing a mysterious alcoholic beverage. Anna couldn't be certain nor had she any experience with such beverages as she couldn't risk embarrassing her family and revealing her secret identity while out on the street. Anna stared at this man keenly, preparing herself for anything that could be thrown her way be it physically or mentally as she calmly reached over to pick up the pillow she'd previously tossed to the ground in a fit of exasperated rage.
"Well, I suppose I owe you a few answers don't I? One, my name is Hans Westergaard, Prince of the Independent Southern Isle MegaKingdoms. As for why you've been brought here, well I should think it's rather obvious by now is it not? If you've not already deduced, then you can't expect me to ruin the suspense in good conscious. As for your footwear…well…let's just say I didn't need to send out a spy to know how deadly you can be with a shoe seeing as how your little incident in The Grand Hall Of Justice is well known." Hans laughed as he revealed the last bit of information, much to the embarrassment of the redheaded Princess.
"Don't worry, you'll be kept safe so long as you behave and do as I tell you? Disobey me and…let's just say that my men aren't nearly as patient as I. Do I make myself clear Your Highness?" The young Prince spoke with a grim expression as he leaned in the point where their faces stood merely inches apart from one another. He could see the beads of sweat rolling down her face in sheer terror at the implication of his words and her punishment should she stir up too much trouble. With a rattled nod, Princess Anna affirmed her understanding of the implied rules that had since been laid down. Snorting in approval, Hans's expression shifted to that of pure delight as he clapped his gloved hands together in joviality. The young Prince finished his glass of alcohol with a pleasurable "ahh" and gently replaced the crystal glass back upon the tray. Slowly, he turned once more to face to nervous Princess and gave her a sickening sweet smile.
"Make yourself comfortable Your Majesty, seeing as this will be your new home for forseeable future. In the wardrobe directly to your right, you will find an entire array of appropriate articles of clothing for any time of day, so don't even think about trying to weasel out of your predicament under that false guise. Oh and dress appropriate for tonight's dinner, the Duke will be joining us in precisely one hour...welcome to your new life Princess Anna."
Chapter Finite
Author's Note: IT'S FINALLY FINISHED! Man oh man, this has been quite chapter to develop as it's the combination of three separate ideas all meshed into one. I do hope you all enjoy it as this is a sort of experimental concept, but I reassure you all that Chapter Six will adhere to the tired and true expectations I've set for myself with the prior chapters. In any case, that's enough rambling from me for now but I do want to note that I have another busy weekend ahead so as far as updates go…I will be relatively silent, but do not fret I will be back to a somewhat regular updating schedule throughout November. In the interim, please Read and Review as I love to hear your feedback as well as any questions comments, and or concerns you have regarding the story. Don't forget that if you have any ideas, please feel free to run them by me via the Private Message System. Until next time, this is Gordon King saying, "Goodnight Fanfiction and good writing health!"