Disclaimer: all the characters, locations and items in this work are trademarked by Disney, Sega and Ubisoft, unless noted otherwise. All original characters, if not related to existing characters, are owned by the author.
Chapter 8 - Masquerade
Masquerade! Paper faces on parade...
Masquerade! Hide your face,
so the world will never find you!
(The Phantom of the Opera's Masquerade)
Today was a feast day in the Royal City of Arendelle.
After almost three years after the deaths of King Agdar and Queen Idunn in the wreck of HMAS Vålerenga and with the smooth transition under Lord Regent Kai, the day of Princess Elsa's coronation as queen of Arendelle had finally arrived.
The several streamers with the outline of the new monarch on the crocus flower adorned the city, and tents had been set up in the streets to sell memorabilia of the event. The streets had been cleaned more intensely recently and security had been reinforced, especially with the recent actions of the Sons of Mylai.
However, not even this detail was taking away from the excitement of the residents of the Royal City and the foreigners who had come to attend the coronation.
"They say she's as beautiful as a goddess."
"Not only beautiful, but powerful - with the powers she has, I have no doubt that she could summon an eternal winter on Earth if she wants to."
"What is she planning for the country?"
"From what I've heard about her, she's got a much more liberal view than her father."
"Considering the origins of her mother, it comes as no surprise - they say that Idunn was raised in a much less restrictive environment than the late King Agdar."
"It's said that Terboven and Quisling, regardless of their standings as heroes, wet their pants with fear when she raises her voice at Council meetings."
"It wouldn't surprise me if she got rid of them in the next few days."
In the castle, the servants were finishing their last-minute adjustments - particularly in the chapel and the ballroom, where the coronation and the ball were to be held respectively, and the latter would have an unprecedented and special touch.
For the first time in forever, a masquerade ball would be held.
The idea had come from Elsa herself, who wanted to play on her shy and withdrawn reputation and make everyone hide behind their masks - she herself would have her own mask for the ball, along with a dress she had ordered for the occasion.
For the coronation however, she would wear an ice dress, made with her powers and with some special touches to reflect the special moment - such as a small coat of arms with the effigies of her parents and Anna beside the crocus.
However, until the time for the ceremony came, all the princess could do was wait in her room, resting as much as possible, especially after she had returned at a ridiculous hour in the middle of the night - it was all Aeris's fault, of course.
"What about the coronation, are you excited, Shelby?", the assassin asked, before taking a sip of beer - they were seated at a table in the tavern that belonged to the Sons of Mylai.
Needless to say, Elsa was (again) in the clothes of a flower girl.
"More or less, I imagine that I will run out of flowers in my store the day after tomorrow, but... I don't know, that atmosphere, the party, the music and the chocolate... Wow, the wish to go is enormous, Aeris, but I think I'll have only to imagine it, unfortunately."
"I understand that feeling, it also makes me want to go - especially for chocolate," replied the girl, with a mischievous smile on her freckled face. "But... considering who's going to be crowned, I don't know if I'm all that excited", Aeris murmured, with a spark of disdain in her teal eyes.
Elsa sighed before finishing her beer. As soon as she swallowed the drink, a question struck her. "Aeris, isn't it..." began the "flower girl," in a hesitant tone.
Patting her friend's shoulder, the assassin said. "Shelby, you can ask me anything, you know that."
Swallowing, Elsa said what was on her mind. "Aeris, isn't it unfair for you to blame the princess for everything that happened? I mean, she would have been about thirteen when the Mylai massacre happened, and the ruler of the country at the time was her father, King Agdar."
As much as she didn't want to talk about her father in this way, Elsa could not avoid the slight disappointment she had felt in analyzing, together with Kai, the list of laws and decrees issued during Agdar's rule. She had discovered unthinkable things which made her stomach squirm in disgust, especially in regards to the privileges granted to the military.
Aeris swallowed nervously. "Shelby... Shel, I understand that she was a child when it all happened, you know... but, but... the army responds directly to the king, and all of Arendelle knows what he did to try to sweep the dirt under the rug in relation to Mylai... and, like it or not, the princess, she... she's the daughter of that bastard, so the army will now answer to her."
"Yes, but she's only going to run the Armed Forces starting tomorrow, so... think about it, please, how could she be to blame for something she had no responsibility for?", insisted Elsa, trying to see if her friend could change her view of her.
"It may even be so, Shel, but... when I think of the princess, growing up with servants, maids and valets, with all that gold can buy, and having parents who loved her... and then when I think about how I was forced to grow up alone... with my mother and sister killed in the massacre, and without contact with my father and brother since eight years ago... "
"Do you have any living relatives?" Elsa asked in surprise - in those five months, her hooded friend had never mentioned them, which gave the princess the feeling that Aeris was completely orphaned.
"Yes", the assassin replied, sniffling. "My father and brother had gone out to work, they're ice harvesters... and they were out of Mylai when the massacre occurred... I've never spoken to them since that time."
"You never spoke to them again? I thought you wouldn't have seen them since then", commented the blonde, with an uncomfortable feeling deep in her stomach.
"I've seen them a few times in the distance for the last three years, but... the fact is that when I see all that luxury in the castle, and I remember those eight years of solitude in the Brotherhood, even though I was surrounded by my brothers and sisters... I can't help but feel angry with the princess, not because she is rich, but because she is... loved."
Elsa felt a pang of anguish as she remembered the conversation: Aeris saw her as her antithesis, and that was why her friend hated her (or, in this case, the person behind the cover, since the assassin knew only Shelby, the flower girl - not Elsa, the princess of Arendelle).
One thing she hadn't yet discovered in her analysis of the paperwork was the reason that had motivated an entire detachment to commit this atrocity in Mylai - and especially the motive that had led her father to protect those responsible for the crime.
It was a mistake she intended to correct as soon as possible, especially after she had rid herself of Terboven and Quisling - the general, for being the commander of the detachment who had committed the massacre, and the admiral, for being the general's main ally in preventing any inquiry on the subject.
A knock at the door interrupted her line of reasoning.
"Your Highness? It's breakfast time", said Gerda's voice from the hallway. "And the archbishop asked for a last-minute audience to discuss the details of the coronation."
Elsa sighed. Since she had written two letters to Rapunzel and Merida, telling them a very private secret (which, gratefully, had been preserved by her friends), the princess wasn't comfortable in the presence of the archbishop, especially considering the sermons he did.
Arendelle had no official religion; all beliefs were free to organize and carry on their activities, provided they didn't threaten the interests of the Crown. Elsa, like many of her countrymen, had no religion of her own, though the future monarch was a deist. However, the laws required that the leader of the most popular religion in the country be the one in charge of conducting the coronation ceremony in partnership with the Lord Regent - and in this case, it was the Archbishop, head of the Church of Arendelle.
Elsa couldn't understand how the teachings of the Messiah, who was appointed by the Church as the son of the only God and Savior, had been so distorted - what had been taught as love was being used by the Archbishop to justify ancient hatreds, especially against people like her.
"Okay, Gerda, I just have to get dressed", said the blonde, before rising from the bed with a determined expression. This would be a long day.
In the Guild, Jason was upset - the clothes Adéwalé had ordered for him to wear at the coronation had fit perfectly, but...
One year wearing rags in the Doctor's lab, and another three years in his hunter's robes made him unaccustomed to wearing elegant clothes - seriously, the last time he'd worn such an elegant outfit had been at the ball his cousin had given in honor of him and his sister, in Soleanna.
"Think of the bright side, my apprentice, at least you'll only need to introduce yourself to the queen at the ball", commented Adéwalé as he put on his mask.
"Will it be, Master? I haven't been to a ball for years…", murmured the green-eyed man as he finished adjusting the collar of his black robes, ignoring the amused gleam in his master's gaze.
"My boy, it's like riding a bicycle. Once you've learned, you never forget, no matter how much time passes", Adéwalé taught. "And besides, you've never stopped being who you are, considering what you told me, so I imagine that this ball won't be a problem for you."
Jason swallowed hard before answering. "Master, I... I know that here in the Guild, I'm just Jason Ryan Smith, professional hunter, but there are people who remember Jason Ryan Smith... Count of Soleanna, heir to the Eagle Throne, and cousin of Duchess Elise the Third."
He had revealed his full biography to Adéwalé shortly after he was admitted to the Hunters' Guild - the blue-haired young man had learned from his father that, in a master-apprentice relationship, trust should be the mainstay.
So Jason had revealed not only his superhuman speed, but also his family's ties with the Royal Family of Soleanna, which explained why the Southern Isles had kept his family in captivity - as Jason's mother was the sister of the late Duchess (and Elise's mother), the old king Wilhelm had kept the Smiths in custody to prevent Elise from invoking the military treaty between Soleanna and Westside, threatening to kill them if she did.
However, this didn't prevent several countries, led by Soleanna, from imposing an embargo on the Southern Isles and Weselton, which had weakened the economies of both nations.
Arendelle however, had maintained diplomatic and commercial relations with the aggressor nations by the decision of the late King Agdar - something Jason hoped the new queen would terminate as soon as possible.
So Jason knew he was going to have to see the representatives of the Southern Isles and Weselton at the coronation and the ball - he couldn't understand the motives that had prompted Elise to ask him, in the letter, to represent her at the event. At least it was a masquerade.
"Are you ready, my boy? That the carriage I rented will arrive soon", Adéwalé askd, looking away from the mirror after checking his mask and clothes for the last time.
"Almost master, you can go ahead and I'll catch up with you in five minutes", the hunter replied, bending down to pick up a box that had been sent along with the letter. As soon as Adéwalé closed the door, Jason opened the box, smiling at what was inside - he had no idea that Elise had kept it.
There was a richly decorated mask that left only his mouth exposed, and which he had worn at Soleanna's Carnival eight years before. The box also contained a noble's wig and an overly decorated Admiral hat for the carnival, full of feathers and frills, which matched perfectly with the clothes he was wearing.
The exile's smile had a good reason - he had used that combination the first time he and his cousin had kissed. At the time, Elise was wearing a double mask (that is, a full-face mask - which also left her mouth exposed - with a domino mask that covered the eye region above the first mask), along with a hat as exaggeratedly decorated as Jason's and a dress full of ornaments and jewels, plus a pair of silk gloves.
But Jason felt his joy fade a little when he realized that Elise would not be present at the coronation ceremony or at the ball - which is a pity, the young man thought, I was already excited for tonight.
At least that's what he thought.
Little did he know that his beloved cousin was on the Solaris, the private ship of the Duchess of Soleanna, preparing for the coronation.
Elsa's nerves were shattered - and the floor of the chapel's entrance looked like the surface of a frozen lake, thanks to the layer of frost that slowly spread through the place.
She could hear the conversations of the local dignitaries and foreigners who had been invited, and that didn't help her at all - if, until half an hour ago, she was sure she was ready to take the throne and host the night, now she was almost panicking with anxiety, no matter how Gerda tried to calm her down.
"Your Highness, please take a deep breath, the Archbishop will call you soon", pleaded the Chief Maid, placing her hands on the shoulders of the girl she had helped raise.
"I can't, Gerda, I can't!", cried the blonde in a desperate tone. "What am I doing, I shouldn't be crowned as queen so soon. Anna should be here at my side, I…", the princess rambled, not realizing that the frost spreading around her was turning into ice.
"Elsa, calm down please!" Gerda exclaimed, attracting her attention - if it wasn't common to hear Kai calling her by name, the fact that the Chief Maid was using it was even rarer. "I'm sure Anna is there in heaven, taking care of you and praying that everything goes as planned today. My dear girl…" Gerda murmured, her eyes starting to fill with tears as she bent to stroke the princess' face. "I saw you born, I saw you have to overcome Anna's death as a child, I saw you grow up and deal with the death of your parents, I saw you blossom and become the wonderful young woman you are."
"So don't take your fears into account my dear, I know your parents and your sister are proud of the young woman you are today, about to take the Crocus Throne and be the best ruler in Arendelle's history. I know it may sound pretentious, but you have a heart of the size of the entire world Elsa... I have faith that you'll change Arendelle as few people have ever done."
When Gerda finished her speech, the princess's blue eyes were overflowing with tears - but the ice had receded and eventually disappeared. The panic and anxiety she'd felt so far... where were they? She didn't know - and didn't even want to know.
"Thank you, Gerda, thank you so much", she murmured, before wrapping the Chief Maid in a tight embrace as she felt tears begin to flow down her pale face.
As she moved away from the hug, Gerda smiled and wiped Elsa's face before the tears reached her makeup, which had been applied hours ago by maids. "You're welcome, my dear, now take a deep breath. You play the most important part in this ceremony, and we, all of us, Kai, the servants, and even your parents and Anna, may the Gods have them, and myself, we're rooting for you."
Elsa smiled, before nodding at Gerda, who rose and walked away as the guards guarding the entrance to the chapel opened the door. Immediately, the conversations died, as the guests rose in unison to receive the princess.
With a slight smile on her face, Elsa entered the chapel, accompanied at a distance by Gerda, while Kai stood at the altar, holding the royal tiara next to the Archbishop, who held a pillow where a golden orb and the scepter with the Supreme Jewel, which glowed gently, at the top of the piece.
Upon reaching the altar, Elsa bent over for Kai to continue the ceremony. "As Lord Regent, I, Kai Amundsen, deliver the royal tiara to Princess Elsa of Arendelle." The Lord Chamberlain then placed the tiara over the young woman's platinum-blond strings. After that, Elsa lifted her head in time to see the Archbishop approaching her with the pillow where were the crown jewels lay.
Elsa stepped forward and took the scepter with her left hand and the orb with her right hand, lifting them as she turned to face the guests - she recognized some of them, like Rapunzel, who was accompanied by her husband, former thief Flynn Rider and now Prince Consort Eugene Fitzherbert, and Merida, who was with her parents, King Fergus and Queen Elinor of Dunbroch.
Some other known people were also there, such as the president of Spagonia, who had attended the burial of her parents, and the Emperor of Chu-Nan - who, a year earlier, had tried to persuade her to marry one of his sons, unsuccessfully.
The Archbishop began to speak. "Do you swear solemnly to rule the people of Arendelle, according to their laws and customs?"
"I swear", replied Elsa, focusing on the scepter and the orb.
"Do you swear to make the Law and Justice run in all your judgments?" The Archbishop asked solemnly.
"I swear", replied Elsa, with a determined gleam in her blue eyes.
"And do you swear to protect your people from the dangers inside and outside the borders of your queendom?"
"I swear", she replied, before turning again, returning the orb and scepter to the pillow - after the coronation ceremony, the Supreme Jewel would be disengaged from the scepter, and coupled with a necklace to be worn by the new sovereign.
Kai stepped forward and began to speak again. "Then, with the power invested in me by the Law as Lord Regent, as I declare my regency to end with this ceremony, I present to you Your Majesty, Queen Elsa of Arendelle," announced the Lord Chamberlain, while all stood, as if obeying a command, before responding in unison.
"Queen Elsa of Arendelle!"
Elsa let out a small sigh as she thanked them with a bow. The first stage of the coronation had worked - now, it was time to wait for the ball to take place without a hitch.
The ball was in full swing, the guests chatted excitedly, the food was delicious and the music had several couples waltzing on the dance floor.
For Jason, who was protected from the outside world by the carnival mask and gala dress from Soleanna, it was a welcome change from his current routine - all the more so because he was arm in arm with a beautiful lady who wore a double mask (a full-face mask, except for the mouth, with a mask that covered the eye region above), an orange hat full of feathers and colored fabrics - well in the style of the carnival - and a chocolate-colored dress, full of ornaments and jewels.
Best of all, the girl who wore this outfit was his beloved cousin, Duchess Elise the Third, Duchess and Monarch of Soleanna.
She had surprised him at the entrance to the Royal Palace as she stepped out of a carriage that was parked near the entrance just as the hunters arrived for the ceremony; after the shock, since he didn't know that his cousin would come to Arendelle, Jason had received his beloved the way she deserved - with a passionate kiss.
"You look like you're in heaven, boy", Adéwalé said with a sardonic grin as he sipped his wine.
"And he has all the reasons in the world to be in heaven, Signor Adéwalé", Elise countered amusingly, teasing out a light laugh from the black man. "It's been four years since I've been waiting for a moment like this", added the redhead before stealing a light peck from her cousin.
"Me too, Elise... by the Gods, I guess that was one of the few things that kept me going during that year", Jason commented, before picking up a chocolate truffle from a tray served by a waiter.
"Have you always been this close?", asked the Guild's leader.
"Not always", replied the blue-haired hunter. "When we were younger, children, to be honest, we used to argue about anything. My father and my uncle, the late Duke of Soleanna, went crazy when they saw me, Joan and Elise screaming, often because of a toy that the three of us all wanted to use... "
Adéwalé raised his free hand to interrupt his pupil. "I'm sorry, Jason, but who is Joan?" He asked.
"My cousin, and Jason's younger sister", Elise replied. "Joan Kristen Smith, she's my age... it was almost like she was a sister to me."
"From Soleanna to Westside, it's only a six-day trip through the Mediterranean, since my homeland is close to Africa, so... we often saw each other at least once a month. And Elise and Joan, even when they were fighting, were very close, more than I was to either of them... except that everything changed when we entered adolescence. "
"My father died when I was nine, Signor Adéwalé, so the visits of Jason and Joan became more frequent, since my regent... wasn't exactly a sociable person. I even have a certain envy of Queen Elsa, who managed to put her Lord Chamberlain, a trustworthy person, as her Lord Regent."
"So, as Elise and I grew up, we became involved... not officially, since the Council of Soleanna wanted to persuade her to enter into an arranged marriage. But, if I have to nominate a characteristic that Elise inherited from my uncle and my aunt, it was the strong sense of independence."
"I never wanted a marriage arranged, and thanks to the Gods I found love in my family... Jason is my first love, it was with him that I had my first kiss, and he was my first…", murmured the sovereign of the Eagle Throne, blushing intensely under the mask.
"When King Wilhelm of the Southern Isles invaded Westside, I had the Soleanna Armed Forces mobilized, even though I was a minor, invoking the Treaty of Friendship between the two nations. However, on the eve of boarding, I received a letter from the Isles: they knew of Soleanna's mobilization, and they told me that my uncles, Joan and Jason had been arrested during the invasion. They threatened to kill them as soon as the first soldier of my army stepped on the Westside, and I was forced to cancel the mobilization", Elise concluded somberly as she took her cousin's hand.
Jason squeezed Elise's hand tenderly, trying to comfort her; Adéwalé, for his part, remained silent, awaiting the rest of the story.
"The year that passed between the invasion and the letter I received from Jason, when he was already in Arendelle, was a real hell. As if the anguish of not hearing about any of them wasn't enough, the Council renewed its efforts to arrange a marriage... to the point where I had all the counselors dismissed, exchanging them for people of my absolute confidence."
"But I don't understand one thing, milady", interrupted Adéwalé, while accepting a snack offered by a waiter. "If my apprentice Jason is your cousin, why did he decide to come to Arendelle instead of going to Soleanna?"
"Security reasons", replied the blue-haired man. "You know about Anthony, don't you, Adé? He worked for several years in Soleanna, before being banished from the duchy due to inhumane experiments. The problem is... during that time, he learned of my powers. When he discovered that I had been detained during the invasion, he, as the chief scientist and counselor of the Duke of Weselton, ordered me and other prisoners to be sent to his laboratory, but his real target... was me."
Jason stopped talking, still feeling the phantom pain that the doctor's electric shocks had provoked on him. To his relief, Elise resumed the narrative.
"When Jason escaped, he only told me where he was after two years, and that was because he was terrified that Anthony would aim his artillery against me, since he knows we're cousins."
"I don't know if I understood the logic of my apprentice, milady, but I can only say that I am happy that everything worked out", replied Adéwalé, placing one hand on the younger hunter's left shoulder. "You have a bright future in the Guild, Jason - even if one day you decide to return to Soleanna, you will always be a part of our family. And I will always be proud to be your master", the black-skinned man added proudly.
Jason smiled gratefully. It didn't matter if he was at an elegant ball, on a ship, in a tavern, on a snow-covered road, in the Valley of Living Rock: if he was with whom he loved - Elise, Adéwalé, Kristoff, Sven, Jonas, Marshall, Olaf, Kristine, Bulda - then he had every reason in the world to be happy.
"So, Els... has anyone here caught your eye?" Rapunzel asked with a conspiratorial smile, drawing a chuckle from Merida and an exasperated exclamation of the new queen.
"For God's sake, Punzie, if I knew you were going to ask me that every ten minutes, I would never have sent that letter!"
"You know I would have asked anyway, I just changed the target's gender", replied the Princess of Corona, before sipping her drink.
"Elsa, Elsa, Elsa…" Merida began in a professorial tone. "You've already done the hardest part, which is admitting your feelings - now, it's time to start looking for a beautiful lady…"
"MERIDA!", cried Elsa, beginning to turn red.
"...and there's no better place to start than here!", she added, ignoring her interruption. Rapunzel nodded vigorously at the same time that Elsa rested her face on her hands.
"By all Gods... What if I don't want to meet someone, at least for now?", she challenged, her voice muffled by her hands.
"Are you sure about that?" Rapunzel asked, raising an eyebrow. "Seriously, if you weren't the host of the masquerade, I might even use the old 'Have You Met Elsa?' trick."
"Even if I wasn't the hostess, Punz, I'm the queen - I mean, who wouldn't know who I am?"
"Everyone?" Merida replied, blinking her eyes behind the domino mask. "Have you forgotten, Els, that more than half the queendom has never seen your face? At least you didn't hide in your room after Anna's death, but the fact is that you, let's put it this way, have always been more of a homebody person. Also, with Kai being the Lord Regent for the last three years, he took care of the routine in your place, so he went to official events while you prepared to take the throne, my dear."
Elsa nodded. Merida undoubtedly had a solid point.
"So, Els... be well aware that this is not a criticism, but you are still an illustrious stranger to many people. Of course, if we talk about you, everyone will know who you are, whether it's the fact that you are the queen of Arendelle or your powers over ice and snow. But if you show up with a clean face, wearing clothes that aren't made of ice, you could walk through the Royal City all day without being noticed", added Rapunzel.
"Okay, I got your point. Very well, since, apparently, I have no choice…"
"You really don't", chorused the two girls in unison, receiving a glare from Elsa in reply.
"...let's start. What do you suggest?"
"Well…" Rapunzel began, putting her hand to her chin. "We have to start with the following question, Elsa: what kind of woman do you prefer?"
Immediately, the image of a beautiful hooded assassin with teal eyes and a frank and sweet smile appeared in her head - the same image that had haunted her dreams for weeks.
Elsa blushed again as she realized that, as much as she wanted to avoid it - because it sounded too cliché, in her opinion - Aeris was the first person she thought of in imagining her model of a woman.
What had begun as gratitude for her saving her life had evolved over the first days and weeks into a genuine friendship, even with the enormous differences between the lives of the two girls. And now, friendship was just beginning to give way to a huge attraction - not just physical, but emotional.
But Elsa didn't know if this was because she saw Aeris was a strong, independent woman, the type who didn't depend on a man to live, or if it was because…
No, no, no, you can stop, Elsa! The blonde said in her head, praying that Rapunzel and Merida wouldn't notice her inner turmoil. Aeris is only your friend. A good friend! A friend who, if she knew who you are…
Elsa didn't allow herself to complete the sentence: she knew that Aeris wasn't exactly a fan of the queen of Arendelle, but she didn't want to imagine her friend's reaction to finding out who was behind the codename Shelby. A small part of her, the optimistic part that she had inherited from her sister, hoped that the assassin's reaction was the best possible, but - if she was realistic, and she was - Elsa was almost convinced that Aeris wouldn't be a bit happy to realize that her friend was also the person she hated most.
"Elsa? Apparently you already have a type of woman in mind", commented Merida, causing the queen to awaken from her thoughts.
"Actually... I'd say she already has one person in mind, am I right?", countered Rapunzel, looking at Elsa with a lively gleam in her eyes. Taking a deep breath, Elsa nodded, causing the Coronan princess to squeal. "I knew it! I KNEW IT! Who's the lucky girl, Elsa?"
"Punzie, this story is very complicated. She…"
"Your Majesty?" Called a hoarse and scary voice, making the three royals to jump.
Turning around, Elsa saw Kai, now as the Lord Chamberlain, accompanied by two extremely discrepant people: one was a little white-haired man (whom the monarch was sure was wearing a wig) with a prominent mustache and a monocle, and who wore a blue uniform full of military decorations. He also wore a simple white mask that covered half of his face - which explained the need for the monocle.
The other one was a tall and very fat man in a red coat with white accents and gold buttons, and black trousers; he was bald, but also had a huge brown mustache - bigger than his own face - as well as blue eyes almost completely hidden by the domino mask he wore, and huge hands protected by white gloves.
Elsa could not help thinking that for some reason the second man's appearance resembled an enormous egg.
"Who would like to talk to me?", the queen asked, her tone cool and formal - she knew who the little man was, and she wasn't at all that happy about it.
"Your Majesty, the Duke of Weselton", Kai replied formally - at least to Rapunzel, Merida, and the two strangers. Only Elsa, who had known Kai since her childhood, could detect a tone of utter disdain in his voice.
"Your Majesty", began the duke, in a flattering tone. "As your closest trading partner, I'd like to introduce you to my principal advisor, and Weselton's chief scientist."
The fat man approached and, bowing, held out his hand to Elsa, who accepted it. Kissing her pale fingers, the Weselton's counselor introduced himself.
"A pleasure to meet you at last, Queen Elsa of Arendelle. I am Doctor Anthony Ivo Robotnik, also known as Doctor Eggman."
Jason was finishing another dance with Elise when he saw him, introducing himself to the queen.
It was enough for him to feel bad as the phantom pain of electrical shocks passed through him.
"Now... we need to know how far your powers can go, Mr. Smith, and I think a little more energy can help... Take a load of this!"
"Jason? What's the matter, sweetheart?", the Duchess of Soleanna asked in a worried tone as she realized her cousin's discomfort - quickly, she helped him, dragging him away from the dance floor before anything could happen to him as she removed her own mask.
Glancing frantically sideways as she searched for a chair, Elise quickly caught sight of Adéwalé, who was talking to one of the guests. With a nod, the redhead managed to catch the attention of the leader of the Hunters' Guild, who frowned immediately as he saw the state of his apprentice.
"Jason? Jason, what happened, my boy?" The man asked as he approached the couple.
Sitting in a chair, the Count of Soleanna took several deep breaths, removing his mask to ease the situation, while Elise and Adéwalé watched him, with worried expressions on their faces.
For Jason, seeing the Doctor again was as if a nightmare were coming true - the man who had turned his life into hell was back.
"That... that…", began the blue-haired hunter, trying to control his emotions - to no avail. "That man with the queen…"
"What about him?" Adéwalé asked, staring in the direction Jason was indicating, and recognizing no one but the monarch (since, being a leader of the Guild, the former slave was also a member of the Council).
Elise, however, held her breath at the sight of the fat man. Horrified, she could only murmur. "My God, Jason... is that him?"
"Yes, Elise, it's him. Adé, my master, that man there was my warden, the bastard who tortured me for a year in Westside: Anthony Ivo Robotnik, or Dr. Eggman, as he likes to be called", spat the man with a mixture of terror, hatred and contempt in his voice. At the same time, the wish to break the neck of the scientist began to cross his mind…
Jason immediately dismissed the murderous wish at the same time Adéwalé spoke angrily. "Is that him?" He asked, unable to disguise his fury. As soon as his pupil nodded, the Guild leader began to walk towards the scientist, but Elise grabbed his arm, preventing him from punching Eggman in the way he deserved.
"Lady Elise, you know he deserves to hear some truths!" Adéwalé snarled, trying to break free from the strong (and incredible, for a girl who appeared to be so fragile) grip of Soleanna's monarch on his wrist. "In fact, he deserves to be spanked!"
"Signor Adéwalé, I completely agree with you, but here is not the place nor the time for this!", hissed Elise, strengthening her grip and making the veteran hunter choke with pain. "Remember we're at a gala, not a tavern!", exclaimed the duchess, squeezing his arm even tighter.
"Ah!" Exclaimed Adéwalé, grimacing painfully. "All right, all right, milady, I get it! Now, can you let me go before you squeeze my arm off, please?"
With a satisfied smile, Elise let go of the older hunter's arm. Turning back to Jason, who was still silent, she asked. "Are... are you okay?"
"I suppose so", muttered the islander, before rising from his chair. "I mean, I'm not as well as I'd like, but..." He stopped talking, his eyes widening as he saw a couple waltzing on the dance floor.
Both of them were wearing domino masks, which didn't hide their faces - he had red hair and sideburns, and wore a white coat, with some military decorations, and pants of the same color. She, in turn, wore a dress as red as her companion's hair, and her brown hair was tied in a bun, while her green eyes and tanned skin confirmed who she was.
"It's not possible", said the young man, in an extremely low tone, before putting on his mask one more time. Turning to his cousin and his master, he spoke, with a determination he couldn't imagine was his voice. "I'm going to the dance floor, and I'll be right back in a few minutes."
"What?" Adéwalé asked in disbelief. "Jason, did you go crazy? You were feeling bad, and now you're going back to the dance floor?"
"I need to confirm one thing, master. You'll understand when I get back, which shouldn't take long."
"Are you sure of that, cousin?" Elise asked, worried. "If you want, we can leave for the Guild or my ship."
"Yes, my love", Jason replied, taking her face in his hands before giving her a quick kiss. "Because, if I confirm what I saw, Eggman wasn't the only person from my past that I saw tonight."
The duchess and the leader of the hunters looked at each other in confusion as Jason marched toward the dance floor to where the couple stood. Swallowing, the blue-haired man took advantage of the mask completely hiding his face and resumed the facade he had used a few times during the ball.
At this point, Jason Ryan Smith was no longer there, but the Count of Soleanna was.
"Excuse me, my lord, my lady", said the hunter, using a voice more husky than usual to be unrecognized; the couple stopped dancing and turned to him. "My lord, do you mind if your lady gives me the honor of a dance?"
The man's eyes widened slightly at Jason's boldness, which made the exile smile: any discomfort of his interlocutor was a victory for him. Turning to the woman, he asked, "Honey, is everything okay with you?"
The woman looked at Jason suspiciously, before turning to her companion. "Don't worry, Hans, I know how to take care of myself. And if you need help, I know where to find you", she concluded, before giving a soft kiss to Hans's mouth - which made Jason wince, grateful that he was hidden by the mask.
With a faint smile, Hans stole a quick peck from the woman before handing her her hand to Jason, who took her to a reasonably spacious spot on the stage where the two of them began to dance.
With an indecipherable expression, the woman said sourly. "So you're the new Count of Soleanna, aren't you?"
"What?", asked the hunter, pretending he hadn't understood what he had heard, which caused the brunette to roll her eyes - Jason smiled as he recognized this old habit.
"Please, we have all seen you enter the chapel with Elise. I thought she would have some regard for her family, especially after her cousin was arrested... but I already noticed that she took the first chance she got and chose a new heir to the throne, probably one of the idiots her counselors got."
Trying to contain the smile behind the mask, Jason decided to continue with his little game. "Thank you for the thought, my lady, but I believed that Elise was more esteemed... at least that's what I knew when I came to the coronation."
The noblewoman let out an exasperated sigh. "That's what I thought, too, my lord, until I saw you enter arm in arm with her into the chapel. If my husband hadn't calmed me down, I think I would have gone to her and given her a piece of my mind."
"Wow", said the hunter with a hoarse laugh. "If I didn't know that her cousins were in prison, I'd say you know the Duchess well."
"Very well, I would say", agreed the woman, as she continued to waltz with Jason around the room. "We were practically raised together, until... until the invasion."
"The invasion of Westside Island by the Southern Isles?"
"That's right", she confirmed, tensing slightly. "My family and I were arrested, and I was separated from my brother... my luck is that I was assigned to work as a servant of the man who, years later, became my husband, Prince Hans. I sometimes still can't believe that the man who made me tremble with fear when I was going to clean his room or his office is today the most important person in my life", added the woman, with a glow of pure love in her green eyes.
Jason felt his insides twist at the news - that was the last thing he imagined (or wanted) to hear at that ball. What his mind kept screaming at that moment was that Hans - the arrogant bastard who had led the Smiths to prison during the Westside Island raid - had spared no effort to crush his family's pride.
"You know, Joan Kristen Smith, you're wrong: Elise has a lot of regard for her family, she never stopped caring for her loved ones", Jason commented, making the brunette's eyes widen.
"How... how do you know my name?" She asked in surprise.
"Because I was one of the first to know…" began the hunter, before leaving the facade and hoarse voice, resuming his habitual voice. "Sister."
If the woman was already surprised earlier, it was the little shove that was left for her to be completely baffled, Jason noted. Though they continued to dance, she was no longer paying any attention to the steps. She was too busy staring into the green eyes of the exile.
The man knew that if she had not connected the dots, it was only a matter of seconds before she did.
"Jason?" She murmured, her voice starting to fill with emotion.
Author's Note: And this concludes the first part of Elsa's coronation as Queen of Arendelle. Although there hasn't been an Eternal Winter, as there was in the movie, what wasn't lacking in this celebration was emotion.
I also hope this chapter has helped you learn a bit more about the characters, especially Jason. After all, we now know of the love of his life, his sister and the man who turned his life into a living hell. Oh, and I had a reader asking me who Hans's wife was... I suppose the answer surprised you, not to mention that Jason discovered that one of the people he hates the most is now his brother-in-law.
In the next chapter, we will see the second part of the coronation... But unfortunately, I can't tell you more than that. There is so much that's about to happen, not only in the next chapter, but in the next couple of chapters, that I don't want to risk accidentally dropping some spoilers.
Thanks to all the readers who left reviews for Chapter 7, your words are the fuel that keeps me writing - every word, be it praise, criticism or a suggestion, is more than welcome and necessary. Thanks to walard and Striga for their good work - I'd say that part of this fic is theirs. And thanks to my brothers AceVermin143 and SeniorCrescent for supporting me.
See you next chapter!