The Guardian

by Concolor44

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Chapter 6: Undetected

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Arendelle Castle, 25 May 1841, 9:00am

With the sun at her back, and standing on one of the higher balconies, Elsa had an excellent view of the Italian ship as it made its way down the fjord. Anna, standing beside her, muttered, "Good riddance."

"Amen."

"I'm glad you finally just told them to stuff it."

"They were … being unreasonable."

"They were unreasonable before they even got here!"

Elsa let slip a smirk. "Can't argue with that."

"Maybe we've seen the last of them?"

"One can only hope. They weren't happy. But they couldn't devise a 'test' I couldn't pass, so unless they want to just out-and-out lie to the Pope …"

"I wouldn't put it past that High Inquisitor guy. He's scum."

"Of the Earth."

Anna giggled. She turned to her sister, pulled her into a gentle hug, and then slid her hands down Elsa's arms and twined their fingers together. "Hey."

"Yes?"

"You need a break."

"From what?"

Rolling her eyes, Anna replied, "From Queening. From all this stress."

"Anna, I can't just …"

"Yeah, you can. Okay, look. With King Gregor's help, trade is … better. Actually, a lot better."

"One shipment does not …"

"I know! But it went off without a hitch, right? We emptied two warehouses, right?"

"… Yes."

"We haven't heard any more from that rabble Weselton hired, either. I think, if there even are any of 'em left, they heard about the forty-five we killed and decided they couldn't spend their silver if they were dead."

"Possibly."

"Highly likely."

"You are, no doubt, the optimist of the family."

"Well, you didn't want the job."

Elsa stifled a giggle. "I'll have to admit to feeling a bit thin around the edges."

"I'd have used 'bedraggled'."

"Oh, now it's insults?"

"Not an insult if it's the truth. Elsa … you can't run the kingdom if you're about to faint all the time. You need a mental-health day. A recharge. And a good, solid meal or three wouldn't hurt you, either."

Sigh. "What did you have in mind?"

"I think we ought to visit your ice palace."

That made Elsa stop and think. She weighed the options for half a minute, then shook her head. "Maybe later, when I have more time."

"Aaauuugh!" Anna threw her hands up. "You're impossible! When are you gonna have this 'more time' of which you speak? If not now, when?"

"It isn't that I don't want to go. I do. But I want to be able to stay there for … well, a few days."

"… Oh. Okay. Because …?"

"I have some repairs to do. I did leave it in shabby condition. And I want to get to know Marshmallow. He stayed outside between the time you, um … left … and when Hans got there."

Anna's nose wrinkled at the ex-Prince's name. "Really hate that guy."

"Mm-hmm. But, back to your proposal … what about the Nissefoss?"

"… Hmmmmm …"

"There's a gazebo there already. And I've always loved waterfalls." Even when I was afraid I'd freeze them. "It's less than an hour and a half by carriage. We could bring lunch."

Her eyes lighting up, Anna asked, "Can I bring Kristoff, too?"

Elsa cocked her head to the side, giving her sister her best sardonic look. "I don't know. Can you?"

"Geez! May I bring Kristoff?"

"Of course."

"Sweet! Can we go today?"

The Queen considered that question for a bit, then grimaced and shook her head. "No. I'm meeting with the French Ambassador at one this afternoon, and I'd really like more time than that." Taking Anna's hands, she countered, "How about day after tomorrow?"

"Perfect!" She suppressed her bubbling SQUEEEE, not wanting to startle Elsa. "I'll get everything ready. You don't worry about a thing!"

"Trust me, I'll stay out of your way. I'd rather not make the trip with any broken bones."

"Very ha." Anna stuck her tongue out. "Just you wait. This'll be awesome."

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Arendelle Village, 26 May 1841, 1:00pm

Doran Larsen had an office in the palace, as did every other member of the Council, but he was more comfortable working from his house. On this particular day, at any rate. That state of affairs was subject to rapid change, given his rather intense infatuation with the Queen.

Some days he used every excuse he could drum up to stay in the palace, to stay as near that incredible young woman as he could. Some days … well, some days he couldn't take the realities of his situation, and he holed up in his house and sulked in self-pity. What chance did he have? None, that's what. She was a Queen. A goddess, to his way of thinking, in all the ways that mattered. She was the most insanely beautiful creature he could have imagined; she was sweet, kind, self-effacing, regal, generous; and she was his Sovereign.

And he was the thin, low-born second son of a textile merchant.

Sure, he was on her Council. He'd been First Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and now held the position himself, the old Minister having succumbed to a sudden stroke three weeks before his fifty-second birthday. There was no one else prepared to assume the mantle, so it fell to him to fill a pair of shoes that frequently felt uncomfortably large. He could rely on the information network that old Baron Hos had built, but they were loyal to the position … not to him. He could interact with reasonable grace and efficiency with those foreign dignitaries who crossed his path, but he was sure it would never come naturally, as it had with the Baron. The old man had relished his job, loved the verbal sparring matches, the intrigues surrounding foreign courts, the tweaking out of secret desires and weaknesses in his political opponents.

Doran? Not so much. Basically, he was coasting on the momentum of his predecessor, and he knew it. That knowledge terrified him.

What if Queen Elsa found out what a fraud he was? What if she dismissed him in disgrace? He had planned on many more years of what amounted to apprenticeship before he would have felt ready … if ever. Now, here he was, in over his head, and unable to ask anyone for help. The Admiral would just laugh at him. The Spymaster for the intelligence-gathering service would sneer at him. His humiliation would be complete.

That untenable situation is what led him to come up with his contingency plan.

A knock on his door pulled him out of these musings, and he shuffled over to open it. Surprise dropped his mouth open when he found a cloaked female figure on his doorstep. She pushed past him, whispering, "Come back in! I don't want anyone to see." And she pulled her hood back.

He stared in shock. To say he was confused wouldn't have scratched the surface. "Princess? What are … Why are you here?" Several images and concepts skittered through his mind, but he dismissed each as soon as it appeared. She can't be here for me. She loves the ice-merchant. Surely she wouldn't be offering me a position on her staff! That would keep me closer to Elsa, which is surely a good thing. I would be there, though, when some Prince came to court her, and that would kill me. I couldn't stand seeing that! Is she starting a conspiracy? But, wait, she loves her sister, too! How could … "What?

"I said, I need for you to come with us tomorrow."

"… With you … where? Wait, who?"

"You didn't hear a thing I said!"

"My deepest apologies, Your Highness. I've had a lot on my mind, and your presence was rather unexpected." He stood severely straight, hands clasped behind his back. "How may I be of service?"

"Well, for one, you can loosen up. Geez, how'd you get so stiff?"

He dropped his 'parade rest' stance and let his arms hang at his sides … then crossed them … then sort of wrung his hands together.

She giggled at him. "You remind me so much of Elsa! She's a horrible fidget, too."

With a long-suffering sigh, he re-crossed his arms. "You said something about accompanying someone somewhere."

"Yeah! Tomorrow I plan to take Elsa on a picnic. Kristoff's coming. You need to come, too."

The floor dropped out from under his feet. The entire world suddenly sounded as if it were made of rushing water. His heart swelled up and popped. "Ex … cuse me?"

"We want you to come with us. I'm getting Elsa out of the palace and away from Queening it for a while. You know, rest and relax. I think you should be there with us."

He was sure he looked like a banked fish. "… Why?"

Her sly smile sent a thousand tremors down his limbs. "Why do you think?"

"I, ah …" swallow … swallow harder … "I wouldn't know." Liar.

"Oh, please. I've seen the way you look at her. If she weren't so preoccupied, she'd see it, too."

He honestly couldn't think of anything to say. What if Elsa did see how he felt? Surely … surely there was no way she'd consider … "But … I'm … nobody special."

"Yeah, so? Big deal. This is the nineteenth century. You think I'm gonna let some prissy, self-important, Continental puffball scoop her up as some sort of prize when there's already somebody close who knows her and actually cares about her? Not a chance." She bumped him with her elbow. "You in?"

"I … uh … yes. Yes, I will be … happy to join your party."

"Perfect! I'll tell Elsa you're there to help her get some background on Weselton politics. France, too."

"But … but I'm not …"

She skipped to the door, opened it, and peeked out. Glancing back, she said, "Don't tell a soul. Kristoff will come get you early in the morning." Tugging her hood back up over her riot of coppery curls, she scooted out into the street. His door didn't quite shut.

He stood there for nearly a minute, trying to process what had just happened. The Princess knew of his, um, feelings … and she approved? How was that even possible? And … a picnic? With Elsa? He had literally dreamed about such an event. Recently. In excruciating detail. And did that mean she might be interested in him as well? How? How – how – how – how … Wait, he needed to research … what was it she said? France? Yes, and Weselton. Complicated bunch, and he didn't really get all the nuances himself, but he …

One fact suddenly landed on him like a wild bull, and his eyes bugged. NO! He ran to his office, scrambled up a quill and a sheet of paper, and began writing furiously.

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27 May 1841

Elsa's initial reaction to Doran's presence in their party was to give Anna a look of extreme confusion, place her arms akimbo, and say, "You told me this was just a rest-up-from-Queening thing."

"It is!"

Holding a delicate hand out in her Councilman's direction, she cocked an eyebrow at her sister and waited.

Anna was all innocence. "What? I figured he could help you with some insider gossip from France, who you're trying to get on board as a military ally, and Weselton, whose stupid Duke needs to go boil his head. Not business stuff. You know, just … casual-like."

"Casual." She turned her gaze on Doran, who immediately popped a sweat, despite the dawn's cool breeze. As soon as she'd noticed him, she re-formed her ice dress into something a lot more conservative, with a high neck and long sleeves. "Master Larsen, did you suggest this or did my sister get you involved?"

"Um … she, ah … she did bring up the possibility that you might not, ah, be averse to, um, a bit of … background information. As it were."

"I see." Swinging back around to face her sister, she said, "What's your end-game?"

"End … huh? Game? What game?" She came up and took Elsa's hands. "Look," she said with a small sigh, "I know how you think, okay? You aren't going to be able to just leave it all be for a whole day. I'll be talking and you'll be all 'mm-hmm – mm-hmm' and not paying any attention because you'll be a thousand leagues away – well, okay, maybe three – going over some aspect of this idiocy the Duke has going, or trying to figure out how to secure some allies, or worrying about what Spain's gonna do next, or something. I know you. You're filled right to the brim with 'give-a-damn', and it's gonna wear you down if you can't set it down now and then."

Elsa averted her gaze, aware of the truth her sister spoke.

"So I figure this is a way you can rest and keep your head in the game at the same time. But just concentrate on one topic at a time, okay? Don't worry about six things at once. Just try to soak up what Doran knows, and limit your questions to the same stuff." She stepped in and gave Elsa a light hug. "Please? For me? I worry, you know."

"… I know." The Queen sighed and gave a small, resigned nod. "You know me too well. Okay, let's give this … tactic a try."

That was an hour gone, and Elsa had quickly warmed up to the topic, once they were outside Arendelle Village. Doran provided some bits of information and a couple of statistics, then introduced the value of an alliance, and …

Elsa had gotten positively animated, and held forth on the subject of military alliances for half an hour. The conversation finally came back around to the defense of Arendelle, and ultimately Arendelle's Sovereign. "So Anna's been pestering me to use my magic on other things, to try larger formations, or see how quickly I can create various kinds of walls and such – she worries about me – so that just in case somebody manages to sneak into the castle and make it past or through half a hundred guards without waking me until they get right up to my door, I can still defend myself." She shot a look at her sister, who gave her a cheeky grin.

"It's not a bad plan, Your Majesty." The first half-hour they talked had been torture, but Elsa had finally managed to put him at what passed for ease. "Given the Duke's stance on Arendelle, it will only be a matter of time before he tries something … permanent. You should be prepared for such an attack."

"And I don't have a problem with it. I like my skin un-punctured." She thought of something else and gave a small, disgusted sound. "That's very different from being a spear-head, though … and every last ambassador I spoke with at the very least brought it up. Many of them were quite insistent. They see me as a tool, as some kind of weapon." Letting her gaze drop to her hands in her lap, she said, after a moment, "That's just not me. Not now, and probably not ever."

Kristoff finally interjected something. "If it makes you uncomfortable, there's probably a good reason. I can understand getting really familiar with your powers, for the reasons you gave, but if you don't have a killer instinct, war really isn't for you." He gave Anna a fond squeeze where she was tucked up against his side. "This one, I don't know so much about. I'm staying on her good side, just in case."

She punched him.

After giving a small grunt, he grinned at her and said, "See?"

"Shut it, you."

He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "That's fine for you. But Elsa isn't as … feisty as you are. Battle's not her thing, and she shouldn't try to make it her thing. I think it would give her nightmares to think that her magic had killed a bunch of people."

The Queen nodded. "You speak deep and succinct wisdom, Sir Bjorgman. I think I'll have you explain it to the next ambassador who shows up."

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Eight of the Guard patrolled the woods around the falls. Four of them stayed close to the royal party … which would have been a lot easier had Anna not been there. She kept Kristoff and the soldiers going with her constant hopping from one small, clear pool to the next. Her antics made Elsa giggle, and it wasn't too long before she joined the redhead, wading contentedly in the shallow stream. Doran, who was no fan of water that wasn't either cold in a cup, or hot in a tub, declined Anna's generous invitation to "have a splash". With a relatively still pool available, Kristoff tried to teach Anna how to skip a stone, using one of the many from the streambed. She never managed to get more than one skip, but had a lot of fun anyway.

They stopped around noon to gather at the gazebo for the generous lunch they'd brought, inviting all the Guard to join them. The men took it in turns, four of them eating, then swapping out. The party lingered long over some excellent light, sweet wine after the meal.

Later, Kristoff and Anna meandered back over in the direction of the stream. She hoped that leaving Elsa alone with Doran might spark something. Her sister had been infuriatingly oblivious to the Councilor's fawning interest. What am I going to have to do, draw her a picture?

When they had gone a score of paces, Kristoff stopped, looking around. "Where'd the Guard go?"

"Huh?"

"Well, there are five over by the gazebo, but I don't see any … oh, crap." He moved around to her other side, then urged her back the way they had come.

A double-dozen men in rough camouflage came spilling out of the woods, leveling rifles at them.

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End Note:
Well, THAT went sour in a hurry.
What do you think Elsa will do? Or Anna? Or Kristoff?
I'd be very interested in your opinions.

Reviews = Love!