The Elder Scrolls V½: Arendelle
Prelude
Elsa didn't know why the Dragonborn was pulling her out of the room, but even she understood why the former prince wanted to leave the room, after a deity had declared open season on him for all the females from Tamriel.
— Look, I'll be forever in your debt if you assist me — He whispered as they crossed the double doors.
She nodded in agreement, noticing the worried glance he gave back at the room. He looked at the Queen with a relieved smile, and she even gave a small smile back, but her eyes grew wide as she noticed she felt the former prince's hand in her waist pulling her close to him. Before she could protest, the Dragonborn claimed her lips, in full view of everyone in the room. She was in shock for a moment, barely registering the gasps and cheers coming from inside. Westergard used a magic gesture to close the door before she recovered from the act, muffling the slap sound from her reaction that came right after...
— Ouch! — The muffled voice of the Arch-Mage was heard behind the door.
THREE
LIBERATION
Life in Arendelle was returning to normal, or at least as normal as it could be with an entire Imperial Legion garrisoned in the capital city, a fleet of warships guarding the fjord, and the occasional attack of draugr or some random beast. The dragons were seen in the sky, but since the arrival of the Dragonborn, they didn't venture near the capital city. And the supply ships were back, as were the foreign diplomats.
Queen Elsa Frosberg of Arendelle took that morning to venture into the village, to see how her subjects were dealing with their visitors. The other cities of the kingdom were still suffering with attacks, but the Legion sent troops to clear the roads, and established outposts along the kingsroad, making it possible to send assistance and move provisions again. The capital city was still crowded with refugees, but now they had much better accommodations thanks to the bunkhouses built by the Tamrielians.
The continent of Tamriel always had a reputation for being an inhospitable land, with a long history of war and unrest, savagery and sorcery that made it the source of legends and tales of fantastic adventure, and of being fairly primitive compared with Europe, a perception made more apparent by the fact that not a single Tamrielian carried a firearm, not that they had much need for it, with their magic being much more destructive than cannonballs and bullets. But the refinement of their engineering was very surprising. She currently was accompanied by Legate Rikke, as the Nord commander inspected the work of her legionnaires.
— Rest assured, Your Majesty. — The Legate said — The capital will be back to its former glory in no time. — And quickly turning to a crew, she shouted — Hey, watch that crate, Auxiliary!
Elsa took a step back as the Legate barked her orders, wondering just how hard life must be for them to shape a woman into a military commander like that. It must have been particularly hard to turn the man that tried to kill her into the man that had saved her.
— So, Legate, how did you meet the Arch-Mage? — The queen asked
— Well, I didn't meet him until he came to our headquarters to summon General Tullius for a summit, but Legate Hadvar met him at his execution. — Rikke answered.
That made the Queen turn her head and give full attention to the Nord:
— Execution? — Elsa asked, surprised — Your people planned to execute him?
— Not exactly "planned", it was more like a opportunity that presented itself. — Rikke said — Legate Hadvar was there, he could tell you that tale better. That's his tent right there..
As the royal ruler and the commander approached the tent, they were surprised by the sight of Serana leaving the tent, the Vampire Princess buttoning up her corset, and a filet of blood coming from her mouth. Hadvar came right after her, tightening up his armor and fixing the sheath of his sword. The smile in their faces was very clear, as the Legionnaire grabbed the Vampire by her waist, lifting her up and making her giggle.
Elsa blushed a little looking at the couple kissing, and Rikke cleared her throat, making the lovebirds look at them.
— Oh, hello Rikke, Your Majesty. — Hadvar greeted them.
— Hi Legate, Your Majesty — Serana said, bowing respectfully in the presence of the Queen.
Hadvar saw the Legate cross her arms, and the Queen trying not to blush anymore than she was already blushing. Serana wasn't keen of the awkwardness that followed, and put up her cowl again:
— Westergard asked me to check the catacombs. — She said, fixing her cowl — I gonna make sure that there is no necromant in the city trying to raise the dead behind our backs.
The vampire kissed her Legate in the cheek and then disappeared in a cloud of bats. Hadvar kept smiling, until he noticed the look that Rikke was giving him. The legionnaire shrugged and said:
— What? — He asked.
— So, you and the Vampire Princess... — Rikke said, with a smug look in her face.
— Yes, Serana and I. — Hadvar replied, with a hint of annoyance — Is that a problem?
— Not to me, but... — She made a gesture, touching her face and pointing at him
Hadvar touched his cheek, and noticed the blood on it. He proceeded to cleaning with a piece of cloth shamelessly, and then looked at the legate:
— Anything else, Rikke? — The Legate asked
— Actually, Her Majesty was inquiring about the time when you first met General Westergard — She said.
— Oh... — Hadvar said a bit sheepishly — In all fairness it was all the fault of the Thalmor. And Hans got the bad luck of being caught by our troops when he was trying to cross the frontier into Skyrim in the same day that the rebel Ulfric Stormcloak tried to cross the frontier in the opposite direction.
— And what happened? — Elsa asked, with curiosity
— Well, he was brought along with Stormcloak and other rebels to the city of Helgen, where I was stationed. — Hadvar said — I was actually in charge of the list of criminals that were going to the chopping block. I saw that Hans was not in the list, and I tried to reason with my captain, but the damn Thalmor was breathing down his neck, so he decided to send him to be executed too.
The Queen listened to the account of the events with some worry. Tamriel was once again doing justice to its reputation, and even if Hans was not exactly an innocent man, she shuddered at the thought of him being beheaded just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
— No matter the situation, I fear that I cannot condone the behavior of your superior. The Arch-Mage should never be put to be executed. — Elsa said, with a disapproving tone.
— Well, It all conspired for the best, Your Majesty. — Havdar said — At least, it did for him, when the dragon appeared and started tearing the city apart. We ended up escaping together to the next village, and by the time I saw him again, he was already the Arch-Mage, a Thane, and the Hero that had defeated the Dragons.
— Well, if you both excuse me, I have some duties to attend to. — Rikke said — Legate, Your Majesty...
— See you later, Legate. — Hadvar said
— Thank you for the company, Legate Rikke. — The Queen said
The Nord bowed her head and proceeded to yell at some poor soldiers that were found slacking in their duties. Hadvar watched Rikke terrorize some soldiers, and Elsa felt a bit sorry for the legionnaires.
— Is she always like that? — Elsa asked
— Only when she's in a good mood. — Hadvar said, and made a gesture to let the queen proceed — The Divines know that Hans and I had our fair share of yelling from the good Legate. She was our superior during the civil war in Skyrim.
— And now Westergard is her superior. Do you think she is bothered by that? — The Queen asked as they kept walking
— Who? Rikke? Not at all. — Hadvar replied, dismissing the idea with a hand wave — To be honest, I think she was glad to leave Skyrim after all the ugliness that a war between our own people left behind.
— And what about you? — The Queen inquired.
— He's my commander, and my friend. — The Legate said, stopping for a moment to face the Queen — Hans told me about what happened here, and what he tried to do to you and your sister. It was ugly, it was wrong and I cannot condone his acts.
— I sense a "but" coming — She said, as they kept walking through the barracks.
— But... he's not the same man that acted against you. — Hadvar said — Blazes, I don't think he's even the same man that saved Skyrim and the Empire anymore.
The Queen stopped, turning to face the Nord:
— How so? — She inquired with curiosity.
Hadvar looked around, observing his fellow legionnaires interacting with the Arendellians for a moment:
— When I first met Hans, he seemed to have a death wish. He didn't argue at all as my captain ordered him to be beheaded. Then, when he saved Skyrim from the Dragons, the people that knew him then told me that he was impulsive, running into danger, borderline suicidal in some moments even. When we fought together, he was angry. He didn't simply defeat the Stormcloaks Rebels, he punished them ruthlessly. — Hadvar said, turning to face the queen — He confided in me long after those days that he saw the worst aspects of his past in the rebels when he saw how the dark elves were being treated in Ulfric's hold, and that made his blood boil.
Elsa pondered for a moment about what she had just heard as they overlooked the village and the pier.
— But that is not how I saw him behaving here. — The Queen commented
— No, it is not. Ever since he told us that we were coming here, he changed. — Hadvar said — The way he took charge of the entire mission, dissuaded the Emperor and the Grand Houses of Morrowind to fund it, and even the way he forced the Thalmor to change the Concordat was something else.
She had been briefed by the Tamrielians about the affairs in the continent, and Elsa remembered the White-Gold Concordat and the problem with the worship of a human deity.
— Well, I'm glad that... — Elsa didn't finish her sentence for they heard a scream and sound of things crashing.
The Legate and the Queen were surprised by the sight of Ingun Black-Briar running away from a huge Draugr Deathlord. The young nord found herself in front of a wall, and turned around in horror.
— What in the blazes ?! — Hadvar said, unsheathing his sword.
Elsa saw the creature swing its sword, and immediately she created a wall of ice, seconds before it hit the alchemist. Ingun had her eyes closed, noticed that she was still alive, and opened one eye, to see the blade stuck in the ice.
— Ingun! — Hadvar yelled, gesturing for the young woman to run his way.
Elsa concentrated, making the ice hug the sword, as the draugr tried to take it back.
— Where the heck did that come from? — Hadvar asked
— From my laboratory. — Igun said, and immediately she put a hand on his sword — No blades, I need it in one piece.
— I don't think he thinks the same way about us! — The Legate said, noticing the Draugr let go of his sword and turn to them.
Elsa created another ice wall around the creature, and for a moment, the three of them though they had it contained, at least until the creature used its thu'um...
FUS RO DAH!
The ice shattered into pieces, as the creature freed itself.
— O-kay... — Hadvar said, a bit pale — I'd say he have a problem.
SU GRAH DUN!
The three of them and the creature looked up as the dragon shout echoed, and saw Hans Westergard coming down fast from above...
— Arch-Mage! — Ingun exclaimed.
The Dragonborn landed right next to the Draugr with a thud that cracked the pavement. The draugr turned to him and immediately attacked him. He dodged and returned the favor, punching the draugr with inhuman speed, making the monster stumble back, surprising the queen, the legate, the alchemist and the few other people that ran to see the commotion.
— That's new. — Hadvar said, arching his eyebrows, as the Arch-Mage kept assaulting the draugr.
The arch-mage's punches made the draugr stumble back, giving him the opportunity to grab it by the chestplate and headbutt the undead monster without mercy. Elsa cringed at the sound of bones breaking, as the attack brought the draugr to its knees, and finally, to a knockout as Westergard hit him one last time with a left hook.
— Holy Akatosh! — Hadvar exclaimed.
The people cheered as the undead hit the floor unconscious. Hans turned to the Queen and the two Tamrielians, and Elsa could not help but notice that he was not properly dressed. In fact, beside his trousers, the former prince wasn't wearing anything...
His hair was wet and disheveled on his face and around his shoulders, his muscles and his scars were out for every female within eye range to admire. The Dragonborn walked in their direction, fixing his hair out of the way. Hadvar noticed the smile in Ingun's face, and also noticed the eyes of the queen fixated on his friend, though he didn't think she herself was aware of what she was doing.
— Ingun. — Hans called the alchemist by name.
— Yes, Arch-Mage? — She replied, with a sultry voice.
— Next time you plan to reanimate a draugr, how about chaining it first and putting its weapons away? — He suggested, in a cold voice — Perhaps even putting a containment spell first , you know, just for safety, should it wake up angry.
— Perhaps you could help me conjure the spell... — Black-Briar suggested, with a look that implied something other than what she was proposing.
— I trust your capacity to do this alone. — He replied, and looking at the legate — Hadvar, please have the soldiers chain the draugr inside the lab firmly to the ground.
— I'll take make sure that not even Talos himself can shout this ugly bastard free this time. — Hadvar said. — Nice fight, by the way...
Hans grinned at his friend for a moment. Elsa found herself, not for the first time in those weeks, staring at the former prince. And again, he noticed.
— Good morning, Your Majesty. — The Dragonborn said, bowing dandly at the Queen.
— Good morning, Arch-Mage. — She greeted him back as cold as she could — Would you mind making yourself decent?
Hans smiled charmingly at her, and then he raised his glowing hand. The feathered magical robes appeared out of thin air, enveloping him until it was properly dressing his owner, much to the disappointment of the female audience.
— Is this better? — He asked.
— Much better — Elsa replied.
— I strive to please. — The Dragonborn replied, and offering his hand, he asked — Now, if your Majesty is not too busy, There is something that I would like to show to you.
— What is it? — She asked.
— It is better to show rather than tell. — He said, the insistent hand stretched out to her
Elsa gave an annoyed glance at the former prince, but took his hand. Suddenly he pulled her close, and before she could ask, he said:
— Hold on tight. — He said, as they both started to glow.
They started moving up quickly, and the Queen grabbed the feathered robes firmly, her hands leaving flurries behind as they kept going up. She barely registered the winged beast that passed by them, and only when they landed on the back of a Dragon, that the Queen noticed its presence. She was unceremoniously grabbed by her waist and placed seating on the mythical beast's neck. She felt the warm body of the Arch-Mage behind her, as he also sat on the beast.
— Do not fear. — The Dragonborn said — Odahviing is a friend.
— Odahviing? — The Queen asked.
— Drem Yol Lok, Od Jud, the Snow Queen — The dragon spoke as they gained altitude — I'm Odahviing.
Elsa looked surprised at Hans, and the Dragonborn said:
— To Iizangaar, Odahviing.
— "Iizangaar"? — She asked
— Your Ice Palace, that's the name in the dragon language. — The Arch-Mage replied — You haven't been there recently, right?
— No. To be honest, I didn't even know it was still there. — Elsa replied.
She instinctively held his arms as the winged beast flew north, and after a few minutes, she could see the Ice Palace that became her residence for the short time she fled her royal duties. She remembered that there was some damage, to the staircase, the doors and inside, but as they approached, not only she noticed that the damage had been repaired, but also that she had guests there.
— Friends of yours? — The Queen asked.
— Yes. — The Arch-Mage replied — Drop us at the balcony, Odahviing.
The beast dived, and approached the balcony, hovering right over. Elsa saw that there was no space for the dragon to land, and she turned to face the dragonborn. He grabbed her by the waist again, and this time she held him, as the Arch-Mage floated them down.
— I see you soon, my friend — Hans said to the beast.
Odahviing nodded and took off again. Elsa observed the mythical beast fly away for a moment, then turned, walking into her palace. Immediately she found two guards, dressed in armors that seemed to be made out of bones. One of them approached the couple, and made a gesture with his hand:
— The scouts reported back, Serjo. — The soldier said, taking his helmet and revealing a dark elf. — The Guard secured the Froland Mill and the houses around it.
— The Redoran Guard never disappoints , Captain — Hans said, and gesturing to Elsa, he made introductions — Captain Veleth, this is Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elsa of Arendelle.
Modyn Veleth bowed ceremoniously in deference:
— Modyn Veleth, Captain of the Redoran Guard of Morrowind at your service, Your Majesty. — The Dunmer spoke.
— Very nice to meet you, Captain. — Elsa replied — What about the people of Froland? Are they well?
The Dunmer soldier looked at the Queen, and said:
— We found survivors, but not many. — Veleth revealed — Most of the villagers were already in the capital city.
— What about the rest of the kingdom? — Hans asked.
— It is better to show you both. — The Captain said, gesturing them to follow — This way, please.
Elsa followed the Dunmer, and the Dragonborn followed her. The Ice castle was not exactly as she remembered. the damage from her fight was gone, but it seemed more like a fortress. The current occupants of the castle were not only the dark elves with bone armors, but also a group of soldiers that loosely resembled medieval knights, comprised of humans, orcs, elves and catmen, and a few war trolls.
The Queen saw one of the men, a dark-skinned bald man with a long beard and hard eyes approached them, with an unfriendly face:
— I told you that this was a mistake! — The man came right to Hans' face pointing a finger to him. — We divided our forces instead of marching straight upcountry.
Elsa looked at the former prince as he kept unfazed by the other man's anger.
— Show some manners, Isram. — Westergard said — You are in the presence of royalty.
Isram looked flustered for a brief moment, and then bowed to the queen, in a military fashion:
— Your Majesty, I'm Isram, leader of the Dawnguard. It is a honor to meet you —The Vampire Hunter said, in a rispid voice..
— Dawnguard? — Elsa asked.
— Vampire Hunters, and now protector of the last Vampire Princess of Tamriel. — The Arch-Mage explained.
— Oh, Serana, you mean? — Elsa asked.
— Exactly. — Isram said
The Dawnguard leader turned to the the tapestry in the wall behind him, and Elsa recognized as a map of Arendelle. but different from the one she had in the throne room, this one was alive, magical. She saw little battles that at time seemed to move around, and she realized that they were troops. looking at the Tamrielians, she made up the badges they wore and saw them in the map.
— The Sun represents the Dawnguard, the Scarab shows the Redoran Guard, the Dragon shows the Imperial Legion, the Eye represents the Mages of Winterhold, the Compass is Serana, the Wings are Odavhiing, the Mask is myself — Hans said, and pointing at the other symbols — The Crocuses are the Royal Guard, the Elk and the Galleon are Kristoff and Anna, and last but not least, the snowflake is you.
The queen examined the map and asked:
— Very fitting. I take those skulls are the enemy. — She pointed at the black symbols in the map
— Yes, but this is only an speculation as we can't ascertain their location without the scout reports. — Veleth explained — Now, this is the reason why I called for you, Sera.
The Dunmer captain pointed at a specific point in the map, where there were some skull banners showing:
— We found where they took the prisoners. — Isram declared, and turning to another table, he presented a sketch of a fort.
— Prisoners? What prisoners? — Elsa asked, worried.
Veleth exchanged glances with Isram, and both looked at the Arch-Mage:
— You haven't told her? — Isram asked.
— I wanted reliable intel before raising hopes that could turn to be false. — Westergard replied.
The three men felt the temperature drop several degrees and they turned to the queen, who had a severe expression and whose fingers that were touching the table were creating fractals over it.
— Somebody better tell me what is going on fast. — She threatened.
— One of our scouts reported seeing the draugr taking villagers in cages alive. — Hans said. — I didn't know what they wanted with them or where they were taking them until now.
— And you didn't think to inform me of that? — Elsa asked, angry.
— I did, the moment I heard from Isram. — He replied, unfazed.
Elsa faced the former prince a moment more, and turned to the Dawnguard leader:
— Where are these creatures taking my people, Mister Isram? — The queen asked.
The vampire-hunter was slightly taken aback from the Queen's hard stare, and he pointed at the map.
— There, in the mounts around the lakes of Âmli, they are bringing in the commoners, and making them work in the mines. — He informed.
— I'm already getting the guard ready to storm the place. — Veleth informed
Hans leaned over the table, looking at the sketch in silence for a moment.
— Wouldn't a frontal attack put in risk the lives of the prisoners? — Elsa asked.
— At least that would give them a chance to save most of them, if we go in hard and fast. — The Dunmer captain said
— For all that we know they are killing the ones that get too weak to work, or their dragon priests might be experimenting on them. — Isram.
Either thought brought chills to Elsa's bones, and she let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding when Hans spoke:
— No one dies. — He declared — I'll go in, take them out, rescue the prisoners and find out what exactly they want in that mine.
— We are talking about dozens of draugr and their beasts. It will not be like those ruins in Skyrim. — Isram said
— I'm aware of that. — Hans replied — But It is still better than a full-front attack. Besides, I can get rid of most of them quietly.
Elsa could not believe the plan the Arch-Mage had presented. It was crazy, borderline suicidal, but the man had taken down a dragon by himself, so she didn't know what to think, or worse, she thought of the people enslaved by the undead:
— I'm going with you. — She said.
— What? Oh, no, no, no. It is too risky. — Hans protested, listing the reasons with his fingers — You don't have the training, you don't have the gear, and your sister would skin me alive if something happened to you.
— These are my people, this is my country and it is still to come the day when I sit idly as my subjects suffer. — She replied with her own finger list, defiantly.
Westergard took a deep breath, intent to argue with the snow queen, but his shoulders slouched, and he sighed with his head down. Veleth and Isram exchanged glances again, surprised that the man they knew conceded defeat so easily to the queen, and they considered that maybe, the rumors about them were true... either way, they had a new problem, and he had just the right solution for it.
— Ok, where is Avenicci? — He asked.
— Down by the garden. — Veleth replied — She was afraid that the heat from the forge would melt the wall...
The Dragonborn nodded and turned to Elsa:
— Come with me.
She didn't argued as they walked by parts of the palace that she didn't even know were there before. The went down a few floors to an area of the palace that she was sure was not there when she built the place. Dorms, mess hall, stables, and a garden, with a forge on the opposite end of the open space from the palace, and a woman of tanned skin manning it.
— I see that you redecorated. — She commented.
— I adapted the place to our needs. — He replied
A humongous bearded man sporting a gigantic alabard on the holster in his back appeared from behind the trees and walked straight to them with a friendly smile. Ulfberth War-Bear opened his arms and enveloped both Hans and Elsa in a bear hug, lifting both from the ground.
— My Friends, You came right on time! — The man said enthusiastically
— G-good to see you too, Ulfberth. — Hans replied, with a strained voice
The big man put them both in the ground, and then looked at Elsa, noticing that he didn't know who she was.
— Ulfberth, this is Queen Elsa of Arendelle. — The Arch-mage said, and finished the introductions — Your Majesty, this is Ulfberth War-Bear, my dear friend and husband of our master-blacksmith.
— My apologies, my Queen, I guess I was inappropriate. — The Bear said.
— That is not a problem, Master Ulfberth. — She replied.
Immediately he raised his hands, waving them in negative:
— Oh, no, no. The wifey is the master. I just help her around. — He clarified.
— Don't be modest, My love. — A female voice sounded behind him — You fought giants and bandits with the Thane back at home.
Elsa inclined her head to see past the nord, and saw the woman behind him, cleaning her hands in her apron.
— Queen Elsa, meet Adrianne Avenicci, our master-blacksmith from Whiterun. — The Arch-Mage said — Adrianne, this is Elsa, queen of Arendelle.
Like a proper lady, Avenicci bowed with her hands holding her dress, and Elsa nodded in approval of the gesture.
— It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty. — Adrianne greeted.
— Likewise, Master Avenicci — Elsa replied.
— Please, nothing of this "master" thing. — Adrianne said — This is just a title to appease my ego. Everyone knows that Eorlund Gray-Mane is the master-blacksmith in Skyrim. I'm just replacing him because he's too old to travel this far.
— Eorlund didn't travel with me to learn how to forge with the Orcs, the Dunmer and the Skaal. — Hans replied — And he would not be able to make the queen a stalhrim armor.
— What is this Stalhrim that you and the dragons talk about? — Elsa asked.
Hans looked around, and seeing a piece of the eternal ice, he grabbed it and approached the Queen. Elsa felt the stalhrim pulsate even before she touched it. It was ancient and powerful; these things the Snow Queen knew by instinct. She let her fingers slide over the frozen surface, and as the Arch-Mage suspected, the ice reacted to her, glowing at the queen's touch.
— It never did that before. — Adrianne said, surprised.
— It had never been in contact with the Snow Queen before. — The Dragonborn replied.
Elsa retracted her hands and the stalhrim stopped glowing. She turned to face Hans and Adrianne:
— It... Spoke to me. — The Queen revealed. — it wants me to use it.
— Then... — The Arch-Mage said, picking up the eternal ice — It is about to get its wishes.
[Hours Later]
Elsa and Hans proceeded through the forests in the countryside, The Arch-Mage's Candlelight spell illuminating their path as they approached the camp. The Queen was dressed in her stalhrim mail, magically weaved from the Eternal Ice into fabric by the Arch-Mage and sewed into clothes by Master Avenicci. The corset, braces, gauntlets, shoulder guards and boots had proper plates, but the clothes under it were the more malleable but surprisingly durable and resistant fabric. The best part of all, was the fact that she could will it to change to a complete armor if necessary or a more scout-like attire, like she had right now.
— There. — Hans said kneeling down, dispersing his spell
He used his spyglass to survey the place, and then handed to Elsa,
besides him. Frosberg got the instrument and saw the chained peasants inside cages, being guarded by hellish creatures of all sorts.
— There are too many of those undead. — She said — How are we going to save those people from them?
— Do you think you can create an stairway from that rock on the far side for them to exit? — Hans asked.
— Possibly, but how am I to get there? There are plenty of these creatures patrolling the mine.
She looked at the Dragonborn, and saw him sheath a bow and arrows:
— You sneak around the wall, climb the stone from the far side and I take care of the guards. — He said. — Once I'm inside and ready, I signal you and you make the stairs for the commoners to escape.
She nodded at him, and proceeded to go down sliding on the grass until she reached the bottom of the cliff.
Elsa never considered herself to be an stealthy person, but she could barely hear her own steps. Looking at her own feet, she noticed the faint gloom of whatever magic effect was muffling her steps. She heard the sound of armor rattling and ducked down in the tall grass.
She peeked above the grass and saw a draugr walk by, followed by a few skeleton. A barely imperceptible snap sound was heard, and the last of the skeleton flew back into pieces after being hit by an arrow. The patrol stopped, turning around, and immediately the draugr was hit with an arrow, and silently and quickly was engulfed into flames as it also flew back. The confused skeletons looked back and forth, and one by one they were struck in quick succession, opening the path for her to reach the wall.
Once at the wall, the Ice Queen kept moving silently along the stones. She clamped her mouth with both hands to stop her from screamed as a draugr fell from the wall, killed by Westergard's arrow. Calming herself, she moved again, and she noticed two undead guarding the gate. It didn't take long before the first arrow put the one on the right out, quickly followed by another arrow that eliminated the second guard, that had just noticed the fallen warrior on his side.
She thought of moving, but something in the back of her mind said it would be unwise. That instinct proved right when she heard the mechanisms of the gate being activated. Elsa squeezed herself against the stone, as a group of draugr came out marching.
She counted six of them, and looked back, wondering if she had time to fall back behind a bush before they noticed the dead guards, and then started to look around for the culprit. The Queen saw one of them notice the bodies, but then, from the dark of the night, Hans moved in. He was silent and deadly, armed with a sword of the likes she never saw before, he cut through the draugr with ruthless efficiency, swinging his blade and swirling with the grace of a dancer. All six draugr few dead to the floor around him, as he sheathed his weapon.
She looked at him, mouth open with the display of swordsmanship, and he looked at her, nodding with his head, pointing at where she should be heading. Before she could say anything, she saw him run and roll, getting inside the gates right before it closed again. She walked away from the wall, and saw from the lights on the top the clash of swords. Soon, dead bodies fell down the wall, and Elsa decided she didn't want to stay around and see what else would be thrown from the other side.
She drew Chillrend, the sword Westergard and Avenicci crafted for her, just in case she needed to fight any foe on her way around. The translucent blade was made of stalhrim, the eternal ice, and elvish glass, which was a sort of semitransparent metallic alloy. Adrianne told her that the longsword she had on her hands was made with the glass from the original Chillrend, that was unmadeby the Arch-Mage so that they could craft a new one just for her.
Soon she found more dead draugr, all struck by arrows, showing that the Dragonborn had cleared the way for her. She got to the stone cliff and started to climb the her way up. Again she found that it wasn't as tiring as it would normally be, and she somehow knew that it was a magical effect from the armor. Once she got up, Elsa snuck around to see the mine. The creatures were starting to notice the lack of their buddies, and she could not see Hans anywhere, just the results of his work on the growing number of bodies laying discreetly out of the way.
She got ready to create the stairs, when a low growl behind her alerted the Ice Queen she was not alone. She heard the sound of metal, and rolled to the side in the nick of time to avoid the deadly ebony blade that came down hard on the floor. The draugr roared, apparently annoyed for having missed, and she took that opportunity to kick him in the face:
— Get you ugly mug away from me! — She said, throwing ice shards at him.
The draugr stumbled back, and lowered his weapon, giving Elsa enough time to get on her feet. She raised her sword, ready to defend herself. The draugr recovered, but instead of trying to hit her he tried to grab Elsa. This time, however, she was more than ready. Remembering the training she received from her guards, the Ice Queen dodged and cut the offending hand, proving that her sword was indeed a very fine weapon. She moved, circling the space between them, and attacked him with a volley of the blade .
For a longsword, Chillrend moved really fast, and she was capable of hitting her foe on the arm. The moment the blade touched his armor, it froze a good chunk of his armor. Taken aback by the magical effect, the draugr tried to move his arm, and she took the opportunity to swing the sword from the other side, disarming the undead, and finally finishing him by thrusting the blade into his chest.
— Yaaaahhh! — Elsa yelled as she put all her might into the action.
The draugr arched forward, by the strength of the blow, and then fell dead on the ground. A sphere of light flew up behind her, illuminating the darkness and she immediately turned around, seeing down on the patio of the mine the Arch-Mage and the commoners.
— That is the sign. — Hans said from below, in a sarcastic tone.
Elsa sheathed her sword and concentrated on the creation of the ice stairs. Soon, the prisoners were walking up the steps and gathering behind the Queen. They had dirt on their clothes and skin, some looked malnourished and sick, and all were tired, but they all were alive, and that was the important thing. As the last prisoner escaped up the stairs, Hans destroyed the ice construct with a fireball:
— What are you doing? — Elsa asked, confused and a little worried.
— Making sure you can't be followed. — Hans replied
— Followed by who? — The Queen asked — You killed all of the draugr.
— The ones here yes. — The Arch-Mage said — but not their reinforcements.
Elsa was about to ask what reinforcements, when the hellish sound of the horses echoed. She saw in horror as the cavalry of undead stormed into the fortification, destroying the gates and the draugr deathlords started to circle the Dragonborn.
— Westergard! — Elsa screamed, panicking.
What happened next she couldn't tell. She thought she saw him concentrate some spell in his hands, but then a huge explosion blew the whole mine into oblivion. She was thrown back by the shockwave from the explosion, falling on her butt as a column of fire went up on the sky.
Immediately, she crawled on her knees, approaching the burning inferno, confused and afraid, not for her, but for the man that saved all those people with her.
— HANS! — Elsa screamed again
She received no response, and that made her chest place fell tight, as she breathed harder and harder, her eyes glistening without she even realizing it.
The freed prisoners approached the queen, also afraid and sad for the ultimate sacrifice their unlikely savior did for them. Elsa noticed that and feeling the wetness in her face, she wiped the tears and put on a brave face, concealing her deep sadness.
— W-we must move. — The queen said, trying her best not to sound so shaky. — Help the weak and old, we must head towards the capital.
Some of the men nodded, and started to move, and Elsa looked again at the fire, that was starting to recede. She then turned away, lowering her head, just to be surprised by gasps and sounds of excitement from the commoners. Confused, she looked up, seeing the cheerful faces of her subjects, looking at something behind her. She turned around immediately, and saw with astonishment, the Arch-Mage hovering down from the middle of the fire.
— So you do care. — The former prince said, with a smile.
— Hans! — The queen called, with joy.
She approached him as he landed, and saw that he was unharmed. She was really glad he was alive, and without thinking, she hugged him:
— I thought you had died. — She said, letting her emotions get the best of her.
She felt him hugging her back, pulling her close:
— I know I don't deserve it, but I'm really glad that you care. — He replied, in a whisper.
That brought back some rationality to the Queen, as she looked at him. He had an unreadable expression in his eyes, and they were looking right at hers. Her mind barely registered that she had her arms around his neck as he had on hand on her waist and another coming up on her back. He was alive, and that was what mattered. When his hand cupped her face, she didn't resist, for her emotions were still in control, and at that moment, the only thing she wanted was to eliminate the distance between her lips and his, and so she did.
In the back of her mind, she registered that she was kissing Hans Westergard for the second time, and this time, she was the one that had kissed him. She was still aware of their predicament and the people around them, so they mutually ended the moment shorter than what they would like.
Turning around, she saw a lot of mixed emotions in the faces of the people they had rescued. She put her regal face on and said:
— Arch-Mage... — She called him
— Yes, Your Majesty? — He replied.
— We must lead these people to safety back to the capital. — The Queen declared.
— At once, my Queen. — The Arch-Mage said.
Taking lead, Westergard moved around the commoners, healing the wounded and offering sips of the magical potions he carried. Elsa observed as the noble from the Southern Isles assisted her people. The extent to how much life in Skyrim had changed him she had already seen in the way he fought to save the capital and herself, but these more mundane aspects of the former prince like what he was doing now, helping the villagers, was the first time she was seeing.
She noticed him looking at her and she smiled by reflex. The Arch-Mage smiled back and kept healing the wounded.
[By Morning]
Anna Frosberg, princess of Arendelle, was livid, pacing back and forth around the throne room. Also in the room, but seated, Kristoff Bjorgman observed his wife moving around the room with his eyes. Legate Rikke was also there, as it was Legate Hadvar, The Vampire Princess, Serana, The Alchemist Igun Black-Briar, the Housecarl Lydia and some advisors of the crown.
Ever since she had learned the day before that the former prince had taken her sister in the back of a flying dragon to a dangerous rescue mission, the Princess summoned an emergency meeting of the Royal Cabinet, in her role as acting-ruler. She yelled at the imperial Legates for allowing the Arch-Mage to take away the Queen, to which Rikke reminded in no uncertain terms that it was not their place to tell the General what he was to do or not. Frustrated, Anna resigned to wait for scouting reports.
But ever since they learned of the explosion in the mine, there has been no significant updates other than the refugees, led by Elsa and the Arch-Mage, passing through the Frolland Fort. The thing that was nagging in the back of her mind was the fact that the report mentioned the good spirits of the Queen and the Arch-Mage as they passed, and the fact that the word "couple" was used to describe them. After what had happened at the end of their first meeting, Anna pressed her sister for information about the unwanted advances from the former prince, to which Elsa had sworn she did not enjoy. It seems, however, that her dear sister was not being entirely truthful about the Arch-Mage.
The door opening brought her back from her thoughts:
— Your Highness, The Queen is back. — The guard informed.
Anna stopped pacing, and Kristoff got up, followed by the Tamrielians, the members of the cabinet and the foreign envoys.
— Anna. — Kristoff called her, to no avail, as the Arendellian Princess stormed out of the room.
[Castle Gates]
The people of Arendelle cheered as Elsa and the refugees walked by the streets of the capital. She should be exhausted by the long walk, but she suspected that either her armor or the Arch-Mage's magic was responsible not only for her stamina during the night, but also for the lack of tiredness from the refugees. Still, as Westergard walked by her side ahead of the group, she found herself locking arms with him as the man from the Southern Isles carried a little boy in his shoulders, encouraging him to wave at the people around them, as if they were parading.
Elsa smiled again, not for the first time in those hours, as she looked at the Arch-Mage. They had not talked about what had transpired on that cliff yet, something completely understandable, given the circumstances. But that didn't mean that she didn't think about it, and them. In those weeks, she learned many things about him, from her own interactions and the little things the Tamrielians let slip about him. Until the day before, it was really hard to get them to talk, specially about Hans Westergard, and she had no doubts that they were under orders from the man himself not to spill the beans. Still, she found herself musing about her new Thane and the two close encounters they had.
Also in her mind was the thrill of the action. Before his arrival, she was forced into a defensive position, but last night she had the chance to go on the offensive, and it felt good. Elsa never thought of her as an adventurer, but there she was, returning victorious from a daring rescue.
— Disgruntled princesses ahead. — Hans said, as if knowing that she was not exactly paying attention.
Elsa looked at him with curiosity, and then looked ahead, and the little smile she had on her face turned into seriousness as she saw her sister marching towards them at the bridge, with a very angry expression in her face. Behind her, the Queen saw Kristoff with a worried look.
Elsa let go of the Hans' arm as he put down the child in his shoulders, they both waiting for the strawberry blonde princess voice her disgruntlement. She didn't voice though, instead, she punched the Dragonborn, square in his face, pretty much like she had done years ago. This time, however, he barely moved his head, and looked at her with a neutral expression.
— Anna! — Elsa exclaimed, grabbing her sister by the shoulders
— This bastard gets you out of the city without warning and then I have to learn from scouts that he put you into danger in the middle of those monsters. — Anna said, livid
Looking at him with anger, she said:
— You put my sister in danger again and I'll do a lot more than punch you! — The Princess threatened.
Westergard kept his silence, and it was the Queen that spoke:
— Enough! — Elsa said, with authority.
The ground under the Queen began to freeze and the air temperature suddenly dropped, making the nearby people take a step back. Anna took notice of that, and looked at her sister:
— Westergard didn't put me in danger, I volunteered myself to go with him. — Elsa said — And he and his allies went above and beyond to equip me with gear of extraordinary craftsmanship and magical properties.
Anna saw that the Queen was dead serious and angry, as she felt the fractals creeping up her sleeve:
— Elsa... — She called her.
— He kept me out of danger anytime he could, while he also rescued dozens of our people, and kept all of us safe and sound all the way here. — The Queen said, in a harsh tone.
— Elsa... you're hurting me... — Anna said, doing her best not to show that she was now afraid.
That made the queen look at her hands, and immediately she let go of the Princess, herself taking a step back. Immediately Kristoff got besides Anna, worried about her, and about Elsa, that looked at her own hands like she was looking straight at the devil. Hans noticed that, and he moved to hold her hands. By reflex, she tried to move away from him, but he didn't let go of her, enduring the cold of the ice in her hands.
— Let me go, please! — The Queen implored — I don't want to hurt you too.
— No. — He stated, firmly. — Queen Elsa, look at me.
She raised her eyes to him, and saw the picture of serenity in his expression:
— I won't let go of you. — He said — Now breath, and calm yourself.
The Queen looked at the Dragonborn, and took deep breaths, closing her eyes. The Ice slowly receded, and the fractals in her hands started to dissipate. When she opened her eyes again, she was in control.
— You did good today, Your Majesty. — The Arch-Mage said — You saved lives, and got your people out of harm.
— With your help. — She replied.
He released her hands, but she grabbed his back.
— Thank you, Arch-Mage. — She said, looking at him.
— I'm always at your service, My Queen. — He replied, bowing slightly.
What she did next took her and most by surprise, as she approached Westergard and kissed him briefly, before letting him go. Hans didn't react, as he wasn't sure what to say, and also because he didn't want to risk another confrontation with Anna. But he could sense the change in the Queen, as she seemed determined, and regal.
Elsa looked at Rikke, and said:
— Legate Rikke, These villagers are tired and hungry. They need to be cared for. — She declared.
The Nord woman was taken aback by the orders, and reacted on reflex, saluting the Queen:
— At once, Your Majesty. — Rikke replied.
— Master Black-Briar. — Elsa called, in the same voice.
— Y-yes, my Queen? — She said, surprised not only because she knew her name, but also her title.
— We have wounded and sick among the refugees. — Elsa said — Please, tend to their maladies.
— Absolutely. — Ingun replied.
Rikke bowed and moved, taking a second to look at the direction of the Arch-Mage. Ingun followed her, shooting a glance at Westergard, that kept still.
— Legate Hadvar. — The Queen said
— Yes, your Majesty? — He replied.
— We will need to build more accommodations, for I fear this was not the last group of refugees we will have to house. — She said.
— Absolutely, Your Majesty. — Hadvar said — I'll get the builder's guild to build more bunkhouses.
— Kai. — She called the castle's chief of staff.
— Yes, Queen Elsa? — The servant said
— Please conscript the help of able-bodied men in the castle and in the city to help with the efforts. — She ordered — We must fortify the city and the port , if we are to retake the country.
He bowed in acknowledgment. But not only Kai, but also the advisors and the envoys looked surprised to the sudden change in demeanor by the Queen.
— Elsa? — Anna called her.
The Queen looked at her, not angry as before, but calm, and determined:
— I need you and Kristoff to assemble the best warriors we have. — Elsa said — We will coordinate with the forces that are stationed at the Ice palace to locate and rescue the civilians these creatures are keeping prisoners.
This moment the Arch-Mage broke his silence:
— I can take care of the villagers. — He said.
Turning to him, she said:
— These are Arendellians. As much as I am thankful for saving our lives, this is our fight, Hans. — Elsa said. — I'll need your help and your support going forward, but it is my responsibility to protect my people and my kingdom.
— Elsa, I'm not going to sit idly and let you walk into harm's way. — He declared. — If that is how you want to proceed, then that is what we'll do, but I'm not leaving your side.
The shadow of a smile appeared in her face for a brief moment. That disappeared when she noticed the expression of severity that formed in his face.
— What's wrong? — She asked.
The Dragonborn said something in a language she didn't understand, but she saw movement around the crowd. Then, suddenly, there was a commotion, and Imperial centurions dragged two cloaked individuals until they fell on their knees in front of the Queen. Sparkles concentrated on Westergard's hands as he confronted the two strangers:
— I was wondering when spies and assassins would come here. — The Arch-Mage said
He nodded to the soldiers, and they uncovered the heads of the two individuals. The expression of severity turned into surprise, and then turned dark:
— Frederick, Caleb. — Westergard said, with venon.
Elsa didn't ask as she recognized the dress uniform of the Southern Isles, and she recognized the names of the Fifth and Eighth Princes of The Southern Isles, and elder brothers of her Arch-Mage.
End of Chapter.
