Chapter 27
Elsa managed to stop the fire. She was out of breath and entirely sapped of all her energy. She had never used her power for such a long period of time, and it took a toll on her body she would have never imagined it to.
Elsa collapsed to her knees before the wall of guards protectively standing in front of her. Their shields and swords were out at the ready, prepared to die for their Queen if necessary. Everything was moving in slow-motion through Elsa's eyes as time elapsed drudgingly forward. She saw Christian, barely standing up on his feet, but fighting Hans fiercely, a look of great sadness was clearly painted on his face with a determined mask overlaying this weakness. He looked terrible, like a walking corpse. It was a wonder he was rivaling Hans in a sword match at all.
She had to help. Help the guards, help Marshmallow, help Christian. Find Anna and make sure she was safe. Everyone fighting and for what? "What is this… all for?" Elsa mumbled, before her body swayed and collapsed on the snow-covered ground from exhaustion.
"Elsa!" Anna's voice rang clear despite the racket of clattering armor and swinging swords.
Elsa's vision filled with Anna's youthful face hovering above her with wide eyes of fear – innocent eyes which shouldn't be witnessing such ugliness in a battlefield of death, Elsa sadly thought.
Their parents - what would they think if they saw the state their kingdom was in. "Oh, how terrible," Elsa imagined her mother gasp in horror. "Disappointing, just disappointing," she mumbled what her father would most likely say.
"Elsa, come on. I'm here," Anna shook Elsa lightly, trying to snap her out of her daze. Anna hugged Elsa close to her as the blonde mumbled nonsensical sentences Anna couldn't make sense of.
Elsa's hazy vision made it hard for her to concentrate, but all she could think of was Anna's safety, and that gave Elsa the determination to stay conscious. "Anna… I told you… Not to follow me."
"Come on, you think I ever listen to you," Anna said, still making jokes even in the midst of utter chaos.
"Heh, right… You've always been so stubborn," Elsa weakly laughed. "But you've got to get away. Please, for me."
"No, Elsa. I'm staying right here. Right by your side," Anna stated, resolutely. She pressed her forehead against Elsa's and muttered, "I love you, Elsa. How many times do I have to tell you that before you realize I can't leave you even if I tried." Anna clasped Elsa's shaking hands to ease the older girl's fears as she muttered, "Elsa, I will never leave you. Elsa, I love you."
Elsa smiled contently and closed her eyes. The violence and horror surrounding them vanished momentarily. "In case I don't get another chance to tell you," Elsa started, her voice breaking. "I love you so much, Anna, and I'm sorry I wasted so many years not telling you this every single day. I love you, Anna. I love you, I love you," Elsa repeated, desperately trying to make up for lost time. "Forgive me," Elsa choked, struggling to hold back a violent sob – not wanting to be weak for once. She reached out her cold hands to cup Anna's fleshy cheeks, wanting to squeeze them playfully as she always did in their childhood.
Elsa's eyes filled up with tears, and she quickly pulled Anna into a fierce hug before the girl could see her cry. The sounds of clashing steel and rattling of armor and shields ceased. Time stopped so very briefly as Anna and Elsa embraced, the sacred moment had gone unnoticed.
Christian dodged another determined strike from Hans, amazingly avoided the blow just in time.
Sergei and Marshmallow were still locked in a battle of wills.
"Human! Let me be a human! I just want to be normal!" Sergei chanted.
"It's okay to be a snowman!" Olaf argued. "Just look at me and Marshmallow, we're perfectly normal!"
Olaf's words didn't seem to help matters when Sergei only grew more eager to defeat Marshmallow.
"Yes, that's it, Sergei! Once they're out of our way, victory will be within our sights!" Lady Alexandra urged.
"Argh! Die already!" Hans growled, frustrated an injured rookie guard was besting him.
Captain Arthur watched in a mixture of horror and awe as his son moved and fought wonderfully despite his severe wounds. Captain Arthur was proud, scared, and sad all at once. He knew not to step in - Christian would never forgive him if he did.
"I know you can do it, son," Captain Arthur softly urged. His gaze lingered on his son before he reluctantly turned away, knowing his presence would be more useful amongst his fellow guards trying to stop Sergei.
Christian slashed his sword and cut Hans' right cheek – a long, red streak of blood flowed from the wound down to the base of his neck.
Hans touched the wound in disbelief. His right eye twitched and his mouth hung in surprise. "Peasant, I underestimated you," Hans said, no more humor in his voice. Hans moved in quicker than before and his strikes were fueled by unbridled anger – bound and determined to make contact with Christian's flesh.
"Come on, peasant, you know you can't win. I thought life has already taught you this fact. Arendelle will be ours!" Hans roared, his usually composed hair now in wild tangles.
He jabbed his blade swiftly at Christian's heart and missed, but instead made contact with his right shoulder.
Christian grimaced in pain, unable to unleash his voice and scream in agony. Hans let his guard down and stood triumphantly as he reveled in his impending victory. Christian collapsed onto his knees as he held onto his right shoulder – shaking and slobbering in a stupor of pure agony.
Hans looked at Lady Alexandra with a smug smile, looking for her approval and go ahead.
But Lady Alexandra was not looking at Hans. Her eyes focused on Christian with neither interest nor disinterest. He looked like a bloody nightmare, one which had always haunted her conscience – whatever was left of it.
Christian looked back at Lady Alexandra with cold eyes – accepting his end would be met in Lady Alexandra's presence – the most pitiful death he could think of for himself.
"Do it," she firmly demanded, Hans, her eyes never leaving Christian's weary gaze.
Hans prepared his final strike by lifting his sword, aimed to deliver the fatal cut across Christian's neck – a fitful end for a peasant, Hans thought. But inches before Hans' sword made contact with Christian's flesh, Captain Arthur felled Sergei with a critical hit to the snowman's hind leg.
Sergei growled, "No! No! Balls!" The massive snowman backpedalled in an attempt to keep his balance and Hans was directly in his path.
Christian watched as Hans' eyes widened as he turned to see Sergei's gigantic foot above his head. In the fleeting moment, Hans realized he couldn't dodge in time and looked at Christian with resilient superiority as he said, "You'll always be a p—," Hans was cut off from Sergei's foot squashing him into a state of eternal silence.
Christian stared at the spot where Hans stood, now occupied by a disabled Sergei, whining and throwing a tantrum like a spoiled baby.
Marshmallow and Olaf were beside Sergei, making sure he wouldn't do any more harm and consoling him at the same time. Sergei and Hans were all expendable in Lady Alexandra's eyes, just like he had been. Pure evil, Christian thought, as he observed Lady Alexandra stare coldly at the demise of Hans.
Elsa and Anna watched from afar as the entire scene unfolded. Elsa never liked Hans – hated his guts in fact, but his death was far from pleasant, and no one deserved to die in such a fashion.
"Come on," Elsa urged Anna as she struggled to pick herself up from the ground. Most of the threats had been stopped. All that was left was Lady Alexandra.
"But Elsa," Anna protested, worried for Elsa's condition as she tried to stop Elsa from moving.
"I'm fine," Elsa lied. Her nerves were on fire and her muscles screamed for her to stop exerting them past their point. But she moved on, wanting to help Christian and the rest of the injured royal guards.
Christian panted heavily as his consciousness bid him goodbye. He felt heavy. Tired. And then complete darkness.
Elsa and Anna saw Christian collapse face-first onto the snow-covered ground, and their hearts dropped. Captain Arthur started to run towards his son as he screamed, "My son! Christian!"
But Lady Alexandra made her way there first with Christian's sword already in her hands.
Captain Arthur stopped, worried of what she might do to his son.
"You're not dead yet am I right?" Lady Alexandra emotionlessly said, and kicked Christian's still body. She leaned down and frowned when she heard slow, ragged breaths. "I knew it," she said, softly. "Don't worry, I will be the one to finally set you free from this cruel and painful world." Lady Alexandra brought the sword up in a reminiscent manner the way Hans had recently done, ready to take away Christian's life.
Elsa screamed in panic, "Wait! Stop, Lady Alexandra, or I swear—"
Christian's eyes slowly fluttered open from the sound of Elsa's plea and the first thing he saw was Lady Alexandra's face – a nightmare and a dream for him.
As soon as Lady Alexandra saw Christian had regained consciousness, she pulled him up as much as she could manage to place the blade across his throat where the scars of where his vocal cords had been cut were made by her years before.
He struggled in her grasp, but had become too weakened to fight back – beaten down physically and emotionally for the way Lady Alexandra kept on emphasizing he was only an object to her.
"You'll what?" Lady Alexandra goaded. She smiled deviously at Elsa, madness clearly reflected in her burning green eyes. Christian opened and closed his mouth helplessly, and Elsa wanted nothing more than to help the young guard who had been through so much.
Elsa lifted her arm, ready to send a powerful blast of ice towards Lady Alexandra, but Anna grabbed her forearm.
"But, what about Christian?" Anna softly, said. Anna stared worriedly at Christian floundering like a dying fish. Lady Alexandra had her arm wrapped around the base of his upper neck, slowly choking him while the blade was readied at the middle of his throat.
Elsa wanted to cry. Christian looked like a lost boy with his large, sad eyes, pleading for an end to his suffering. She met his gaze – and just like the first time they met – Elsa could almost read his mind.
Christian locked eyes with Elsa and gave her small peaceful smile. Along with the smile was a very slight nod which only Elsa had caught. Christian mouthed the words, 'Please, do it.'
No. No. You are asking too much from me, Elsa thought, struggling to come to terms with Christian's wish.
Lady Alexandra continued to back away while dragging Christian and was now nearly at the edge of the cliff where Arendelle castle overlooked the loch like a monster itself.
"You're not going to do it," Lady Alexandra cackled, as Elsa continued to debate with herself, her arm shaking, but still directed at the two.
Lady Alexandra turned her attention to Christian and whispered words only he could hear. "I'll tell you a little secret of mine before I kill you, peasant. I actually think I did like you once… Maybe even loved you," Lady Alexandra admitted, disgusted with herself and revealing her vulnerability once more. "Yes, me, Lady Alexandra of the Southern Isles in love with a peasant, but I know better. It's a shame you never did."
Christian looked up at her face and saw madness staring back at him. His own face was faintly reflected in her green eyes once so vivid now dulled by a terrible vice. His own sword was suddenly sawing at his throat, but he felt no pain. He heard a crackling sound and he was cold. Lady Alexandra's face peered down at his upturned one, inches away from each other, forever frozen in a tragic embrace from Elsa's icy blast as they toppled towards the loch below them.