Chapter 6
Elsa couldn't believe what she was hearing. This had to be a bad joke.
- Is that man serious ? she asked.
- He seems to be, replied Piotr. But he didn't tell anything else. He just wants to talk to you.
The queen's blood boiled with anger. But it was not the moment for her to lose her temper. What kind of person would send a dragon to destroy an entire town, and then ask for repayment when he's dead ? There was certainly a nasty scheme behind this. And she was ready to find out what it was all about.
- Tell him to wait for me in the visitor's room, said Elsa. Don't let him do anything suspicious. Be really careful. He's not welcome here.
- Yes, your highness, replied Piotr, respectuously bowing, before leaving the room.
- What in heavens is this guy thinking ? said Anna. Is he even aware of his situation ?
- We will find out really soon, said Elsa, before taking another look at herself in the mirror. But first of all, let's prepare, shall we ?
- Then, you're going to need this, said Anna.
She pulled the veil of her dress and took Elsa's tiara out of a secret pocket. She gave it to her sister, smiling. Elsa looked at the shining gems as she took it. But of course it was more than simple jewelry. It was her crown. The symbol of her power.
She decided to put her black satin dress. It had a very long tail, a tight collar piece, and looked very austere in general. She also put her black velvet gloves, encrusted with cristal pieces and thin gold strings. The contrast between her dark clothing and her clear face, as well as her blond hair, was really striking. She looked magnificent and very imposing. This is what she wanted that man to feel when he sees her. The pain in her back and the bruise on her leg made her slightly limp, diminishing her aura by a bit but, still, anyone looking at her for the first time would feel tiny, nearly crushed under so much charisma.
It took an hour for her to get ready. They had decided to take all the time they needed, because this visit was unexpected and, above all, insulting. Zyga took care of her make up, Anna made her plait, and they all agreed on one thing : their queen had to be more beautiful than ever. They had to show this bandit how despicable his attitude was. How unforgivable his acts were – assuming that he was really what he was pretending to be.
Zyga opened the door to let her queen pass. Anna was walking by her side, holding her left arm. They walked silently through the hall. The castle had been spared from the fire, apart from the inner yard. The great paintings on the walls supported the solemn attitude of the two sisters. Elsa could feel her heartbeat speeding up as they approached the visitor's room. Two guards slowly opened the doors when they saw the two sisters coming. Anna had to let go of Elsa's arm when they entered.
The man was standing still at the center of the room, facing the throne, his face hidden by a long brown hood. He was wearing a travel coat and long leather boots. Twenty guards, as well as Sir Piotr Edenzas, were watching over him with great attention. Elsa went to sit on her throne, trying to dissimulate her limp as well as she could. Anna stood by her side.
- Well, well, you sure made me wait for quite some time, lady, said the man under the hood.
- How dare you..., began Piotr, advancing by a step toward the stranger, but Elsa stopped him with a sign of her hand.
- My name is Elsa, holder of the power of Winter, sovereign of Arendelle, she said with a strong voice. I will not listen to what you have to say until you take off your hood and kneel before me.
The man sniggered. It did not affect Elsa's temper. She waited peacefully, watching over the stranger as if he was an insect. She had no reason to behave kindly toward someone whose insolence seemed to know no boundaries.
After a minute of a heavy silence, the man sighed and took off his hood and his travel coat.
Everyone opened rounded eyes. He looked like a twenty-year old noble, with his cardinal red long jacket, full of frills and folds. He had long spiky ginger hair, weird and thick eyebrows, thin lips, and ferocious brown eyes. His long leather boots covered the lower part of his thighs. He smirked.
- I hope you don't really expect me to kneel, queen Elsa, he said, crossing his arms behind his back in a military style. My name is Pyment and I'm the prince of Eresi, kingdom of the west.
- I don't hear anything, replied Elsa, slowly saying "no" with the head.
- Don't mess with me, said Pyment.
Sunrays were falling down from tainted glass, behind the throne. Elsa rose up. Pyment got covered by her shadow.
- I don't even see you, she said with a dark tone.
The guards formed a circle around Pyment and threatened him with their spears. He frowned.
- Fine, you know what ? I don't care, he said, and he finally kneeled before Elsa.
The guards went back to their positions. Elsa smiled, and sat back on her throne.
- Very well, sir Pyment, she said with a much softer tone. Now, tell me.
- You killed my dragon, said the man, back on his feet. It was my favorite one, and you killed it. I want you to repay me.
So this guy was serious. Elsa could hardly believe what she was hearing. Pyment was either mad or extremely stupid. In addition, Elsa had never heard of that Eresi kingdom he was talking about. Apparently, this man had more than one dragon. This was a very important information. And not a reassuring one, for sure.
- Do you even know what your dragon has done to my town ? she asked, anger filling her voice.
Pyment smirked again.
- Your town ? he repeated. You mean, this dull, dusty, mucky piece of garbage you used as a town ?
Sir Piotr Edenzas nearly jumped to cut him in half with his silver sword, but Elsa, once again, stopped him. She knew how to react before such a provocative behaviour. She knew that he was toying with them, that any sign of violence would be a pretext for him to do whatever he wanted. She apeased the guards with a measured gesture of both hands, and replied calmly :
- Why did your dragon attack us ? I hope for you that it was unintentional.
- You know dragons, right ? snagged Pyment, shrugging his shoulders. They're hot-tempered. I guess this one just wanted to have fun.
- Since you appear to own him, said Elsa, keeping her temper as cool as she could, don't you think you are responsible for his actions ?
- Responsible ? he repeated, again. Tell me, my queen. Were you not responsible for the protection of your own town ?
He was good at his game. Elsa felt a rise in her heartbeat. Her tone turned bitter :
- From my point of view, you're nothing more than an ill-mannered little kid, unable to control his pets. Your dragon destroyed my town. The compensation should come from you.
- And from my point of view, he replied instantly, fury embedding his eyes, you're nothing more than a killer, and a monster. I saw your pitiful town. You were the one who destroyed it, with your devilish powers. You buried your own town in the snow. How come a sorceress like you could become a sovereign ? You repel me.
- THAT'S ENOUGH ! shouted Piotr, pulling his sword and pointing it at Pyment's throat. KNEEL, AND APOLOGIZE !
But Pyment was still looking at Elsa right in the eyes. His smirk revealed a sadist personnality. The queen, affected by the stranger's last words, clenched her fists and frowned.
- Let me show you something, she said, as she walked down the steps leading to her throne.
She was heading toward the balcony. Everyone followed her, Anna walking in her tracks, as well as the soldiers encircling Pyment, lead by Piotr Edenzas. When they arrived, Elsa turned over Pyment and invited him to look closely at the ruins and the ashes covered in snow. It was the first time she was in front of this terrible spectacle since the battle, but she did not flinch.
- Look, sir Pyment, she said. Look well.
The queen extended her arms toward the ruins. A magical wind started to rise. Slowly, but surely, the ruins, the snow, the ashes, every single grain of dust started to vanish. Then, after a blue flash came out of Elsa's hands, a miracle happened right before the eyes of all the people gathered on the balcony.
Cristal-clear ice came out of the ground. Hundreds of ice-made houses materialized in a matter of seconds. The ice bell of a new church started to ring, as the town knew a slow but wonderful rebirth, thanks to Elsa's powers. Fountains, roads, bakeries : everything came back in a new, magnificent form. Elsa had just created an entire town with her bare hands in less than a minute.
Everyone remained open-mouthed for a moment, even Pyment, before such a scene. Nobody could believe their eyes. Elsa looked at the prince of Eresi kingdom with pride and defiance.
- What you just saw, sir Pyment, she said, is not sorcery. What you just saw is the reason why I have a crown on my head.