Chapter Twenty-Seven
An hour before the sun was due to set the following day, Blackblood Bay came into sight.
Elsa had woken up that morning in the bed of a man that she still loved. A brief flicker of doubt wondered if Hans still loved her or if he'd only used her for a night... no, that kind of thought was finished, she decided. That kind of doubt would ruin everything that they had. There was enough danger that day, and she knew that Hans loved her; he'd proved it. She snuggled in closer and closed her eyes, mind having decided that if today was survived, their roughest patch would be over. She loved him and he loved her, and that was all.
If anyone had even the slightest hunch that the former queen hadn't been in her own cabin that night, nobody showed it. Anna was restless all day, never able to stay on the same side of the boat for more than a few minutes. She was more nervous than Elsa and Hans were. Granted, some of their stress had been relieved last night...
But as the crescent of land that curved around the water was announced, Elsa felt her own stomach begin to twist. This was Blackblood Bay. They didn't know what awaited them. She spotted Hans at the rail of the ship, facing the bay with an unwavering gaze. She took her place beside him, wrapping one of his hands in her own and squeezing to reassure him.
"It doesn't feel right," Hans said, looking away from the bay to meet her. "The sun's too bright, the air's too crisp. The day is too happy to go to Blackblood Bay."
"Maybe it's a sign," Elsa suggested. "That everything will turn out okay."
Hans looked skeptical, sight back on the land. "I have no idea what will meet us there. You're coming with me, right?"
"Of course."
"Good. I want you by my side."
A tiny smile grew on her lips.
"You know, when you first caught me this summer, I would have thought you were crazy if you said in half a year I'd be sailing to Blackblood Bay to confront the person who killed my family, with the Queen of Arendelle right beside me."
"Former queen," she corrected.
"If I have any say, you'll be a queen again someday. If you're not totally opposed to a coup, of course..."
She smiled and shoved him a little. "I'm not laying siege to Arendelle!"
The sun was just a little too bright, Elsa agreed. Her lips fell just a little as silence took their air. Their hands remained locked and the bay still cheerfully loomed ahead in the cold sea.
"I want Anna to have her title, though," Elsa muttered. "I don't want my mistakes to be paid for by her too. She's paid for too many of my follies. I want Anna to have the crown."
Hans was quiet, looking down at the woman who's name meant nothing to the crown, but meant everything to him. "If we make it out, you have my word that Anna will be queen."
She looked to him, face full of hope. "You promise?"
"On whatever honor I have left, if there is any, I swear," he said, taking his hand from hers and placing it across his heart.
Elsa tried to bite back her smile but failed, laughing and grabbing his hand back. They both had bare hands, and whenever his hot one met her cold one, she was met with a pleasant shiver.
"Look at us, two corrupt nobles working towards the best," she said.
One of the sailors yelled across the deck, saying Prince Jørgen called everyone to attention. Elsa looked out to the bay one last time before leaving to meet Jørgen.
"And we're very close to meeting a third," Hans muttered, gaze also trailed out to the bay's glistening waters.
Jørgen stood in the middle of the deck, raised on a box. Everyone was gathered round, and Hans and Elsa struggled to get through them, taking their place on the deck next to the prince. Jørgen announced that when they got to the bay, the ship would be too large to go very far. A long string of caves surrounded this side of the island with openings too short for the ship's entrance. Jørgen would take two small boats and eight others to accompany the Westergard brothers.
Elsa immediately volunteered herself. Kristoff and Anna followed, Anna assuring an apprehensive Elsa that they would be able to look out for themselves. Her skill with a sword and Kristoff's years as an ice harvester gave them enough strength to be valuable. Five other sailors joined their group, and far too soon, they were in the bay.
Blackblood Bay was far less ominous than its name. The sun made the blue water sparkle, and off to the side, silvery sands gleamed. A tall rock wall separated the water from the island's coast, except for a small, about ten foot tall entrance in the barrier. Beyond it, Elsa wasn't able to see much. Some sun revealed rocks and maybe a beach, but she'd have to get closer to see for sure.
The party of ten were lowered in rowboats, the rest of the crew wishing them all luck, but only half of them seemed sincere about their return, which made Elsa's courage drop slightly. But they'd gotten this far; no chance of turning back.
They rowed away from the ship and towards the entrance in the wall. Elsa, sitting beside Hans, grabbed his hand for support. He seemed to need it just as much as her.
Beyond the wall of rock was indeed a little cove, with just a few feet of sand leading back into a looming, circular cave. Elsa's heart stopped when she saw a woman step out of the cave's shadows and into the sunlight. There stood Princess Bhumi.
She was dressed in a crimson covering which wrapped around in a headscarf and down into a dress. Her face wasn't covered this time, and she stood with a slight smile. Elsa's stomach dropped, the reality of the situation finally hitting her. Why was she smiling? Hans squeezed Elsa's hand so tight, she might have yelped if her voice worked.
The boats docked and immediately, Anna was out of the boat with a sword drawn.
"Put your sword back," Bhumi immediately commanded.
Anna narrowed her eyes, but Hans told her to do as she said. Begrudgingly, Anna put the sword back in it's hilt, but she kept her hand hovering over it.
"Princess Bhumi of Aruna, I assume," Hans said, walking to the front to lead, since Jørgen looked paralyzed with fear.
"How did you figure it out?" Bhumi said, smile growing wider. "I was very careful not to make too much of a mess."
"Why did you ask us here?" Hans demanded. "Why have you been killing off the Westergard family?"
"I believe those are questions I should really direct to my partner," Bhumi said. "I think you'll be very interested to meeting her."
"Bring her out, then."
The princess shook her head. "I'm afraid she's very adamant about staying inside the cave. She's requested that only the seventh and thirteenth sons are allowed this far."
"And what if we come anyway?" Anna asked, unable to keep quiet.
"Then it's simple, I take your life," Bhumi answered with a smile, causing Elsa's stomach to completely drop.
"Stay back, Anna," Hans said. "We'll come with you."
Jørgen looked like he'd rather do anything but go into that dark cave with her and his brother. She knew the two of them couldn't do this on their own. So Elsa stepped forward before Hans could protest.
"Let me come with you."
Hans immediately was at her side. "Elsa, no. You stay here and make sure that everyone is okay. I promise I'll come back."
"You said you wanted me by your side."
"I do, but we can't provoke Bhumi," he muttered. "I don't know what her plan is."
"Exactly why I'm coming," she muttered, trying very hard to not reach up and kiss him. Instead, she turned away from him and towards the princess. "Princess Bhumi, I'm Elsa, the former Queen of Arendelle, the place where you decided to lay the bodies."
Princess Bhumi's eyes lit with recognition. "Ah, Queen Elsa. I'm sorry to hear your title's been taken. I have no argument with you, and I apologize for using your land; it was nothing personal."
"Well I have argument with you," Elsa said, holding her hand up, palm towards heaven, and released a small flurry. "I'm the one who chased you the night you left Charles, the sixth, in my kingdom, and the one who fought you on the ship."
Bhumi's smile faltered. "I had heard you were the snow queen, but I wasn't sure if it was true... maybe you should come with us."
Elsa nodded, looking to Hans who had bitten his lip in frustration. Elsa knew he wasn't pleased, but she'd sworn she'd be there for him, and she wasn't going to back out.
"Bring me too," Anna insisted. "I can-"
"Anna," Elsa stopped her. "Stay here. We've got it. We'll be fine." She went to Anna and wrapped her in a hug the princess didn't anticipate.
"Elsa, I-"
Elsa shushed her quietly and whispered, "If we're not back before sunset, I want you to lead a charge into the cave."
Anna shut up, and when Elsa pulled out of the hug, the princess nodded. "Okay. Be... be safe, Elsa."
Elsa nodded, protesting the tears that pushed at her eyes. She went back to Hans, who now had a skittish Jørgen beside him. Bhumi admired the lineup in front of her and nodded. "All right, come with me, please."
The woman turned towards the inky darkness in the cave and began to walk. Jørgen looked around, slightly panicked. But Hans nodded for him to enter the cave. The older prince cleared his throat and nobly nodded back, then followed the princess. Elsa took middle, and Hans finished the procession.
"Prince Hans, if you would please come to the front," Bhumi ordered. Hans exchanged a glance with Elsa, but obeyed. "If you might carry a bit of fire? I'd like to see where I'm going. But don't try anything, because you're all too aware of my abilities. One touch is all it takes."
Hans said nothing, but a ball of flames appeared, casting shadows across his face. He did not look happy, and remained silent.
"Thank you," Bhumi said and resuming walking. Now at the back, Elsa kept glancing over her shoulder, back towards the sunlight and out of this dark, musty cave. She felt like she couldn't breathe.
"Do I have permission to speak?" Hans asked from ahead. Elsa turned her attention there. Hans was much better at handling situations now, she realized. Just a few months ago, he might have rashly already tried to set Bhumi on fire.
"If it's anything worth saying," Bhumi permitted.
"Why did you kill my brothers?"
She laughed. "Well, I'll admit I have quarrel with very few of you, but when I discovered the Westergard plot to take our entire chain of trade, I found it best to just do away with every brother."
"And my father?"
"Oh, it wasn't my idea," she said, but refused to elaborate.
That was the only exchange they had while traveling. Elsa was left to her own thoughts and the occasional slight gasp from Jørgen ahead of her As he nearly tripped over the uneven cave floor. The cave was too dark for her, even with Hans' light up ahead. She wanted to run to him, but that might encourage stopping her heart from beating. She wondered how Bhumi knew that he could manipulate fire...
Finally, another light was at the end of the twisting tunnel. But Elsa was more nervous than ever; this was it. Who knew what lay ahead in the lit area? Bhumi's partner waited there, the other magician that she'd seen that night when Charles was left in Arendelle. What if she was more brutal than Bhumi? What if she planned to kill them like the others who died at Blackblood Bay? All the tensions that had been relieved the previous day suddenly came back, and she wanted badly to just build an encasement of ice around herself.
They entered a cavern, torches illuminating the rock walls. There was nothing inside the space besides two out of place beds and a chair. A figure stood not too far away, hiding close to the shadows. When the figure- a woman- noticed the entrance of Bhumi and her three captives, she walked forward to greet them.
Elsa didn't recognize the woman. She had almost completely gray hair, besides a few brown ones that still clung on to their color. She had a quickly wrinkling face that revealed her age, but didn't dull her gleaming green eyes, and she was dressed in a gown that looked a lot like the ones at the Southern Isles. She wore something atop her head; it looked an awful lot like a crown...
Oh, Elsa realized, her head beginning to spin. Oh.
Her reaction was much calmer than the brothers. Hans immediately stopped in place, hand still burning. He made a choking noise, but Elsa couldn't see his face. Jørgen, on the other hand, immediately broke away from their procession.
He yelled and bolted into the woman's arms. "M-mother!" he gasped, tears flowing like a river already. "I thought you were... we thought you were dead. Everyone else is... everyone's gone, mother."
The old woman smiled. "Oh, Jørgen, it's so good to see you again, my dearest. It's been so long."
"Mother, has Princess Bhumi been keeping you here? Has she hurt you? Oh, I'll-"
The woman laughed. "Jørgen, shh, calm down, please. Bhumi hasn't kept me here."
And Jørgen immediately pulled away from her arms, realizing later than his brother and Elsa that his missing mother had been Bhumi's partner.
Queen Carol of the Southern Isles- the only Westergard whose body hadn't been spotted in months- had been the second mind behind the mass extermination of the royal family.
Elsa barred all consequences and quietly sneaked to Hans' side. He was staring at his mother, eyes as red as his hair and his jaw trembling. He was one moment away from losing control, Elsa knew. But she didn't do anything; she trusted he'd hold on.
"M-mother?" Jørgen said with a small laugh. "You... you were...? You helped her kill our family?"
"Oh, well when you put it that way, it sounds terrible," Queen Carol said, rolling her eyes with a smile. "The princess and I found a compromise to met both our needs, that's all."
"I... you, no... it-" Jørgen choked, unable to process everything. It hit him like a canonball.
Hans inhaled choppily, trembling with fury. Elsa had never seen him so angry. She almost reached out to him, but he seemed to be able to sense her and strode towards his mother, his flaming hand now swirling in huge waves that seemed to rival the ocean's.
The queen saw this, and raised an eyebrow towards him. "Ah, Hans. I wouldn't do that if I were you. I say the word and Bhumi ends your life."
Hans stopped walking, but his breathing was heavy and he let out a colossal scream, hurling his fire towards the side of the cave where no one stood. The flames hurtled at the stone wall, curling around it after singeing the stone black.
"Father never did anything wrong," Hans yelled. "He was the only person who ever cared for me, and you killed him. You put my name on his body!"
"Hans, please stop shouting," the queen snapped, glaring at him. "The sooner I'm through with you, the better."
"The sooner you-" Hans repeated, then screamed and generated another ball of fire. But this time, he launched it directly where his mother stood.
Elsa held her breath as Queen Carol smirked before being enclosed in curls of flames. But when the charred rock was revealed, there was no trace of the queen. No mark, no ashes, as if she'd-
"Oh, I should just have her kill you already," came a voice from the opposite side of the cave. Everyone whirled around to see a perfectly unharmed queen with her arms crossed.
Of course, the magician. The two had disappeared that night from under the waterfall. But if Carol was a magician...?
Hans couldn't handle it, and dropped to his knees. No words came from him.
"You're a magician?" Jørgen whimpered. "But... but you taught us... you said magicians were evil. You told us they were all bad."
"You..." was all Hans could manage before he completely collapsed, curling into his knees and breathing heavily.
"Stop acting so dramatic," the queen said, then disappeared and appeared back in her spot. "I never invented the myth that magicians were evil, but I held it up pretty well."
"You made us hate our brother," Jørgen whispered, turning to Hans, who was weeping on the ground. Jørgen looked at him as if seeing his brother for the first time, finally realizing that maybe magic wasn't to be condemned as much as he'd thought.
Elsa was completely in shock. She wanted to comfort Hans, but this wasn't her place. She didn't have such a deep, deep emotional connection with this situation. All she could do was watch helplessly as she stood further away near Bhumi.
"Have a seat, won't you?" Queen Carol pulled a chair up for Jørgen and didn't cast a glance down at her youngest son, who was still curled up on the stone floor. Jørgen didn't sit down. Queen Carol smiled, but it looked too terribly wicked to assure any of them.
"Let me explain everything,"
And in this chapter we've proven that Hans has a LOT of mommy issues that can be too much to handle. I'm really sorry; but it was massively fun to write.
Cheers to everyone who made predictions about the big reveals. All your theories gave me life!