Twenty-Eight
"Would you begin, Bhumi?" the queen asked, and the princess nodded, making her way from near Elsa to the section of cave where the Westergards were. Before Elsa was a magician queen who was thought to be missing, a princess who was more bloodthirsty than Hans had made her out to be, and two princes who were at various levels of horror.
"I met your brother Charles in my kingdom, Aruna," Bhumi began. "He was trying to weasel his way onto the throne. But I figured him out, and tortured him until he revealed the greater scheme. So I took it into my own hands to right the wrongs of this family. I'd save the other kingdoms that had been penetrated by a Westergard."
"Bhumi first captured the king and I," Queen Carol continued. "She told us that our reign of terror had ended, and she was going to kill all our sons," she laughed like she was talking about a casual misunderstanding, not genocide. "I said, please don't take all my sons. You can have the king and Charles, but spare the others."
"So I killed them," Bhumi said, a smile grazing her lips. "Queen Carol said she would bring me to a remote place to put them; this cave."
Hans came out of the ball he'd been in on the floor. Not a patch of skin on his face was left dry. "You killed them here?"
"I killed your father right where I stand."
Hans choked and balled his fists so tight, Elsa was afraid they'd bleed.
"But I wasn't satisfied when I realized this was the same family that had years ago kept me in their castle. The same family whose son tormented me about my powers. You cost me so much more than you'll ever know. I wanted you dead."
"I thought you already were. We all thought you'd drowned," the queen said. "But Bhumi convinced me to take a peak at where you were, just to make sure. And behold, when I thought of you and transported, we arrived in Arendelle! We learned you were being kept prisoner; I couldn't believe it. So we devised a new plan."
"Frame you for the murders so our hands would be completely clean," Bhumi explained, casually strolling as she spoke. "It was a simple plot; the queen would be my transportation, bringing me to each prince, who I would kill and bring to Arendelle with a note signed by you. The uproar would be fantastic. There was a chance I wouldn't even have to kill you myself because of the potential outrage.
"We dropped the king first. We decided it would be more striking if we put them in order of birth."
"I'm not insane, though," Queen Carol addressed her sons. "You may think me heartless for letting your brothers die. But it was all part of the plan. I thought if I worked hard enough for her, she would make a deal with me. And she did. My bargain was that she stopped killing after Charles and spare you, Jørgen my dear. She agreed to stop there, with the exception of him," she nodded briefly towards Hans.
Elsa couldn't believe how heartless one woman could be. Hans had told Elsa that Carol had never been a good mother and was a scheming, evil woman. But she never could have imagined this.
"And I even convinced the good princess to bring back the rest of the brothers. Once we finish here, we'll blip into Arendelle and get the rest of the boys back, besides Charles, unfortunately. He was a non-negotiable."
"You... you helped kill your own sons?" Jørgen whispered.
"It was only temporary, my dear."
"Did you watch them die?" Hans growled. "Did you enjoy it?"
"Shut up," the queen snapped. "You're not long for this world. Say hello to your father for me."
"You're wicked," Jørgen muttered, shaking his head and stumbling back, nearly tripping over his chair.
"Jørgen... my dear, I never wanted you hurt; I made sure you weren't! I wouldn't let my favorite son be harmed. Now, why don't we rejoin your brothers outside? Princess Bhumi will take care of Hans, and then we can sail back and get the rest of your brothers out of the ground."
Bhumi suddenly tensed up. Something about Queen Carol's idea didn't make sense to Elsa. She thought the brothers were here...?
"There's no brothers outside," Jørgen said, staring fearfully at his mother. "We're the only ones left free and alive."
Queen Carol's expression immediately dropped. "What?"
Bhumi tried hard to keep a straight face. She was somehow delighting in this.
The queen did not look happy to have been duped. She turned with a quickly reddening face. "Bhumi. We had a deal; you stop at seven!"
"And I did," said the princess. "I spared you lucky number seven."
"That wasn't our agreement!" the queen spat. "We're going to bring them back right now!"
Bhumi crossed her arms and shook her head. "No, we're not. Be happy I spared you that one." Her eyes grew cold and hard as rock."Think twice before you even imagine trying to take over someone else's kingdom."
"Oh, you wretched-" the queen began, but Bhumi stopped her with an outstretched hand, finger pointed.
"Carol, you wouldn't want me to touch you or your son, would you?" The queen said nothing, but glared daggers. "Then I suggest you leave immediately. Consider yourself very lucky to have escaped. Diplomacy between Aruna and the Southern Isles has been terminated forever."
The queen was red with fury. Elsa saw where Hans got it from. "Fine," she growled. "But I'll have you know that this isn't over now. Nobody double crosses Carol Westergard. I still have two sons in a Corona prison; two hard thugs who will ruin your life. You can keep my sons! I only need three to take over the entire world!"
Carol grabbed Jørgen's wrist and he cried out. He turned briefly to Elsa, fear written across his face before the two disappeared like they'd never been there.
The cave grew incredibly quiet. Elsa heard only her heart pounding and what she thought might be Hans breathing, heavily. She looked to Bhumi with wide eyes, at loss for what happened next. Aruna's Princess had her arms crossed, not a stray hair loose from under her head covering. She looked too pleased to have been threatened by Queen Carol.
The princess suddenly looked to Elsa, as if she knew the former queen had been staring. Elsa might have looked away, slightly embarrassed at being caught, if it was in any other situation. But now, she kept staring, trying hard to see what Bhumi was up to. Was killing Hans another lie she'd told his mother? It was a far-fetched dream, but maybe...
"How do you fit into this equation?" Bhumi asked, still scrutinizing Elsa. "I'm trying to determine why the queen who imprisoned Hans is here to support him. Has he bribed you? Blackmail? You're free to go, your debts will be paid soon."
Elsa took a moment to think over the words, having trouble processing them, before she shook her head. "No," was all she said.
The princess raised her eyebrows. "No words to defend yourself, snow queen?"
"Leave her alone," Hans said from his place on the floor. Elsa pulled her gaze from Bhumi to the man, looking war-torn despite that the only thing he'd done in the past few minutes was collapse onto the floor. "She's not involved in my family's affairs."
That was a blatant lie, and Bhumi knew it. "The Queen of Arendelle hasn't been involved in the bodies that have shown up in her kingdom?"
With some effort, Hans pulled himself from the rock floor. "You've no quarrel with her, leave her out."
Bhumi cocked her head. "Ooh, I'm beginning to think I do have quarrel with her. Is she special to you, Prince Hans? Did the traitorous prisoner fall in love with the queen? Oh, that is interesting, isn't it? The Westergard family is full of hypocrites. You and your mother are so averted to magic that you'll condemn one magician, yet you fall in love with another?"
She turned to Elsa with a conspiratorial smile, like the two shared an inside joke. Elsa didn't smile back. "What do you say to this? Did you have any idea that this lowly, terrible-"
"Yes," Elsa answered, interrupting the woman. "I know that he loves me. And I'm honored to be so lucky." Hans was standing up now, and Elsa tried hard to stay calm while she carefully walked to him.
Bhumi's eyes were narrowed in confusion. "I'm... having trouble understanding. Carol told me that Hans tried to take over your kingdom, and had a sword raised above your head, after he tried to kill your sister. Was I somehow mistaken?"
Elsa bit her lip. "No... but a lot has changed since then." She neared Hans, and she held her hand outstretched for him to take. He gratefully grabbed it, holding tight like his life depended on it. And it might, after all. If Elsa could keep Bhumi talking long enough, maybe Hans could catch her by surprise, blast fire, and they could run away.
"I can't understand you," Bhumi said, staring at the hands in disgust. "But I'm not here to kill you. So let me through to Hans. I will kill you if you stand in my way."
Elsa moved from Hans' side to three feet in front of him. She protectively stood with her arms outstretched across him as a human barrier. "No. You won't touch him."
"Elsa," Hans whispered. "I hope you have a-"
"I'm going to have him dead in either case," Bhumi interrupted. "Get out of the way."
"A plan?" Elsa whispered to Hans, disregarding Bhumi. "Kind of. Almost." She hoped that when Bhumi launched towards them, she'd have enough time to build a wall of ice between them. Maybe if she enclosed Bhumi, they could break away and she'd be stranded at Blackblood Bay. The more Elsa thought of the plan, the more sure she was. Her heart leaped; they might finally be in the clear.
"Are you sure?" Hans asked.
Elsa turned to look at him, to assure him with a smile, but the moment she turned her head, Hans' face contorted in horror. She didn't have enough time to turn around, but in a moment Elsa realized her horrible mistake. There wasn't enough time to build a wall of ice. There wasn't any time for anything anymore.
All Elsa felt was a cold finger on her neck before everything became nothing.
It felt like her lungs had been filled with lead. Elsa gasped for air like she'd never breathed before once in her life. She was staring at the cave's ceiling- when had she fallen on the floor? A voice lifted above the ringing in her ears; a laugh? Elsa choked and greedily kept taking in air, trying to remember what was happening.
She was in a cave, she was at Blackblood Bay with Hans and Jørgen- no, just Hans. Jørgen had been taken away by his mother, the magician. She remembered... dying. Princess Bhumi had touched her; she was dead. Elsa was dead.
She squinted, the torchlight seeming brighter than before. The torchlight... but how could she see it?
The laughing continued, and Elsa recognized it as Bhumi. The former queen braved the chance at sitting up, though her head spun and felt incredibly sore.
Hans, who had just moments ago been behind her, had his back against the wall. He had fallen to the floor when he backed up, and the most horrified look was frozen on his face. He looked like a man who had just lost everything that mattered. The torchlight had gotten brighter, Hans had lost control of his emotions.
The laughing ceased. "You see, I can make this more fun. What's dead won't stay dead forever."
Elsa looked for Bhumi, who stood close to her, towering above.
"So we don't have to make this quick, Hans," Bhumi said. "I can take this as slowly, as painfully as I want."
Hans tried to speak, but he was just opening and closing his mouth. His hand covered his mouth in shock. If Elsa hadn't already known that he was completely devoted to her, the very look in his eyes had given everything away.
"She is very important, isn't she?" Bhumi asked, hand hovering above Elsa's head, just daring Hans to say something to provoke her.
"Please don't hurt her again," he said, trying to rise from the floor. "I've changed. I'm not the same boy who teased you in the Southern Isles. I'm so sorry. If you could-"
"I don't care if you've changed, what's happened has happened!" Bhumi said, tone much heavier than before.
"Isn't there any way I can fix-"
"This can't be fixed!" Bhumi yelled. "There's no way you can rewrite my history!"
There was something much deeper than a little teasing. Bhumi's hand above Elsa curled into a ball and rose up. Bhumi's grudge was more than what they'd anticipated.
"You... you said we've got plenty of time," Hans said carefully. "So please. Before you kill me, can't you please tell us why."
Bhumi struggled to say no. She looked like after this long, she'd finally finish what she longed to do. But the truth was so tempting to spill.
The princess gave in, but was never off her guard. "When my family left the Southern Isles, my father, the Sultan of Aruna, cut off all trade because he was so furious. But he wasn't only angry with your family, he was angry with me. He thought I had overacted and had ruined the entire partnership! It was my fault trade was closed. I was ten years old, what could I have done?"
Bhumi's eyes were burning with anger that wasn't just directed at Hans. The torchlight cast dark shadows across her face.
"I was sentenced to be Aruna's executioner. My father wanted to teach me the cruelty of people. A thief, an adulterer, a murderer; all would be sentenced by my touch. He said he wanted to show me the cruelty of people, but I was ten! I had to kill all the criminals in Aruna. My father thought it an extremely efficient method, no blood was spilled! It was so simple!" Bhumi began to laugh humorlessly, a laugh that held the weight of years.
"Nine years I was Aruna's executioner, and my father was right; I learned how cruel people were. And I learned how cruel I was. Because after two years, I became apathetic. I didn't care about the pleading eyes or the begging or the excuses. I didn't care about anyone. But I always thought back to the boy who had cast me in this position, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles. You ruined my life. Everyone is scared of me, even my own mother. They all think I don't have a heart. And maybe I don't anymore. You ripped my heart out of my chest, Hans Westergard."
Bhumi stopped, frozen by a sudden thought. Her lips curled, and Elsa was sure it wasn't something pleasant.
"Oh..." she said, her tone light again. "Why, maybe I won't kill you, Hans. Poetic justice may serve me better revenge."
"Bhumi," he said warningly.
"You ripped my heart out, Hans Westergard," she repeated. "Why don't I rip out yours?"
Elsa felt the presence of Bhumi's hand above her head. The former queen, properly scared, closed her eyes to remain in control of her emotions. Her lessons with Hans had certainly been helping, but she was nowhere near emotionally ready to be on the executioner's block.
"Bhumi, please, you don't have to do this," Elsa said breathlessly. "Try to remember how sad you were, how scared you-"
"Did you not hear me say I don't care anymore? Killing is as normal as breathing! And oh, this death will nearly fit the bill for the past years."
"Bhumi, don't," Hans growled.
She felt Bhumi's fingers just barely brush her hair when a sudden wave of heat made Elsa gasp and open her eyes. Bhumi had launched herself back, at least five feet from Elsa now.
Hans stood closer to Elsa, his scared, horrified face now one of pure rage. His eyebrows were low, his teeth were grit, and he was breathing like Elsa had when she was awoken from the dead. He was finished being diplomatic, and had clearly tried to sear Bhumi's hand off before it touched Elsa again.
Elsa gasped again and jumped to her feet. She clung to Hans, now understanding why he'd held her like a lifeline.
Bhumi had slit eyes now. "All right, Westergard. He who so hated magic he ruined my life. Yours against mine, now."
Hans hugged her tight to him before jumping into action, hurling fireballs at Bhumi. She was able to dodge them all, jumping around just like she had when Elsa attacked in the harbor of the Southern Isles. She was certainly quick, that wasn't to be denied.
Hans swept his hands in a cutting motion, and suddenly all the light died.
"Come and get me!" he yelled, voice bouncing off each rock in the cave.
But there was no answer. Not a sound from Bhumi, not one little hint. Elsa began to panic In the blackness.
"Hans," she said, telling him in one word to please turn the lights back on.
The torches danced to life again, but Elsa screamed when she saw that Bhumi had snuck up on Hans in the dark, knowing exactly where he was. And with one simple touch, all the life was drained from Hans' face and his body hit the floor with a heart-twisting thud.
There really is never a dull moment in their lives, is there? Promise that their circumstances only go up from here on. Today, you'll just have to watch them suffer.