Chapter 3.
Anna twirled and danced across the ball room as decorations and endless rows of food were laid out. Plates of venison, fish, sausage, fruits, and deserts filled the room with a mouth watering aroma. Anna loved the balls but relented the fact that Kristoff would not be here. She tried not to act so disappointed, what was one more day? She suddenly felt a sweet aroma fill her nostril. She followed it to a plate of fresh chocolates. She quickly turned to see if anyone was looking and stuffed four chocolates in to her mouth.
"No touching!" A voice shouted. Anna turned with her cheeks still puffed and filled with chocolate. She saw her sister standing there laughing.
"You know I can't resist chocolate!" Anna whined as she swallowed.
"Wipe your mouth." Elsa laughed as she took a napkin and wiped the chocolate off of her sisters face. Elsa then turned and eyed the chocolates and felt her mouth begin to water. Perhaps just one wouldn't hurt.
"Elsa!" Anna whined as Elsa popped a chocolate into her mouth. "No fair!"
"I'm the queen." Elsa responded laughing.
"Remember no dessert till after your dinner your majesty." General Johanssen said chuckling. "I do say you two look fabulous."
"Thank you general." Elsa said. "May I help you?"
"I was looking for General Grant, have you seen him?" Johanssen asked.
"I think I saw him smoking outside the courtyard." Anna said.
"Thank your highness." Johanssen said bowing. He then proceeded to leave the room. Johanssen located the general puffing on a cigar in the courtyard overlooking th ocean. He made his way over to Grant.
"Afternoon General." Johanssen said.
"Afternoon." Grant said. "You know I was wondering whose bright idea it was to build this castle right on the water. Makes it very vulnerable to a naval attack.
"I have often wondered the same thing. I always thought it would be safer inland since the mountains block infantry." Johanssen said.
"Cigar?" Grant asked as he pulled out a cigar and offered it to Johanssen.
"No thank you, I don't smoke." Johanssen said.
"Now's the time to start, you only live once." Grant said.
"Oh very well." Johanssen said taking the cigar. "It's not poisoned is it?"
"Well that wouldn't be a very nice way to welcome our new trade partners." Grant said laughing. He pulled out his dagger and clipped the end of it. Grant pulled out a box of matches and lit Johanssen's cigar. The arendelle general puffed and then fell over coughing.
"Oh I should of mentioned that you don't wanna inhale." Grant said.
"Very funny General." Johannsen said.
"Please, call me Ulysses."Grant said.
"Very well, you may call me Erik." Johanssen said as he took a puff. He let the smoke sit in his mouth. He enjoyed the flavor and the blew it back out. "I must say that ironclad is a beauty."
"We started buildin em at the beginning of the war. French beat us to the punch though, they've had em for a while." Grant said.
"I've been pushing for the construction of ironclad warships but none seem to agree with me." Johannsen said. "Especially since our navy is more valuable than our army as much as I hate to admit it."
"Why do you say that?" Grant asked.
"We have almost never been attacked in a ground assault due to the mountains. Any attack on us has been from the sea." Johannsen said.
"Most of our fighting in America has been on land." Grant said.
"It must have been rough leading in a civil war." Johanssen said.
"Well I had a lot of help from these beauties." Grant said pointing to his cigar. "Good thing they didn't send General Sherman here, he was a crazy bastard."
"Really?" Johanssen asked.
"He marched through the south and literally burned and destroyed everything, and I do mean everything." Grant said.
"Scorch and burn." Johannsen said.
"This was more than that, it was complete overkill." Grant said. "All is fair in war I suppose."
"Indeed." Johanssen said taking a puff of the cigar. The two generals continued to joke and talk. Little did they know they were being watched. Miles away from the castle on a hidden cliff in the mountains. Two men in dark cloaks looked through their scope.
"Damn! The americans are here!" One of them said.
"This just made our job a whole lot harder." The other said.
"What do we tell Lord Sol? We do not have the numbers to fight both Arendelle and the Americans!"
"Quiet you fool, we will just have to alter the plan."
Four hours later.
"If one thing on me ship is out of place I will take me hook and split ye from skull to scrotum!" Peggy yelled at his first mate who was scrambling to get the watch teams ready. Peggy got on the deck and roared orders.
"The following have the first watch: Donalds, Cornelius, White, and Peters! In four hours a new team will come relieve ye and ye can join in on the festivities." Peggy yelled. "As for the rest of ye rats, start gettin ready for the ball!"
"YES SIR!" The deck yelled as everyone ran to their stations. Marcus and Eli went below deck to finish getting ready.
"Ah wheres my damn cover?" Eli asked as he searched for his cap.
"You mean this cover?" Marcus said holding Eli's cover.
"Give me that!" Eli said lunging at Marcus who snapped away.
"Whats the magic word?" Marcus teased.
"Give me my cover before I throw your ass overboard." Eli growled.
"Good boy." Marcus said throwing the cover at his friend.
"Damn you." Eli said.
"Oh quit whining, you've been messing with me ever since we left New York!" Marcus retorted.
"Bastard." Eli said. "Let's get going."
"Obi! Jonas! You comin?"
"Hang on a damned minute!" Obidiah yelled.
"Any time now!" Eli yelled.
"There! We are ready!" Jonas yelled. "You're like a damn dog begging for food!"
"Whatever, lets head out." Eli said as he and the the other five hundred american military men disembarked from the ships and stood in formation. The americans lined up in neat tight rows and awaited orders. Grant came out and stood at attention.
"LEFT FACE!" He yelled as the regiment of men turned left, the sound of their heels hitting the ground echoing across the harbor.
"FORWARD MARCH!" Grant yelled as the regiment moved forward following Grant's steps. The regiment made their way through the streets of Arendelle where they were met to a mostly positive reaction from the citizens. They continued their march till they entered the castle courtyard.
"HALT!" Grant yelled as the regiment came to a complete stop and stood at attention. Elsa and Anna came outside onto the balcony to address their kingdom.
"Tonight we are here to honor our new trade partners, the United States of America!" Elsa yelled as the crowd cheered. "May our alliance bring about an era of peace."
"REGIMENT! DISMISSED!" Grant yelled.
"DISMISSED! AYE AYE SIR!" The americans yelled as they disbanded from formation and went their separate ways. Most went into the ball room while some stayed outside. Marcus and Eli felt their mouths water when they saw the endless rows of culinary perfection. Marcus, Eli, Obi, and Jonas attacked the food like a pack of ravenous wolves.
"MMM! This is delicious!" Jonas proclaimed as he took a bite of meat. "What is this?"
"Human, cannibalism is not that frowned upon here." A woman said. Jonas, Eli, Obi and Marcus opened their eyes wide and stopped chewing.
"AHH!" Jonas yelled as he spat the meat out.
"OH GOD!" Eli cried as he wiped his tongue with a napkin. He looked to see Princess Anna staring at them.
"I was only joking, it is venison." Anna said laughing.
"Thats not funny! What is wrong with you damned people?" Obi growled.
"You idiot! Thats the princess!" Eli said slapping Obi in the head. Upon realizing this the four americans snapped to a salute.
"My apologies my american friend, I could not resist." Anna said giggling. "You're funny!"
"You're not mad?" Eli asked.
"Of course not." Anna giggled.
"So we are getting beheaded or anything?" Obi asked.
"Oh Heavens no!" Anna said. "I would never send someone to death!"
"I like her." Jonas whispered to Marcus.
"What are your names?" Anna asked with a smile.
"Corporal Elijah Robertson your highness." Eli said.
"Private Marcus Samson." Marcus said.
"Private Obidiah Jones." Obi said.
"Private Jonas Smith." Jonas said.
"How old are you?" Anna asked.
"I'm the oldest, I am nineteen." Eli said. "Followed by Obi and Jonas who are both eighteen. and then Marcus who just turned seventeen four weeks ago."
"You are all so young!" Anna said shocked.
"Most of the army was only fourteen when they enlisted, some of our drummer boys were young as twelve!" Eli said.
"Thats so horrible you had to experience war at a young age." Anna said looking at these men with a newfound respect.
"Ah well we didn't have much choice." Obi said rubbing the back of his head.
"We made it out alright, can't say the same for Captain Peggy over there though." Marcus said as they all laughed.
"Well it was nice meeting all of you, I am Princess Anna by the way, enjoy your stay!" Anna said walking away. She liked these americans, they were very friendly. Across the ballroom a group of young Arendelle sailors gathered to listen to Captain Peggy's war stories.
"The Confederates ships fired their cannons relentlessly, Fort Sumter wasn't going to hold out much longer. I was on me ship when suddenly the wall near me exploded into a shower of planks and splinters killing all those who were standing in front of it. I was a damned moron and went to take a look at the hole in the wall. I realized the damned confederates had their cannons aimed right at me! I tried to turn but it was too late. Their cannon struck the wood in front of me and sent a wall of sharp splinters at me and shredded me legs and hand clean off!" Peggy said earning a gasp from the young sailors.
"The sea is a dangerous place me lads, beautiful yet deadly as a knife." Peggy said. "That is all for the night, get on with yer dancing ye scallywags!"
"Yes sir!" The sailors said as they disbanded. Lively music was playing as the dance floor was filled with couples dancing. Elsa and Anna watched from the front helping themselves to chocolates as the festivities carried on.
"I wish Kristoff was here, he'd have so much fun." Anna said.
"It's okay Anna, he'll be here tomorrow." Elsa said comforting her younger sister. "Lets go dance."
"Okay!" Anna said happily as the sisters entered the dance floor. Neither knew how to dance of course but they just went with the flow. Grant and Johanssen continued to talk about war and battles as Eli, Marcus, Obi, and Jonas took down their third serving.
"I could get used to this!" Jonas said stuffing his mouth with cake. A dinging sound was heard as General Johannsen banged a fork on a glass. The room went silent as he stood up to make an announcement.
"I am glad to see we are getting along so well here tonight." Johanssen said. "Our american friends have had a long journey here. So that being said, break out the ale! These men are thirsty!" The crowd erupted into cheers as barrels of rum and ale were rolled out. The smell of alcohol soon filled the air as men and women took down beverages.
"Wine your majesty?" A servant said offering the queen a glass of wine.
"No thank you." Elsa said smiling. She was happy to see everyone having such a good time. She felt someone tap her shoulder, she turned around to see a man she did not expect to see.
"Kristoff?" She said appalled. The former iceman now dressed in a naval officer uniform, his hair now combed and neatly groomed.
"Your majesty." He said bowing. "Where is Anna?"
"You don't have to bow Kristoff, you are practically family." Elsa smiled. "She is over there."
"Thank you." He said as he snuck over to where Anna was. Anna was dancing with royal officials when she felt some tap her back.
"May I have this dance my princess?" Anna recognized that voice anywhere. She turned to see her love smiling down at her.
"KRISTOFF!" She yelled jumping onto him and planting a long kiss. She had missed him so bad it made her heart ache. Having him here with her right now filled her with such joy and relief.
"I missed you." He said holding her tight. He had longed to hold her again.
"You look so handsome." She said examining his uniform and rubbing her hands up his strong arms.
"Let's dance." He said as he placed one hand behind her waist and held her other hand out to the side. The two twirled and laughed as they shared their first dance in months together. Elsa looked at how happy her sister looked and felt happy for her but also longed to have someone love her like Kristoff loved Anna. She decided to take a break from the loud music and snuck out the door to the gardens.
"Do you know this one?" Eli asked the band playing the music.
"Yes, this is well known across Europe." The conductor said.
"Yes! Thank you very much." Eli said as the band began to play a familiar tune.
"Is that what I think it is?" Jonas said hearing the music.
"You know it!" Eli said as he, Jonas and Obi all jumped onto a table. "Yankee doodle went to town riding on a pony, he stuck a feather in his hat and called macaroni!" They sang as the all americans in the crowd heard the familiar song and joined in. Arendelle citizens clapped and danced to the song.
"Father went down to camp along with Captain Goodwin, and there he saw the men and boys as thick as hasty pudding!" Grant found himself singing along to tune in the corner.
"And there was General Washington upon a slapping stallion! A givin orders to his men," They sang.
"I GUESS THERE WAS A MILLION!" Eli yelled solo as the crowd cheered. Marcus decided this was too much noise and he needed a break. He moved between crowds of people and made his way outside where he found a beautiful garden. This was a good place to calm down. Marcus admired the colorful array of flora and the variety of fauna living there. He looked up and saw the hundreds of stars dotting the sky, he closed his eyes and felt the wind blow past him. He was so caught up in the moment he didn't see where he was going and he bumped into someone.
"Ow!" She said as she fell to the ground.
"Oh I'm sorry ma'am." Marcus said as he held out his hand and pulled her up. He then saw it was the queen he had bumped into.
"Queen Elsa!" He yelped. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention!"
"It's okay." Elsa said dusting her dress off. "I should have been looking myself." Elsa looked up into Marucs' eyes. She thought he was very handsome, his face free of facial hair or blemishes, his long curly blonde hair neatly combed. (AN: If you have a hard time picturing him, he looks like Gabriel from The Patriot) Elsa realized she was starting and quickly turned away.
"If you don't mind me asking, how come you aren't inside celebrating?" Marcus asked.
"I could be asking you the same, I'm sorry, you have me at a disadvantage, what is your name?" Elsa asked.
"Marcus, Marcus Samson." Marcus said politely. If only Eli could see him now. Elsa decided it would be nice to have someone to talk to, after all he was rather handsome.
"Well Mr. Samson, it would certainlly look bad if I didn't have an escort with me. Would you care to walk with me?" Elsa offered.
"M-me?" Marcus said pointing to himself. "Really?"
"Yes." Elsa said. Marcus was dumbstruck, the queen just asked him to walk with her!
"Um sure." He said. The two walked underneath a bridge which was covered in vines and flowers. A million thoughts raged through his head. What do you say to a queen? Especially when one is just a soldier? Do you compliment her? Yes, complimenting her would be good. Meanwhile, Eli, Obi, and Jonas walked outside for some fresh air. The smell of alcohol evident in their breathes.
"Where did Marc wander off to now?" Eli asked looking for his friend.
"Hey over here, check this out!" Jonas whispered. Eli and Obi ran over to him and sat down behind a bunch of bushes. "Looks like our boy finally manned up!"
"Well I'll be damned." Eli said as he spotted Marcus with Elsa. "Please don't screw this up."
"You have a pretty castle." Marcus blurted before mentally slapping himself. That was the best he could do? Eli and shook his head in shame, this was painful to watch.
"Well thank you." Elsa said realizing how nervous Marcus must be. She decided it would be easier if she broke the ice smiling at her own pun.
"Let's take a seat." She said as she sat down on a stone bench while Marcus sat on the other end. Marcus looked into her eyes, damn those beautiful eyes. He could stare into them forever. How could one woman be so perfect? It didn't seem natural.
"Do you have family back home Mr. Samson?" Elsa asked.
"You can call me Marcus." Marcus said. "Well I did, they are all dead. My father and brother were killed at Gettysburg and my mother died from a fever. I'm seventeen with nowhere to go."
"You're only seventeen?." Elsa said shocked. "You're so young."
"Most of us joined at a young age." Marcus said.
"I'm sorry." Elsa said sympathetically. "Its rough losing your parents, I lost mine when i was nineteen to a storm at sea."
"Atleast you still have your sister." Marcus said. "My brother got stabbed four times in the gut with a bayonet. He lied in agony for hours before death took him."
"I'm sorry you had to see such terrible things." Elsa said. How could such a young man who was still practically a boy endure such horror.
"I didn't see much, I was only in one battle and I was so far in the back my musket didn't hit anything." Marcus said as he looked up getting lost in her eyes again. "I'm sorry I keep staring."
"Its okay." Elsa said. Truth be told, she liked the attention she was receiving. She wondered if she should show him, he seemed like a nice boy but still she had the fear he would reject her. "Can I show you something?"
"What?" Marcus asked. Elsa sighed deeply.
"Promise me you wont run away screaming?" Elsa asked.
"Promise." Marcus said. Elsa then brought her hands together and made a miniature ice sculpture. Marcus' eyes widened seeing the magic. Elsa prepared herself for him to call her a witch and run off like so many others did and still do.
"How did you do that? Thats amazing!" He exclaimed.
"I was born with these powers." Elsa said as she ice flowed from her hand onto the bench. "I never liked them much, everyone believed it was a curse from the devil."
"Or a gift from God." Marcus said catching Elsa off guard. Elsa looked at him and saw the sweet look on his face.
"These are no gift." Elsa said closing her eyes. "I caused so much pain."
"How?" Marcus asked. "This is an amazing gift!"
"I almost killed my sister when we were younger, I accidenly shot ice at her head. After that I was confined to my room until I could learn to control them. At my coronation I accidentely froze all of Arendelle because I was upset with my sister, than I almost killed her again when I froze her heart." Elsa said tearing up. "I hate these powers, I wish I never born sometimes, I'm a monster." Marcus didn't know what to say. Up above, Eli, Obi, and Jonas watched in amazement.
"Hey maybe we should leave." Jonas said.
"Why? Its getting good." Eli said.
"Also getting personnal." Jonas said. "We can at least give them some privacy."
"Fine." Eli said as the three men quietly left and headed back inside.
"You didn't do any of that with malicious intent." Marcus said. "It was all an accident."
"But-" Elsa began to say.
"No, pardon my interruption but you need to hear this." Marcus said interrupting. You are no monster, last I checked monster are evil and you are far from being evil. You have a gentle soul and a big heart. Your powers are only a curse if you allow them to be."
"Marcus." Elsa said feeling herself melt. She wanted to run and hug him but she had to behave like a queen. "Thank you."
"We should head back, the-" He began to say before a loud explosion rocked the castle. Elsa fell and Marcus ran to catch her but he lost balance and she tumbled on top of him. He looked up to see those eyes starting down at him. He felt her breasts push into his chest which each breath she took. Her eyes were so perfect, he got lost in them for a moment before realizing the awkwardness of the situation.
"I'm sorry." She said as she got up.
"It's okay, What was that?" Marcus said as he looked and saw one of the american ships burning and sinking into the harbor.
"Were those idiots smoking near the gunpowder again? I told them fifteen times to not-" He began to rant as he saw cannon fire strike the village and the other ships.
"We have to leave now!" He said grabbing Elsa and pulling her from the balcony. Gunfire echoed as the night lit up in a series of explosions and fire. In the ballroom, General Grant was walking out the door with his scope to see what was going on.
"If they were smoking by the gunpowder again I swear I'm gonna-" He said looking though his scope. He saw that the ships were being shot at! He moved his scope up and saw a fleet of black ships with red sails unleashing hell upon the harbor.
"Ulysses what is going on?" Johanssen asked.
"Ready your men, we are under attack." Grant growled.
Leave some reviews folks, it helps a lot with motivation. Sorry if this isn't completely historically accurate with dates and stuff.