.Chapter 5
"Come again?" Marcus asked.
"A snowman, do you wanna build one with me?" Elsa asked.
"Of course but its the middle of spring, where are we gonna get snow?" Marcus asked as Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah, nevermind." Elsa chuckled as she created a small sphere and shot it into the sky where it exploded into a gentle flurry. Marcus watched as a snowflake gently fell. It was a gentle sight till it landed right in his eye.
"AH!" He yelped rubbing his eye causing Elsa to laugh.
"Yeah yeah laugh it up." He said as he blinked his eye fast in order to clear out any remaining water in his eye. He saw Elsa begin to roll up a ball of snow for the base of the snowman when an idea popped into his head. Should he risk it? The answer was yes. He bent down and scooped some snow into his hands and prepared to throw it. Once it left his hand he waited to hear a smack and a yelp but it did not come. He saw Elsa holding out her hand and had telekinetically stopped the snowball.
"Did you really think you could get me in my element?" Elsa said giving him a devious grin as she raised fifty snowballs from the ground.
"Uh oh." He said as Elsa fired the snowballs at him. Marcus had no time to dodge as one whacked him in the face and sent him sprawling to the ground. He tried to get up but the assault was too much as he was buried in snow. "OKAY I SURRENDER!"
"Whats that I can't hear you!" Elsa said raising a large pile of snow directly above him.
"I said I surr-" He said poking his head out of the snow and seeing the pile above him. He groaned as he was buried once again. Elsa was laughing seeing him covered in snow. Her laugh sounded like an angels choir to Marcus. He decided to play a trick on her and sat absolutely still.
"Marcus? Marcus?" Elsa asked sounding more nervous each time she called his name. She walked over and saw he wasn't moving. "Marcus!" Suddenly a hand shot out and dragged her into the snow.
"Gotcha!" He said.
"Not funny!" Elsa fumed. "I thought I hurt you!"
"What harm can a little snow do?" Marcus asked.
"More than you could know." Elsa said sadly.
"Did I say something wrong?" Marcus asked.
"No, its just I almost killed my sister twice with my powers." Elsa said. Marcus looked down at his feet not sure what to say.
"It's getting really late, its half past midnight." Marcus said. "You should get some sleep.
"No don't go!" Elsa said grabbing his arm. Marcus gave her a funny look. "I mean, can we talk for a little bit more?"
"If it makes you feel better." Marcus said. Personally, the days activities were starting to take a toll on him and he was very tired but he wanted to stay with Elsa. Elsa told him about the whole Hans situation and what he tried to do.
"So your sister agreed to marry this guy, the DAY she met him?" Marcus said appalled.
"She learned her lesson I believe." Elsa said.
"What happened to this guy, did she marry him?" Marcus asked.
"No, it turns out he only wanted the throne and he tried to kill me and my sister. You met him, he was the one that almost killed my sister today." Elsa said.
"That was HIM!" Marcus said standing up in rage. Now he had even more reason to kill this sick bastard. Elsa was shocked at how mad Marcus was.
"Marcus please calm down." Elsa said. Once again her sweet voice quelled the storm inside of him and he gently sat back down.
"I'm sorry, I don't like seeing people I care about in danger or pain." Marcus said.
"You care about me?" Elsa asked hopefully. Her smile about to touch her ears. She knew from Anna to not trust him so soon but he did risk his life to keep her safe. She knew his true colors and knew he was true. Elsa normally was not a social butterfly and was not on the quest for love but after being alone for so long and seeing her sister with Kristoff she longed for someone of her own.
"Well yes I mean, you are the queen and you need to be protected." Marcus said not having the gall to admit what he really meant.
"Is that all I am? A royal?" Elsa asked her smile quickly fading.
"Yes, I mean-" Marcus said.
"Very well, the hour grows late. Good night Marcus." Elsa said interrupting him as she got up and walked away. Marcus sat there expressionless not knowing what he did that made her just leave like that. Elsa walked fast to her room as she teared up. She would not say she was in love with Marcus, it was too soon for that. She did however feel something for him and hearing him say what he did crushed her. She figured she couldn't be too upset with him after all it was not love, only a crush. She would get over it. Elsa sighed as she laid down on her bed and quickly fell asleep. Marcus cursed at himself.
"The others are right, I am terrible with women." Marcus said as he began the walk back to the barracks. He replayed the events of tonight in his head. Marcus was no stranger to love. There had been a woman back in america he was head over heels for. He was young and stupid at the time and believed they would be together forever. Before he even got his first kiss from her she left him for another man. He knew what he felt towards Elsa was far from love. Could it be lust? The thought didn't seem to far fetched. Elsa was very attractive. Her face was perfect and had not too large breasts but decent size with a narrow waist with hips that swayed with each step she took. Marcus quickly pushed these sinful thoughts from his head. It couldn't be only lust as when she touched him he felt at peace with himself. He eventually decided it was only an infatuation that would quickly wear off. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a weak voice calling for help.
"H-help.." The voice was raspy and wheezing. Marcus looked around and saw no one. The voice called out again and Marcus responded.
"Hang on! I'm coming!" Marcus said as he followed the voice. He finally came to a stop when he saw a blonde haired man shivering and bleeding on the shore. Marcus quickly ran over to him.
"I NEED HELP OVER HERE!" Marcus screamed as he pulled the man onto the path. "Are you okay sir?"
"L-leg." The man said. Marcus looked to see a large sliver of wood that embedded in his leg. Marcus turned and saw several men running to him.
"He's injured." Marcus said as the men came over. "We need a stretcher over here!" Another group of men came back with a stretcher and gently placed the injured man onto it.
"What's your name?" The medic asked.
"Kristoff Bjorgman." The man said weakly as he passed out from pain.
"Shit, get him to the surgeons!" Marcus yelled. He was quickly brought back to the barracks where the surgeons took over. They removed the large sliver of wood and poured in whiskey in order to prevent infection. The surgeons used magnifying glasses to pick out any small slivers of wood still in his flesh. The wound was not fatal but it did a number on his leg. Marcus had seen too many shrapnel wounds to know what would happen to Kristoff's leg.
"We may have to amputate." A surgeon said. "It shredded his calf muscle, he may never be able to fully walk again with that."
"If we were to amputate it would have to be now while he is still passed out." Another surgeon said. "Prepare the saws."
"Poor bastard." Marcus said as he turned away. He had seen enough blood for one day. He returned to his rack and sleep quickly overtook him.
The next day held no shortage of volunteers, every able bodied man from ages eighteen-forty showed up at the barracks to sign up. Lumber mills now halted production of carriages in order to construct new ships. Blacksmiths now forged swords, daggers, and muskets. Admiral Soren, who had had arrived from Spain this morning, placed an order for several ironclads upon hearing news of the attack on Arendelle.
"Marcus you up yet?" Eli asked as he splashed water on his face to wake himself up. He assumed by the silence that the answer was no. "Lazy bastard."
"I'm up you ass." Marcus yawned as he practically fell out of bed face first onto the floor.
"Had a few last night?" Eli asked. Eli was still shaken from yesterday but he was not showing it.
"More like pissed off the queen than pulled a injured man from the water." Marcus said getting up.
"Pissed off the queen? Don't tell me you actually did." Eli said.
"Yup." Marcus said.
"Just how in the hell did you manage to do that?" Eli asked. Marcus explained the events of last night to his friend.
"Damn, the only way that could have ended worse is if you called her fat." Eli said. "Well do you?"
"Do I what?"
"Like her."
"I don't know, she's nice to be around but I don't have this overbearing desire to be with her." Marcus said. "Besides lets get real here, she is a queen and I am a lowly soldier."
"Ladies love a man in uniform." Eli said.
"I'm not even wearing the right one in that case. You know what granddad would say if I married a monarch?" Marcus said. His grandfather had fought the british in the american revolution and was a very stern believer in democracy.
"I'd imagine him and ol George would come from the grave and bash your skull in." Eli said chuckling. "Come on lets get some chow."
Anna had awoken with a yawn when Kai burst through her doors.
"Your majesty, I apologize for waking you but this is urgent." Kai said.
"You can tell me in three hours." Anna said falling back asleep.
"Its Kristoff, we found him." Upon hearing Kristoff's name she bolted out of her bed and practically rammed Kai into the wall.
"Where is he?" Anna asked frantically.
"He is in the medical ward, he is alive and well but I'm afraid his right leg had to be amputated below the knee." Kai said. Anna felt her heart stop. She was glad Kristoff was alive but he had lost a leg.
"Take me to him now! Anna ordered.
"Right away Princess." Kai said as he led her to the medical wards. Kristoff had just woken up moments ago.
"Why is foot so numb?" He asked himself as he reached down to grab his right foot only to find it wasn't there!
"What happened to my foot?" He yelled as pain soared up his leg.
"You took a large wooden sliver though your calf muscle. It had destroyed the muscle and we found a lot of infected tissue. Had we not amputated you the infection could have spread and killed you." A surgeon said. Kristoff looked in a nearby bin and saw a severed bloody foot.
"I-Is that mine?" He asked. The surgeon nodded causing Kristoff to turn green. Kristoff felt a burning pain at the end of the stump on his right leg.
"Oh it hurts!" Kristoff moaned.
"Your body took a lot of trauma during the amputation, we severed skin, tendons, nerves, muscles, and bones. It is natural for post operation pain." The surgeon said handing Kristoff a liquid. "Drink this, it will help with the pain." Kristoff quickly obliged and chugged the drink down. It took effect almost immediately as he the pain mellowed out.
"What is that stuff?" Kristoff asked.
"It is simply hot tea with a dash of opium from China." The surgeon said. Kristoff nodded as he yawned. The doors suddenly burst open as Anna ran to his side.
"K-k-kristoff?" She asked tearfully as she saw the bloody bandage around his right knee. He looked at her and smiled.
"Anna!" He cried. She ran over to him and hugged him tightly. The great weight in her heart finally lifted.
"Oh Kristoff, I was so worried!" Anna cried. "I thought I lost you!"
"I'll never leave you." Kristoff said planting a kiss on her forehead. He held her as tight as he could. Anna felt his heart beat through his chest and a joyful tear rolled down her cheek. Kristoff yawned again as a reindeer came barging in.
"SVEN!" Kristoff yelled as his reindeer came and licked his face. Kristoff was happy to the have the two he loved most with him.
"Princess, he needs rest." The surgeon said.
"I'll be okay Anna." Kristoff smiled. Anna leaned over and kissed him.
"I love you." She said as Kristoff passed out from the medicine.
Sorry if Elsa seems a bit OOC. In all the fics I've read she is always very against the idea of love at first and feels she doesn't need someone after being isolated. I decided to take a different view on that she is longing for a man to love her.
As always R&R