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Chapter 5: Danger Awakening
"Murder!" A shrill, feminine voice called out. "Someone's been killed!"
The queen gasped. In Arendelle…? What – "
Kristoff had already burst through the doors, making his way through the attendees of the party. Elsa followed closely behind her friend. "Excuse me, pardon me," she spoke apologetically over the confused air of the guests.
Outside, Anna, Kai, and Gerda were all gathered together. Anna's hand was over her mouth, and Kai was bending down to examine the body.
It was the body of a young man, surely in his early twenties. He was lying on his side, and Elsa could spot a nasty gash with fresh blood still spewing out like a geyser.
Kai grimaced. "It happened roughly thirty seconds ago," he said slowly. Looking around, his eyes widened when he saw Elsa. "Your Majesty!" He came over to her at once, a worried look dancing over his features. "The killer is no doubt nearby – please, be careful!" He glanced at Anna, and pulled the two together behind his protective arm.
Meanwhile, Kristoff further inspected the body. The victim's eyes were still open, gazing unemotionally ahead. The mountain man shuddered and gently closed up the eyelids.
Cautiously, he turned the man to find a sharp arrow piercing his heart.
The guards arrived seconds after, and Kristoff pulled them close. "You may want to take a look," he said in an undertone. "Do a bit of inspecting around the area, too – whoever the assassin was, they used some sort of ranged weapon. Judging by the direction of the arrow tip…"
All the while, Elsa could barely think, let alone breathe.
An innocent…
Dead…
Under your rule…
She gasped suddenly, and an alarmed Anna quickly grabbed her and offered the queen support. "H-hey, hey, Anna, it's alright," she spoke quickly into the older one's ear.
"He's dead…and it's my fault…"
"What? N-no, Elsa, this has nothing to do with you! You couldn't have had stopped this assassination – "
"Could I have not?" Elsa muttered back, self-deprecating. "I'm the ruler of Arendelle now – "
"- and still, the man is dead." She stopped shortly, frowning. "Of course, he didn't deserve to die, but you can't always be blaming yourself, Elsie."
"But – "
"No buts," Anna said firmly, still holding the queen up. "Just trust me for a moment, here."
Elsa wanted to argue, but she knew it was hopeless – Anna's words seemed too persuasive, especially with Elsa's weak-headed state. She only nodded feebly, and a small smile grazed Anna's lips.
More dignitaries arrived on the scene, and some townsfolk were beginning to show as well.
"Kristoff?" Alf asked slowly, approaching the sight. "What's going – oh…fuck."
The blonde man gritted his teeth. The thought of a poor man literally shouting "I'm innocent!" lying dead on the cold, stone ground made him sick. At that moment, all he wanted to do was to find the assassinator and bring justice to him. But after a glance at the shaking queen, he pushed off his vengeful thoughts for the time being. Elsa was too important to him, and watching her quiver with fear and anxiety killed him.
Quickly rushing over to Elsa, he closed his hands over hers. "Elsa," he said, tone gentle but firm, "you can't put up with this right now – you need to rest."
Elsa tried to protest. "Kristoff – "
He shook his head. "I am not taking no for an answer." He looked back to Kai and nodded towards Elsa. Kai returned the gesture, understanding the sign.
Kristoff intertwined his fingers with Elsa's, and began his stride to the castle. Elsa was beginning to notice the small audience they had, and she began to worry.
What will they think about me – a queen, walking away from a crime scene? She pulled away quickly, receiving a raised eyebrow from Kristoff. "Please, just…give me a moment." Elsa took a deep breath and turned around.
"Citizens of Arendelle!" Although she was nervous, butterflies lingering in her stomach, she spoke loudly, drawing the attention of anyone. There was a hush amongst the crowd, and she continued slowly. "Tonight has brought us something very…unfortunate." Elsa frowned, stealing a quick glance towards Kristoff. He smiled and nodded her encouragingly, and that was more than enough to boost her spirits. "As your new queen, I assure you that I will do everything in my power to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again."
There was a silence. Elsa bit her lip. Did I do something wrong?
Thankfully, she did not. Applause soon found it's way to her ears, and smiles disseminated throughout the townsfolk. They were timid smiles, but they were reassured in Elsa's new ruling. She returned the gesture and gave a quick curtsy before joining Kristoff. Together, the two disappeared behind the castle gates.
The mountain man gave Elsa's hand a tight squeeze. "What did I say, Elsa?" he said, smiling. "That was more than enough to strengthen Arendelle's spirit – they'll look to you, knowing you will do an excellent job." The twinkle in his eyes undeniably proved he was telling the truth, and Elsa wanted to tell him that if it weren't for his supportive smiles or strong words of reassurance, she would be hanging on by a thread. She wanted to tell him that his presence alone could lighten her spirits in the blink of an eye. She wanted to tell him how she felt…
But she just smiled back. "Thank you, Kristoff. It's good to have you by my side." He winked, and the two continued their way down to Elsa's chambers in a comfortable silence. Their hands were still connected, but no one cared at the moment.
Elsa knew that it was going to be a tough, uphill ride from now on. She could barely think about all of her new, queenly duties…spending hours upon hours in her study doing the work that was meant for her did not seem, in the least bit, appealing. But it had to be done.
Stealing another look at her mountain man, she smiled genuinely. With Kristoff here, I know that this whole thing won't be as bad as I think so. I'll be able to –
Wait. 'Her mountain man?'
The queen flushed. Smooth, Elsa. Smooth.
(A/N: I know, I know, my chapters are the shortest chapters you've probably ever seen. I'm going to have to work on that, on top of regaining any actual writing skill I previously had, prior to the two-month break. XD)
