The docks were in a frenzy when Elsa returned to them, as it appeared that the flagship from Weselton fired it's cannon. At least, that is what the Queen thought by the time she reached Admiral Crispin, who had just exited from the tent. Kai, Hålogaland, Malkolm, and a man that Elsa didn't automatically recognize followed him.
Elsa calmly strode up to the Admiral. "What has happened?" She turned her attention to the harbor where one of her tall ships was on a course to the vessel from Weselton. "Give me your scope." As she looked through the spyglass a chill ran up her spine, as there was menace in the air, it was palatable, and it excited her. She could clearly see which cannon had been fired, as it was still smoking. "Where did that ball land?"
"There was no cannonball." The voice was gruff, with a slight accent.
Elsa turned her head and really looked at the man, and then realized it was Lord Elisar, an older Earl from the northern part of her Kingdom, someone who had personally known her father. "How do you know, my Lord?"
"It was a warning. If they really meant to shell us we would be dead." Lord Elisar grinned at Elsa. "How are you, my Queen, it's been awhile."
"Yes, my Lord, a very long time." Elsa smiled back at the man. "I am… doing well, at the moment."
Admiral Crispin nodded as Elsa handed him his scope. "I think they know we're after them, Your Majesty."
"It would appear so—the ice will hold, trust me. Is that Harald Halfdansson on my ship?"
"You did give him permission to lead the arrests, Your Majesty." Earl Malkolm walked up to Elsa and stood close to her, their arms almost touching.
"Yes, I did." Elsa ran her hand through her hair, loose strands slipping through her fingers as she tried to calm the dragon within. Her eyes wandered over to the water, and she felt a deep urge to plunge right into it. The feeling was strong, but she was able to resist it as she wondered where it came from. Jörmungandr. There could be no denying it, the dragon wanted to be in the water, was craving for it. Suddenly, she realized all those around her were staring her, so she coughed into her hand. "Pardon me, gentlemen, but I was thinking."
Earl Malkolm placed his hand on the Queen's shoulder. "Are you sure you are okay, Your Majesty?"
The Queen felt the dragon keenly at that moment, and how it wanted to rip out the throat of the young, brash Earl. Jörmungandr could sense the Earl's interior menace, and looked upon the man as competition. Instead of lashing out, she merely turned her head towards him. "Please, my Lord, do not touch me unless you've been invited to do so."
Malkolm withdrew immediately, and took a small step backwards. "Forgive my boldness, Your Majesty—I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." The earl was visibly dejected, as he thought he had a connection with Elsa.
Elsa knew there was attraction between them, for whatever reasons, and she also knew not to pay it any heed, as there were—other considerations, namely, Anna. She cringed on the inside, silently berating herself for even acknowledging another's appeal. There was another moment of awkward silence as she pondered her feelings. But the moment didn't last long as there was a sudden commotion out in the bay.
Everyone turned to see that Arendelle's tall ship had been fired upon, and this time the flagship from Weselton had used cannonball. There was a noticeable small fire towards the transom stern of the ship, and its panicked crew busied themselves throwing buckets of seawater at it.
Angered, Elsa threw up her hands and blasted the cannons of the Weselton ship with the coldest of ice, effectively making them useless. "Damn it!" She whirled towards the Admiral, who was standing stunned, like the rest of the nobles around her. "Send another ship out, I want that vessel taken, immediately!"
Crispin snapped out of his stupor. "Right away, Your Majesty!" He trotted to the other side of the pier they were standing at and quickly gave out orders to his Commanders.
"Your Majesty!"
Elsa quickly turned to see that Earl Hålogaland was pointing towards their damaged ship. "Yes, what is it?"
"Their signalman is sending a message to us!" He grabbed a spyglass from a nearby sailor and looked out onto the harbor. "Let's see… flags on the halyard… they have casualties, Your Majesty—two dead."
The Queen stood straight and regal. "Then I want the Captain of that ship arrested for war crimes. See to it, Hålogaland!"
"But, Your Majesty…"
Elsa could feel Jörmungandr stirring, and threatening to take over. So she turned away from the scene and began to walk away, her legs moving too slowly. After turning abruptly back to her nobles she barked out more orders. "Am I surrounded by complete incompetence? Don't just stand there; you all know what to do, so go about your business! Master Kai?"
Kai hurriedly trotted up to his Queen. "Yes, Your Majesty?"
The Queen lowered her voice, so that only Kai could hear her. "I can't stay here any longer because of Jörmungandr, do you understand?"
Kai nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty."
"Please see that these men follow their orders, even the nobles. Hålogaland needs to go out with the ship and send the rest back to the castle; I'll attend to them later. I… I've got to go…" Elsa quickly turned away from Master Kai and briskly walked towards the town, in search of Anna. As she was walking she realized two things. First, she almost became the dragon in front of people who did know her, and, secondly, she almost transformed into the dragon in daylight, without the benefit of a full moon! The realization frightened her to the core, as she had some inkling as to what Jörmungandr was going to be. She stopped at the first shops near the harbor and tried to think of where Anna could have gone. Then she remembered the stags; they would be hard to miss, so she relaxed somewhat and strolled down the streets of Arendelle. But the dragon demanded to be recognized.
Anna sat in a nearby café, the one that Elsa had taken her to weeks ago for dinner, and quietly sipped hot tea. There was a tray of assorted pastries before her, and she was in the middle of choosing which ones to munch on when Dáinn poked his head inside the door.
"Jörmungandr is near, Princess Anna."
Anna didn't bother to look up, and selected a particularly large piece of chocolate cake. "Just send her in, okay?"
"Anna!"
The voice was commanding, and rough, and she recognized it at once. "Elsa…?"
The Queen stood in the doorway, framed in an unearthly sunlight, her entire being radiating a clear authority, a perfect blend of Elsa and the dragon. "Come!"
Anna hesitated, she knew that look, and what it meant. But this time, she wasn't going to have it. "No, Elsa, I don't think so."
Elsa blinked, and gripped the doorframe even harder. "Anna… I need…"
The owner of the café came out of the kitchen and took one look at the Queen before turning back around and disappearing.
Anna glanced at the owner before turning back to Elsa. "No, Elsa, I'm not in the mood. Why don't you come in and sit by me…oh!" Her eyes widened and she immediately clutched at her belly.
Elsa was at her side in an instant. "What… what is it?"
Anna looked into Elsa's eyes. "They baby—moved. Give me your hand."
The Queen placed her flat palm on Anna's extended stomach, and waited. It only took a few moments for the baby to kick again, and she felt it. "Oh, my… Anna?"
Anna placed her hand over Elsa's. "This is…"
"…amazing." Elsa finished. She looked up and captured Anna's gaze with her own, and that look conveyed everything that she felt. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she did not want to cry in public. To her surprise, Jörmungandr was pleased as well, and she felt him settle back down into a docile state.
"Elsa, we did this—you gave me the life inside me. I… I don't know what to say." Anna wound her fingers with Elsa's.
Elsa blushed a deep red, and was loath to tell Anna that baby was by pure accident. She blinked back her tears and wondered if that was really true, considering everything she knew about the Prophecies—about Fimbulvetr—and this was her inner dilemma and turmoil. Were any of the events of the last three months of her own making? Or were they all just puppets to fate, and to the whimsies of the gods?
Anna saw the turmoil in Elsa's eyes, and her heart lurched. "You are troubled, aren't you?" She lowered her eyes. "Is it the baby? Are you having second thoughts about being a parent?"
The Queen briefly looked about the café, confirming their aloneness. "Please don't fret yourself, so, Anna. I'm thrilled to be a parent—but scared beyond belief at the same time. But this is a burden I do not wish to trouble you with." She sat back in a chair opposite Anna, and looked at the tray of pastries. "So, did you decide what dessert you want?"
Anna quickly snatched her preferred choice. "The chocolate cake is mine, my Queen."
Elsa held up her hands and laughed, and it felt good in that she hadn't really laughed in a long time. "I think I'll just have this raspberry tart."
They ate in companionable silence, each lost in her own thoughts. But the Queen was still a little troubled, and thought a visit to the Bishop of Arendelle was in order.
Elsa entered the quiet cathedral and then paused in the narthex, the aroma of candle wax and incense filling her senses. It was obvious the old German Romanesque building was in need of some cleaning, and she wondered why it was in such disrepair. But it was also true she had not been in the building since her coronation, and she felt a little guilty about neglecting this part of her rule as Queen.
The stone floor in the narthex gave way to a carpeted nave, and she strode forward a little cautiously, much like she did when she was a child, confused in her beliefs. There was a sound in the transept to her left, so she went in that direction, only to find Bishop Johannes on his knees, doing his best to clean up some spilled candle wax.
The Queen frowned at the sight, wondering why such a man would be doing such menial tasks. She cleared her throat. "Your Grace?"
Johannes looked up, and groaned as he rose from his knees. "Forgive me, Your Majesty." He looked down at his disheveled and dirty clothes. "I did not know you were coming."
Elsa nodded. "I did not know, either, Your Grace. This meeting is completely spontaneous. May I ask you why you are busy cleaning up candle wax?"
Johannes looked down for a moment, then gestured for the Queen to follow him. "We seem to have lost our clean up crew to Her Majesty's army." He led Elsa through the ambulatory to a staircase that went downwards to a small stone room. It was sparsely furnished, with a small fireplace on the opposite wall. "Forgive me my untidiness, Your Majesty."
Elsa looked about the room and noticed that all the walls were fit with bookcases, and were overloaded with books and all sorts of tomes, must like the library in the castle. When the bishop sat at his small desk, she took the seat opposite him. This was her first time in his office.
As per royal custom, Bishop Johannes waited for the Queen to say something first. But when it became apparent she was not going to do so, he spoke up. "I have not seen you within these walls in well over a year, Your Majesty."
The Queen nodded, and then crossed her legs. "My time does not seem to be my own, Your Grace. But that is hardly an excuse to ignore my royal duties."
"May I offer you some tea, Your Majesty? I do have some other libations that may better suit the moment."
"What are those?"
The Bishop opened his desk drawer and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. "I keep this—for moments such as this." He poured two small glasses and pushed one over his desk towards the Queen.
Elsa took the drink and sipped. "Thank you, Your Grace."
When Elsa closed up again Johannes sat back in his seat and looked at her closely. "I remember the night you were born, Your Majesty. You gave your mother quite the scare, did I ever tell you that? Most babies scream to the high heavens at first. But you were different." He took a large swallow of his drink. "You didn't make a sound, and your hands…" His voice trailed off for a moment, remembering the night clearly. "They glowed, Elsa."
The Queen looked up sharply at the use of her given name, but then her features softened at the look in the man's eyes. "They did?"
Johannes put his drink down. "My point is, Your Majesty, is that I knew from the very beginning of your life just how special you are, and I made it my business to make sure your parents never forgot it—but then the accident happened, and I somehow lost track of your life, and for that I am sorry." He leaned his arms on his desk. "How may I help you, Elsa?"
Elsa sat as still as possible, and willed away the tears that were threatening to break. "I don't know where to begin…"
"Perhaps it would help to start at the beginning." Johannes poured more whiskey into their glasses. "Would it help to know that I will not criticize you, no matter what you may reveal?"
Elsa let out a ragged breath. "But I've done some questionable things—some things that I don't know how to interpret with all that I know—and I…" She stood up abruptly and walked over to the nearest bookshelf. "But I will not allow myself to be judged, Your Grace—nor will I allow judgment upon Princess Anna!" Her hands balled into fists, and she whirled around to face the Bishop. "All of it—the war, the dragon's victims, Anna's pregnancy—all of the prophecies…" It was like a dam bursting, and Elsa poured her heart out in waves.
I can't believe I had to post one chapter in three parts, because this site is lame! Anyway, let me know what you think...