Queen Anna followed Master Kai into the Privy Council Chamber with Beatrice at her side. The Master of the Castle immediately went over to the official messages board and tacked the new Queen's letters patent to it.

Leif was sleeping in her arms, so she turned to Kai. 'Kai, will you go and fetch a crib for my son, and call in any nobles that are still in the castle."

The Librarian turned to Queen Anna. "We still have to discuss this important matter, Your Majesty, and I'd like to know where my nephew and niece are."

Anna was about to answer when Captain Reiner entered the Chamber, looking confused. He knew he did not belong in this space for nobles and the gentry. "Uhm . . . I was told you know are the Queen, Your Majesty." He bowed at the waist to the former princess. He took her hand and kissed it.

Kai entered the room with Ambassador Wolfgang and Earl Asbjorn with him. He indicated for the captain and ambassador to sit down. And when they did Queen Anna sat at the head of the table with Beatrice at her side.

The new Queen was stunned. "Where are the rest of our nobles, Kai?" She looked pointedly at the Earl. "And who are you?"

"I am Asbjorn, Queen Anna, Earl of Southwold and Klandestad in the southern portion of the Principality of Arendelle, Your Majesty. We border Corona, as the Ambassador knows." The Earl glared at Wolfgang. "We heard you were a traitor."

Wolfgang bristled. "As you can see, I am not!" He stood abruptly and started towards the Earl when Kai grabbed him by the shoulder and shoved him back on his seat. "Earl Asbjorn, will you take a seat, as well?"

Anna turned to the Earl again. "Why do you come to Arendelle now, after the many meetings?"

"If you will excuse me on that matter, my Queen. But I had to quell usurpers in my realm. They had me busy—for a long time, I'm sorry."

"Well, I'm sorry for assuming the worst."

Kai looked at the new Queen, but then he had to lower his head. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but there are no other nobles or of their peerages in the city."

Anna didn't know how to respond to Kai's admission. She thought her sister would know; she would know how to be a queen. "Kai, what does that mean for us? I just don't know."

"It means who you see in this room now are your new advisors, for the lack of other nobles."

Captain Reiner stood. "Whoa—what is happening? I'm not of noble blood and have no desire to be." He bowed again to the Queen. "But I will do whatever Her Majesty needs of me."

"Please sit down, Captain." The Queen rose and bent into the crib to caress Leif's cheek. "Here is what is happening now, gentlemen—Kai, correct me if I'm wrong—the rest of the gentry has left the city to go fight the war. Dukes, Duchess', Earls, military men of high rank; they are all gone. Basically, there are no royal advisors left in the city. Therefore, I'm raising all of you to Arendelle's nobility. You are all Dukes and Duchesses." She turned to Kai. "You, too."

The new Duke bowed to His Queen. "Your Majesty."

The only one who really reacted with exuberance was Ambassador Wolfgang. He grinned before turning to Anna. "Your Majesty."

"But my Earldom is enough for me, Queen Anna." Earl Asbjorn sat back in his seat; his eyes wide.

"But it's not for me, Asbjorn. I need everyone in this room to be of equal rank and station because we need to make decisions concerning the war, which is already upon us."

Duke Kai went to the back of the room and opened a golden box. He retrieved the Queen's scepter and gave it to Anna. "For the ceremony, Your Majesty."

Anna tried to remember what Elsa did, and what she said, when she promoted others within the Realm. She was nervous, and all she wanted to do was take Leif back to Elsa's room and go to sleep. The baby was having a restless sleep and fidgeted about. But she took in a large breath and let it soothe her nerves somewhat. "Everyone, kneel before me."

The people in the Privy Council Chamber knelt before the Queen, and then Anna pointed the scepter at each one in turn. "Arise, Duchess Beatrice of Arendelle. Duke Kai, Duke Reiner, and Duke Asbjorn arise as well."

When the new nobility rose, Kai walked over to Anna and whispered in her ear. Anna nodded to the man. "Yes, Your Grace, that sounds good. Okay, please listen, all of you. The city of Arendelle itself is going to be made a new Duchy—please see to the decree at once, Kai, as you are still Master of the Castle—and you are now its nobility." She looked to the wall clock. "Okay, I must take care of my son, so meet back here in one hour. We have decisions to make regarding the war."

As the new Queen picked up her son, she turned her head towards Beatrice. "Our business will have to wait, unless it has to do with the war."

The Duchess shook her head. "Okay, Your Majesty."

As Anna was just about to leave, she turned to Kai. "Come with me, Your Grace." Queen Anna secured her son to her shoulder. "First things first, Kai. Write the decree right away and I will add my letters patent, and a general official seal. And have my new seal made as Queen after that. I . . . I don't know what else to." Leif began to fidget in her arms. "I'll be in Elsa's parlor for about an hour. Come and get me then."

Duke Kai stopped at the bottom of the great spiral staircase and watched as Anna left.

The new Queen stopped a servant before entering the parlor and requested a meal and tea brough to her. When she placed Leif in his crib the boy settled down and fell asleep. Anna plopped on the chair next to the fireplace and lowered her elbows to her knees. She cradled her head and wept.

The freezing wind blew all around Arendelle and its harbor, blowing what wasn't tired down all around the streets. At the docks, most of the hail and sleet had stopped—but some hail flew down on all present. The freezing wind refused to stop. Ships were roiling in the harbor, barely keeping from being swept aside. The sailors had stopped the violence going on in the square but were now arguing amongst themselves, on the docks. The ships that were moored outside the harbor took the brunt of the storm, and nearly capsized because of the tall waves. The men on the sea faring ships were made nervous by the approach of the enemy fleet heading towards them.; the ships were just on the horizon.

All were feeling the dire effects of the Ragnarök, and anxiety and ire rose among the men and women stationed there at the docks. As Elsa and Duke Dieter Absolan arrived at the scene, a new brawl broke out among the soldiers and sailors as they each thought the other was the enemy.

"Dieter!"

The man could barely hear Elsa shouting because of the shrieking wind. "Yes . . . Your Highness, what is ti?"

The new princess turned to the men on dock three and snarled as she walked briskly over to them. "Stop it, stop by orders of the Queen! Now!"

The men and women just looked at her for a moment then began to throw punches again. And Elsa was not immune to the chaos, and her anger at the men grew and burst forth. She lifted her left hand and shot out cold ice on all their shoes, freezing them in place. The cold ice seemed to drain the ire from them, and all, looked at Elsa, stunned.

A Captain in the Army, Gulbrand by name, looked at his shoes before shaking his head rather harshly. "Good god, what am I doing?"

The princess grabbed him by his lapels. "You don't know what you were doing? How about I remind you." As Elsa raised her fist, the duke grabbed her arm and pulled her away.

"Princess Elsa, you must stop! Stop letting Ragnarök get to you!"

As Elsa turned to the duke her eyes blinked several times, and she let go of the soldier. "I'm sorry—to you both." She took Dieter's arm and began to walk away. But then turned back to the frozen men and women. She raised her hand again and made the ice go away. "All of you, in that ale house right now!"

As the soldiers and sailors made their way into the bar, she lifted her hand again. She froze the door solid.

The duke was stunned. "Are you going to leave them in their, my Princess? They'll kill each other!"

Elsa turned her head in order to hear the man. "What?"

"They will kill each other!"

The Princess brushed the ice from her hand. "No, they won't. I put something in there to stop them."

All the people in the ale house, who were iced in, backed away from the gigantic ice stag.

Duke Dieter Absalon stepped back a few paces. He didn't want to see or know. "We need to go to the Admiral."

Elsa was already ten paces ahead of the duke as she ran to dock one. She stopped when a large hail stone hit her shoulder. She cringed and then cried out. "Admiral! Admiral Crispin!"

Far down at the end of the dock stood Admiral Crispin and a few other officers. They appeared to be having an argument, so Elsa ran to them. "What are you officers doing? What did I tell you about the Ragnarök? Stop fighting with each other!" The princess grabbed her head. "All I want to do is to freeze all of you!"

"No, Your Highness!" Crispin moved away from the rest of the officers. "We need your help!"

The rest of the duke's men came to the beginning of the dock but did not move forward. One of the Captains shouted. "What are we to do, Duke Dieter?"

Elsa pointedly looked at her Admiral. "You and these officers stay here; I'll be right back!"

When the princess reached the twenty men, she stopped shouting. "I need fourteen volunteers right now—fourteen, now. Come forward, please.'

The twenty men looked at each other, and then finally, about seven of them stepped forward. Elsa grew aggravated again. "Come on, you will obey Your Queen—now!" She knew these men wouldn't question her, even when she told them she was still Queen, because they knew she wasn't.

Seven of the men stepped up to her. The tallest of them spoke. "What do you require of us?"

Elsa turned and pointed to the giant western parapet wall. "See those cannon up there?"

All the men turned to look at them, far away from where they were standing, and they all jumped when the soldier's tent was blown into the harbor by fierce winds and new hail.

Elsa could not pay no attention to the tent, and she hoped no one was in it when the incident happened. "You seven, yes you will take five tarps to those five cannon. We need to keep them dry for battle!"

"Where are they?"

The princess grabbed the woman's shoulder and pointed to the nearest warehouse. "In there! Go, now."

Seven men ran to the warehouse when Admiral Crispin came up to Elsa. Before she could give out further instruction. "Princess Elsa1"

"Yes?"

"My neice was in that tent." The man turned towards the water. "No!"

Elsa grabbed Crispin's arm with both hands. "I—I'm sorry, but there is nothing I can do about it."

Crispin glared at Elsa before he saw the unshed tears in her eyes. "Come on, Your Highness, when you're ready." This time he walked down the dock.

The princess returned to the assembled men. "On the eastern wall there are five more cannon, just like on the western. I need seven more of you to tarp and cover them. Now listen, all of you—when the cannons are dry then tarp the ammunition, they have to keep dry, as well. Go!"

The fourteen soldiers ran away to their destinations, but the men who did not go looked at Elsa for direction. The were skittish with all of turmoil in the city, and stood very close to each other, to avoid conflict and attacks.

Elsa sighed deeply and brushed the hail off her shoulders. "The rest of you need not to be told what to do. There are only three cannon here, but you are to keep a watch on them, and never pause to do something else."

The five men left to retrieve the necessary tarps. And when they were gone the new princess leaned heavily on a nearby post and cried. She wanted Anna and their son and was grieved to have to do what she must. She put her arms around the pole when a harsh gust of wind blew over the docks and harbor. It tussled the ships again, but they withstood the rising waves.

Elsa stood and made her way to Admiral Crispin. "Have you been in contact with our ships?"

"No, my princess. The waves are making it impossible to reach them." Crispin tightened the blanket around him, but it failed to keep out the cold. "We need to somehow reach them!"

"Do you have any red and green flags, Admiral?"

Aggravated, Crispin turned to the princess. "What good are they?"

"Hold on, Crispin. You never speak to me in that tone again!" Elsa stood back when the Admiral recoiled. "I'm sorry.

"It's Ragnarök, I understand. What do we need the flags for?"

"I can't believe this never occurred to me, but we need as system by which to communicate with the cannon watchers." The new princess looked above her with her spyglass to the cannon, but their assigned soldiers had not yet reached them, and as it was near nightfall, would probably not until the next day. "Have runners catch up to Dieter's soldiers and give them both an red and green flag with a note saying red for "stop your fire" and green for "fire." Send them now!"

Admiral Crispin held up two sailors on the dock and told them where to get the flags and to go immediately. He turned to Elsa when finished. "Anything else?"

"Yes, we need to contact our Captains on our ships." Elsa lifted her scope and looked out beyond the fleet. Jörmungandr's higher senses made it easier to see the enemy fleet, and she winced when new freezing rain began to fall.

The Admiral turned his spyglass to where Elsa was looking. "Are they close enough to fire our cannon?"

"We can't, not yet. They will probably be here by the late afternoon tomorrow. Now, I've got an idea for contacting our ships. Come with me."

The two made their way to the end of the dock when Elsa looked at the Admiral. "I think I can spare you now. But I see only sailors and midshipmen here, where are the other admirals88?"

Crispin turned white. "I don't know, my Princess. When they didn't make it here, I assumed they died in the Ragnarök."

Elsa lowered her head and blew out a large breath; she brushed rain from her face. "Oh, no. That . . . that can't be . . ." She lifted her left hand and created an ice bridge to the nearby ship. "Come on!"

When they were onboard Crispin immediately went up to his Captain. "Captain Ødger, have you ever met—" He searched Elsa's face and when she nodded, he continued. "Queen Elsa?"

Stunned, the Captain bent on one knee and kissed the princess' hand. "My Queen, I meet you at last."

"I wish it was under happier circumstances. Is there anything you can tell me about our enemy's ships?"

The rain fell heavier on the planks, so the small party went to the upper deck stateroom. "I've been trying to use my scope to watch them but its just too rainy outside. I know they are close, though."

Elsa sighed. "So, you know nothing about them?"

"I don't, but he does . . ." Ødger banged on the door to the loo and waited.

It took only a minute for the door to open, and out stepped Roman.

The new princess was incensed. "What are you doing here?"

"He was at Ladested, my Queen. And asked us to bring him here."

Roman stepped forward and bowed before Elsa. "My Queen—let me help you defeat them. I know some of their battle strategies."

Crispin and Ødger exchanged glances when Elsa stared long and hard at the Southern Isles prince. It took a few minutes for her to calm down. "First of all, who is coming?"

"If you referring to the leaders its Duke Magnus of the Duchy of Weselton, and my brother, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles."

"Do you think they're on the same ship?"

"If I know Hans then the answer is yes. I believe Hans would never let the Duke out of his sight."

The new princess glanced at her Admiral. "Do you want to engage them here at port, Admiral? Or do you sail off to meet them?"

Captain Ødger stepped forward. "We don't want them to know our strength."

Elsa looked pointedly at Roman. "What do you think?"

Roman stood when the ship rocked somewhat. "If we meet them at the sea then they will definitely know our strength by the number of ship we sents."

"Why not keep our ships here at the harbor?" Admiral Crispin remarked. "They will think we are somehow impeded."

Roman looked at the Admiral before speaking. "He is right, Your Majesty. I don't know about Duke Magnus, but Hans will be motivated by appearances. He will think we are not prepared to leave the harbor."

Elsa smiled for the first time in days. "I think that will work. What else, Roman?"

"Just one more thing, Your Majesty. Hans has Captains that are very loyal to him and will let their ships sink before surrendering. No truce flags, ever."

"Thank you, Roman. I want you to return to the docks as we will need to go over more strategies."

As Elsa and Roman went outside the princess noticed the ice bridge had fallen so she created a new one. "Wait there for me, Roman. I'll come to you as soon as I can."

And Princess Elsa made other ice bridges to the remaining fleet and discussed strategy with them, and Roman's advice. She received numerous other ideas from her Captains and vowed to take them all into consideration. When she was done with her Captains she returned to the dock with Admiral Crispin. She then consulted with both Crispin and Roman.

General Urban had his men light many torches and bale fires to keep his men warm with night upon them. It helped when the fires were stoked so much that the harsh winds could not extinguish them. Every guard house had a fire burning in front of it and torches were lit every twenty-five yards. His men were nervous, as the noises from the Forest struck at the heart of each man and woman.

Urban noticed a corporal standing ahead of him, but the man kept looking backwards, as if figuring something out. "What? What's wrong with you, Kåre?"

"I just noticed something, General. Where do we put the prisoners of war?"

Urban was stunned into silence, this was a contingency he had not prepared for, and he cursed himself for his stupidity, "Oh, my god . . ."

It was then that he noticed Master Kristoff on a horse, cantering up to him. Kristoff dismounted and looked out to the forest beyond. "I hear them coming. Don't worry about prisoners, General. I will gather up the trolls and make a stronghold with them. They won't be going anywhere."

Urban nodded and looked where Kristoff was looking. He couldn't hear anything. As he turned to say something to the mountain man a scream was heard in Yggdrasil's Forest.

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