The Head That Wears the Crown

Chapter Nineteen

Sacrifice

The two lords of ice faced each other, hands raised, fingertips glowing blue, silently daring the other to make the first move. Slowly, they circled the center of the throne room. As experienced warriors, they quickly memorized the room's structural details, all while maintaining constant eye contact with each other.

Finally, Asgard could wait no longer. With a loud cry, he unleashed a torrent of ice directly at Isarn. The older man anticipated the move perfectly. With a simple wave of his hand, a large block of ice appeared before him, deflecting the blast, sending it ricocheting wildly toward the opposite wall.

Asgard smirked. "It's so good to see your reflexes haven't failed you yet, old man. I was afraid this wouldn't be a challenge at all!"

Isarn regarded his opponent calmly, refusing to be goaded by the younger man's words. "You are quite powerful, Asgard. More powerful than I, I admit. But you are also less experienced, less patient. That will be your undoing."

"I will not be lectured by you!" Asgard snapped. "I am no longer one of your students!"

With a flick of his wrist, an icy gust of wind howled in the room, thrusting Isarn back against the wall. Asgard smiled as he saw Isarn struggle to move, his body pinned tightly between two decorative columns.

"Not so confident now, are you?" Asgard crowed. As Isarn fought to escape from the still-howling wind, Asgard conjured a massive icicle, its tip pointed directly at Isarn, glistening in the light that streamed through the windows. "Let's see how you handle THIS!"

The icicle launched itself at Isarn, speeding across the room, perfectly aligned to impale the ice master. Just as it was about to strike its target, it stopped, hovering before Isarn. Confused, Asgard watched in astonishment as the icicle impossibly turned over on itself, the tip now pointing directly at him. He dove to the ground as the icicle launched itself at him, feeling it graze his shoulder, barely missing his head. The icicle exploded into thousands of tiny fragments as it collided with the wall, covering the floor with glistening crystals.

Before he could rise, Asgard was lifted high in the air, then forcibly dropped back to the ground. Isarn stood over him. "Your overconfidence will be your undoing, Asgard," Isarn said. "You may in fact be more powerful than me, but you lack discipline, the will to control your emotions."

"Do. Not. Lecture. ME!" Asgard screamed. Summoning all of his strength, Asgard unleashed a stream of ice across the floor. Isarn could not move fast enough. His feet became entrapped in the ice, pinning him in place.

Grinning maliciously, Asgard rose, slowly approaching the older man. "Why don't you stop and stay a while?"

With a thrust of his arm, the ice began to slowly spread over Isarn's body, first up his legs, than coursing over his torso.

"This has to be painful, even for you!" Asgard whispered, venom dripping from every word. "All you have to do to end this is surrender. To admit you were wrong. To abdicate your new throne and give me complete control over our people. It is what I deserve!"

Isarn struggled against his restraints, desperately trying to push the ice back. For a brief moment, he appeared to succeed, as the ice reversed course and began to recede.

"That will not do!" Asgard snarled. He clenched his fist and the ice spread once more, faster than before. "If you will not repent, you will die at my hands. I will make your death the slowest in recorded history. I want you to have plenty of time to reflect on the fact that you sacrificed everything—everything!—for nothing at all!"

Anna and Kristoff crept into the throne room, careful to avoid attracting Asgard's attention. Satisfied that the mad ice lord was preoccupied with Isarn, the two rushed to the throne.

"Elsa? Elsa, are you all right?" Anna asked, worry growing in the pit of her stomach as she noticed the dark bruises forming on her sister's face.

Elsa opened her eyes and gazed at her sister, her eyes dull. "Anna? What . . . What are you doing here? You need to get out! It's not safe for you here!"

"Yeah, I know," Anna said, a brief smile flashing across her face. "But I kind of have a thing about leaving you here to deal with Asgard all by yourself!"

She turned to Kristoff. "Have you found the key yet?"

"Not yet!" Kristoff said, inserting key after key from the ring Isarn had procured into the lock.

"Well, hurry!" Anna said. "Isarn doesn't look like he's doing so well over there. He's not going to be able to distract Asgard much longer!"

She looked back at Elsa, who, to Anna's growing concern, was having difficulty remaining conscious. "Elsa? Elsa, stay with me here!" She shook Elsa and the queen's eyes snapped open once more. "Okay, Elsa, I don't have time to give you all the details, so here's the basics: Once we get you out of here, you need to help Isarn take care of Asgard. Like, right away!"

Elsa shook her head. "Isarn . . . Asgard. What's the difference? Does it really matter which of them wins in the end? Either one will just destroy Arendelle. Everything our . . . your father worked so hard to build."

Anna desperately wanted to hold Elsa, to comfort her, but time was not their ally at the moment. "Elsa, you need to listen to me. Isarn didn't' betray us after all. He's fighting Asgard to save Arendelle!"

Elsa furrowed her brow in confusion, bewilderment. "What?"

"It's true!" Kristoff interjected.

"Have you found that key yet?!" Anna cried. "We really, really need to hurry up here!"

"Fine, fine," Kristoff muttered, getting back to work on the lock.

"This . . . This doesn't make any sense!" Elsa whispered. "You were there. You heard what he said!"

"He was acting!" Anna blurted out in exasperation. "He was afraid Asgard would kill us if he found out he was working with us. He didn't have a choice! Kristoff, have you found that key yet?"

"Almost there!"

Anna took a deep breath to steady herself, noting that, if they lived through this, Kristoff owed her a very, very nice dinner and flowers. "Elsa, I know you have no reason to trust Isarn. But trust me! Please! Isarn told us that the reason he changed his mind was because . . . because he realized he loves you."

Elsa's face paled. "Isarn . . . loves me?"

"He finally has a daughter in his life," Anna said. She turned and looked at the raging battle. Isarn was on his knees, slowly being covered in ice. "And if you don't do something fast, he's not going to have the chance to experience what that's like! Please!"

Elsa closed her eyes, absorbing all Anna had said. "I . . . I can't help!"

"Yes, you can!" Anna cried. "Isarn believes in you! I believe in you! You have to! You must!"

A loud clicking sound rang through the throne room. "Got it!" Kristoff cried in triumph.

"Please, Elsa!" Anna whispered. "Please!"

The ice had spread over Isarn's body, immobilizing him. Only his head remained uncovered. Asgard smiled darkly as he gazed upon his opponent.

"My, how the mighty have fallen!" Asgard cackled. "There was a time, long ago, when I believed you were immortal! That you were incapable of error! That you were the greatest ever to live among our people!"

Asgard's smile disappeared. "Now I see the truth. You are nothing! Nothing more than a fool who promised everything to his people, who convinced us we could be great once more, only to take that opportunity when it finally—finally!—arrived and cast it aside as if it was meaningless!"

Asgard was beyond the point of reason; he was wholly consumed with rage. "Do you know how that makes us—me—feel? Used! Betrayed! Means to an end! Worthless! Despite all your words, your own brothers mean nothing to you!"

Isarn gasped, his breath becoming increasingly difficult to draw. "Asgard . . . We can still . . . have . . . peace! You don't have . . . to do . . . this!"

"Peace?" Asgard whispered. "Peace? You dare speak to me about peace?! These filth who desecrate Arendelle don't deserve to live, yet you talk of settling with them? You truly are a fool!"

He leaned in to Isarn's face. "Do you know the first thing I am going to do once you are dead? I will take your precious Elsa, whom you profess to love so much, and I will desecrate her! Whenever I choose! And I can only hope that from wherever you may be in the afterlife, you will be able to see just how far I intend to humiliate her, to destroy her, so that you may spend eternity knowing that I have destroyed your last remaining link to this world!"

Isarn roared in fury. "You will NOT!"

Asgard smiled. "Time to die, Isarn. May your death be slow, painful; your afterlife an eternity of suffering!" He raised his hands and aimed them directly at Isarn's head, channeling all his anger into a concentrated stream of ice.

"NO!"

Asgard was thrust backwards against the wall, a stream of ice crystals pinning him in place. How—? What—? He looked up and gasped. "YOU!"

Elsa stood before Asgard, her face twisted in unbridled fury. One hand was stretched before her, channeling the ice that kept Asgard restrained against the wall. With her free hand, she allowed the ice restraining Isarn to flow into her, freeing her father from his imprisonment.

Isarn breathed deeply, his now-free lungs able to fully expand and fill with air. Gingerly, he stood and walked behind Elsa.

"Are you all right?" Elsa asked, her gaze never wavering from Asgard.

"Yes," Isarn said. "Yes, I am." He paused. "Thank you for that."

"Anna told me what you told her," Elsa said. "Is it . . . Is it true?"

Isarn felt the guilt of what he had done to his daughter coursing through him. "Yes. Yes it is. I . . . I didn't mean to hurt you, Elsa. I just . . . did what I thought I needed to do to protect you."

Elsa nodded. "I understand. I've had to do . . . similar things over the years. I know exactly what it's like to have to lie to someone you love in order to keep them safe."

Satisfied that Asgard was restrained, she turned to Isarn. "Can . . . Can we start over now, like none of this happened? Can we be honest with each other?"

Isarn slowly, carefully placed his arms around Elsa. When she didn't move away, he gently closed them around her, finally embracing his child. "I would like that very, very much."

Anna stood nearby, watching the proceedings. "Kristoff, isn't this . . . isn't this just wonderful?"

"Oh, don't be getting all emotional on me now," Kristoff said, bringing Anna in for a deep kiss.

"How nice!" A cold voice interrupted the jovial mood of the party. "I suppose you all think everything is just going to end now? That my people are just going to surrender?!"

Asgard's face was dark, his voice menacing. "I will not permit it! We have worked too hard for this! And you two—" he glared at Elsa and Isarn, "have almost destroyed everything! But I will have vengeance! I WILL!"

Summoning all of his power, Asgard burst forth from his constraints, shards of jagged ice flying about the throne room.

"Elsa!" Anna screamed.

"Anna! Kristoff! Get out of here!" Elsa ordered. "We can handle this!"

"Elsa, no! No!"

Elsa turned to Kristoff, her face deadly serious. "Get out before I make you get out!"

Kristoff grabbed Anna and lifted her off the ground. "Let go of me!" Anna screamed, kicking furiously. "Elsa! ELSA!"

Isarn sent a wave of ice toward Asgard. The younger man dodged it easily. Elsa attempted to follow Isarn's attack with a wave of her own, but Asgard was too fast. Moving faster than Elsa believed was possible, he summoned two large blocks of ice and hurled them at Elsa and Isarn.

Isarn dodged the block that was aimed at him. Elsa, however, could not react in time. The mammoth ice cube collided with her already-weakened body, sending her flying through four rows of chairs.

"Is THAT all you can do?" Asgard cried in triumph. "I expected much better from you, snow queen!"

Isarn took advantage of Asgard's momentary distraction and sent an ice block of his own hurtling toward the younger man. The block struck Asgard at full velocity, launching him into the upper balcony.

Elsa had pulled herself to her feet. "Isarn!" she hissed. "We have to stop him now! If he gets into the palace from the upstairs corridor, we may never catch him!"

Isarn nodded. "Let's skip the stairs, shall we?" Concentrating, he summoned an ice platform beneath himself and Elsa. The platform rose, higher and higher, until the two were able to walk onto the balcony. Cautiously, they scanned for signs of their opponent.

"I don't see him!" Elsa whispered. "He couldn't have gone far—"

A wave of ice flew by her ear, missing her head by mere centimeters. "There!" Elsa cried. Asgard sneered in contempt before dashing through the nearby exit.

"Quickly!" Isarn commanded. Father and daughter rushed through the exit, desperate to avoid losing their quarry.

They were now in the upstairs corridor of the palace. The hallway was lined with doors, each offering a possible option for Asgard's escape.

"No!" Elsa whispered. "We've lost him!"

Isarn shook his head. "No, we haven't. You can find him, Elsa. Just concentrate."

"This really isn't the time for another training exercise—"

Isarn cut her off. "No! You can sense where he is! I know you can! Remember the knife! Close your eyes and feel where he went! Let the cold flow through you. Follow its trail!"

Elsa nodded, closing her eyes, opening herself to the cold that flowed through both her and Asgard. She felt nothing, and for a moment she thought she had failed, when—

When in her mind's eye, she suddenly knew where Asgard was. Opening her eyes, she smiled. "This way!"

Isarn followed his daughter through the third door on the left. Just as they had suspected, they were on the palace terrace, all of Arendelle far below them.

"There he is!" Isarn cried. Ahead of them, they saw Asgard gasping in astonishment as he realized he had been discovered.

"How did . . . How did you . . .?" Asgard was too shocked to form a complete thought.

Slowly, Elsa and Isarn approached the murderous Wanderer, backing him to the very edge of the terrace. "My daughter is very, very powerful," Isarn whispered. "Something you could be as well, if only you would learn to control your anger."

Elsa spoke next. "It's over, Asgard. You have no other options. Surrender now. Come back with us and negotiate peace between our peoples."

The queen stepped closer to Asgard until she was mere inches in front of him. "I promise you, I will not hold this assault against your brothers. Both of our races are at fault. Please, Asgard. Put the past behind you. Abandon your thirst for vengeance. Let our two nations join together for our mutual benefit."

Asgard weighed Elsa's words, and for a moment Elsa thought she had been successful. But the anger returned to Asgard's face, the cold filling his heart once more.

"I would sooner die a thousand deaths than negotiate peace with the likes of you!" Asgard spat. "I will remain true to our fathers' memories! I will not betray the lessons they taught us! I will not destroy our honor!"

"You fool!" Isarn cried. "Is your pride so great that you would cast aside the possibility of helping our people find a permanent home? Of finally finding a nation willing to work with us?" Isarn was pleading now. "Don't you see? We don't have to rule through fear! We can live in peace with a nation that truly wishes to be our ally! Our people will speak our names, your name, with reverence for generations to come. Think of it! Asgard the Wise! Asgard the Magnificent! Asgard, the man who led our people to a new golden age of prosperity!"

Asgard's lip trembled as he considered Isarn's words.

Please! Elsa thought. Please let us live in peace!

Asgard shook his head. "No. If this is how it is to end, I will die instead!"

Before Isarn could stop him, Asgard grabbed Elsa and pulled her with him to the edge of the terrace. With his free hand, Asgard summoned an ice dagger and held it to Elsa's throat.

"Asgard," Isarn said, carefully stepping forward. "Please, don't do this! Let the queen go! She has done nothing to you!"

"She has done everything to me!" Asgard roared. "Because of her, you betrayed my trust! Because of her, you abandoned our people! How could you?! How could you place your abomination, your mistake, ahead of the needs of our brothers?!"

Elsa looked at Isarn, a look of complete calm on her face. "It's all right, Isarn," she whispered. "I'm not afraid."

"No!" Isarn screamed, stepping forward. "I will not lose you! I WON'T!"

"STAY BACK!" Asgard ordered, thrusting the blade closer toward Elsa's skin, so close that a trickle of blood began to run down her throat.

Isarn couldn't believe what was happening. Powerless, he stared at Elsa, silent willing something, anything, to end this madness. No! No! NO! Not like this! NO!

"Father." Elsa's voice was soft, barely audible.

What did she call me? He stared at his daughter, his brave, courageous, daughter, no longer trying to hold back the tears that had begun to flow from his eyes.

Elsa smiled at Isarn. "It's okay, Father. I . . . I love you."

Before Isarn could react, Elsa spun about, her hand glowing blue with power. With all her strength, she brought her hand down upon Asgard, unleashing the full power of her ice upon him. Screaming in agony, Asgard drove the knife deep into Elsa's chest. The ice flowed over Asgard's body, coating him, turning his very flesh to solid ice. His screams ended abruptly as his head turned to solid ice.

Isarn stared in astonishment as Elsa stood facing the ice statue that had once been Asgard. The statue still maintained its hold on the blade, preventing Elsa from moving. The weight of the ice pulled the statue to the edge of the terrace, dragging Elsa with it.

Realizing what was about to happen, Isarn rushed forward. He dove, desperately reaching to grab hold of his daughter.

But before he reached her, Asgard's frozen form lost its tenuous hold on the terrace. Pulling Elsa with it, the statue plummeted from the top of the palace, rapidly descending to the ground below, accompanied only by the harsh, animal-like sounds of Isarn's disbelieving screams.

AN: The conclusion is coming forth soon. Please be patient!