Author's Note: While rereading the first seven chapters to make sure I had proper continuity with the rest of the story, I realized I had mentioned Elsa's dungeon several times and never went into detail about it. If you want the whole story of how there was a dungeon and those manacles so conveniently at hand when Hans brought her back from North Mountain, please read chapters 4 and 5 of my story "A Walk In The Park"
** October, 1840 - Kingdom of Arendelle, the Castle Throne Room **
It was the day after the surprise attack that Elsa had beaten back. This interview would tell her who had arranged that attack and why.
Elsa stood on the dais in her throne room, watching the enemy Commander approach under guard. For this audience, she had dressed as The Snow Queen, in her glorious ice dress complete with its delicate, icy train. It was for special occasions, and this certainly qualified. She looked down at the Commander of the invasion force. He wasn't in chains; he had given his parole. His scabbard was empty, though. His sword lay at Elsa's feet in token of his surrender.
"Well, Admiral?" Naismith cleared his throat, and began to explain what he had learned from questioning the enemy officers.
"It seems, Your Majesty, that the Duke of Weaseltown...had decided that he needed some recompense for the 'unseemly treatment' he received after your coronation." The Admiral frowned. "However, apparently his intelligence service is not quite as competent as it could be. The attack was planned for yesterday because the Duke believed Your Majesty would be out of the city, visiting one of the remote farming towns."
Elsa grimaced. "That was plain dumb luck, I think. My schedule changed at the last minute when that storm hit several days ago, and the mayor of the town requested a delay while they got caught up on the harvesting." She glared down at the hapless Weselton Commander.
"And what did the Duke hope to accomplish?" Elsa wanted to know what the old weasel thought he could get with such a brazen breach of diplomacy, technically an act of war. Well, not technically-an actual act of war.
"Nothing less than taking this city, and your sister, hostage, and looting us of everything that could be carried off." The Admiral finished.
"He what?!" Elsa didn't scream, but the fury was clear in her voice. "My sister?!"
"Yes, Your Majesty." confirmed the Admiral. "The Duke knew that if he held Princess Anna as hostage, as well as the city, you would be helpless to repel his invading force, and he would be able to loot us with impunity. To give him some due, he intended to return Princess Anna unharmed once his convoy had returned with their treasures to Weselton." The Admiral glanced at the Weselton Commander. "At least, so I am told. Whether he would have gotten greedy, and attempted further blackmail, we can't know."
Elsa spoke, her demeanor that of someone holding a berserker rage under rigid control. "Take this message back from me, Commander! I am Elsa, Queen of Arendelle, defender and protector of this realm, and as long as I draw breath, NO ONE will attack this kingdom without suffering dire consequences. I stand between my people and those who would do them harm. Go back and explain what happens to those who would try!"
Elsa then placed her foot on the Commander's sword. It froze, and when she put her weight on it, it shattered into tiny shards. The Commander gulped. That sword had been the finest Damascus steel, worth two years' pay. And she had turned it into metal splinters with no effort at all.
"I will convey your message back to Weselton, Your Majesty. And I will be sure to convey it with all the conviction I can muster, to insure that the message is understood." He hoped he could muster enough conviction to convince his paymasters. This had been the worst disaster he had ever had the misfortune to be part of. He promised himself that he would never engage in an operation against Arendelle again.
** October, 1840 - Kingdom of Arendelle, Home of Anders Reinertsen **
"Open Up, in the name of the Queen!"
Anders Reinertsen was panicked. He could think of only one reason the Queen's Own Guards would be pounding on his door. Somehow, they had found out about his conspiracy with the Duke of Weselton to raid and loot Arendelle. His fear was so great he stood rooted in place as his butler opened the door and the Guardsmen entered the room.
"Anders Reinertsen?" ask the Captain of the Guard. Reinertsen could only nod; his voice had deserted him.
"You are under arrest for treason against Arendelle. Will you come peaceably, or must we use force?"
"I...I'll come quietly. I deny any treason. This charge is false," Reinertsen managed to stammer. Damn the Duke for leading him into this folly. How would he talk himself out of this one?
"You may defend yourself in front of the Queen. Come along."
Later, as he sat in a quite comfortable, albeit small guest room somewhere in the castle, he paced and fretted. If it weren't for the humorless guards at the door, he could pretend he was a guest of the Queen. Well, he was a 'guest', although he was afraid he wouldn't enjoy whatever hospitality Elsa had in mind for him. Since she couldn't get her hands on the Duke, he had to imagine that she would take it all out on him. At least she hadn't chained him in a dungeon. He supposed he should be grateful for small favors.
A knock at the door, and a voice saying, "You have a visitor, Mr. Reinertsen," interrupted his frenetic pacing.
Bjorn Thorstad entered. Reinertsen was glad to see him; he had sent him a message asking for his counsel in this horrible dilemma he was in.
"Am I glad to see you!" he exclaimed. He was dismayed to see that apparently his 'friend' did not reciprocate the feeling.
"What a mess you have gotten yourself into, Anders. What help do you think I can provide?" Thorstad's tone was impassive, at best.
"Why...why, I had hoped for your counsel!" he replied.
"My counsel? When you ignored my counsel not to let your hatred for the Queen lead you into folly with the Duke after that cock-up at the Coronation?" Thorstad said. "I have no desire to find myself in the stocks or worse by being associated with you. I have my place on the Royal Council to consider. I shouldn't even be here."
"Stocks? I didn't know we had any stocks?" Reinertsen let himself be distracted.
"For this, I'm sure she can have some built, you fool." Thorstad went on, "You can only hope she doesn't have them build a gallows, instead."
Stunned, Reinertsen was speechless for a moment. Then he managed to choke out, "A gallows? She wouldn't...? Would she?"
Shaking his head, Thorstad had no comforting words for the shaken man. "It depends on how furious she is. No one has been executed for treason in over a hundred years. On the other hand, no one has tried to attack Arendelle and kidnap the Crown Princess in over a hundred years, either."
Reinertsen sat heavily and put his head in his hands in despair. "It wasn't to kidnap her...just...just have her in hand as a negotiating ploy."
Thorstad snorted. "I'm sure Her Majesty will appreciate that fine nuance at your trial. Be sure to point that out. With luck, she won't turn you into an icy blue garden ornament."
He turned for the door. "I will have nothing further to do with you, Anders, but I will send you the name of a good legal counsel for your trial. Maybe he can convince the Queen that mercy is worth considering."
** Present Day, March 1841 - Kingdom of Arendelle, the Castle Throne Room **
Elsa stood on the dais, watching the small crowd enjoying themselves at her soirée, hoping Anna hadn't forgotten AGAIN between breakfast and evening. Elsa tried to be patient, but Anna would test the patience of a saint at times, and Elsa was no saint.
She would never relish parties as much as Anna did, but since her Coronation Day and the revelation of her secret, she had gotten better at being a gracious hostess and mingling casually with guests. Making small talk with people still did not come easily, but practice had made it somewhat less strained. She could smile and joke with a modicum of comfort, as befit a Queen.
The small orchestra played a quiet waltz in the background, but people seemed content to chat in small groups and eat dainties from the buffet tables rather than dance. Servants offered drinks and took the empty glasses away when needed. The one person Elsa had not seen yet was Anna, which worried her a little. It simply wasn't in character for Anna to miss a party.
Just as Elsa was about to ask Kai if he had seen her sister, Anna entered the room. She was dressed in a simple but elegant dress in the colors of Arendelle. Elsa always admired how well those colors flattered Anna's hair and complexion. Her sister's hair was up in a formal style similar to the one she had worn at Elsa's coronation and was entwined with ribbons that matched her dress. She was the very picture of a Princess, smiling and greeting people that she knew. Elsa felt a release of a tension she hadn't realized was there when she saw Anna mingling with the guests.
Anna joined Elsa on the dais with a shy smile on her face. "Hi."
Elsa smiled back at her. "Hi. I was afraid I'd missed you." She noticed that someone was still missing. "Um, I thought Kristoff would be joining us tonight?"
Anna feigned indifference, but Elsa knew her sister's body language too well to believe it. "Oh, he had some ice guild business or something that was a conflict tonight." Anna went on, "We're not engaged or anything, so it's not a big deal."
Elsa wondered where that 'not engaged or anything' had come from. She would have no problem blessing a marriage with Kristoff, and she was beginning to think she should be prodding Anna and Kristoff to just get on with it. Time and events had convinced Elsa that Kristoff was a good man and worthy of Anna, and that their relationship was strong enough to be called 'love'. Was Anna having second thoughts for some reason? That was disconcerting. Elsa decided not to press Anna on the subject right now. She could sense Anna was still a little reserved towards her, probably residual anger from yesterday and this morning. Elsa hated it when they had misunderstandings like this; she still didn't handle conflict with Anna very well.
"Have you seen the dessert buffet? I made sure we had those wonderful little cherry cordials we both love so much." Chocolate was always a safe subject, Elsa had discovered.
"Oh, yes! They were delightful, thank you!" Anna seemed to brighten a little, and the tension diminished a little more.
Before they could continue the conversation, Kai approached with Baron Thorstad and a gentleman that Elsa didn't recognize. They bowed politely to Elsa and Anna, then Thorstad spoke.
"Your Majesty, may I introduce Monsieur Robin Sylvain Pierre? He has been engaged in trade with Arendelle for several years, and has become a key importer of exotic liqueurs from France."
"How do you do, Monsieur Pierre. I am glad to meet you. Are we serving any of the fine liqueurs that you import here tonight?" Elsa smiled politely.
"Indeed you are, Your Majesty. May I compliment your staff on having a fine taste in their choices for the hospitality of the Queen of Arendelle?" Pierre's smile was warm and genuine.
"I'll be sure to pass that on to them, Monsieur Pierre. Please, enjoy all of the hospitality of the evening." Elsa nodded as the two men bowed again and excused themselves.
Anna turned to Elsa. "I think I'll circulate and mingle a little. I see the Admiral and Bishop Norgaard over there; I haven't pestered either of them in a while. Then I'll make another pass at those cordials."
Elsa chuckled. "Okay. But, please, leave a few for me, would you? I haven't had enough time to really enjoy the food; too many conversations with people who feel the need to be seen with the Queen."
Anna joined the Bishop and the Admiral for a few minutes, then decided to sample some of the nibbles and tiny sandwiches prepared for the guests. She loaded up her plate and was happily munching when her elbow was jostled.
"Excusez-moi, Your Highness! My clumsiness is beyond gauche. Please, accept my apologies!" It was Pierre, holding a plate of his own.
"Oh! No, I'm sure that it was all my fault. I'm always bumping into things. Not that you're a thing, you're a person." Anna was slightly flustered.
"No, no, Your Highness! The fault is all mine." Pierre smiled. "I admit, I was distracted by a vision of extraordinary elegance and grace."
Anna couldn't believe he was talking about her, but there was no one else around. She blushed. "Uh, Merci, Monsieur." she replied, using up 50% of her vocabulary in Pierre's native language. She was trying to think of something sophisticated to say, but Pierre continued to comment on the party and the hostesses.
"I am so grateful that my business associate Baron Thorstad was able to secure an invitation to this gathering for me. The tales of the beauty and poise of the royal sisters of Arendelle has been spread across the Continent, but I must tell you that the reality far outweighs the reports that have come to my ears."
"Oh, I'm pretty sure those tales were about my sister, the Queen. I'm sure the word 'poise' isn't one usually used to describe me." Anna was flattered by his courtly manner. He looked to be in his late forties or early fifties. She thought that he must have a lot of experience mingling with nobility and royalty; his easy manner and courtesy spoke to that. She wished she could feel that sort of sophisticated grace. Elsa made it look so effortless.
"Ah, Princess Anna! You are far too modest! Yes, the Queen is beautiful, but your own loveliness must be the envy of all the other women of the realm! I am sure that you have broken many hearts of those who would seek your hand! N'est-ce pas? Is it not so?" He took her hand and looked into her eyes. Anna felt a tingle and wished that Kristoff would make that kind of gesture sometimes. He was the one she really wanted to feel tingly about.
"Thank you for your courtesy, Monsieur Pierre! You are certainly a welcome guest. Maybe we will run into each other again? Not really run into, just meet. You know." Anna looked over at Elsa. "Oh, my sister is looking for me! Please, excuse me!" She nodded to him and left him at the buffet.
Baron Thorstad joined his associate. "Well, that looked interesting. Planning on courting her?" he smirked.
"Hardly, mon frère. But it was a fascinating discussion, and I believe I have a bit of insight into the young lady." Pierre responded.
"Insight?"
"I sense that our Princess is a bit insecure, particularly in comparing herself to her sister." Pierre looked toward the dais, where Anna had rejoined Elsa in conversation with another guest.
"Hmm. I wonder if that insecurity can be ... exploited in some way?" Thorstad mused.
"We will discuss it, but perhaps in a more private venue. Shall we make our departure?" Pierre asked.
"Yes, lets. I've spoken to those I wanted to influence tonight. Let us continue this at my estate while sampling some of those incomparable liqueurs you import."
** March, 1841 - Kingdom of Arendelle, Estate of Bjorn Thorstad **
Sitting comfortably in front of a roaring fire while sipping fine cognac, after they had finished sharing insights on the royal sisters the two men moved on to discussing the events of the attack on Arendelle that had taken place the previous fall.
"I was on a buying trip last October, so I only heard second hand accounts of the attack by the Duke of Weselton. What was he thinking?" Pierre asked Thorstad.
"He was thinking that the Queen would be absent from here when he attacked. His planning failed him when a sudden storm changed her plans and left her here in the city, ready and willing to repulse five ships and several hundred troops with her ice and snow magic," Thorstad responded sourly.
"Impressive. I would not have expected such a young woman to have the will and courage to engage in personal combat at the risk of her own life," Pierre commented.
"Yes, well, apparently neither did the Duke. Not that he was planning on her being present."
"What happened to our associate Anders Reinertsen? Was he not allied with the Duke in this folly?"
"The fool was sloppy; he left a paper trail that was sniffed out by Naismith and his minions in the aftermath." Thorstad took another sip of his drink.
Pierre looked at his associate. "Sloppy? I would not have thought that he was that careless."
Thorstad looked back blandly. "Yes, well, sometimes a paper trail can be created unbeknownst to the purported creator. If Naismith finds a slug under the first rock he overturns, he won't bother turning over other rocks."
Pierre laughed. "Ah, Bjorn, calling poor Anders a 'slug' is so cruel. What happened when he was found out by the Admiral?"
"He stood trial for treason. The Queen is apparently too squeamish to erect a gallows, and merely fined him everything he owned and exiled him with the clothes on his back and passage on a ship to the destination of his choice." Thorstad snorted. "I understand that when he arrived in Weselton, the Duke suggested that he perform some physically impossible act upon himself and kicked him onto a ship bound for Botany Bay."
They watched the crackling fire for a few moments. Pierre finally spoke. "Hmm. She has the courage to fight in her own person against hundreds of armed troops, yet not to hang a traitor. What does that tell us?"
"That she is young and inexperienced in the ways of the world. That she foolishly thinks that mercy is something desirable when ruling a kingdom. Oh, we did get one other piece of information out of that debacle."
Pierre simply gave him an inquisitive look.
"Before the Coronation, when she was still a recluse, we thought that perhaps she was indifferent or hostile to the Princess, and would be happy to foist her off onto a husband. We were wrong. When the Queen was told of Weselton's plan to kidnap the Princess, Elsa threatened to kill everyone in the expedition and the Duke if something had happened to the girl." Thorstad shuddered at the memory of Elsa's rage at the audience with Weselton's Commander.
"I thought you just said she was too weak and squeamish to kill. Now you say she would have slaughtered hundreds. Which is it?" Pierre asked.
"Talk is cheap, Rob. What she said she would do, and what she has actually done are two different things. I still think she can't bring herself to kill. But it is now clear that she loves and protects her sister. Hans never stood a chance. The only reason he even came close was because of the confrontation that exposed her magic and sent her fleeing across the fjord." Thorstad explained. "If he had just been able to rein in his ego, he would be ruling Arendelle today. Of course, we'd probably be under about a mile of ice and snow, but..." Thorstad shook his head.
Pierre mulled over the information he had just heard.
"So, if the Princess is to ascend the throne, with a strong consort to influence her..." he muttered.
"The Queen must die first, before the consort appears. Maybe then, a comforting shoulder to cry on would lead to love and marriage for the new queen," Thorstad stated.
"La reine est morte, vive la reine!" cheered Pierre, waving his glass in emphasis.
The two men watched the fire burn to embers while they discussed possibilities.
Author's Note:
If you would like the full account of that attack by Weselton, please read my story "Protector of the Dominion". Elsa kicks ass. Thank you!
UPDATE: January 2015
It seems there was a quantum disturbance that changed the timeline. I wrote a story titled "Verðug dróttning stór" (Worthy Queen of Greatness) that is an alternate timeline version of "Protector of the Dominion". There is now a sequel to Worthy Queen titled "Cry Havoc in a Monarch's Voice and Let Slip the Dogs of War" that is on chapter 4 of mumbley-mumble. Elsa gets severely traumatized in this new timeline, and events are going to flow in a totally different direction than they did before. See chapter 7 of "Walk in the Park" for details on my headcanon AU. Thank you for reading!