Chapter One
Serene was the only word that could describe the town in all ways. The townspeople, all busy, with their morning chores, not a care in the world and minding their own business. The butcher cuts the meat, then given to a woman, then repeating the process over and over. The farmer tends the crops, then given to the market, then repeating the process over and over.
The sun shone a bright light, a wonderful sign of hope and happiness. It illuminated the whole land of Arendelle, earning smiles and looks from the people. It truly was a peaceful day in Arendelle.
A new light dawned on Arendelle's castle, as the meeting was going on at early in the morning. The king sat with soft eyes, humble and noble on his seat. Dukes and duchesses sat abode, and the king's most trusted advisor-who was also his brother- stood next to him with his chest raised upwards along with his ego and pride.
And there sat on the king's lap, were his two daughters; Elizabeth and Annabelle, both wearing expensive gowns that their father simply loved on them. It was his gift to them on their 5th birthday, along with matching shoes and of course, ribbons; a color of red and blue to each match their personalities.
Elizabeth had her platinum blonde hair in a French braid down to her back, a few baby hairs sticking out from her forehead, matching her big ocean eyes. She was fiddling with her fingers, looking around at the sight before her, admiring all the gorgeous women and men with necklaces and ties to boast. "Now, Elsa," the king had said.
His father liked to call him by 'Elsa'; it somehow reminded him of freshly fallen snow and the bittersweet cold of the winter that was soon approaching. He loved the way the icy weather reflected her daughter's personality and appearance in a perfect way. However, there was something about her daughter that he wanted to get rid of. It was her pessimism. It was the way she would ponder and over think everything that was going on. How, she'd always focus on the negative side, instead of finding the right. But nevertheless, he loved her daughter's warm smile that contradicted everything he'd thought of her.
Now Annabelle, she was different. Annabelle was a different story. Annabelle had strawberry blonde hair which was separated into two braids, along with freckles on the bridge of her button nose and had sun-kissed skin. Her appearance had the exact replica of her personality; bubbly and bright, unlike her sister.
Annabelle also had big blue eyes, who only shown nothing but wonder and curiosity. She watched in admiration as she leaned in to her father. Annabelle didn't have any form of leadership in her blood; she didn't have the stoic face, the stern voice, and the fearsome eyes. But instead, she had that warm and welcoming aura surrounding her, and that made her more approachable than her sister.
"Sister Elsa, you can do it," she held her sister's pinky finger and gave a reassuring smile. Elsa took a quick glance to her and with a sigh, returned her smile and nodded.
She then sat straight, her face void of any emotions and cleared her throat. "L-let us begin the meeting!" cried Elsa, her voice shook like stumbling rocks as she looked at her father, waiting for him to say something, anything that can encourage her.
The king nodded his tired head and smiled through the wrinkles on his face. "Well done, Elsa."
Her eyes widen in delight as a grin made its way to her face. She turned to Anna, who held her thumb to her, and giggled. "See dear sister? I told you I can do it!"
The king's brother wasn't amused at the mere thought of their future leader and snorted. He scowled, and shook his head. His menacing green eyes darted from his brother to his two daughters, full of hatred and envy. "Brother, this is a formal meeting discussing about the decreasing supply of food and water. Take this in a serious manner,"
The king froze and turned to him with a smile, which caught his brother off-guard. "I see, Scar. Pardon my behavior, I was merely teaching my beloved daughter, Elsa."
Scar didn't answer and scowled at him along with a low grunt. The king cleared his throat and glanced at the royals before him. "First and foremost, I'd like to thank everyone for coming on such short notice. I know you are all very busy, especially now that winter is soon approaching, and it's difficult to take time away from your daily tasks for meetings,"
"No worries dear king, this meeting is in fact urgent and needs to be done as soon as possible. It's been a problem for months now, and it is best to settle it today," one of the dukes proclaimed as he steadied his glasses, his arms folded together and his wrinkled eyes stared down at the papers.
"I do so agree, king. I left all my duties as soon as I received a letter yesterday coming from Arendelle. After all, this kingdom is in fact very productive and..lively, if I may say," she glanced at his two daughters with a raised brow, in which Elsa scooted back uncomfortably.
"I give my regards to your kingdom as well, Duchess Marie. I hope the queen is doing well and good," replied the king. "Now, as you can all see on the agenda here, Arendelle is currently lacking of food and water. The supplies left is not enough to last all winter and there is approximately two months left before the first snow falls,"
The dukes nodded in understanding, as they read all of the information written on the papers. "We're slowly losing the water at the lake and there is no fruit nor animals can be seen at the woods," continued the king, his voice full of authority and command. "I believe someone must've used up most of them."
"There are people living in the woods, your highness, and a small village to be exact. It is full of uncivilized citizens along with children. I suppose, they are the ones responsible for all of this," interrupted Scar, with his brows furrowed. "I have tried to warn them but it's no use. The villagers are too stubborn,"
"Lord Scar, what made you think it was the villagers' fault?" asked the king. A flicker of emotion flashed through the king's eyes as he stared right through his brother. It was at these times wherein both brothers would disagree at each others' opinions. Scar would defy his brother's actions, saying it's irresponsible and too risky to handle. While his brother, the king, fought for what's right and just. These kinds of moments were one of those times.
"Your highness, I am not trying to be rude but there is a possibility that the villagers are at fault here. Think about it, if there weren't people living in the woods, then there would be enough fruits that can be tend and animals. Surely, that'll last us for the winter," seethed Scar, his eyes in slits, challenging his brother.
The king shook his head, "Scar, why must you always put innocent people at sake? They're only trying to stay alive too, after all. Let us not bother them and look for our own food and water," he glanced back at the dukes. "What do you all say? Should we send out men?"
As the dukes stared back and forth at each other, the two daughters were becoming more worried about the situation at hand. Elsa was mostly worried that a fight may occur all of a sudden, and she most certainly did not want that to happen.
Anna, however, saw the expression on her sister's face, then to her father, then to her uncle. She had to think of something, she had to stop the argument that was bound to happen sooner or later, she had to say something, and anything will do. Thinking she's got nothing to lose, she was about to raise her hand when her sister suddenly interrupted.
"P-please stop; this is not how meetings are supposed to happen. Everyone should be settling the problem through talking. That's what father taught me and I believe it to be true. C-can we all please hush down and discuss without further arguments?" stated Elsa, her eyes shaking once more and her hands closed to a fist. Her mouth was crooked as she took in deep breaths, her sister admiring from beside her.
"Child, you are young at age. Simply, you do not know a thing about managing the kingdom's needs. I suggest you behave yourself more properly and not utter a word," said Scar, his eyes glaring daggers at the Elsa. He folded his arms over his chest and averted his attention back to the dukes.
Elsa was trying to come up with something to say, an excuse? A smart retort? However, the child thought of nothing else but the humiliating feeling inside her. Her shoulders slumped down as she stared down at the floor, discouraged and lost in her own thoughts. She felt a hand on her head, and looked up to see her father smiling down at her.
"You did not do wrong, my child. What you did was leadership, which I am certainly proud of," said the king. Elsa blinked at her father and nodded, appreciating her father's kind words towards her. She turned to Anna with a smile and held her hand.
"Now, discussing the matter at hand, I would like to hear your opinions starting from Duke Victor," stated the king, glancing at the man at his right.
Duke Victor nodded his head and stood up from his seat. Clearing his throat, he proclaimed, "It is very well said that indeed the villagers had token everything, starting from water to food. And like what Lord Scar had said, we need to remove that village from the forest and claim the land back,"
The king blinked and let out a sigh, "I see. Your opinion is very well heard, Duke Victor. Thank you for your cooperation. Now, let's see what Duchess Marie has to say, if you please," he gestured for her.
She stood up, arranged all her papers and stared directly into Scar's green eyes. Scar raised an eyebrow at this but nevertheless, kept his guard up. "King, I never once doubted your way and intuition of how the way things should be done. You have saved Arendelle from going bankrupt, countless of times and I wish nothing more but good luck to this kingdom. Which is why, I will respect your decision but I will also give out my opinion," said she.
Duke Marie took a deep breath and continued, "I have discovered that village myself two months ago when I was out sightseeing and I got lost finding my way back here. I looked for any signs of people around but did not found a single one. It was at around night when I suddenly saw smoke coming out from the trees, I hurriedly followed it, and came stumbling to the village,"
Elsa let a sweat drop from her forehead as she listened intently at the duchess, her eyes showed nothing but interest. Anna was staring back and forth at her uncle Scar, who was clenching his fists tightly on his clothes, to her father. She wanted to know what was going on inside the room, she wanted to understand the situation at hand, and she wanted to help her father. But there was nothing she could do but listen and behave, otherwise, Scar would scold her and she'd cry, unlike her sister.
"There, I saw, people cheering and dancing around a fire, a large fire. They had on such happy smiles that I envy so much. And so, I asked one if I could stay the night, in which they gladly accepted me. They are in fact, very hospitable and kind, and," her eyes turned into slits, "civilized. It is the exact opposite of what Lord Scar had said," she said with a serious look on her face.
Scar scowled at this and let out a low grunt, "Duchess Marie, you are defending these people because of the way they had treated you beforehand. This proves nothing and therefore insignificant. Your highness-"
"Lord Scar, I was not finished yet. Please let me finish first before you state your own opinions. It is very offensive to me," she furrowed her brows at him and her lips set in a grim line. Scar's green eyes showed anger and glared death at the woman.
"As I was saying, the village is void of any harm and evil, and therefore proven innocent. They collect food and water so they can live, and feed it to their children, and so the cycle goes on. They only want to survive the cold season as much as we do. And," her eyes flickered an emotion as she stared intently at Scar, "endangering innocent lives will lead you to prison, isn't that right Lord Scar?"
Scar showed no sign of rigidness. His eyes held something unexplainable. "Is that so Duchess Marie? Do you suspect of me? Are you implying that I want to get rid of all these people? Are you somehow saying that I want to remove their existence?" his composure was no longer calm as he tried his best not to snap at the duchess.
The king stayed silent amidst the argument but listened to their opinions. Elsa no longer understood what was going on and stared at the duchess with eyes of admiration mixed with worry. Elsa wanted to be independent and confident like the woman in front of her now. She wanted to stop stuttering every once in a while and learn a thing or two of what it really means to be a leader.
"I am most definitely not suspecting you Lord Scar. I am just stating my opinion as what the king asked me to do. Why have you become so defensive over something insignificant all of a sudden? And there is no need to argue as what little Elizabeth here had said," she turned to Elsa with a smile.
Elsa was taken aback at the sudden gesture but returned her smile with a crooked one. She then glanced at her father, who was currently in deep concentration. His eyes strayed down and his brows furrowed, his wrinkles creased. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh, then looked up at the both of them. "Very well, Duchess Marie, your opinion has been heard. And Lord Scar, I'd appreciate if you let the dukes and duchesses speak,"
Scar stopped himself from rolling his eyes and waved him off with his hand. The king ignored this and turned back to the royals. "Does anyone else have an opinion? Please do not hesitate to talk. It would help tremendously if you'd cooperate,"
"I..I'd like to give my opinion!"
The royals went silent as they stared, astonished at the young girl before them. There, stood, Anna on her father's lap with her body shaking nervously and her hands in a tight fist. Never would she have imagined her standing up in front of these people. And her sister thought of that too.
Elsa stared with wide eyes at her sister, bewildered at the fact that Anna had even uttered a word before her father, before her uncle Scar. Surely, she would get a spanking after this meeting. But nevertheless, she was amazed at her sister's sudden bravery and she felt envy boil inside of her. She quickly shook the thoughts away before it could corrupt her.
Scar was most certainly not amused again. Not when he was practically holding himself back, not when a mere child just interrupted a grown-up's conversation that would lead to the destruction of Arendelle if not taken seriously. His eyes turned to slits as he bit the insides of his cheek. "You don't have the authority to give your opinion. You don't have a say in this!"
"Lord Scar! If you please," said the king. His tired eyes glistened of emotion that made Scar shut his mouth. He then turned to his beloved daughter and smiled warmly, "What is it child? Do you have something to say? Do you perhaps have something in mind for Arendelle? Or what is it? You can tell them what you think, Annabelle. There is no need to hold back,"
Anna nodded her head at her father and exhaled all the courage she has left. "I-I know I'm just a child, but I have listened and understood the situation at hand. And I'm not really sure about this but I would like for you to hear my opinion, even if it's just insignificant," she looked down, fiddling with the hem of her dress, a sign of nervousness for the young princess. She memorized the words in her mind while they were discussing and somehow, her mouth took a different turn all of a sudden and spoke those words.
Duchess Marie let a small smile on her lips. "You are very well heard, young Annabelle. Please do state what's on your mind. I do admire your bravery," she gave a quick glance at Elsa then back to Anna.
"T-thank you, Duchess Isabella, and um, well, I was thinking that, that we could, um-"
"Speak up, child! You are wasting enough time already!" shouted Scar, his fists shaking in anger and annoyance and his patience growing thin by the minute.
"Lord Scar, brother, please restrain yourself. Do not use that kind of tone on my daughter, your niece. She is also the princess of Arendelle, so if you please," said the king once more. He was also losing his patience but his composure never faltered, unlike his brother. He let out a sigh and gestured for Anna to continue.
"W-well, I was thinking that, maybe we could help each other in a way. Maybe you could send us some supplies and goods. I thought that your lands are very productive as well and that we could help each other somehow, without killing that is," she finished and looked worriedly among the crowd before her, searching for a sign of approval or anything that'll put her mind to ease.
Duchess Marie was crestfallen at this and replied, "I am very sorry, young Annabelle, but I believe we cannot do such a thing. You see, your idea is not that bad, it's in fact well thought, but the problem is that our supplies is just enough for our town to last. And if we gave Arendelle goods from our kingdoms, then our number of goods would lessen,"
Anna nodded in understanding and sat back down on her father's lap. She blinked, "I-I see. Thank you for hearing me out, dukes and duchesses. P-please continue," said she.
"Do not worry, your opinion was well heard and I personally thought it was brilliant," said the king, patting her daughter in the head and smiled. Elsa started to feel the boiling envy building up inside of her again, as she stared between her sister and her father. She wanted to do something for the kingdom as well. She didn't want to feel worthless; she is the heir to the throne, after all.
"What a waste of precious time," muttered Scar.
The king cleared his throat, "Now, then, does anyone else want to give their opinions?"
Silence,
"Anyone?"
Silence,
"Anyone at all?"
Silence,
"None?"
Silence,
"Very well then,"
"Since it has not been decided, and your opinions are equally correct, the state of the problem has not been solved yet. We shall discuss about this once more, when we get our heads cooled down. But for now, please, make yourselves comfortable. And this ends our meeting, thank you for your cooperation," proclaimed the king.
Dukes and duchesses stood up from their seats and made their way out of the meeting room. The king smiled down at her two daughters, "You can go and play now, Elsa and Anna. Go tell your mother about what happened for me, okay?"
They nodded and ran towards the exit. Once they were gone, Scar placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "What you did was once again very irresponsible and insignificant, brother. You have no idea how many lives are at sake now. We have to get rid of that village as soon as possible," said he.
"Scar, many people are living there, along with children with hopes and dreams. We cannot just simply take it all away, because of our hunger and thirst. That is just simply a sin and an act of cowardice," replied the king, his eyes cast on his brother.
"There are also your people that you're going to feed. Have you forgotten brother? You are the king, you need to take care of your people, and sometimes, we need to sacrifice in order to survive," Scar tightened his grip on his brother's shoulder.
The king smiled at this, "Are you willing to sacrifice hundreds of people for the sake of your own survival then, brother?"
Scar furrowed his brows and removed his hand, and started to walk towards the exit, determination boiling inside of him. His heart set on one goal, at least for now.
'I'll destroy that village with my own hands, without you knowing dear brother. Just you watch and learn how a true king must act for his people!'
And meanwhile, at the peaceful village hidden in the forest, there stood a boy with brown hair and brown eyes, grinning at his friends with pure happiness. He went by the name of Jackson Overland.
Author's Note: O' let us rejoice the chapter one! lolololol
Let us be glad that I have completed a whole chapter in one day! lol who are you kidding Mika?
Let us not dwell on the grammar errors and such! why are you talking like that?
Be glad! Rejoice! Rejoice! ...I don't know you.
Please give a comment down below and don't forget to follow and favorite if you liked the story! Please tell me what you think about this! And PS. Scar is the one from Lion King. but imagine him as a male version. But however, Mufasa, is not the king here, sorry to disappoint you all lol The king is Anna and Elsa's real father soooo.. yeah. Thanks for reading and rejoice!~