She's dead.
Her scream. It was Elsa's scream. Not her real scream, but...
You'll never forget that sound. You never want to hear it again.
"Elsa," you grunt, pulling yourself up from the cliff edge.
When you manage to reach the safety of solid ground, you simply can't go on anymore and collapse with exhaustion.
"The intruder is down!" exclaims a royal guard, running towards you.
Could tonight get much worse?
Your ribs are then greeted by a man's leather boot.
Spoke too soon.
"King Rafe! Is that really necessary, sir?" the guard asks.
Glaring, Rafe grabs the guard by the collar. "Do not question me, captain," he growls. "Or have you forgotten who it is you're speaking to?"
"N-No, sir. Please, accept my humblest apologies."
The king smirks, releasing the guard. "That's more like it. Now leave us be. I'm going to deal with this peasant myself."
"Y-Yes, Your Majesty."
"Oh, and, captain."
"Sir?"
"Don't let news of this reach Queen Elsa. I don't wish to unsettle her the night before our wedding. It'll be our little secret. Understand?"
Shuddering, the guard nods, departing from the cliffs before Rafe begins to 'deal with' you and not daring to look back.
"You won't get away with this," you croak. "Elsa, will-"
"What was that?" Rafe marches over to you and gives your ribs another kick. "Come on!" he shouts. "On your feet!"
Curled up in a foetal position, all you can do is groan in pain. You haven't got the energy to defend yourself.
He notices your injured leg - from where the sorceress blasted you - and presses the burn with his boot.
You scream and beg for him to stop.
Rafe laughs. "She doesn't care about you, you know. Why do you think she keeps pushing you away? It's me she really wants. She won't admit it, but she does."
"That-That's not true," you gasp. "You're a lying, manipulative bully. Elsa would never marry someone like you if she had a choice."
"Shut your mouth!"
Another kick to the ribs. And another. And another.
He's going to kill you.
But you're not ready to die. You have to protect Elsa. You've got to save her from spending the rest of her life with this maniac!
"How pathetic," he spits, picking you up by the scruff of your neck. "It makes me sick to imagine her with such a waste of flesh and bone."
He drags you towards the cliff edge and dangles you over it, above the lapping waves and protruding rocks which threaten to drown and impale you.
Your limp body has taken too much of a beating to resist. You can't...
Sorry, Elsa.
"Any last words, peasant?"
If these are your final moments, you won't go out begging. You won't give him the satisfaction of breaking you.
"Scr-Screw-"
Rafe knocks you out with a headbutt before you can finish. "Oh, I'm sorry. Were you saying something?" He loosens his grip on you.
"Rafe, no!"
"Don't do it!"
Anna and Kristoff. They're rushing to the scene.
Rafe had left Anna with Gerda when he heard there was an intruder on the castle grounds.
Anna realised it must've been you and went to find Kristoff.
They've been looking everywhere for you.
It's only because they spotted the Captain of the Royal Guard leaving the cliffs that they thought to search here.
"Please!"
Rafe and Anna lock eyes with each other.
"Sorry, princess," he says, his hand slipping from around your neck. "But Elsa is mine."
He lets go.
Horrified, Kristoff and Anna can do nothing but watch as your unconscious form plunges to a watery grave.
Gone.
Anna is hysterical, throwing herself at Rafe and pounding him with her fists.
"Murderer!" she screams. "How could you?"
Unfazed by the suffering he's caused, the king shoves her away.
Kristoff catches her. He's shaking with rage, close to snapping. Killing this guy to avenge you might just be worth starting a war.
"Why?" breaths Anna, crying. "Why would you do this to Elsa? What did our friend ever do to you?"
Smirking, Rafe turns to walk away. He'll sleep soundly tonight knowing you can't take his queen.
"Just be ready for the wedding," he tells the princess. "Or else."
Anna and Kristoff exchange looks of grief and despair.
How're they going to break this to Elsa?
Barely uttering a word, together they return to the castle.
They proceed to the queen's bedroom.
Better she hears it from them than Rafe.
Trembling with the pressure of having to deliver such terrible news, Anna hesitantly knocks at her sister's door. "El-Elsa?"
No answer.
She says it's about you, that it's urgent.
The door opens a crack.
"What do you mean?" asks Elsa, apprehensive when she sees Kristoff and Anna's faces. "What's happened?"
Anna only manages to explain half the story before bursting into tears. The trauma of witnessing you fall to your death is too painful.
Not yet aware of the reason for her sister being in such a state, Elsa accidentally freezes solid her door. She's beginning to regret throwing you out as she wonders if you're okay.
Kristoff finishes the story from where Anna left off.
"I-I'm so sorry, Elsa," he says, on the verge of tears. "We tried. We really did. But Rafe-"
Distraught beyond consolation, the queen sinks to the floor, weeping.
Anna is by her side immediately, attempting to provide even the slightest amount of comfort.
"Please, Anna," Elsa whimpers. "I need to be alone. My powers."
Anna shakes her head. She refuses to leave her sister to endure this by herself.
Intervening, Kristoff leads Anna away for her own sake and to give Elsa some privacy.
Once the two of them are out the room, Elsa can truly allow herself to cry, freezing everything contained inside the surrounding four walls.
She can't believe what Rafe has done.
You can't be gone.
She loves you.
Sadness swirls within me like the snow.
I've frozen out the one true love I'll ever know.
There's no way I can win.
But I wish, I had been honest with you long ago.
Life's too short.
To be such a weak-minded fool.
So helpless that I couldn't see.
Life's too short to be so fearful and naive.
That I thought he would let you be.
I wish I saw things clearly.
I guess I'm just not the sort.
Now all I know is life's too short.