CHAPTER 22
Elsa was nonplussed.
Not at the claim that the world was in jeopardy, but at the audacity that had to be required for the man standing before her to even make such a claim.
She felt her magic pulsate at her fingertips, sparked by the anger that was welling in her gut. With a deep breath, she calmed herself and stifled the energy within.
Elsa considered asking Anna her thoughts about the Prince's increasingly-outrageous claims but opted against it. She knew what the answer would be, though she hoped that she was incorrect. The Queen knew that Anna believed the man. She silently cursed her complete trust for the redhead, for while it was a marvelous feeling, it was now presenting its flaws.
Though she would have to trust Mattias as well, she was going to make him earn it.
"Anna, where has the Prince gone?"
"What do you mean?" Anna asked with a quirked eyebrow. "He's right there."
"I see no Prince before me," Elsa continued. "Just a very talented wordsmith."
"Queen Elsa, I assure you that this is no story!" Mattias cried.
"Assure me?" Elsa shot back. "You come to my Kingdom, kill my guards, say my sister is an assassin, and claim there is a threat not only to my realm, but to the whole world?
"You don't need to assure me, Mattias." Elsa scoffed. "What you need is to be institutionalized!"
"Elsa!"
The Queen turned to see Anna glaring at her, and she immediately regretted her reaction.
"He is our friend, Elsa, and friends don't treat each other like that…" Anna hissed at her. The Princess then turned her attention to Mattias.
"…no matter how crazy they sound."
Mattias scoffed as his shoulders slumped in defeat. "You don't believe me either?" he asked the Princess. Elsa's eyes widened with relief upon hearing that her sister had her doubts as well.
"I have no reason to not believe you, Mattias," Anna responded. "Though all of this does seem a little… farfetched, to say the least. Perhaps if you had some evidence, or any sort of explanation."
"I will explain!" shouted the Prince. "So long as Her Majesty allows me to, of course."
"You may." Elsa replied, crossing her arms as she spoke. "Or, at least, you may try."
"I shall do my best." Mattias responded. He clasped his hands behind his back and looked to the icy floor beneath him. He let out a soft sigh and raised his head to meet the eyes of the sisters.
"Many centuries ago, the first Assassins discovered an artifact buried deep under Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem." He began. "It was rumored that this artifact would give the power of God to whomever wielded it.
"At the time, it seemed to be just a myth," the Prince continued as he began to walk around the cavernous room. "What kind of artifact could possess that kind of power? It seemed too ridiculous to be true."
"I have to agree with you." The Queen interjected. Anna shot her another reprimanding glare, to which she simply shrugged.
"If I hadn't known any better, I would agree as well," Mattias responded. "But as it so happens, the artifact was real. The Assassins discovered that the Templar Knights were seeking the artifact, so they recovered it before our enemies had the chance.
"Unfortunately, the leader of the Assassins at the time betrayed the order and used the artifact for his own gain. He was eventually defeated by the true Assassins, but not before showing the world what the artifact was capable of."
"So what was it?" Anna queried. "Was it a weapon?"
"In a manner of speaking." The Prince answered. "The artifact was many things, weapon included. Its purpose is determined by whoever held it. It would do whatever the user wanted it to.
"It is called the 'Apple of Eden', and it turns the will of man into law."
Elsa raised a questioning eyebrow at the Mattias' revelation, but allowed him to continue.
"Unfortunately, when the corrupt Assassin activated the artifact, it revealed to us that there were many different objects that all held the same power. The Templars seek these objects in order to impose their will on mankind. The Assassins seek them in order to keep that from happening."
"So it's… an apple?" the Princess asked.
"One of them is." Mattias answered. "There are also scepters, religious artifacts, sabers, all sorts of objects. They are all what we call 'Pieces of Eden'."
"And these 'pieces'," Anna continued. "They can be used to take over the world?"
"As I said, whatever the user wants becomes truth." The prince answered. "The pieces have been used for nefarious purposes, but also for the benefit of humanity. The Assassin who defeated the traitorous leader, Altair Ibn La'Abad, became the Grand Master of the Order. During his time as our leader, he used the Apple to create new materials, discover new medicines, and help the people as often as he could.
"Unfortunately for the world, not all who seek the Apple have peace in mind."
"So how do these things work?" Anna asked. "Are they magic?"
"For a long time, we believed that they held some kind of magic or religious power." The Prince replied. "As it turns out, neither is true. The Pieces of Eden are some sort of technology; ancient and highly advanced, more so than anything else that currently exists."
"Okay, that's it." Elsa exclaimed. "You're telling me an ancient piece of fruit that contains some sort of technology that is more advanced than anything known to man can be used to take over the world?"
"Is it so hard to believe?" Mattias shot back with surprising confidence. "You can conjure ice and snow with your mind and bend it to your every whim!"
With that, Elsa wrung her hands together, looking down on them incredulously.
"Elsa, you can create life!"
The Queen gasped slightly and looked over to Olaf, who was standing quietly at Anna's side. He met her gaze and gave her an innocent smile accompanied by a wave. She looked back at her hands which she was now holding out in front of her. They were trembling slightly; despite her near mastery of her powers, they still made her nervous from time to time, especially when other people spoke about them.
She balled her fists and looked back up at the Prince.
"I… you make a good point." She conceded. "So why are you telling us this?"
"The Assassins believe that someone has been using a Piece of Eden to cause the turmoil in the region, beginning with the events surrounding your coronation." Mattias responded. "They also believe that one of the missing pieces is somewhere in Arendelle."
Both sisters gasped in shock.
"What?"
"The pieces are scattered all over the world, and the Brotherhood has reason to believe that there is one here." The Prince explained. "I have documents that explain their reasoning that I would be more than willing to show you once we return to the castle."
Elsa's mind was racing as she tried to process everything. The Prince seemed to be making a habit of overloading her with sensitive information and it was starting to take its toll. She closed her eyes and tried to think of what her next step would be. A thousand different scenarios ran through her head.
She was about to ask Anna her opinion when her train of thought was interrupted by hand taking a gentle yet firm grip of her own. She opened her eyes to find Anna standing next to her with a smile on her face.
"We have to go back." She said softly. "That's what we do next. We get back to the castle, speak to the people just like we planned, and then handle what Mattias told us about."
Elsa smiled softly back at the younger woman and placed an appreciative hand on her cheek. After answering her sister with a small nod, Elsa turned and walked towards the wall. With a wave of her hand, the ice of the wall disappeared, revealing Mattias' weapons from where she had hidden them the previous day. With careful hands, she picked them up and walked towards the Prince.
When she reached him, she extended her hands, offering the armaments to the man. Mattias cautiously gripped the hilts of his weapons, keeping his eyes on the Queen. He took both swords and sheathed them at his waist. The pistol was next; Elsa offered it to him grip first. He retrieved it from her and placed it in its holster on his chest.
Elsa extended his wrist blade to him, but withdrew her arms as he attempted to reach for it. The Prince flinched, and Elsa giggled slightly at the reaction.
"I know I may seem unreasonable, but I only question things in order to keep myself, my sister, and my people safe." she explained. "You are my friend, Mattias, and if Anna trusts you, so do I."
With that, she handed him his vambrace which he slid onto his forearm with practiced speed and precision. He flexed his hand and to Elsa's surprise, extended the blade. She withdrew slightly, but relaxed when she saw he was simply examining it.
"Our goals are aligned, then." he proclaimed. "I swear to you that I will do my best to protect you, my future Queen, Anna, my future wife, and Arendelle, my future kingdom."
The blade retracted with a metallic click as if to punctuate his statement. Elsa smiled weakly at him. She appreciated his sentiment, but it hurt her to hear him call Anna his future wife. Still, she nodded her thanks at the man.
"Come now." Elsa exclaimed. "We must return to the castle."
The Queen then led the group out of the palace. She conjured another storm to mask their movements while Mattias and Anna mounted the ice horse that still waited for them outside. Once the storm was a sufficient size, she joined them on the mount, sitting ahead of both of them and taking hold of the reigns.
She let out a loud "HYAH!" and the trio took off into the swirling blizzard.
Soon after, they had reached the bottom of the mountain and were just outside of town. Elsa had slowed the horse's pace to a trot so she could better maneuver through the streets. As the came closer to the castle, Anna turned to Mattias.
"Wait, you're supposed to still be in the castle." she stated. "We can't have you waltzing in with us, someone will know you were missing!"
"I already thought of that." the Prince replied. "I'll sneak back into my quarters and no one will be the wiser."
"And how do you plan on doing that?" Elsa quickly retorted.
"Oh, I have my ways."
Elsa glared back at the man and Anna gave him a light punch on the knee.
"Ow!" he shouted. "What was that for?"
"For being smug."
"Alright, fine, I left the window to my quarters unlocked." he admitted. "I'll get in the same way I got out. Just drop me off at the bridge to the gate and wait ten minutes."
Several minutes later, the trio arrived at the bridge and Mattias dismounted the horse. The Queen raised her hands to dispel the storm, but Mattias stopped her.
"No, wait!" he cried. "The storm will help me get back in undetected."
"It's too fierce," Elsa explained. "You'll never be able to navigate through it."
"I can use my Eagle Vision." he replied. "The storm won't be a problem."
Elsa looked down at him with concern in her eyes, which he must have been able to detect.
"I'll be fine, Elsa." he said calmly.
He then raised his hood and turned away from her. Seconds later, the young Prince exited their protective bubble of magic and disappeared into the raging storm.
The Queen watched his figure slowly vanish as she stared into the proverbial wall of snow. Though she trusted Mattias' abilities, she none-the-less still feared for her her friend's safety.
"I know you're worrying."
Elsa turned her head as her sister's voice snapped her out of her concerned daze.
"Of course I'm worrying." the Queen replied. "The only reason we're able to get through this storm is because I made it! If you were anywhere but on this horse right now, you wouldn't be able to see the tip of your own nose!"
"Sure, but if that super... eagle... whatever vision is as good as he says, then he'll be alright." Anna explained. "I mean, it's apparently worked for me, and didn't even know I had it. Mattias has probably been practicing with it for years!"
Elsa felt slender arms wrap around her midsection and soft hair press onto her shoulders. She couldn't help but relax into the hug, closing her eyes and holding Anna's hands tight to her breast.
"Just relax, Elsa."
The Queen drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She knew that Anna was right, and that the Prince was fine. If she focused hard enough on the far reaches of her magic, she could feel it as it made contact with Mattias' form. The sensation was dull and blurry, but it was there, and she could tell he was getting closer to his destination.
The Queen and Princess sat in silence as they waited for the time to pass. Before long, Elsa heard the tolling of the church bell signaling that it was fifteen minutes passed the hour. Satisfied that more than enough time had passed, she stirred the reigns and walked the horse across the small bridge to the castle.
Once they were close enough to the gate to see it, both the Queen and Princess dismounted the horse. Elsa bowed slightly to the beast while Anna rubbed its nose. They both took a step back and Elsa spun her hand around in front of her. The horse slowly dissolved into a spiraling trail of snow until it was completely gone.
Elsa then turned to face the gate. Closing her eyes, she raised her hands above her head and slowly lowered each one to the side. This caused their protective bubble to grow until the entire castle was encapsulated, much to the surprise of the two sentries in the guard house above. Elsa giggled as the two wide-eyed guards hurried to scramble out onto the wall above the gate.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness!" the man shouted. "You're supposed to be in the keep!"
"Begging your pardon, sir, but it was only required that people believed us to be in the keep." Elsa replied with an amused town. She heard Anna giggle, which caused her to feel rather pleased with herself.
"Now surely you can keep your mouth closed long enough to get this gate open? It's quite chilly out here."
"Uh, I uhm, r-right away, Your Majesty!"
The guard disappeared into the tower and Elsa turned to the Princess, who was covering her mouth with her hand in order to keep the volume of her snickering contained.
"You're terrible, you know that?" Anna squeaked out.
"I was just reminding them about who's in charge." the Queen replied with a smirk.
A moment later, the massive wooden gates began to creak open. Once there was sufficient space to allow bodies to fit through, guards began to flood out of the gate and form a perimeter around the royals.
"Fan out men!" came a cry from behind the gates. "The storm may be fierce, but we take no chances!"
Once the guards were in formation, two familiar figures passed through the portal. It was Kai and the newly-appointed Guard Captain Arnesen.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness." the Captain said as he bowed slightly. "Welcome back to Arendelle."
"Thank you, Captain." Elsa replied. "I see that you are adjusting well to your new position."
"Thank you, Majesty." the man replied as he lead the sisters into the courtyard. "Though I didn't have much of a choice. This is a time of crisis; if I didn't assume the role quickly, things could fall apart."
"Well you seem to have the situation well under control." Anna chimed in. "Good work."
"Thank you, Your Highness." Arnesen replied earnestly. With the Queen and Princess now safely within the confines of the castle walls, he turned back to his men.
"Alright, let's get this gate locked-down!" the Captain barked and the guards quickly got to work securing the heavy doors.
Once the gates were closed, Elsa used her powers to will away the massive blizzard that stilled raged around the castle grounds. With a deep inhale and a wave of her arms, the storm slowly began to calm until it was nothing more than a light flurry.
It was then Kai's turn at her attention, and the head servant was quick on the draw.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, so good to see you back safely!" the portly man exclaimed. "Quickly, let's get you inside!"
The man quickly ushered the women through the castle's main entrance, followed closely by Captain Arnesen and two of his men, who swung the castle doors closed as soon as the group was inside.
"Thank you, Captain, you are dismissed." Elsa ordered. "We need to speak with Kai privately."
"Of course, Your Majesty." Arnesen replied. "Send word if my presence is required."
The man punctuated his statement with a salute before turning on his heel and rejoining his men, leaving the women alone with the head servant.
"Come." Elsa commanded and gestured for the man and her sister to follow her. She led the group through the halls of the castle to her study. Once they were inside the room, she quickly locked the door and coated it with a thick layer of ice, which made the older man let out a yelp of surprise.
"Don't worry Kai, it's just for soundproofing." she said, and the man visibly relaxed as she sat behind her desk. She gestured to the chair in front of her and Kai immediately sat down. Elsa leaned forward and intertwined her hands on her desk as Anna took her place by her side.
"We know what happened the other day, and we know the identities of the perpetrators."
"Pardon, Majesty, but how is-"
"Kai, I have known you since I was an infant. It's Elsa, at least in private."
"Uh okay, Elsa," the now-flustered servant continued.. "Again, pardon me, but- and keep in mind that I do trust you – but how could you possibly have determined that information while away from the castle?"
Elsa recoiled in surprise; she hadn't thought of that.
"Well, Kai, you see-"
"We found the assassin. The one that ran."
Both Elsa and Kai turned to the Princess with confusion plastered on their faces.
"That storm that Elsa made to cover our movement worked so well that it basically halted all travel in to and out of the city." Anna continued to explain. "It also forced most people to stay indoors. Since the assassin fled on foot, he was trapped by the blizzard."
Kai turned to Elsa, who nodded her confirmation of the Princess' story enthusiastically.
"Since the storm was created by Elsa, she could feel where her magic was interacting with other living beings."
"I could?" Elsa asked, before quickly correcting herself. "I mean, yes, of course I could!"
"There was only one person that she could sense, and that person was hunkered down in a rocky outcropping at the base of the North Mountain." Anna continued. "There were only three people that it could possibly be; me, Elsa, and-"
"-and the assassin." the Queen finished for her. Now it was her turn to improvise. "So I dispatched Marshmall- er, my snow golem, to retrieve him. Which he did, quite efficiently."
Kai nodded slowly to inform the sisters that he was indeed following the story, and Elsa continued.
"Upon his arrival at my ice palace, he was interrogated." she said.
"You would be amazed what a man will tell you when he is in the clutches of a giant snow monster." Anna added with a wry smile.
"Amazed, indeed." the head servant acquiesced.
"He told us everything." Elsa announced. "He had conspired with guards Hageback and Carslon to assassinate us. Luckily, Captain Stenson and those that remained loyal to us were able to fend them off, sadly at the cost of their own lives."
"I see." Kai uttered solemnly. "What did you do with him? The assassin?"
"We let him go." Anna replied.
"You... let him go."
"Yes." the Queen reaffirmed. "We let him go. Into a massive blizzard on the North Mountain in Arendelle during winter."
"Oh. Oh. Oh my." Kai stuttered out. "I- I understand."
"I believe the punishment fits the crime quite well." the Queen stated emphatically.
"I suppose it does." replied the servant. "So what do we do now?"
"Tomorrow I will speak to the people and tell them all that has transpired, as well as honor the late Captain Stenson and his men for their sacrifice." Elsa elucidated. "Though I will not mention the fate of the assassin. That knowledge stays in this room."
"I understand, Elsa." Kai responded. "Is there anything else?"
"No Kai, that will be all." she said and dissipated the ice covering the doorway. "You are dismissed."
The man stood and bowed his head before leaving the room and silently closing the door behind him.
"Okay, now what?" asked the Princess abruptly.
Elsa sighed as she rose from her desk. "Now, dear sister, we go see the Prince."
"Well let's go!" Anna cried and hooked her arm through her sisters before dragging them both out of the study and towards the Prince's chambers. Upon arrival, Elsa dismissed the two guards standing watch outside his door which Anna then knocked on.
"C-c-come in-n." was the response, which was as loud as a whisper, at best.
Anna slowly opened the door and the sisters stepped inside to find the Prince huddled by the fire, shaking violently, wrapped in what appeared to be every blanket in the castle.
Both women stifled a giggle, though Anna did so unsuccessfully. Elsa recomposed herself and cleared her throat.
"Glad to see that you made it back safely, Mattias." she said. "We were worried that you would have difficulty navigating, but here you are!"
The Prince gave no response other than a glare and a rapid chattering of his teeth, which was easily audible even over Anna's snickering.
"Um, are you alright?" the Queen asked.
"W-w-window e-easy t-to f-f-find. C-climbing wall d-diffic-cult. S-s-so cold. S-so icy. So s-s-slip-pery."
"Oh, well... sorry about that," Elsa said. "But you can't say that I didn't warn you."
"Here, drink this." Anna said as she moved towards the shivering man. She had apparently left to retrieve some tea while Mattias explained his condition. Anna knelt next to him and helped him drink the warm liquid.
"Ahh, th-thank you." he sighed when he was done drinking. Anna smiled at him as his arm appeared from under the blankets to take the steaming cup from her. He took another sip and closed his eyes in relief. "It's am-mazing how mu-much this helps."
"I hate to rush things, Mattias, but you said you had things to show us?" Elsa asked cautiously.
"Mmm, right, of c-course." the Prince replied as he sipped at his tea. The hand not holding the cup then patted at the floor next to him. "C-come, sit."
Elsa looked to Anna, who simply shrugged as if to say 'why not' and the sisters took their places on the floor next to the hearth.
Once they were seated, Mattias produced an old leather-bound book from inside his woolen cocoon. Elsa immediately recognized it as the book that Anna had been examining that day in the library.
"That's the book I was reading!" the Princess exclaimed.
"Where did you get that?" Elsa asked with surprise.
"The b-better question is w-where did you get this?" Mattias retorted. "This book is as ancient as the story it tells."
"And what story might that be?"
"What, you can't read Arabic?" the Prince quipped, which garnered a confused look from Anna and a scowl from Elsa. "Oookay then. This book is just one volume of a massive collection that tells the history of the Assassin order. It was hand-written by the Mentor of the Assassins sometime in the thirteenth century."
"Thirteenth century?" Elsa stated in disbelief. "That means this book is-"
"Six hundred years old." the Princess interjected.
"Exactly." confirmed Mattias. "Curious how it got to Arendelle all the way from Syria."
"Six hundred years... how do you think Papa came to own this?" Anna asked as she turned toward her sister.
"I'm not sure Papa was the one who got it." the Queen answered. "More likely it was one of our ancestors, probably hundreds of years ago."
"Elsa is probably right, considering that the Mentor dispersed the library's contents before his death in 1257." Mattias explained as he took another sip of tea. "His son and two of his closest friends were given the task, and the Mentor's books found their way to all ends of the Earth. So it's plausible that one could have found its way here. To find one in such good condition, however, is... strange, at the very least."
Elsa looked puzzled. "Why is it strange?"
Mattias held the book up so the light of the fire washed over it, highlighting every small detail.
"Does this book look like it has been traveling the world for six hundred years?"
"No, not at all." Elsa commented. "So what does that mean?"
"It means," the Prince started as he placed the book down. "That this was brought here a very long time ago by someone who wanted to keep it pristine. It means that an Assassin visited Arendelle at some point in history and quite possibly settled down in the region. That would also explain why Anna can use Eagle Vision."
"So... our distant ancestor brought this here..." Anna said with wonder. "It's possible that this book has been in the hands of every king and queen in Arendellian history! That's amazing!"
Elsa smiled at her sister's enthusiasm and picked the book up from the floor and observed it. If it was as old as the Prince said it was, then it really was a marvel that it was in such good shape.
"Why were you looking through this anyway, Anna?" the man suddenly asked and both women quickly turned towards him.
"I was... how did you know that?"
"I see everything." Mattias responded in jest, which earned him a nudge from the young woman that toppled him onto his side. He floundered a bit before returning to his upright position.
"Okay, okay, I went to read it and it was gone." he finally answered. "I know how much time you spend in the library so I assumed you had it."
"So, lucky guess?" Anna asked mockingly.
"Lucky and correct." Mattias shot back. "Seriously though, why were you looking through it?"
"I was looking through it because you hesitated to explain the symbol on your pistol." she responded. "You were being mysterious and my curiosity got the better of me, so I went looking for books about Syria and found this." She took the book in her hands and flipped it open to the page on which she had found the symbol. She then flipped the book around and pointed to the images on the page.
"Ahh, the 'Siege of Masyaf'." said Mattias when he recognized the illustration. "1191. The Knights Templar under Robert de Sable laid siege to the Assassin fortress there. The Assassins were able to drive them off fairly easily, but at the cost of many lives. Ancient history, now. What you need to see now is about twelve pages ahead."
Anna flipped the pages as Elsa stood to reposition herself in order to see the book clearly. She sat down in between the Prince and her sister as Anna reached her target page.
"There." Mattias exclaimed. "That's what we're looking for."
The page contained an illustration of many men. At the bottom was one man in a pure white hooded robe. Directly above him there were about two dozen men clad in gray robes, all identical. Above that, were six bearded men clad in black. At the very top of the page was a figure identical to the six below it, but he held a golden sphere that was emitting light.
"I assume that is the so-called 'Apple of Eden'?" Elsa queried.
"You would be correct." the man replied. "This is a depiction of the traitor Al Mualim using the apple to brainwash the Assassins. He also used it to create duplicates of himself to aid him in defeating his enemies."
"Whoa... that is... that is unbelievable." Anna stated.
Elsa nodded in agreement. "It is a little hard to believe..."
"I agree, but it's real." the Prince reaffirmed. "I've never encountered one myself, but I've heard stories from other Assassins. They watched men slit their own throats and throw themselves from tall buildings. They saw soldiers turning their weapons on each other and themselves. All of it done with enthusiasm, all under the control of the Apple."
Elsa shook her head in frustration and leaned back on her hands. "I don't understand... how is any of that even possible?"
"Whatever arcane technology is inside the Apple works by controlling its victims' minds. As for how it does that..." he paused and let out a sigh. "No one really knows."
"Ughh." the Princess groaned as she stood back up, frustration evident in the force with which she thrust the tome back into the Prince's hands, and began walking around the room.
"So someone out there has an ancient artifact that can control minds, and no one knows how it works." Anna listed, checking off each item with a finger. "How are we supposed to stop something that is so powerful and so mysterious?"
Mattias shrugged. "To be honest, we really can't stop it. It's too powerful."
Elsa's eyes narrowed. "You did not just say that." she growled.
Mattias' silence was the only response necessary.
"Perfect!" Anna yelled as she threw her arms up in frustration. "An unstoppable force is coming to take over the world, starting with Arendelle, and you're telling me there is nothing we can do?"
The Prince shook his head. "There is nothing we can do to stop the artifact; it's just too powerful."
"So that's it?" the Queen asked, voice laden with venom. "Are we supposed to just sit back and let the artifact destroy us?"
"No, that cannot be allowed to happen." he responded, voice suddenly stoic. "We must fight back."
"But you just finished saying that this artifact is unstoppable!"
"The artifact may be unstoppable, but," he began, pointing to the black-clad figure on the page. "Whoever is wielding it is not."
Elsa met the man's eyes, demanding clarification through her gaze.
"While the powers of the artifact are unbelievably strong, they only reflect the will of those using it. Weak-willed men have attempted to access the artifact's powers, only to be driven to madness. Even the most headstrong of men are not infallible." He tapped the illustration to accentuate his statement.
"As I have previously mentioned, the artifacts are extremely dangerous, but only if the intentions of the user are to do harm. So if we can separate the artifact from the user,"
"We can neutralize its power." Elsa finished. "But how do we do that without succumbing to its power ourselves?"
Before he could answer, a slender hand reached over his shoulder and pointed to the white-robbed assassin at the bottom of the page.
"How did he do it?" the Princess asked. "How did he break the artifact's influence?"
"The Mentor was a man of great conviction and immense willpower. The Apple simply wasn't able to break him. I have a feeling the same cannot be said for your former guards."
Elsa perked up in response to the last statement and turned her full attention to the Prince. "Wait, you think that the artifact caused my guards to turn against me?"
Mattias nodded solemnly.
"But that would mean that this thing is already in Arendelle!"
"It's possible, though I can't say for certain." the Prince replied, shrugging off the statement. "The fact that all these bad things are happening at the same time could be nothing more than a coincidence, but that is not a chance that I am willing to take."
Mattias groaned as he stood up, making sure to keep the blankets wrapped around him. He offered a hand to the still-kneeling Queen who took it and rose to his side.
"We need to be prepared for anything." He said and gestured towards the Princess. "I think Anna should begin training with me again, if only for self-defense."
He then turned his attention to the Queen. "As for you, well, you've already shown me that you are more than capable of defending yourself and others with your powers. Still, more practice has never hurt anyone. Perhaps you should spend some time at the archery range."
"Hold on a second," Elsa interrupted. "People would question why I'm participating in target practice with the soldiers. I don't need to cause a panic before anything even happens."
Mattias' thumb found his scar and he nodded. "Fair point. Maybe we can integrate your training with Anna's."
"But what about the Apple?" the Princess interjected. "You can train to block swords and dodge arrows, but how do we train to stop something that can control our minds?"
"The Apple is not something that can be overcome with training." he replied. "You simply need confidence in the fact that your will is stronger than its influence. If you can master your own mind, the Apple cannot break you. And from what I've seen you do,"
The Prince placed a hand gently onto Anna's shoulder.
"You won't have any problem besting it."
Anna smiled at the older man who continued to embellish her with compliments. Elsa, watching from the side, crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"In fact, I think the two of us could learn a lot from you!" he said, gesturing between himself and the Queen.
Anna blushed and giggled before she playfully swatted the Prince's hand away. Elsa rolled her eyes so hard that she was certain that Anna was able to hear it, because the Princess immediately turned her attention towards the Monarch.
"Ahem, right, uh..." she stuttered as she attempted to regain her composure. "It sounds to me like we have a plan."
"It's better than what we had an hour ago." Elsa replied with a shrug.
"It certainly is." the Prince responded. "We need to get started as soon as possible, so I'd like to see you both in the ballroom at dawn tomorrow."
"Alright." Elsa agreed. "Now if there's nothing left to discuss, I have to prepare a statement for tomorrow."
"There's just one more thing." Mattias said and retreated further into his chambers. The sisters looked at each other in curiosity as the sounds of the Prince rummaging through his belongings filled the room. Moments later he returned with both of his hands behind his back.
"Now that the logistics are out of the way," he said as he approached them. "We may as well make it official."
He moved his hands from behind his back, exposing the items in his hands.
"Wow..." Anna murmured as she took in the site. "Those are-"
"Your own hidden blades." Mattias finished. Anna slowly reached for the vambrace and took it in her hands. Elsa mimicked the action, though with much more uncertainty. "If you are going to play Assassin, you should at least look the part."
Elsa took the device in her hands and began examining it, running her hands gingerly over the polished metal. Her attention was drawn to the section that would cover the back of her hand. There were two stones embedded in the metal. The first she recognized immediately as her snowflake, intricately carved into a brilliantly reflective white gemstone. Inlaid within the snowflake was a black stone with deep red accents carved into a triangular shape. After a moment, she recognized it as the symbol from Mattias' book.
SCHING!
Elsa jumped and her attention was pulled in the direction of the sound. She was met with the site of Anna gazing in wonder at the blade that had just been propelled from her vambrace which was fit snugly onto her right hand. It was the same as hers, including the black symbol. Elsa's snowflake, however, was missing, instead replaced by a green and purple stone crocus.
"Bear in mind," Mattias began. "Having this blade does not mean you need to use it. This is simply a gift, although it does offer extra protection. Whether you wear it or not is entirely your decision. Know, however, that it would ease my concerns for your safety should you decide to wear it."
Elsa's eyes dropped from the man to the piece of armor in her hands. She slowly slipped it over her hand and pulled it taught to her wrist. To her surprise, it fit perfectly. Unlike Anna, she did not extend the blade hidden within the ornate piece of armor, choosing instead to stretch her hand under the unfamiliar weight.
Her eyes found Mattias again. The Prince stood before her with a wide smile stretched across his face.
"You two look like you could take on anything!" he exclaimed proudly. "If and when evil shows it's ugly face, I know we'll be ready to face it!"
With that, he extended his hand out towards the sisters. Elsa looked at the appendage with apprehension, which was eased when a slender, now gauntleted hand came to a rest on top of it. She looked to both Anna and Mattias, who were watching her with excitement. The message on their faces was loud and clear, and she slowly extended her hand, placing it on top of Anna's. She jumped when Mattias' other hand crashed down onto hers.
"Anna, Elsa," the Prince began, enthusiasm clear in his voice.
"Welcome to the Brotherhood."
Hey everyone, I'm back!
Sorry for the lengthy hiatus. I know I promised two weeks, but life has been interesting. Also as per my promise, I have eaten more hats than I care to admit.
Basically, around the last update, life got real shitty again. I ran into some legal trouble, some home trouble, some homelessness trouble, and on top of it all, writer's block.
But the good news is, I made a tumblr where I will be posting updates about story progression as well as some other random shit. I also started work on 3 new stories in an attempt to beat the block. All in the same universe as TPTB, including a prequel, a sequel, and a series of one-shots based off this one.
So if you wanna follow me on tumblr, you can find me at cosmicson dot tumblr dot com. I'll post a more detailed explanation of my absence there soon.
Don't worry, I won't let this story die. And to all those that still follow, you rule. Keep ruling. Seriously, keep it up!
Also there are probably errors in this chapter, so lemme know if you find them!
With love,
Cosmic