Author's Note: I'm back! Now it seems that people were angry about The General! And some even sided with him! Hohoho! And now after this chapter you there will be more people for you to get angry at!
So a few Q&A session. Haven't had these for a while.
elsa101/Elsa101: They will kiss, relax! I have to tell you though, this story is a slow burn. So, uh, hang on?
Single Silver Eye: The answer to your question is simple: there will be a much bigger fish than Elsa.
DualStarduster: That's the point!
Guest: I'm sorry, what? I sort of get what your saying but I'm not sure if it was what you meant. Anyway, the answer to your question is in this chapter.
Alright so let's move on!
Chapter 19 – To Alter Fate
Lending a shoulder for someone to cry on was a rare occurrence for Elsa. So rare in fact that not even even Anna had that privilege...yet. It wasn't that Elsa didn't allow Anna to do so but rather, Anna said that she didn't have anything to cry about.
That and usually it was the other way around with Anna.
Now, the Snow Queen had come to the conclusion that lending a shoulder for someone was a wonderful experience. However, she preferred for it to be done while sitting. Her legs were starting to ache from standing for quite a while now.
She considered lowering themselves to the floor to save her poor legs but she was afraid that it would disrupt the moment. Fortunately, she didn't have to do it as King Hiccup broke the embrace. He then quickly wiped his tears and smiled at her. His eyes were red but to Elsa, he was still handsome.
"You seem to have a knack for this kind of thing,"
Elsa smiled. "It wasn't a big deal. You would have done the same for me,"
Hiccup smiled. "Still, thank you. It means a lot to me," Hiccup said and hold both of Elsa's hands.
Elsa blushed and looked at Hiccup's chest. "It's-it's nothing,"
"Really? I'm pretty sure that it is not nothing to get a private 'cry-on-her-shoulder' session with the Queen," Hiccup grinned.
Elsa fixed him a stern glare, wanting to remind him not to tell anyone about tonight. However, before she could even say a word, Hiccup had beat her to it.
"Don't worry. I won't tell a soul, that's a promise. It will be our secret," Hiccup said emphasized on the last word sensually. If there was one thing that Hiccup knew about woman was that they sort of like secrets. The good kind of course.
He then made a show of kissing her right hand, all the while training his eyes on her.
The effect was apparent as Elsa blushed even harder and her body became quite hot. And for that to happen when she wasn't near fire was a rare occurrence as well. Elsa's hand felt as if it was on fire and she wanted to pull away from the source of that heat. However, her body was unresponsive to her will.
It felt like an eternity when Hiccup finally released her hand, all the while maintaining a smirk on his face. Oh how she wanted to freeze that smirk off his face! However, she wasn't sure that her powers would work at the moment.
"Well-well that's good to hear then. It will reflect badly on you if you break your promise," Elsa said and turned away from him to pick up the empty mugs from the floor.
Once Elsa was away however, it was only then Hiccup had realized what he had done.
He was rather intimate with the Snow Queen! Granted, it wasn't much as he only kissed her hand.
'Just that?! Did you forget that you've cried on her shoulder two times already?! And that you're spending the night with her on top of a freaking mountain, alone?!' Logic Hiccup screamed at him.
Hiccup's eyes widened at this. 'That's true! Why did I kissed her hand?!'
'That's what you're worried about?!' Logic Hiccup screamed again.
Hiccup ignored that thought. He was fine with spending the night with Elsa as long as they didn't do anything funny. He was sure that the both of them could control themselves. But then Hiccup had kissed her hand!
And that was a big No to Hiccup.
It wasn't intentional. If anything, it was done on reflex, just like when he was with Astrid. Hiccup wasn't the type of man to use his 'charm' on every women that he came across. In fact, he had only use his charm on one woman before and that was Astrid.
Astrid loved his charm even though she would often get flustered by it, giving him the upper hand in their relationship. As such, it was something that he would often do when he was with her to the point that it became automatic.
"Hiccup?" Elsa called out to him, breaking Hiccup from his thoughts.
"Hm?" was his reply.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"Yea-yeah. I'm fine," Hiccup replied. Elsa wasn't convinced but Hiccup distracted her. "Here! Let me carry the mugs!" Hiccup said and went after the mugs in Elsa's hands.
Elsa smiled. "Thank you. Let's put it in the kitchen,"
Hiccup nodded and Elsa led the way and he pursed his lips as he followed Elsa in silence.
Has he accepted the fact that Astrid was truly gone? Has he accepted the fact that it was time to move on? Hiccup wasn't sure what to feel about that. Some part of him was disgusted as he felt like he was betraying Astrid. Another part of him was rather…happy.
Hiccup shook his head to clear the thoughts out of his mind. He didn't want to think about that at the moment.
…
"Anna, Anna!" Kristoff screamed at the Princess. She was surprisingly fast and the fact that she knew the castle like the back of her hand didn't help Kristoff either. By the time Kristoff had catch up with her, she was already in front of the castle's main doors.
Fortunately, for Kristoff, Anna had stopped running. Unfortunately for the both of them, Frederik was guarding the doors. His arms were crossed in front of his chest along with his trademark grumpy face and the door guards crossed their halberd behind him.
For a moment, the both of them glared each other. To Anna's credit, her glare was actually quite scary. The door guards were seriously intimidated by it and would have opened the doors in an instant, if it wasn't for the General. Frederik wasn't intimidated at all.
"Out of my way," Anna said dangerously. It was very rare for the Princess to get this like this.
"Congratulations. You've just proved my point," Frederik said. "I knew that you're going to do this," he sighed and shook his head. "When will you ever learn, Anna?"
"Shut. Up!" Anna said. "I know I'm impulsive! I know that I don't think things through and that I've made a mistake. I know I'm not like Elsa! But I won't stand around while Elsa could be in danger because of my mistake again! I need-"
"You-" Frederik interrupted the Princess. "-are doing just that. You will stay here because I will not allow another repeat from 2 years ago. You've already made a mistake, so let's not make it worse," Frederik pointed at her.
Anna pursed her lips. If she wasn't angry, she might have pouted but that would send the wrong message to her audience. "I can help! I can get the Vikings to-," Anna tried but Frederik cut her off again. It should be a crime to interrupt a royal when she was speaking.
Oh, how Anna would like to punish the General! She wouldn't mind a repeat of what she did to a certain Prince.
"That would be even more dangerous. The best course of action is to send our own men and that doesn't include you or your boyfriend," Frederik said and crossed his arms again.
Anna pursed her lips. The General was right, again.
"Anna, he's right," Kristoff said and put a hand on her shoulders.
'Thank you, captain obvious,' Anna thought angrily. She would have said it but she held back. It wasn't the time to burn another bridge. Soon the Princess and the General went into a glaring contest again.
Frederik then sighed and a surprised Anna brightened, hoping that the General might have a change of heart. The keyword was might.
The General however had a different thought. He knew that even if Anna were to accept his reasoning, it doesn't mean that she has to accept it positively. Anna would most likely wreck herself with guilt, anger and worry if things were left as it is. And she would most likely do questionable things to ease herself. And so Frederik had to turn this around positively.
After all, you reap what you sow.
"Anna," Frederik said softly, surprising everyone present.
"Didn't you believed that she was safe?" Frederik asked. "What's with the change of mind?"
Anna's eyes widened in surprise before she glared at the General. Both of them knew the answer, but she wasn't going to give the General that satisfaction. He already had enough with the scolding that he had given her, however justified it was.
"You're the one that believe she wasn't safe!" Anna countered.
"Yes, that's because it is my job. Even if she is to be in this very castle and surrounded by myself and the people that I trust, I would still think that she's not safe. There's no such thing as being completely safe, after all," Frederik replied and this confused Anna.
"What are you getting at?" Anna said in annoyance.
"You said that you trusted Elsa and the Viking King, yes?" Frederik asked.
"Yes," Anna crossed her arms. She was getting tired with the General's games. Oh well, it wasn't like she had anything better to do right now anyway. The General would most likely had the castle on lockdown so she couldn't go anywhere.
"And do you still trust the both of them right now? Do you still believe that King Hiccup would not hurt Elsa and that the both of them will come down from that mountain…chaste?" Frederik asked again and Anna's eyes widened in surprise.
"I…" Anna hesitated. "Well…I used to-to want them not being chaste?" Anna said sheepishly and suddenly the floor was much more interesting to her.
Frederik raised an eyebrow at her.
"I mean-I just want them to kiss, at least!" Anna said defensively before she realized her error. "I mean not the least! Kissing is the farthest they can go!"
Frederik give her an amused smile. "I expected as much. Nothing immoral, huh?"
Anna pouted. Her anger had dissipated somewhat at the sudden change of atmosphere. That and the shame of being caught by General for lying about her intentions about Elsa and the Viking King.
"Are we getting anywhere with this?!" Anna said and stomped her feet in annoyance. She wanted to just walk away and sulk in the kitchens but the General wasn't done and she didn't want to get slapped again.
Frederik chuckled. "You haven't answered my question, Anna,"
Anna looked away. After what Frederik had said, does she still trust them? Trust that Elsa could take care of herself? Trust that Hiccup would not harm her in any way? Her mind wanted to say no, that they could only be trusted until it can be confirmed.
However, her heart wanted to say yes. She believed that Hiccup, no, the Vikings can be trusted because she…trust them. It sounds improbable but that was the best that she could describe right now. And Elsa trust them too! Anna didn't even suggest to Elsa to bring Hiccup to the ice castle!
That had to mean something, right?
Should Anna Listen to her mind and surrender to the logical facts. Or, listen to her heart and…believe? What does she want?
Anna stood straighter and looked the General in the eyes with steel resolve and confidence. "I believed in them before but you shattered it,"
The General looked somewhat disappointed and it confused the Princess. However, Anna pressed on.
"But even if the facts and logic is against it and until I'm proven wrong...I want to believe them," Anna finished and braced herself for another armor-piercing lecture that would surely come.
Only to find the General smiling at her and gave her a slow clap. "Well done,"
'Huh?' Anna and surely the others thought.
Confusion quickly turned into annoyance however. "Are you mocking me?" Anna said in a threatening voice. She hoped it was threatening.
"No, not all," Frederik said and brought his hands in a defensive manner, surprising Anna and the others again. "I'm impressed actually. You stood up to your beliefs even after what I've said,"
"What?" Anna simply said. Of all the things…she did not expect this. "But…my belief is wrong!"
Frederik smiled and brought his hands down. "Not entirely," he shook his head. "It's within your right and duty to have a healthy belief in people but just not too much. It is what you did that's wrong. But you've realized that,"
"I…" the Princess tried to process what had happened. "So you were okay with me trusting Elsa and Hiccup?!"
"Yes," Frederik replied. "It is what you did with that belief that I have issues with. Your trust in Hans wasn't your fault. No one could have guessed his true nature, even me. But what you want to do with Hans that was dangerous," Frederik explained and Anna's shame from remembering the event returned.
"Your trust in the Viking King is fine, wonderful even as it helped diplomatically. But the fact that you left him with Elsa alone was the issue," Frederik continued.
"I…well…" Anna was tongue-tied. She was a bit confused. "So I did a good thing and bad thing?"
Frederik chuckled. "Yes. But don't worry. It is not entirely your fault. Elsa didn't inform us her plan beforehand. So she was partly at fault. And the fact that you returned to the castle was actually a good idea…you know, in case the worst scenario actually happens,"
Anna pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at Frederik. Logically it was sound but it felt wrong with Anna to think that way.
"And I didn't send anyone to Elsa," Frederik simply said.
"WHAT?!" Anna and Kristoff screamed. Heck, the door guards would have screamed too if they didn't have the discipline.
"Why?! After all that talk about doing the right thing and now, you're the one that's doing the wrong thing!" Kristoff said.
"It is because I trust them," Frederik simply replied and it was silent for a moment.
"You're not making any sense," Kristoff said.
"I know," the General grinned and Kristoff threw his hands to the air in exasperation. "I wouldn't have let Anna ride the dragons at the same time as Elsa if I didn't trust the Vikings,"
"Then what's with the shit you just gave us?" Kristoff asked.
The General glared at Kristoff to remind him of respect. "Sorry," Kristoff apologized and Frederik turned to Anna again.
"It was the perfect opportunity for a lesson," Frederik said. Anna and Kristoff gaped.
"A lesson?!" Anna said angrily. All those emotions that she went through, was just for a lesson?
"A well needed lesson, no?" Frederik asked.
In that instant, Anna's anger dissipated and was replaced with shame. "Ye-yes," Anna replied meekly when she realized Frederik was right. A well needed lesson it was.
Frederik sighed. "I didn't have the opportunity to lecture you back then without Elsa taking your side. She might agree with me or she might not because of the positive outcome. That and you both were trying to get to know with each other again,"
"Regardless," Frederik continued. "I was partly responsible as well. I was…too lenient and as such, it was unfair for me to pin all the blame to you after the storm has passed. Forgive me,"
The General then bowed in front of the Princess.
"Uh…I" Anna did not know what to say. It was too much for her to handle at the moment. First it was that, now it was this! First it was her fault, then it wasn't?
But then she understood. Everything wasn't black and white. Oh, how simpler the world would be then. But the truth was that it wasn't. The General, her uncle, was right. Anna did accomplished some good deeds, but she made mistakes as well. Mistakes that could be costly. And if her uncle didn't do what he did, she might still be ignorant and careless.
Deep down, she knew that even if her uncle had lectured her two years ago, it wasn't going to leave much of an impact to her because of the positive outcome.
And yet, her uncle also admitted that he made a mistake as well. It would be so easy for him to pin all the blame to her, her sister and by that extension, their parents as well. She knew that her parents were extremely lenient to her. Her parent's leniency was a trade or rather compensation for what happened to her…for separating her from Elsa.
It would be so easy for her uncle to make himself righteous, to paint him as better than Anna. But he didn't. He admitted that he made a mistake just as Anna. It shows that he was just human.
Before this, Anna would have accepted that her uncle was right, hate him a little bit and would have tolerate his existence with a grudging respect. But now, she respected him and he was growing on her.
After all, he did left Elsa and Hiccup alone.
"Okay, I forgive you," Anna said.
Frederik straightened himself again and smiled at Anna. "Thank you," he said.
Anna however, had a serious look on her face. "I believe you owe Kristoff an apology as well,"
Frederik laughed like it was the funniest thing on earth. Kristoff crossed his arms and glared at the General while Anna pouted before she kicked the General on his shin. The General's laughter didn't stopped completely but he still showed signs of pain. However, he might as well haven't been kicked at all.
"No," he simply said. "He has yet to prove me wrong," Frederik smiled and rubbed her head.
"Hmph!" Anna slapped the General's head away with in annoyance and anger, again. It wasn't as bad as before however.
Frederik smirked and stepped aside. The door guards also withdrew their halberds, allowing passage again. "Didn't you promise dinner with the Vikings? It will reflect badly on us if you were to cancel it,"
Anna's eyes widened. She had forgotten about that. "I know that!" Anna said.
"Sure," Frederik said and walked away.
"Ass," Anna breathed.
"Well…that was quite the emotional ride," Kristoff commented.
Anna released a long sigh. "Tell me about it,"
…
Before Hiccup, Elsa had heard from some of her suitors that they can cook. She didn't doubt them since if she can cook, then so can they. However, she never heard or seen them wash dirty dishes.
The moment they entered the kitchen and noticed the aftermath of their cooking session and dinner, Hiccup had offered to wash them all. She smiled a small smile and commented that Hiccup would make a wonderful husband.
To which he grinned and responded with an "Obviously,"
Elsa could only shook her head. Nevertheless, she refused to let Hiccup do all the work when he had cook most of the meal. That and it would take too long for one person to finish. And so, the two monarchs worked together to handle a common foe; dirty dishes.
It was quiet for a moment and Elsa was sure that Hiccup might ask about her story. Honestly, she didn't want to do it over dirty dishes. So she instantly racked her brain for a topic that could serve as a temporary distraction and fired away.
"You know, Varin was quite amazing to come up with that plan of his," Elsa said. "And to think that he did it all alone,"
Suddenly, Hiccup froze and Elsa noticed it. In retrospect, it was a rather sensitive question, but she thought that Hiccup had gotten over it. It would be a shame if Varin would forever be a sore subject.
"I'm sorry, I understand if-" Elsa tried but Hiccup cut her off.
"No-no, I just remembered something, that's all," Hiccup said with a small smile. Elsa could have sworn that the smile was forced.
"I see," Elsa said hoping that Hiccup would reveal his thought without coaxing.
"So, when are we going to tell your story next?" Hiccup asked.
'So much for that,' Elsa thought.
"Definitely not when we're doing dishes," she replied and Hiccup chuckled. "After we're finished here. Let's do it in the main hall,"
"Sure," Hiccup simply replied before he asked another question. "Have you ever met or heard anyone with powers before?"
'Does the trolls count as anyone?' Elsa pondered.
"Not before you told me about Varin," Elsa answered. Hiccup seemed secretive about something so it was only fair that she held back some of her own.
"I see. Don't you find it weird though? I mean, you and Varin couldn't be the only people with powers, right?" he asked.
Elsa pursed her lips. "The thought have crossed my mind. I would be extremely naïve to think that I'm the only one with powers in the world. Surely there would be others and I thought that maybe they would come to me when they heard of me,"
"But nothing so far?" Hiccup continued for her.
Elsa nodded. "Maybe they were wary of me. I wouldn't blame them. I would be wary of myself and if I were them and I would think that it would be a trap," she said in a rather sad tone as she attacked the dishes.
"You want to meet them, don't you?" Hiccup asked and Elsa turned to look at him and nodded.
"It's just…I feel lonely, in a different way I mean. It's true I have a lot more people around me now but…" Elsa tried.
"They can't truly empathize with you right?" he finished for her and Elsa nodded guiltily and turned her attention to the dishes again. The truth was that, she didn't think that the people could truly understand her until they were in her shoes, so to speak. Even Anna and her parents couldn't truly understand her.
At best, their affection was sympathy. It was like trying to understand how it feels to be a flame, or in Elsa's case, ice and snow.
"I understand," Hiccup said. "I mean, I can't be you literally but I understand that type of loneliness. It was like how I was with Varin. Even though our friendship was short, it feels like I've known him longer than I've known any of my Viking friends,"
"We just clicked, you know? We understand each other easily. It was like we shared the same mind or something," he chuckled.
Elsa smiled sadly. "Yes…" she said. She wanted that, someone that she could talk with about their powers. It was like being in a club that others couldn't join. A book club for example. She was sure Anna wouldn't want to join that!
Hiccup noticed that Elsa's mood still hasn't changed for the better, so he flicked droplets of water at her.
"Hey!" Elsa protested and turned her head to him.
Only to find a finger poking her nose. The sudden contact made her squeak and Hiccup roared with laughter. She pouted for a moment before she smiled and countered with a splash of water. And soon it became a water splashing game between the two.
"Alright, alright, it's all fun and games until we got soap into our eyes and mouth," Elsa said and the both of them stopped their shenanigans. The both of them then stared at each other with wide smiles before Hiccup shrugged.
"Well, I want to check on Toothless. Can you handle the rest of the dishes?" Hiccup asked and Elsa nodded.
"Sure," she replied.
"Thanks," Hiccup said and exited the kitchen. Once outside, he sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Hiccup then turned around to make sure that Elsa wasn't behind him before began walking back towards where Toothless was. On the way there, he took out Varin's journal and flipped it open to a marked page.
-I always thought that Gareth was crazy, I just don't know how much. Why do I say this? Well, apparently he thought that I was 'special' and invited me to join a "worldwide secret organization". Sounds like a cult, if you ask me. Next thing I know, said cult would use me as a sacrifice to summon their god or something.
I was skeptical but he said that if I want to truly make a difference, this was the way. Annoying fuck. But I have nothing to lose anyway, so why not?-
The truth was that, Varin did not come up with his plan alone. He had help. It was just that Hiccup were so preoccupied with himself that he had forgotten about that. It was when Elsa had mentioned it that the memory came back to him.
-Apparently the organization's name is Alter-fate. Seriously? What an underwhelming and stupid name. I'm embarrassed to join already!
Okay, Gareth told me that Alter-fate members wear masks and the top tiers, or the 'Council' members even wear robes! Now it looked like a cult. Gareth was one of the top dogs so he got his own mask and robes. I got a mask to wear as well. Not a fan, but a necessity for secrecy and all that poop.
And since everyone was wearing masks around each other, they don't use their real names as well. Instead the top members use Greek alphabets followed by a number to denote rank. For example, Gareth was the lead representative for the East India Company, so he was Epsilon 0. Those under him will be Epsilon 1 and so on.
Well at least they got it right with the codenames. Oh and each member have a custom-made pocket watch for identification outside of the organization. It sounded stupid as it beats the purpose of secret identities in the first place. But then I heard that those pocket watches have a secret feature or something to disguise itself from normal pocket watch. Eh, whatever. Pocket watches ain't cheap so if they want to make me a little bit rich, I don't mind.
Going to enter their headquarters soon. Not sure when I can update.-
Hiccup chuckled. Varin's journal, for most part was entertaining to read. It was his way of keeping his sanity intact over the years.
-What the fuck? Okay, I seriously underestimated Alter-fate. They're not a cult but something more dangerous. Why? Apparently, the Council members were made up of influential individuals from powerful countries and organizations! There was a Spanish general, Dutch spymaster, British admiral and many more. Gareth wasn't kidding when he said that Alter-fate was worldwide.
Most of these people's countries were not on speaking terms with each other. So to see these people, here, collaborating…it was not a good sign.
Fortunately, they do not have someone from the Viking Archipelago yet. And apparently, it would be me. In that instant, I was made a Council member. Shit.-
Back then, reading that entry was another reason why he was paranoid of the outside world. Hiccup then reached the observatory tower again and noticed Toothless still in the same spot where they had left him. He smiled and sat down near his friend to continue reading the journal. Varin's tone became more serious from that entry, reminding him the gravity of the situation.
-And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Their leader, Omega's objective was to help the Council members achieve theirs, no matter how ambitious it could be. That wasn't right. It was like a King that allowed his people to do whatever they wanted. It was foolish. If that were to happen, most people would ask for the King's throne!
And because of that, Alter-fate should have destroyed itself because of the selfish few. But they didn't. In fact, they looked like they were all working towards a collective objective rather than their own. How could this happen?
It was then I realized that these people were not driven by simple greed. They have no need nor want anything for personal gain. They wanted…to change. I asked them, "Change what?"
"Fate," a general replied.
"Yours?" I asked again.
"Others,"
I didn't understand what he meant. In fact, I would have laughed and claimed that he was crazy. You can't change fate! The fate of the Viking gods were decided long before Ragnarok! If the gods couldn't change theirs, so how can we mortals change ours?
But humans will survive Ragnarok and their fate were not set in stone.
And what was more, I found out that everyone was reluctant, afraid even to ask for Omega's help. Asking for his help was when you have no other options left. I was confused. Why? Apparently, they likened it to making a deal with the devil.
When I met Omega, there was something strange about him... I'm not sure what it was. Anyway, he told me that I'm not to serve him, he serve me. He could help me achieve my dream. However, he told me that he will only give me the means to an end. I would have to reach that end myself.
It doesn't sound so bad actually. He doesn't seemed like he want to swindle me or something. Still, since I didn't have any dreams, I didn't ask him anything.-
Hiccup then turned to another marked page.
-Dammit! I shouldn't have opened my big mouth! Now I've planted the idea that it was his responsibility to improve the lives of all Vikings! And how would he do that? By becoming their king! I told him that it won't be easy! The Vikings won't accept it! There will be war and he could die! Did he care? No!
And he asked me to stay by his side and help him?! No, no, NO! That was how the others died! I told him I was cursed but he refused to listen! Dammit, dammit! Why do you have to be so fucking idiotic and stubborn?!
And now, Hiccup will die because of me…with or without my help. Dammit, dammit…not another one. I don't want that fate for him! I want…to change…
I think I understand now what that general meant when he said that he wanted to change the fate of others. I think I know what to do.-
Hiccup smiled sadly. He was the one that pushed Varin so far and he didn't even know. Still, with heavy heart, he continued. Usually, he would be wrecked with guilt right now. But he didn't.
-I was right about Omega. There was something wrong about him! The first time I met him, he was an adult man. Now, he was a woman?! How? Was Omega a changeling? Can he or it shape shift?! I asked him that and he simply said that he could 'borrow' people's body and wear them like clothes.
What. I couldn't believe it but for some reason I can tell that the woman was indeed the same Omega. I asked him how he could do such things and he said that he has a special power, the power of Hearts.
It sounded stupid and weak. What kind of power was 'Heart' anyway? If given a choice, I think most people would choose other powers like fire, wind, ice or just about anything else. But then you realized just what 'Heart' can do. Then you'd wish that it had never existed at all.
Omega could instantly understand people's hearts without you telling him. He could understand people's behavior, emotions, secrets, desires and many more. With that knowledge, he could manipulate you like a puppet on a string.
And that was how Omega understood what I wanted and he said that he has already prepared a 'path' for me. He gave me a list of Vikings that I need to kill to ensure that not only Hiccup would survive the war, but also make his plan prosper. He told me that these Vikings would become poison to him in the future and need to be removed. He told me that if left to Hiccup, he probably would not kill these Vikings until it was too late. And that should I remain by his side, he would forbade me from killing them as well.
How did he know about these Vikings? But that wasn't all. He said that these Vikings were just part of the problem. The entire Viking people will be stubborn to their old ways and would refuse Hiccup even if he became their King. He said that to create a new world, the old one has to be destroyed first...
And so, he said that the only way to do it, was for me to become his enemy. I would insert myself into the enemy ranks and sow chaos among them!
…I couldn't accept it at first. I couldn't accept that it was the only path for me. Omega told me that I could choose my own path. I could fight beside Hiccup, go along with Omega's plan or just…walk away.
Then I realized that my hand was already bloodied. I was already tainted, so why stop now? I…better me than Hiccup. His battlefield and mine was different after all. And so I decided that I will carve a path of corpses…so that Hiccup wouldn't have to.
Besides, I'm a Viking and I hate them. So it would be fitting that I will be the one that will destroy them. Hiccup would just have to pick up the pieces after me.
Omega smiled and wished me luck. Before I go, he offered to answer my question. So I asked what he was. He said, 'a human with a unique skill'. I scoffed and he smiled. I asked what his real name was. Surprisingly, he told me his real name along with his…title of power? Apparently, that was the strength of his power.
So what was the name of this...entity, this 'human'? Well, his name is Hridayesh, The Lord of Hearts.-
Knowing that someone like Hridayesh existed was enough to make Hiccup afraid back then. After all, when one could posses bodies with impunity and instantly know your deepest secrets, anyone would be afraid. That power, although it might not be as powerful as controlling ice and snow, it was a lot more useful. Hiccup shook his head as he continued to the final marked page.
-I've played my part Hiccup! I played the Soldier! Now it's your turn to play the King! I built you up, so don't you let me down!-
Hiccup smiled as he closed the journal. He has read those journal entries many times before and it only served to increase his guilt. That was because he was too caught up with his own emotions that he viewed it the wrong way. However, now that he was clear of his demons, those same entries looked different. He had finally read it the way that Varin had wanted it.
Hiccup sighed and ran a hand through his hair. The Vikings might have dragons and Arendelle might have their Snow Queen. But the world has the Lord of Hearts. He was afraid back then. Now, he wasn't afraid anymore. If he had the chance to meet this Hridayesh, he would give him a piece of his mind.
Hiccup then stored the journal away and took out Varin's pocket watch and opened it. The clockwork mechanism of the watch was visible from its face. However, there were some gears that have golden and black stripes on them. Hiccup then pulled on the watch's only dial and a 'click' sound was heard. He turned the dial around and a silver clock hand emerged from underneath the hour hand.
He then turned the dial left and right, directing the silver hand through sequences that only a few people would know. Then, another click was heard and the pocket watch's clockwork gears turned on its own towards different directions. Strangely enough, the clock continued to function as normal even though most of its gears were moving in different directions. A few seconds later, the colored stripes lined with each other to form a set of characters among the gears.
The first was a golden A and dash followed by a black f, forming an A-f. It was Alter-fate's symbol. The second was a number followed by a symbol and another number. It was 1Ψ0. The trident was the Greek alphabet of Psi and number 0 was Varin's rank. Together, they form his codename. And the number 1 meant that he was the first to hold that position.
"-each member have a custom-made pocket watch for identification outside of the organization."
Hiccup remembered that particular entry and it him reminded him of something. Elsa has a pocket watch as well.
'Could it be?' Hiccup thought as he stared at the pocket watch. Suddenly, Elsa emerged from the door and stepped into his field of vision.
"Hiccup?" Elsa asked and Hiccup turned his gaze towards her. "I'm ready to tell my story," she said with a smile.
Hiccup stared at her for a moment with Varin's pocket still in his vision. It was as if Hiccup was comparing the two and hoped that the truth would reveal themselves. However, Elsa only gave him a curious look.
'Right. Like that would happen. Oh well, it doesn't matter for the moment,' Hiccup thought and pushed down on the dial. In less than a second, the pocket watch concealed its secret once again. He then stored the watch away before getting up with a smile.
"Alright, let's go!" Hiccup said.
…
"Sir, the Viking representatives has arrived," a soldier told the General.
"Good," he nodded. "Keep an eye on them as usual," Frederik said and walked away from the soldier. He had been waiting in the shadows to keep an eye on the Princess for the past half hour. It wasn't needed, as he was sure that Anna would do as he planned and that was not to run to her sister again. But just because he was sure doesn't make it absolute. Now that Anna was doing as he predicted, time to handle another matter.
Frederik arrived in front of the guest room and waited for a moment. He took a deep breath and opened the doors before walking in. Once inside, he saw two more important members of Arendelle; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hugo Johannes and Minister of Finance, Finn Gerhad.
"Ah, good to finally have you here!" Finn said. He was sitting on a couch and enjoying a cup of tea. Hugo was seated on the opposite couch while twiddling his thumbs.
The General scanned the room before closing the doors. "Is he here?"
The two ministers shook their head with a grim face. Frederik sighed and closed the doors.
"Tea?" Finn offered.
Frederik waved his hand to refuse and walked towards the windows. Finn shrugged before muttering that it was a good tea.
"You seemed nervous, Hugo," Frederik asked.
Hugo sighed before answering. "Of course I am. I'm in a conspiracy against the throne after all," he then raised a hand, even though the General couldn't see it. "I know, I know. It is for Arendelle. I've already accepted that but it's not like every day I get to do this after all,"
"Tell me about it. And the knowledge that the plan came from him certainly didn't make it more assuring," Finn said.
Hugo nodded. "And that's the thing. The plan is entirely his work and we're following it completely. And even then, things are going differently! How can we be sure that the plan will stay intact?"
Fin nodded. "He said that that they will ride the dragons, but not about Elsa spending the night alone with the Viking King! It seems to me that he's playing with us!"
"A large part of his plan is based on human behavior and personality, which can be unpredictable. He predicted the flight because he understand how Anna would behave. About Elsa…well, we couldn't have expected that either. If I told you that King Hiccup insisted on going to the castle and stay there, do you think Elsa would approve of that?" Frederik turned his head to his accomplice.
Hugo sighed. "If you told me before tonight, I would certainly say that you're drunk,"
"But King Hiccup could have just force her," Finn added.
"Perhaps. But if it were me, even if I have a dragon, I'm not stupid enough to force the Snow Queen against her will in the air or even on the ground. I like to think that King Hiccup has the same line of thinking," Frederik shrugged. "Still, the change in plan is rather minor so far and hasn't derailed the whole plan. If anything, it turned out to be better,"
"Ah, right. Anna," Finn said and Frederik nodded.
"Trust me, I don't like it either. I would like it if the plan doesn't rely heavily on human behavior, but the fact is that we still need his help to make this work," Frederik continued.
Hugo and Finn could only sigh.
Suddenly, a knock could be heard from the door. Before any of the occupants could answer, the door opened and a young maid's head peered inside.
"I brought some refreshments!" she said. Finn looked angry and was about to scold her for opening the door without permission before Frederik interrupted him.
"Come in, Omega," Frederik said. Hugo and Finn suddenly went wide eyed before they instantly stood up.
She giggled before she went inside with a tray in hand and closed the door behind him. "Oh you two, no need to get up for me!" Omega said and put the tray on the table and opened the cover, revealing an assortment of snacks. "Tada! Help yourself!"
"Thank-thank you," Finn said nervously but none of the men in the room made any movement for the snacks.
"You're welcome," Omega bowed curtly before taking a pastry and walked towards where Frederik was. Once she was far enough, Hugo and Finn released a breath they had been holding since she came in.
The two men couldn't get used to Omega's presence. How could they? The last time they met Omega, he was a teenage boy and now he was a woman. If you were in the presence of someone that could change bodies at a whim, you would be wary as well. To them, Omega was an unnatural and ancient entity. He was something that they didn't understand and should be feared.
And then there was his personality. For someone who was immensely powerful, he was rather…subservient.
"That was quite amazing what you did there Frederik!" Omega complimented. "Sure, what Elsa did was unexpected, but you realized that it gave you a good opportunity to act on Anna, huh?"
"Of course, that wasn't all! Anna could have taken it badly," Omega said and took a bite of the pastry. "You could have crushed her and even though you were right, it would make you look evil," Omega said the last word with glee. "And in the future, she would have a hard time trusting you,"
"But you knew that she's a tough girl! You knew that she wouldn't just sit around while thinking that her sister could be in danger, especially because of her!" Omega continued. "And so, you took that opportunity to put more sense into her and repair your image as well as her trust in you!"
"I must say, I'm impressed!" Omega finished and she licked her fingers.
Frederik sighed. "I'm sure you've met people more impressive than I. And you're quite chipper tonight,"
Omega grinned. "I can't help it. Lily was gossiping with the other maids and they were snacking on sweet stuff," Omega said, referring to the body he was currently inhabiting.
Frederik raised an eyebrow at this. "Don't worry, it was harmless gossip," Omega waved her hand at him.
"I'm more surprised that you're not at the ice castle," Frederik asked.
Omega shook her head. "Hey, when it comes to privacy, even I know where to draw the line,"
Frederik could have laughed at that statement.
"Alright, it's already late. Lily needs her sleep, so I have to go now. See you guys later!" Omega said. She waved at the men before exiting the room.
As soon as Omega had left, Hugo and Finn released a sigh of relief. Frederik couldn't blame them. Omega was the closest thing to the devil they had known. It wasn't easy dealing with that. Frederik however, didn't care if he has to deal with the actual devil himself if it allowed him to alter Arendelle's fate.
After all, it was his duty.
Author's Note: Alright! See you guys next chapter!
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