Chapter Five - Old Friends

True to his word, Ulfric lingered in Arendelle for four days, taking advantage of the time to negotiate a trade agreement between Skyrim and Arendelle that benefitted both nations. During this time, those who frequented Elsa's court became accustomed to seeing Hjadvaar's imposing figure following Elsa wherever she went, until the ones who spent most of their time at court didn't really even notice him anymore. In the evening two days after Ulfric left, however, a messenger entered Elsa's study not long before she would usually retire to her bedchamber for the night.

"I have a message for someone called Hjadvaar. I was told I could find him here." the messenger said, looking around.

"That would be me." the huge man rumbled, taking the letter and handing the messenger a silver half-penny from a small pouch hanging from a belt around his waist. Taking a seat in an empty chair nearby, he broke a heavy wax seal that Elsa didn't recognise, quickly scanned the contents of the letter, and started saying something in a language Elsa couldn't understand, but she guessed he was swearing sulphurously, judging from the tone.

"What does it say?" she asked the fuming Nord curiously, though a part of her really didn't want to know the answer to that question.

"We need to go into the city around midnight to meet someone." he replied. "Someone who should still be in Skyrim, I might add!" he added in a voice dripping with suppressed rage.

"Can't it wait until morning, or can they come here, or something" Elsa asked, fear creeping into her voice. She had gone into the city a few times since her coronation, but those were always in broad daylight with Anna there, and all of the citizens had been told beforehand.

"No, I'm afraid we need to go to her, and it needs to be tonight." He suddenly shot a sidelong glance in her direction. "Unless you want a very angry woman dismantling the palace tomorrow, that is."

"Fine, but I want at least two squads of guards to accompany us."

"No. It has to be only us, and we have to look like commoners. Don't worry, we shouldn't leave for a few hours, and I'll still be armed. Also, although I know you hate them, I strongly recommend you wear gloves, just to add an extra layer to your disguise."

XXX

Elsa had objected to the gloves of course, and froze a few rooms out of nerves (and one or two deliberately to try to prove they should at least bring Anna), but the midnight bells found her and her bodyguard wearing nondescript, hooded clothes and moving through the dimly lit streets to God only knows where. Eventually, Hjadvaar led Elsa to a shabby looking inn on the outskirts of town, and strode purposefully to the bar.

"There should be a young woman here, about half a head shorter than my friend here, with dark hair what goes about to her shoulders, and wearing old fashioned clothes." he told the bartender in a voice that broked no nonsense. "She's expecting us."

"Yes, someone matching that description did rent a room here, but why should I believe she's expecting you?" the bartender replied warily.

"You should believe me because I told you, mate." Hjadvaar said, his voice lowering ominously. "Now, do you want to take us to her room, or do you want me to cut your nose off and feed it to you?"

"Umm, she's right this way, sir." The suddenly terrified bartender turned and led them up a staircase.

"You wouldn't actually do that, would you?" Elsa asked under her breath as they followed the bartender.

"Do what?" the huge man asked with a blank expression.

"Cut off his nose and feed it to him."

"Oh!" He paused to consider. "I probably wouldn't feed it to him, but I would cut it off." he finally replied, in a disturbingly calm voice.

"Oh." The ambient temperature dropped by just a few degrees.

"Please, wait here." the bartender said, stopping in front of a door. He turned, entered the chamber beyond, and closed the door behind him.

"I'm sorry, I know you said not to be disturbed, but there are two people here who want to see you, and said you were expecting them." Elsa heard the barman saying, muffled by the door.

"Is one of them really tall with a huge beard and an unpleasant disposition?" she heard an unfamiliar woman's voice say.

"Yes."

"Tell them to come in, please."

"If you say so." The door opened, and the bartender emerged. "She said you can go in. My sincerest apologies for delaying you."

Hjadvaar only grunted in response, and pushed past the man into the chamber beyond with Elsa following close behind. She closed the door behind them, and removed the hood that had started to make her claustrophobic.

"What in Oblivion are you doing here, Serena?!" Hjadvaar was asking a woman sitting by the fireplace, his voice barely more than a whisper. "I said to wait for a month before following me, and yet here you are less than a week later!"

"Calm down, Hjadvaar. I'm here anyway, so getting upset about it won't make any difference. Now, are you going to introduce me to your friend or not?" Hjadvaar glared at the strange woman for a moment, then cleared his throat.

"You have the distinct honor to be in the presence of Elsa, Snow Queen of Arendelle."

"Your Majesty." Serena said with a small curtsy. She then looked back at Hjadvaar. "I expected her to look a little more icy."

"She's in disguise, Serena. Your Majesty, I present Lady Serena of Castle Volikhaar."

"Lady Serena." Elsa said, inclining her head. "Now, what possible reason could you have to ask us to come here - at midnight, of all hours! - to speak to us?"

"Before Hjadvaar left to be your bodyguard, we realised that your domestic intelligence service was very much substandard. I was to follow Hjadvaar to fix that issue."

Authors Note: Yay, first chapter to break 1000 words! Thanks to everyone who read this far!