Chapter 31
~ A Family Reunion ~
Erynn took Anna out of the castle the two ran for a while until the Prince spotted some soldiers nearby. Anna peeked around the corner then looked up at him.
"Who are they, I don't recognize them."
Prince Erynn put a finger to his lips hushing the Princess. "They're scouts from the southern isles, but not any I brought here..."
Anna widened her eyes. "But that means..." she whispered softly. "That means your brother must be the one attacking us, the one who ordered my capture and the one who nearly killed Elsa!" The Princess spoke horrified raising her voice.
Erynn gave her an angry glare both scouts turned in their direction. "Run!" He shouted pushing Anna in front of him. "No matter what happens don't stop, Anna you get out of here!" Erynn breathed heavily. "Your sister needs you safe, I'll catch up."
The Princess nodded quickly and spun around in the snow, running faster and faster until she felt something hit the back of her leg causing her to fall into the snow. Two sets of arms picked her up. Letting out a harsh cry Anna attempted to wiggle out of their grasp but they were much stronger. One pulled the arrow they shot her with from her leg. Wincing as they did so Anna tried to violently free herself again.
"So we meet again Princess" Archer chuckled softly gazing into her eyes he could tell she was terrified, even her eyes watered from being shot.
"Let me go!" Anna screamed her violent retaliation made her leg feel even worse yet the Princess kept fighting.
Archer pushed Anna forwards. "Walk Princess!" he hissed in her ear. "Or your little friend dies!" the man pointed towards Erynn who stood only a few feet away restrained by other men. Anna glared right into his eyes and began to speak in a venomous tone. "You're the real monster, not my sister! It's you!"
"As soon as we take over Arendelle, nobody will ever have to worry about Queen Elsa again... We have her sister, you really think she'd let you die." Archer began in a tone of fake sympathy. "Elsa is weak, and unworthy to rule, it's pathetic really... Did Your parents never teach you anything?" Archer questioned
At this Anna grew quite irritated. "Don't you dare insult my parents!" Anna began screaming as she was forcefully dragged up to the North Mountain. Archer kept a firm grip on her shoulders, by the time they reached the camp Anna's leg ached terribly and she could hear Erynn's protests from behind her.
"You're supposed to put your kingdom above all else. Above your family and even yourself. If your parents taught you anything your sister would, simply let you die." Archer explained. "But she won't, and that is one of the many reasons why she is unfit to be a ruler of Arendelle."
Anna tried to pull away again. But stopped once the pain in her ankle grew too much. Nearly falling to the snowy ground and tripping over her feet the princess began yelling again. "My sister is much more capable of being in power than you fools! She has done so much for Arendelle and they will fight for her!"
"We shall see, need I remind you she set off an eternal winter, nearly killed you. Left her people to the responsibility of an underaged Princess. She killed and hurt many people during your disappearance. The people of Arendelle will be glad they have a new ruler."
Anna cried softly lowering her head. She would have to convince Elsa somehow that saving her wasn't as important as the safety of their kingdom.
When Archer and the others Arrived with Erynn and Anna near the top of the North Mountain a tall ginger haired man stepped out to greet them. "My traitor brother, I've heard about your marriage arrangement with the Queen. Don't you know Queen Elsa has a cold heart, she will never love you." Hans turned to Anna. "It took her thirteen years just to speak to her sister." smirking he walked over to the girl, picking up her chin. "Soon Elsa and I will talk, she has been given a choice Hand over Arendelle to us, or." Hans paused glaring evilly. "Let her sister die, most painfully."
Pulling out of his grip Anna cried harder. Terrified of the man before her and the wicked things he had done to Elsa and herself. How he caused Arendelle to turn against the Queen at one point, nearly killed them, imprisoned her.
Erynn was moved up beside her. "What to do with you?" Hans pondered a few moments. "What would the Queen do with traitors, Princess." He asked. Anna looked away from them she did not want to answer the question.
"Answer me Princess!" He demanded once more raising his voice substantially. Anna still refused to speak to Prince Hans she had turned away from him crying she knew exactly what happened to those people.
"Erynn isn't a traitor, you are." The Princess sniffed now that Archer had let go of her and she was kneeling on the snowy ground. Hands and feet freezing. Foot aching from being shot by Archers arrow. Hans began growing very irritated and left Erynn to look at Anna. "Tell me, Princess." he spat. "What does an Act Of Treason get you? Hmm?" he spoke slowly in a deep angry voice.
"Erynn is not a Traitor!" Anna replied again. The second refusal made the Prince even angrier. He paused for a moment fed up with the Princess until he noticed her bleeding foot. Stepping onto her ankle with his boot he applied pressure as she screamed for him to stop.
"Tell me Princess!" He yelled grabbing at her hair so her face was level with his. "What does an Act of Treason get you."
Gasping for air through screaming and sobbing. Anna had her eyes closed but she still replied. "Death!" she told him breathlessly. "An
Act of treason results in a death sentence." Hans stepped of her ankle and dropped her hair. Leaving the crying princess curled up in the snow.
"Good." Hans whispered in her ear. "That's all I wanted to hear." smiling he backed up and laughed at the weak looking form on the ground that was Anna. "Now you can watch Erynn die, if you truly were fit to rule, you would question the Kings decisions or reasoning Erynn is a traitor."
"To you maybe! But not to Elsa and she is still the Queen!" Anna screamed face red with anger. "Well then, after I become king I shall have a public execution and all of Arendelle can see that I am not here to fool around, and I will not tolerate anyone who defies me!"
"Elsa will stop you! She always does." The Princess retorted trying to stand up. But Hans had done quite the damage to her already injured foot. The Prince just laughed at her reply and ordered Archer to bring her into one of the tents and make sure she doesn't get away.
Chaining the tiny girls wrists Archer never looked at her once. She was putting up quite a struggle in attempt to get away. But soon both her ankles and wrists were bound and tied to one of the metal poles holding up the large tent. "Try anything and you will be severely punished." Archer warned her before leaving.
Anna tried to take a closer look at her injured ankle but it was no use no matter how she moved she couldn't get a good look at it. It had been growing more and more painful ever since Hans stepped on it, the Princess became suspicious he might have broken something.
She could still hear the arguments going on outside between Hans, Erynn, Archer and a few others she did not recognize.
"Hans, please stop this, let the Princess go." Erynn begged. "You can't believe what you're doing is right, if you fail you will be executed, this is treason!"
"If I fail, Princess Anna will be dead, the Queen will be miserable and I will still have leverage on her. You know what happened last time her sister was gone. The Queen is weak, everyone knows she's breaking apart inside. Her life is headed downhill, she's tormented by stress."
Erynn attempted to lunge forward but was held back. "Elsa can overpower you easily." he hissed at his younger brother, Still violently trying to pull away from Archer.
"That may be so." Hans looked at him, speaking with superiority as if he were in a position of authority. "But she will not risk her sisters life, she will obey me so long as I have this threat over her. No armies, no soldiers, no retaliation and above all no use of her magic." The ginger man paused for a moment smirking with pride. "Or her precious sister dies, painfully and I shall force her to watch." the Prince continued with a maniacal laugh.
Erynn glares at him through gritted teeth. "Elsa isn't the monster, you are! You are taking something so precious and using it against her! That's evil, you are a disappointment to all of us. You begged to come here to Arendelle to represent the Southern Isles and you have made a fool of our Kingdom and of yourself!"
Hans glared walking up to Erynn. "I am no monster." he replied in a cold tone. "I am just trying to get what I want." he laughed lightly taking a few steps back. "After I left Princess Anna die and attempt to kill Elsa, I was sure that I would become King. Since that failed, I learnt I must use the pathetic amount of love those sisters have for each other against them."
Anna was crying back in the tent. She knew there was no end to this nightmare. Every scenario she could think of ended up with her sister in misery. Elsa could keep her Kingdom
but Hans would never stop trying to get to her. Her sister would be dead and it would leave her miserable forever. As well as giving Arendelle up to the rule of Prince Hans, she would always know that she gave up on her kingdom, think she was a terrible Queen and grow horribly depressed about the entire situation.
"What's that about pathetic amount of love." Anna heard a familiar voice call out. In a quite unhappy tone, her sister had finally gotten to her.
"Ahhh Elsa, I wasn't expecting you to come to me. " Hans replied. Walking in circled around her. "Now I happen to have a deal to make with you... But first of all, any use of your powers, soldiers or guards will result in your sisters death."
Elsa narrowed her eyes. "I want to see her bring her out here so I know you aren't lying to me. You should know I don't like liars."
"Bring me the Princess." He ordered Archer. The man walked into the nearest tent and brought out the struggling princess still bound by ropes. A look of shock appeared on Elsa's face as she took in her sisters condition. Her foot was bleeding the snow on the ground grew crimson as she was forced forwards.
"Now, Elsa you're going to agree to Hand over the kingdom to me, or..." he drew is sword and put in tip right in the middle of her sisters stomach. "Watch her die." he turned to the current Queen laughing when he noticed her tears. "That paper on the table. Sign it, when you agree to it, you will have relinquished your duties as Queen to me. Then I shall be the King of Arendelle, and you will be nothing."
"Elsa! Don't do it!" Anna screamed at her as her sister walked towards the papers. Archer tried to hush the screaming Princess. "Elsa No! Don't I am not worth it! Don't let Hans rule please! Please Elsa I'm not worth it. You can't." Elsa ignored Anna's crying and screaming for her to stop. With a stuttering breath she picked up the pen reading the words that stated she relinquished her duties as Queen to Hans. Tears dripped down her pale face, moving her hand towards the paper she began writing the first word 'Queen'' trying to ignore her sisters constant crying for her not to give up being Queen. 'Elsa' her heart pounded. Hans had dropped the sword from her sisters stomach and walked over to her. Looming over her shoulder as she wrote. 'Of' Elsa began shaking and the last word came out in more of a scribble than nice neat handwriting. 'Arendelle' With the last word she dropped the pen and backed away. Paper stained with her tears, Elsa's heart beat quickly.
"head to the castle, lock them both up."
Elsa turned her head quickly. "What! I signed your paper! You're King now! What more do you want. Let me and my sister go!"
The King laughed. "Oh Elsa, you honestly think I'm going to let you two go. You could try and take back the kingdom or hurt someone with your powers. Which if you use, your sister will be killed." He smirked. "I will have leverage over you for as long as you live. I will control your life." Elsa looked down one of the men came to her and bound her wrists together to. She looked at Anna with a painful glance, she may have saved her sister. But she was sure Arendelle would suffer for her actions.
"Elsa..." Anna whispered. "It's going to be okay, we're together and both of us are alive." But Elsa was too distracted she couldn't help but see all the blood on Anna's foot.
"Your foot." she whispered still in tears overwhelmed at what she had done. "it's all my fault Anna, if I never asked Erynn to try and get you to safety you never would have been caught! I would still be Queen, and..."
Elsa crying was inturpted by Hans laughter coming from behind her. "I knew you would make a horrible Queen, Elsa you can't seem to get anything right. All your plans end up in disaster."
Elsa growled angry as the men moved them down the mountain. Erynn, Anna and Elsa were all bound by ropes and being forcefully pushed forwards to Arendelle castle. The guards at the gate we're defensive at first until they saw the paper Hans carried with them, the Army behind him and the fact he had all three Royals captured.
Hans had Anna and Elsa thrown in a cell deep down in the castle. "Enjoy the rest of your life rotting down here in what was formerly your castle."