I don't own Frozen or any characters.
Valkyrie at War 6:
Rating: K
Characters: Anna, Kristoff and Elsa.
Summary: Is Elsa really coming down with a cold or is it more? Kristoff has his suspicions and he makes a split decision that could save lives.
Elsa was sitting in the library reading reports. The power play worked wonderfully Aston the major port for Weselton was completely under Arendelle control. When Elsa sent letters offering a peace summit they were immediately accepted and now Anna was probably in Denmark by now, to get compensation for the cowardice surprise attack on a peaceful country, the loss of people and then the return of the prisoners. It should be a quick negotiation but you never know with these things. A knock came at the door and Elsa said "Enter".
Kristoff entered and bowed and said "Queen Elsa my I join you".
"Kristoff you may call me Elsa when we are alone" Elsa said as she gestured for him to sit in a chair across the small table full of papers. "I figured you would be up in the mountains or visiting your family with Anna gone".
"Anna asked me to stay and help you in any way while she was gone. I didn't know how I could help, that's why it has taken me so long" Kristoff explained as he poured two glasses of white wine that was sitting near Elsa and putting one next to her "So is there anything I can do".
"Thank you. You've changed Kristoff. Last year you would be two days outside of Arendelle after Anna left. Now look here you are staying" Elsa said with a smile.
"Anna has a way of making everyone more likable. I now see a better side of people that I never knew about. Anna opened my eyes to that, it took her a while but I had to make a choice. Do I want to be with Anna, who loved being around people, or do I continue to dislike everyone and not be with Anna" Kristoff explained while sipping the wine.
"Well let me see here." Elsa didn't want to insult Kristoff by saying he was a commoner and shouldn't be reading some of these reports, but the way Anna looked at him could mean that someday he could be prince and should learn how to help. "Here I have a small stack of reports from our ice farmers. Could you look through them and give me a small summery, ice farming was the only industry that wasn't nearly crippled in the battle of Arendelle" Elsa handed him the small stack.
"Thank you. I am hoping to propose to Anna when she comes of age and I would hate to be a burden" Kristoff started then stopped and started to stutter with random words. Kristoff then looked at Elsa who was smiling at his reaction. "I umm never mind".
"Well at least she will have known you for more than twenty four hours. I will most likely give my blessing" Elsa said with a smile and the both laughed a little before they went back to the reports.
"Will you really allow your sister to marry a commoner" Kristoff asked as he moved to the next report.
"It is a new age and time Kristoff. Royals have started marring commoners all over. At least you had a respectable job before meeting my sister; a Princess in an allied country married a wanted thief" Elsa commented.
Kristoff just nodded his head and turned to another report before saying "What does your sister see in me. I'm am orphaned, loaner, who's best friend is a reindeer that I made up a voice for and my adopted family are trolls" Kristoff scoffed.
"I don't know what would a orphaned, attention starved, abandonment issued princess who had to replace her best friend with a bunch of paintings, mainly one of Joan of Arc, really see in you" Elsa and Kristoff started to laugh very hard before Elsa finished. "At least your best friend has a pulse" Elsa said between giggles, I can see why Anna likes you though Elsa thought. The two of them spent of the rest of the night reading reports.
Elsa received a letter from King Eric that Anna had arrived safely and the peace summit was underway. Elsa had spent the entire day in meetings and the day was going fairly well until after lunch time when she started feeling like she was going to be sick. Elsa skipped dinner and went to the library to read the days reports. A knock came at the door after Elsa had made it half way through the stack of reports. "Enter" Elsa croaked.
Kristroff walked in and walked over and took the chair that he occupied last night. "You ok your majesty" Kristoff asked with a little concern in his voice.
"I might be coming down with something" Elsa croaked her throat was sore. Kristoff got up and poured both of them some wine and handed one to Elsa. They both took a drink and Elsa's throat did feel better after the wine. "Thank you Kristoff" Elsa's voice sounded better already. "I received a letter from King Eric that Anna arrived safely and the peace summit has begun. Hopefully it will be quick and we can have this whole war behind us" Elsa drank more wine and started to feel better.
"Thank you for the news" Kristoff said after Elsa handed Kristoff a stack of reports to go through. "Maybe you should take the day off tomorrow and have Kai or the Guard Captain take your place".
"No I am starting to feel better I'll just work through it. Thank you for your concern though Kristoff" Elsa said with a slight smile. Kristoff smiled back at Elsa before reading the reports that Elsa had handed him.
Kristoff filled his morning with a lot of small chores around the castle that Elsa assigned him. Elsa and Kristoff shared lunch and Kristoff thought Elsa looked a little better than the night before. When Elsa skipped Dinner again Kristoff started to worry. Once again Kristoff found Elsa in the library looking at reports.
"You ok" Kristoff asked as he poured wine for the two of them again.
"I might take your advice and let Kai and Guard Captain Rolo take my meetings tomorrow" Elsa spoke with a soft pained voice. Elsa looked at the wine Kristoff sat on the table next to her with a pained look.
"Want me to take it away" Kristoff asked as he reached for the wine.
"No if I'm sick I need to drink to flush it out" Elsa spoke as she snatched the wine from Kristoffs grasp. Kristoff sat in the chair across a small table from Elsa, where he often saw Anna sitting and watched as Elsa took a long drink from the glass he had given her. Elsa then did something Kristoff had never seen she shivered after swallowing the wine.
"You just shivered are you sure you are ok" Kristoff was very concerned now.
"I think I'm going to skip the rest of these reports and go to bed" Elsa set the reports down and stood and she wobbled so much that Kristoff had to jump up to catch her. "Maybe I'll have a doctor come see me tomorrow".
"Want me to go get Grand Pabbie. I bet he would be more help than any doctor" Kristoff helped Elsa walk toward her bedroom.
"It is probably not needed Kristoff. Thank you for your concern" Elsa spoke but Kristoff had already decided he was going to go get Grand Pabbie to look at Elsa. Kristoff couldn't shake the feeling that this was more than just a cold. Elsa's handmaidens took Elsa from Kristoff and helped her behind the changing screen. Kristoff left Elsa's room and immediately went to the stables. Sven was excited to get out and go for a run.
It was nearly midnight by the time Kristoff arrived at the Valley most of the trolls were asleep but Kristoff quickly moved in and saw that Grand Pabbie was awake looking at the stars.
"Grand Pabbie I need your help" Kristoff said quietly trying to not wake everyone up.
"Of course Kristoff what is wrong" Grand Pabbie spoke quietly as well.
"There is something wrong with Elsa. She thinks it is a cold but I don't think it is" Kristoff explained.
"I don't understand why you think it might be something more but I will get my herb bag and we can go" Grand Pabbie rolled off to gather what he needed. Kristoff learned long ago that he couldn't rush Pabbie and that he would come when he was ready.
It took Grand Pabbie a while but Sven took them quickly back to Arendelle. The horizon was starting to light up with sunrise soon approaching. Kristoff wanted to get Pabbie through town and into the castle with as few people knowing or seeing the elder. The gate guards didn't even look twice at Kristoff and Sven, they had seen them come and go over the years and this was a common time for Kristoff to arrive after getting a load of ice during the summer. It would be the castle guards that will ask questions. Making their way through town was fairly uneventful and the sun was half way up by the time they started across the bridge to the castle. Just as Kristoff thought the guards at the castle gates started to ask why Kristoff was gone all night and who, what and why was Kristoff trying to bring a large rock into the castle. Grand Pabbie just waved his hand and the guards eyes unfocused then smiled at Kristoff and waved him into the castle.
"The head is easily changed" Pabbie whispered to Kristoff behind a smile. Kristoff and Pabbie quickly made their way to Elsa's bedroom, after making sure Sven was comfortable in the stables. Kai was coming out of the bedroom just as Kristoff was walking up.
"Kristoff we have been looking for you. There is a doctor in there that has some questions for you" Kai spoke with a very grave voice.
"Why what is wrong with the Queen" Kristoff asked.
"We can't wake her up" Kai started when he saw Pabbie.
"Let us go in and talk to the doctor" Pabbie once again waves his hand and Kai just nodded and walked off. Kristoff opened the door and saw a man in the room with a clean shave, short cropped blond hair and a pair of glasses on his face. The man turned and saw Kristoff and Pabbie and stared at Pabbie. Pabbie moved forward and waved his hand once again and the doctor's eyes went unfocused for a second then said
"Good they found you and you brought a second opinion. Everyone had reported that you spent the most time with the queen. When did she start feeling badly and for how long".
"Two days ago I noticed she skipped dinner, later that evening she said she was feeling bad after lunch" Kristoff explained "The next day she looked worse and then last night she shivered" Pabbie looked up at Kristoff with shock after hearing that. The doctor nodded and Pabbie walked over and placed his hands on Elsa's head and closed his eyes. The doctor was either in deep thought or Pabbies spell was doing something to him.
"This isn't magic or a sickness that I can detect it must be some sort of poison" Pabbie speaks very softly "my magic can't cure poison but I have herbs that might help but". The news shocked Kristoff to his core.
The doctor interrupted with "If it is poison we need to find the source of entry. Some poisons can be introduced by a scratch, injection, breathing it in or ingested. Kristoff can you leave and send in her hand maiden so that we can inspect the queen". Kristoff nodded and left the room after calling in a handmaiden.
"Where did Kai go" Kristoff asked the handmaiden and she mumbled the library. Kristoff had to tell Kai that the queen has been poisoned. They needed to send Anna a message about this. Kristoff opened the door to the library and saw it wasn't just Kai but also the Guard Captain and Admiral Westerguard. All three looked at Kristoff with expectations "We have to send Anna a message because".
Before Kristoff could finish a messenger pushed his way in and said "There is a blue wax letter for the queen from Kristinasund".
All three men looked at each other and then it was the Guard Captain "The Queen is not capable of taking a message, hand it here quickly". The messenger handed the message over and the Guard Captain opened it and his eyes moved quickly over it and widened in shock. The Guard Captain then handed the message to the Admiral as he said "I want every runner up here immediately". Kristoff and Kai looked to the Admiral and his head shot up as the first runner made it to the door.
"The Queen is unable to command or discharge the duty. I declare that the Council of Arendelle must be enacted. Guard Captain the city is under your control, I will take command of the harbor and Kai you are in control of the castle. Runner head to the docks and inform the dock master that the Queen Elsa's Lance must be battle ready by tomorrow" the Admiral spoke so loud that Kristoff couldn't hear what the Guard Capatin was talking about but Kai snatched the letter and spoke out loud.
"Kristinasund has reported that a large fleet is headed toward Arendelle they could be here as early as this evening". The whole room was in chaos when Kristoff was shocked to hear that an enemy fleet was approaching, but then remembered why he had come into the room.
"The doctors think that the queen has been poisoned" Kristoff didn't speak very loud but the whole room stopped and went silent.
"What did you say Kristoff" Kai asked as he grabbed Kristoff's arm.
"The doctors think the queen has been poisoned and they are looking for where it was introduced" Kristoff said again. The shock that Kristoff felt after hearing the news was reflected in every man in the room.
"No one leaves this city by boat or land. I want every exit closed and anyone wanting to leave sent to this council" the Guard Captain was the first to act.
"I want the harbor locked down no one leaves. Raise the chain" Admiral Westerguard jumped into action.
"I want a list of every castle servant hired after the gates were opened tell now" Kai started sending orders at last. They were all sending orders all over the city but none of them said anything about sending a letter to Anna.
"We need to notify Princess Anna" Kristoff spoke very loudly to get everyone's attention. The three men all reacted differently, Kai just nodded, Admiral Westerguard glared at Kristoff and Guard Captain Rolo sat down and grabbed a pen and paper.
"Kristoff is right; Anna will notify Admiral Regar and Major Chorak" Guard Captain Rolo spoke as he wrote.
"Tell her about Elsa as well" Kristoff said.
"I don't have to. Anna is smart and she will notice that I have sent the letter and not Elsa" Guard Captain Rolo finished the letter and Kai melted blue wax on the letter and they pushed the Arendelle seal. The room went back to chaos of men sending orders and runners moving in and out of the room. Kristoff knew that he was only in the way here and made his way back to the Queens room.
After knocking at the door a handmaiden opened and allowed Kristoff in.
"Did you find anything" Kristoff asked as he walked in.
"No we didn't. There isn't an injury site any ware on the Queen" Grand Pabbie spoke but then the blond doctor finished
"Which means it was ether breathed in or she ate it. Since no one else is sick we are leaning towards ingestion".
"We need to find what kind of poison was used to truly cure it, but there are some herbs we can use to help fight it" Pabbie spoke as he started to place select herbs in a tea pot to steep. Kristoff thought Kai should hear this; he was looking for the poisoner. Kristoff then moved back to the library and Kai was still sitting there issuing orders.
"Kai the doctors think the Queen ingested the poison, unless others are sick" Kai looked up and simply nodded.
"Everyone that handled the Queen's food needs to be held and interviewed anyone on the list that is missing well be considered guilty" Kai spoke plainly.
Kristoff was standing on the wall of the castle watching the sun set behind an enemy fleet that had started to unload hundreds of men on to the eastern beach. Anna had described the site she had seen several times but nothing could have prepared him for the actual sight. Even as a child there were stories about the chain that could be raised between the two harbor guard towers but no one had seen it for generations, when the chain was inspected the guards would raise it at night. It was an imposing sight to see, but the Admiral had moved Arendelle warships near the chain.
Kristoff didn't even hear the Guard Captain walk up next to him until he spoke "That is a sight I wish I would have never seen again after last time and now here we are again".
"Hopefully this time will be different" Kristoff said grimly.
"I have learned from last time. We won't be tricked again and they won't get in the city nearly as easily. If they do get in we have new surprises for them" Guard Captain Rolo spoke with a hopeful tone.
"Is there anything I can do to help? I know that last time all able body men had to arm and help out last time. I'm willing to help in any way" Kristoff was ready to fight for Arendelle. Kristoff was not in Arendelle for the first battle of Arendelle and he felt guilt for not being here for Anna or Arendelle.
"The Guard was reinforced by the army and we have many more men than we did before, but could always use one more. Can you wield a weapon" Guard Captain Rolo asked.
"Not really. I can fight off wolves or ice but I have never fought another man really" Kristoff was honest.
"What we can use your talents to move things around the city. We have barricades to set up and traps to set, just like trapping wolves. Hopefully this is just their response to our power play. I just want to know where they got these ships. Last we had heard Weselton only had three frigates. Where did they get three Galleons, six frigates and all those merchant ships" Guard Captain Rolo spoke with wonder. "If you know any other ice farmers that want to help we can use any carts and strong backs we can get our hands on".
Kristoff spent the next week moving things all over the city with Sven. The cart Anna gave him gave got more use over the last week then the prior year. The Weselton forces never moved. They stopped all water and ground traffic in route to Arendelle. Guard Captain Rolo started to enforce rationing of food and supplies. Elsa's condition was starting to improve with Pabbies herbs, but Kai still had no luck in finding out whom the poisoner was. Without knowing what poison was used they can only try different combinations until they find the right one. The doctor was able to put a very small tube down into Elsa's stomach in order to give her liquids so she doesn't starve to death before they found the cure. The doctor had only heard of the procedure but with Pabbies help they were able to place it.
Kristoff was sitting at a table that was set up in one of the towers of the castle and the sun was rising behind his back. Kristoff was facing the Weselton army when he noticed that the army was moving, away from Arendelle. Kristoff jumped to his feet and ran down to the Guard Captain's office.
"Guard Captain the Weselton Army is moving away from the city" Kristoff yelled through the door as he knocked. Guard Captain Rolo opened the door with a large looking glass and they both moved up the tower.
"Where are they going? They are moving into the mountains east of Arendelle. There is no way to attack from that direction" Guard Captain Rolo just spoke out loud. Then Kristoff noticed the ships were moving as well. A runner was sent to Admiral Westerguard and he joined them shortly after.
"Those ships are in battle" Admiral Westerguard pointed out just as Kristoff saw one of the ships catch fire. Admiral Westerguard knew his opportunity when he saw it. In under an hour the harbor chain was down and the home fleet was moving to engage the enemy fleet. Most of the Weselton army had moved into the mountain passes east of Arendelle.
"The only explanation I have is that Princess Anna and Major Chorak have gotten an army to draw the Weselton army up into the passes where numbers are nullified. I hope they were able to get more men then the Major had to take Aston because even in the mountain passes they have no hope" Guard Capitan Rolo explained his thoughts.
"Knowing Princess Anna though I wouldn't be surprised if she did attack with what Major Chorak had at Aston and she had some brilliant, complicated dangerous plan" Kristoff spoke plainly. Kristoff and Rolo watched the sea battle unfold when they started hearing horn blasts near the East Mountain. "O god. There hasn't been an avalanche from the east mountain this year has there".
"No why" Guard Captain Rolo asked but Kristoff could see the Captain came to the same conclusion that Kristoff had. Anna must be trying to trigger the avalanche with the horn blasts in order to bury the Weselton Army and making it smaller. Several horn blasts happened but Kristoff couldn't see any change in the mountain. Whatever Anna had planned obviously failed and hopefully she had a backup plan. Kristoff and Rolo could only just stand there silent observers for what seemed like forever. Finally Guard Captain Rolo pointed toward the sea battle. It appeared that the attack from both sides was able to overpower the attacking fleet. Both men then turned toward the East Mountain even though neither of them could see the battle. Suddenly the entire side of the mountain started to collapse.
"O god" Kristoff said at the same time as Guard Captain Rolo. This wasn't going to a normal yearly avalanche, the entire mountain seemed like it was sliding down toward what Kristoff could only assume where the fighting armies were engaged. After several minutes the noise started to reach Arendelle. It started with a loud cracking noises and then rumbling that Kristoff couldn't even imagine what it sounded like. Then the snow hit the eastern range and snow flew up into the air and it appeared to start snowing in Arendelle. Kristoff could only say "I hope Anna and our men were able to get out of the way of that".
If you don't want to wait for me to finish this story they are complete at
: ~kain772
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