Disclaimer - I don't own Disney's Frozen nor do I own Spice and Wolf.

Chapter 23

Alexis spotted the cart moving along the street. She and another Wulfen named Lars had been tasked with shadowing the Prince and Queen, although they'd been told to keep back, and stay unnoticed. Given that Naeil would sense them much further away than the Queen could, that meant they'd been four blocks distance and crouching on roof tops when they heard Elsa's scream. They'd raced towards the alley but stopped short, trying to sense what they would be dropping into. After all, what good could they do if they got themselves killed in the process. Alexis spotted the cart moving away from the alley and noted several of the townspeople moving to investigate the scream, as well as Arenedelle Home Guard and Yoitsuan Soldiers. She then spotted the snowman and signaled to Lars to drop to the street.

Olaf waddled towards the palace, "Help! Somebody help me!" He suddenly stopped as two figures in gray suddenly dropped from the sky like avenging angels.

"Snowman!" growled Alexis, "What happened? Where is the Prince?"

Olaf looked up at the Wolf Kind, and held out his stick hands, clutching the opened vial.

Lars swallowed grimly, but Alexis dropped to her knees, her golden eyes filling with tears. "No," she whispered. "What happened? Answer me!"

Olaf trembled in fear, "It was Hans...he took the Queen. A cart."

Alexis jumped to her feet, "Take him back to the palace," she snarled, as she made to follow the cart.

"Wait!" Olaf shouted, "They said they'd kill her if anyone tried to save her, and blow up half the town!"

Alexis suddenly stopped and glared at the snowman, her face twisted in anger and sadness. Then she took a deep breath and smiled grimly, "Then I guess I'm just going to have to kill them first."

Lars stepped forward, "You can't do this, Alexis. I feel the same way, but remember our oath."

Alexis snarled, "We've failed in our oath, Lars! The Captain, the CROWN PRINCE is DEAD!"

Lars sighed, "And do you think he'd want us to put the Queen in any more danger in the name of avenging him."

Alexis started to yell but stopped, her voice cracking, "You don't understand, Lars. He's more than my Prince, more than my Captain. He's family."

Lars nodded, "I know you two were close. You always kept an eye out for him like an older sibling." The Wulfen sighed, "We need to get back to the palace, and give the Princess and Ragnar the news. We can figure out a plan then."

Alexis snarled and looked out into the crowd of townspeople, then let loose a mournful howl to the wind.

The figure sat on the simple throne, the metal plates of his archaic armor reflecting the dim lantern light. Although armored plate had been worthless on the battlefield for hundreds of years, the Wolf King still wore the same plates he had in the Hundred Years War and ever since then. "A matter of superstition", he thought to himself. "I just don't feel right going into battle without it." He raised his head towards the kneeling figure in gray and white before him. "I heard, Balin." he softly said.

As twilight fell in Rome, a graceful figure knelt before a tiny shrine in prayer, counting the rosary. A woman in gray and white approached tentatively, "Your Majesty," she softly spoke.

The woman raised her head, the locks of red hair spilling out over her shoulders. "I heard the news, Sarin. However, I don't believe it. She turned to her Wulfen Guard and smiled, her green eyes flashing to red. "I refuse to believe that my son would be that easy to kill."

Sarin nodded in deep respect. "Of course, your Majesty. Then you still wish to conduct your business tonight?"

The Night Queen rose to her feet, a predatory look coming to her eyes. "Of course, after all, an audience with the Holy See is a wonderful honor."

Anna paced angrily around the throne room as Olaf, Alexis, and Lars knelt before her.

"Where did he take my sister?"

"We don't know, your Highness," said Lars. "We decided it was more important to return here first."

Anna rounded on the kneeling Wulfen. "It would have only taken one of you! I know your kind can track anything! WHY DIDN'T YOU?!"

Alexis grimaced, she and Lars had pretty much played out this entire conversation once already.

"Our concern was for the Queen's current safety."

Anna turned her fury towards the female Wulfen, and then she stared at Reisha and Thorin. "You two! Why in the HELL did you let them go off?! Some Royal Guards you are, do you just let them throw themselves into any dangerous situation they want?!"

Reisha and Thorin both held their heads bowed, saying nothing. It was Ragnar who spoke up, "With all due respect, your Highness. In my experience most Royals are quite adept at getting their own way. You and your sister are no exceptions."

Anna paused at the gentle rebuke, and looked over at Kristoff, who, although still very pale and red eyed, stood with Sven, his own Wulfen cloak draped over his shoulders.

"Kai?"

The steward stepped forward, "Yes, Princess Anna?"

"Under these circumstances, the throne transfers to me, correct?" she said, a base note of anger in her voice.

Kai nodded grimly, "Until we can rescue the Queen, yes. You are Arendelle's rightful ruler."

Anna turned, and faced the men and women before her, her own blue eyes that she shared with her sister burning cold. "Then as far as I'm concerned, this is a clear violation of the cease-fire agreement my sister made with our enemy."

Everyone looked stunned, and Kai stepped forward, "Your Highness, I know you're upset, but we really should..."

She looked at the steward, anger twisting her beautiful face. "Send word to Admiral Westgard, have the fleet and the wall cannons open fire on the invaders." She turned to Lord Horwitz, "Take what ever troops you can spare and go street by street. Hans can't detonate the bombs if we find them first."

Lord Horwitz bowed, and departed immediately. Anna turned her gaze to the Wulfen Guard,

"Find my sister, and find that bastard Hans!"

Elsa came too and felt her stomach heave. The motion suggested that she was on a boat, and it was moving in choppy water. She became aware of the thunder...and then realized it wasn't thunder. She bolted upright and saw the damaged walls of Arendelle, puffs of smoke erupting from the cannon emplacements, the splash of cannon balls around them. She also heard the return cannon fire from behind her, coming from the Weselton fleet, and cannonades being exchanged with her own ships.

"Good evening, Witch. Looks like your sister decided to go to war in your stead. Heh, I guess what they say about red heads is true."

Elsa struggled against her bindings, but the strap around her wrists held. She then noticed that while the two goons were with her, Hans was absent. "Where is Hans?"

Kaleb smiled, "He's still ashore. He has unfinished business with your sister, after all."

A splash rose from the water close enough to rock the small boat. "Heh, looks like your own people don't care if they kill you or not."

On the walls, Captain Gregory of the Yoitsuan 3rd Artillery spotted the boat, and lifted his field glass to his eyes. "Oh no," he muttered, spotting the blonde-haired woman struggling in the boat.

"Battery 3, hold your fire! The Queen's out there!"

The gunnery crew stopped their loading process, as the Captain frantically called over a signalman, "Send word to everyone! Queen Elsa is on the water!"

The cannon fire from Arenedelle slowed and then stopped. Kaleb laughed, "Well, now, I guess I was wrong. Looks like your people do care about you. Their loss."

Elsa dropped her head and then looked up as she saw banners flashing across the walls, and on the her own ships. Suddenly the cannonades flared up again, although none were anywhere near their boat or the Duke's flagship. Instead, the gunners poured their wrath out on every other ship in the front rank of the invasion fleet. One of the larger cannons belched and Elsa could actually watch the cannonball fly through the air, spinning and trailing smoke. She heard a dull crunch as it smashed into a ship and then a dull boom, followed by other booms. Soon the wooden vessel erupted into flames as it's own powder magazines detonated. Other shots began falling upon the wooden vessels with frightening consistency. Elsa found herself smiling as Kaleb's face shifted into a mix of concern and anger. "Yoitsuan Gunners. They train for hours on end to hone their skills...and I'd say they've found their range."

Kaleb stared angrily at her, and then there was a dull boom behind him. Elsa's eyes widened as she saw the fireball climb into the sky from deep within the town, followed a few moments later, by another one, and then another one. He smiled as her face dropped in horror as she realized what was happening, and saw the flames beginning to spread. "Looks like the Captain has his range, too."