The Storm Rages On

Chapter Nineteen

Proposition

"STOP!"

Hans's knife was mere centimeters from Anna's skin.

Elsa held her hands up, her eyes pleading with Hans. "Please! Don't hurt her! I . . . I give up!"

Hans stared at her, his eyes narrow, full of distrust. "Really? The mighty Elsa, the virtuous Queen of Arendelle, is going to hand over the Jewels just like that?"

"I swear!" Elsa said. "Just . . . Just don't hurt Anna. Don't hurt her babies! I'll give you anything you want as long as you don't hurt them."

Hans considered her words carefully, finally nodding in agreement. "You see, Anna?" he whispered into the terrified woman's ear. "Everyone has a weakness. Everyone. Sometimes, you just have to give them a little push—" He ran the dull end of his blade over Anna's abdomen, causing her to whimper in panic, while Elsa cried out in horror. ". . . A little push in order to make them see it."

Hans turned back to Elsa. "No kidding around now, do you understand? I want those Jewels, and I want them now."

Elsa nodded, slowly looking at Arberish. "Arberish, tell him where the Tritastónende are."

Arberish looked at her, uncertain. "Elsa, I . . . I agree we cannot allow Anna or her children to be killed, but . . . but are you sure this is the only way?"

Elsa met Arberish's gaze, her eyes full of sorrow. "We don't have any choice. None of us can attack him without hurting Anna as well. If . . . If you really love me, please, just show him where the Jewels are!"

Hans looked at Arberish, a strange expression upon his face. "If you love her . . .?" He suddenly smiled, understanding. "Of course!" He looked at Elsa, shaking his head. "I cannot believe it. The self-righteous Elsa has fallen in love . . . with that, no less!" A mirthless laugh escaped his lips. "Have you always had an attraction to older men, Elsa? Because if I had known that was the way to bed you, I would have found—"

"Stop it!" Valanda glared at Hans, anger coursing through her spirit, astounded at the cruelty Hans was displaying toward both Elsa—the woman the girlish part of her still idolized—and her old friend. "Can't you just be quiet for once! We're about to give you what you want. Can't you just take that and be happy?!"

"I agree," Arberish said, reluctantly looking Hans in the eyes. "Release Anna, and I will show you where I have hidden the Tritastónende."

"No," Hans said, tightening his grip on Anna's hair. "That's precisely what you want me to do. I will not fall for that old trick. I will hold onto her until I see the Jewels for myself." He gestured to his lieutenants, to the guards watching the party. "In fact, all of us are going together to see whether or not the old man is telling the truth. That way, we shouldn't have to worry about any unwanted . . . surprises."

The exiled prince brought his knife to Anna's throat, gesturing toward Elsa and her companions with it. "After you, Elsa. Take us back into the tunnel. Show us where you have hidden the Jewels. I have waited this long for them. A little longer will not kill me."

Out of options, Elsa and the rest of the party turned and moved back into the tunnel, followed by Hans and Anna, along with their guards and Hans's lieutenants. The group moved until they were back at the apex of the stairway that led to the caverns below.

"Well?" Hans asked. "Where are they, old man? You had best not be lying to me. I am do not have the patience to stomach that at the moment."

Arberish sighed. "I am not lying. The jewels are, in fact, within this very room. All I need to do is dispel the concealment spell I used to disguise them."

Hans nodded. "Well, what are you waiting for? Have at it!"

Kristoff glared at Hans, his mind racing with various ways he could seriously injure the treacherous man. "First let Anna go. Then, Arberish will give you the Jewels."
"I don't think so," Hans said. "Anna stays with me until I have all three Jewels in my possession."

Alúvelin's eyes narrowed. "How stupid do you think we are? The moment you have the Jewels you will simply kill her and her babies. You already admitted that it would be an incredible act of vengeance."

A thin smile graced Hans's lips. "I suppose you're just going to have to trust me."

"That's not going to happen any time soon," Kristoff spat.

Hans shrugged. "It makes no difference to me. But I will tell you this: If I don't see the three Jewels before me in another minute, I will kill the princess. That is not a threat. It is an assurance."

Elsa closed her eyes, her brow furrowed with pain, unable to think of an alternative. "Give him the Jewels, Arberish," she said. "Do it now, before Anna and the babies get hurt."

Arberish shook his head, his gaze locked upon Hans. "You are truly a coward," he said softly. "In my day, a man would rather have died than display the lack of honor you have shown. Threatening a defenseless woman . . . Being willing to murder innocent children . . ." His eyes burned with anger as he waved his hand. What had looked before like a wall of rock vanished, revealing a plain, unadorned sack. "Here are your precious Jewels, Your Highness!" he spat, tossing the sack toward Hans's feet. "I hope possessing them is truly worth everything you have done, every life you have destroyed, worth living with the consequences of your despicable actions. You are no man at all."

Eagerly, Hans shoved Anna toward Elsa, bending down to retrieve the sack. Elsa rushed forward, taking hold of her sister, preventing her from falling to the ground.

Anna could control herself no longer. The terror, the stress, the pain finally overwhelmed her. She sobbed uncontrollably, her entire body shaking as tears of sorrow fell from her eyes. "I'm so sorry!" she cried, collapsing into Elsa's arms. She fought to express herself, her cries making it difficult to speak. "But . . . But he was going to . . . He almost . . . I was so scared for them, Elsa! I should have fought him, but I couldn't . . . I was so weak . . . I couldn't let him hurt them!" She lowered her head, too ashamed to look Elsa in the eyes. "You wouldn't have given in like that," she whispered. "You would have fought him! You would have resisted!"

"No," Elsa said, stroking Anna's hair, pulling back slightly as Kristoff, Alúvelin, and Valanda pulled close, each laying their hands on Anna. "If I was in your situation . . . If I was pregnant and he had threatened my babies, I would have done the exact same thing." She put her finger under Anna's chin, bringing her sister's eyes in line with her own. "You're not weak at all, Anna. You were so brave! You were willing to do whatever it took to protect them. That's what real courage is, Anna."

Elsa leaned forward, placing her ear against Anna's belly, listening. She sighed in relief as she heard and felt two strong heartbeats, felt two sharp kicks against her, each from different directions. "They're all right," she said, exhaling in relief. She brought her lips to Anna's abdomen. "Don't you two ever scare me like that again, do you hear me?" she whispered. "Your poor Aunt Elsa can't take much more of this!"

Elsa stood, allowing Kristoff to embrace his wife, to comfort her as only he could. Valanda and Alúvelin followd her to Arberish. The brann wielder bowed his head, ashamed. "What have we done?" he whispered, watching as Hans gleefully tore into the sack.

"The only thing we could have done," Alúvelin said. "We could not allow him to murder Anna and her babies. If it had been any of the rest of us, it would have been different. But we swore not to let anything happen to her." She looked at Elsa. "What do we do now?"

Elsa shook her head. "I . . . I don't know." She looked to the ceiling of rock. "We have failed in our responsibility. Gábriel trusted us to protect the Sacred Jewels, and look what has happened. We've just turned over the most devastating power the world has ever seen to a complete madman!"

Hans's face turned white, his hands shaking as he looked in the sack. "I . . . I can't believe it!" He reached in, pulling out the red stone—Valdránavish—holding it close to himself. "After all this time, after all the studying, all the planning, I am finally holding the Tritastónende in my own hands!"

He looked at Elsa, his eyes simultaneously light and dark. "Do you realize what this means, Elsa?" he asked, his face contorted in a grin of pure triumph. "I have won! Don't you see? Your power . . . all of your power . . ." He gestured toward the brann wielders, laughing defiantly. "None of it compares to what I hold in my hand! With their combined strength, I will bring Arendelle to its knees! I will have those simpletons you call your subjects begging me for mercy!"

Hans's eyes were now wide, his voice trembling, his face pale. "But why stop at Arendelle? Why, indeed, when I could rule the entire Continent? No, not just the Continent! The entire world! Who would dare oppose me while I possess the Jewels? At my command, nations would crumble, the waters would wash them away, the winds would scatter their ashes." He looked at Elsa once more. "Don't you see, Elsa? Look at what you have given me! I am now the master of this entire world! And there is no one to stop me!"

Elsa and her companions were speechless, realizing that, for all his bluster, Hans spoke the truth.

Arberish, however, refused to give up so easily. "If we all rush him together," he whispered to Elsa, "we might be able to take them back. We'd have to hurry, though!"

Elsa looked to Alúvelin and Valanda. They nodded, their hands glowing red.

"We must be fast," Elsa whispered, the ice circling her fingertips. "We only have one opportunity."

"NOW!" Arberish cried. The four rushed toward Hans, prepared to unleash their elemental strength upon the mad prince.

But Hans was prepared for them. He brought Valdránavish to his forehead, closing his eyes as he did so. The moment the cool stone made contact with his skin, a wave of energy burst through the cavern, sending Elsa, Arberish, Alúvelin, and Valanda flying backwards.

"Who dares disturb my rest?" a loud voice asked, ringing throughout the cavern. "Distráberen slumbárena maíne?"

Hans cackled with glee. "Valdránavish! You have slept for far too long, my friend. I have a proposition for you. One I believe you will find most interesting!"

Silence fell upon the chamber. Elsa brought herself to a sitting position, rubbing the welt on her head that now felt much, much worse. Wordlessly, she crawled to Arberish, helping him to sit.

"Are you all right?" Arberish asked softly.

"Of course I am," Elsa replied. "What about you? You . . . You bore the worst of it."

"I'll be fine," Arberish replied, wincing as he rotated his shoulder. "Maybe I am getting too old for this after all."

"Not for me," Elsa whispered, gently bringing her lips to his. She kissed him, pulling back after a moment. "We need to—"

"I am listening." Valdránavish's deep, booming voice filled the chamber once more.

"Wonderful." Hans rubbed his hands together, barely able to contain himself. "How would you like to help me reshape this Continent? Several kingdoms have become far too arrogant. They must be dealt with. Swiftly. Terribly. I need your assistance."

"What have they done?" Valdránavish asked. "Surely, you would not ask this of me unless they had committed some type of heinous crime."

"You needn't concern yourself with the details," Hans said. "I know all about you, Valdránavish. How long has it been since you have been permitted to unleash your energies freely? How long have you been forced to contain your power, to prevent yourself from being truly happy?"

Another imposing silence filled the room. "Too long," Valdránavish said. "Far, far too long, indeed."

"Exactly!" Hans cried. "I offer you an opportunity to be who you truly are! Valdránavish, Master of the Earth! I offer you an opportunity to prove to the world that you are not merely the product of legend, to remind everyone that you, and you alone, are the most fearsome force this world has ever seen!"

"Yes!" The stone pulsed with light, glowing ever brighter.

"No!" Elsa cried. "Please, Valdránavish! Don't listen to him!"

"Who are you?!" The life-force of the Jewel barreled into Elsa's consciousness. "What can you offer me that he cannot?"

"I . . . I am Elsa, Queen of Arendelle," Elsa said, unsure of what to say. "My people . . . They are among those this man wishes to destroy. They have done nothing to deserve this! I swear!"

"Ignore her!" Hans cried. "She is trying to sway you with her words! Don't listen to her, Valdránavish! She wants to restrain your power, rather than letting you be free!"

"No!" Elsa protested. "Please! Look!" She removed the Eden-stone ring from her finger, the blue gem glowing brightly. "Look! This ring I wear is an heirloom of Arendelle! It is made from a piece of your sister, Elenóreweth! I swear to you, Arendelle means no harm to anyone! Please, don't destroy her!"

"None of you understand!" the stone roared. "I am Valdránavish the Terrible! I serve no Man! I am my own Master! I will do as I desire! And what I desire . . . is destruction! Take me to where I may exercise! It has been so long!"

"Excellent!" Hans said. "I believe you and I will enjoy working together quite nicely!"

"No!" Elsa cried, making one final effort to sway the stone. "Please, don't! Think of the lives that will be lost. Please!"

The stone did not answer. Hans looked at Elsa, smiling.

"Sorry, Elsa. But my men, and the Jewels . . . we have a pressing engagement in Arendelle. And we can't have you following us, now, can we?" Hans and his men moved to the tunnel entrance. Raising the Jewel above his head, Hans cried out: "Valdránavish! I believe a demonstration of your power is in order! This woman . . . She doubts your might! Show her how wrong she is!"

Take cover! Take cover! Do it now! DO IT! Elsa could barely think over the warning sounds erupting in her brain.

A swirl of red light poured from the jewel. The chamber trembled, large cracks appearing in the ceiling. Valanda cried out as large chunks of rock began to fall upon them. Screaming in terror, Elsa and her companions took shelter wherever they could. The roar grew louder, the rumbling more intense. Dust from the fallen rock filled the room, blinding them, making them choke—

It was silent once more. Elsa opened her eyes, hardly daring to look around. Her heart sank as she saw what had happened.

The tunnel was completely impassible. Rocks lay before the entrance, as high as the chamber's ceiling.

"No!" Anna whispered, covering her mouth, letting out another moan of agony as her babies moved sharply within her.

"We're . . . We're trapped," Kristoff murmured, rubbing his eyes, hoping that what he saw was an illusion. But it was nothing of the sort. The rock remained before them, blocking their passage.

"What do we do now?" Alúvelin whispered. "They will go to Arendelle. They will find your people . . . my people in exile." She turned to Elsa. "What are we going to do?!"

Elsa shook her head. "I . . . I don't know. We . . . We have lost. There is nothing more we can do. We have failed in so many ways." She allowed Arberish to place a reassuring arm around her shoulder, shaking her head as she realized the magnitude of their blunder. "We have doomed this Continent. God, forgive us. God, forgive me!"

AN: As we reach the home stretch, just a quick update. I will do the best I can to stay on schedule with my updates. Things have gotten a little crazy lately, so I don't know what's going to happen. I will do my best to continue doing one chapter a day, but I make no promises. I have ideas for Part Five already, so I need to spend some time going over my notes and rereading previous chapters of this story to make sure I set everything up for the next story that needs to be done in the last few chapters of this one. More to come!