For My Kingdom
A Frozen Fan Fiction
Chapter Five:
Treason and Plot
Author's Note: Artemis is now Faust!
The pathway to the dungeons was a winding one that Anna seldom traveled. Perhaps once she had explored around there as a child, but she never went past the armed guards that barricaded the entrance to where the prisoners were kept. Once she and her escorting guard past the entrance to the main part of the dungeon, the bright lanterns that lit the halls turned into bare torches that clung to the stone walls.
Not many of the cells had occupants. Arendelle was known to have a very low crime rate; the worst crimes the kingdom was prone to were petty theft and fighting.
The would-be assassin was being held in the cell farthest from the entrance. Another guard stood just outside it.
Her escort addressed the guard asking, "Has he said anything yet?"
The guard shook his head. "Not word." He looked at Anna briefly and muttered, "Are you sure it's a good idea to let him talk to her?"
"Not at all," the escort replied. "But..."
"But I insisted." Anna interrupted, annoyed at being talked about like she wasn't there.
"Of course, your highness." The guard bowed slightly and turned to unlock the cell door. It was just light enough inside to make out a shadowy figure sitting in the corner, his eyes seemed to bore through her as she entered the small room and the door was shut and locked behind her.
Anna stared right back at the man, half hoping to find something in his eyes to explain why he would try to murder her sister.
"You tried to kill the queen," she said, her voice heavy with contempt.
"I did," he replied, the tone of his voice was flat; it was as if it meant absolutely nothing to him that he had very nearly committed murder.
Anger boiled in the princess's veins, but she worked hard to maintain control of her emotions. "You realize that that is an act of treason to the highest degree, for which you will most certainly be hanged."
The man in the corner shrugged. "Yup." He shifted his position so that he was sitting more properly to face Anna. "Is there a point to your pointing out the obvious, princess?"
Anna's eyes narrowed. "Why?" The one-worded question was sharp and angry.
An unamused chuckle emanated from the corner. "Ha, the princess asks why. Well, to be perfectly honest, I was being paid a lot of money to do so."
Anna had to steel herself to hide the horror that began to fill her heart. "Who was paying you?" What she really wanted to say was, "Who would want Elsa dead?"
He laughed again, thoroughly amused now. "Well I guess that is something you'll just have to figure out on your own." He smiled. "It shouldn't be too difficult though. Who has Elsa angered in the past couple years? Should narrow down the possibilities a little."
Two names instantly came to Anna's mind. Weselton and Hans.
"Oh, and don't worry," he continued, his smile widening. "There will be more where I came from. You might want to have someone tasting her majesty's food. You might even want to keep several guards with her at all times. Though, then again..." He mocked thought. "I don't know who you can trust, and hell, if I don't know..."
Anna was on her feet and ready to pound him when the cell door opened. "That's enough," one of the guards ordered. "Your highness, you should return to your sister."
The man fell into silence with a sinister smirk touching his lips. Anna looked at him one more time, fear gripping her, before she pushed through the men outside the door and stormed out of the dungeons.
The guard that had escorted her down had to run to catch up with her. "Your highness, I think he was just trying to scare you. I don't think you should heed much of what he said. He's a slimy snake of a man."
Anna stopped abruptly so the guard nearly crashed into her and turned around to face him. "What if he wasn't lying? What if Elsa is still in danger?" Her emotions began to get the best of her as the fear and the anger began to drip from the corners of her eyes. "I feel like I just got my sister back... I can't lose her again."
He inclined his head respectfully. "I understand, your highness. I apologize."
"It's fine..." Anna curtsied slightly. "I guess I'm just... really worked up is all."
"Perhaps you should speak with your husband?" he suggested.
Anna shook her head. "No, I need to go to Elsa. However, if you could find him and send him up? I would very much like his company."
"Yes, ma'am. Straight away."
"Thank you." Anna turned to walk away before turning right back around again. "What did you say your name was?"
"Uh, I didn't." The guard smiled. "It's Artemis."
"Oh. Thank you." Anna curtsied again. "Artemis." Without waiting for him to respond, she continued to walk to Elsa's room, millions of thoughts rattling inside her head like angry mosquitoes looking for blood.