For My Kingdom
A Frozen Fan Fiction
Chapter Twelve:
Can Things Get More Complicated? They Can Indeed.
Author's Note: Artemis is now Faust!
Anna and Elsa did arrive before "Prince Fancy-Pants," not that it really mattered. They were to be last to enter the banquet hall anyway. A curly haired maidservant, Jenny, approached the queen and princess and curtsied. "Your majesty," she began, "your food and beverage will be tested and tasted as it comes out to you, to ensure your safety."
Elsa tilted her head forward in response and said, "Thank you, Jenny, but that will not be necessary."
Jenny looked at the queen in shock, Anna's face echoing hers. "Your majesty?"
"I will not allow anyone to risk their lives to save mine." Elsa held her hands delicately behind her back. "Besides, poison failed once already, and the culprit is in prison waiting to be tried for treason. Whoever might be next will know better than to repeat their predecessor's mistakes." Elsa was very stern and rather upset that her servants thought they ought to risk their lives to prevent her from being poisoned again. Her life isn't the only one with value.
The maidservant curtsied again. "Yes, your majesty." She walked back to the kitchens, presumably to let the other servants know what the queen said.
Elsa turned back to face the double doors. On the other side, the attendees were entering from another location and taking their seats.
Anna looked at her sister with great concern etched into her pretty, freckled cheeks. "Elsa? Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"Anna," she began, deliberately looking away from her. "I've appeared weak enough already. If I allow servants to taste my food before I eat and one of them dies, their blood will be on my hands. Not the assassin's." Elsa sighed heavily. "No. No one is going to die for me."
"But," the princess was beginning to feel angry, "If you die, Elsa... What will happen then? Can you really leave your kingdom like that?"
"If I die, Anna..." Elsa had to steady herself. She couldn't say that she was scared of death per se, but what did frighten her was being taken before she felt she had really made up for her past mistakes. She still had a ways to go. "If I die, you will make a fine queen. Don't you ever doubt that for a second." What Sir Rehm said in the meeting earlier that afternoon suddenly made her angry. "You are kind. You are just. You can rule. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
Anna bit her lower lip and wrapped the queen in a tight embrace. "Nothing is going to happen to you, Elsa."
A small smile appeared on Elsa's face as she hugged her in return. "Of course not."
As the sisters were being affectionate, a guard, who Anna recognized as Faust from earlier that day, cleared his throat.
"Your majesty," he began. Elsa released her sister to look at him. "All the guests are in their seats."
"Alright," she replied, straightening her back and shoulders. "We're ready."
He nodded and knocked quietly on the double doors. They were pulled open from the inside by two men, revealing the guests sitting at the long table decorated with a pure, white tablecloth and ambient candle light.
"Queen Elsa and Princess Anna of Arendelle."
The room stood as Elsa and Anna entered the room. Elsa took her seat at the head, while Anna sat next to Kristoff, who had entered with the guests as he was not technically of royal blood, on her right and Sir Rehm on her left (she tried to ignore the fact that Prince Alexander sat immediately to his left).
Elsa smiled and glanced around the table at some of the familiar faces. The princess of Corona and her husband (born a commoner, like Kristoff), who Anna was fairly well acquainted with, sat not far to Anna's right. Though she was not as familiar with the couple as her sister, Elsa did rather enjoy their company. The princess had a short, spunky bob of brown hair and both she and her husband were almost always at the lead of good, comical conversation. Elsa always made sure they had an invite to everything (they also were good about keeping an eye on their neighbor, Weselton).
"Hello, everyone." Elsa greeted the guests with a gentle smile, determined to appear not as wound up as she has been.
Some of the guests smiled, responding with, "Your majesty."
The queen continued, "I'm glad to see you all made it, and once again I apologize for keeping you away from your homes a little longer." She smiled apologetically. "But I do hope that you are finding yourselves comfortable." She gestured casually around the room. "Please feel free to come by the kitchens whenever you want should you find yourselves in need of a snack. Or, if you're getting a little cooped up, I find that a walk around the castle grounds or the village always helps me stay grounded and at ease."
Elsa inclined her head regally, turned, and waved in the servants who were carrying platters of warm food. "Now, I don't know about any of you, but I'm hungry."
Before everyone, was set a plate of the first course, which was a green salad, as well as a glass of red wine. Jenny placed Elsa's plate and goblet (not glass, like at the reception, banquets were considered more formal occasions, requiring that she use the gold relic). She was about to depart with the other servants when the queen rested her hand on her arm, signaling her to stop.
"Please, stay..." she muttered quietly to the maidservant.
To Jenny's everlasting credit, she didn't ask why. She only nodded her thick, brown, curly head and said, "Yes, your majesty."
Elsa exhaled, picked up her salad fork, and began to dig in to her salad. The greens were crisp and amazing, and with every bite she gained confidence, but her goblet of wine remained untouched for the entire first course.
Between courses, there was about a fifteen minute delay. This was time to chat, as no one wants to accidentally talk with their mouth full. The first person to speak as the salad plates were being taken away was, unfortunately, Prince Alexander of Denmark.
"Queen Elsa," he began, turning slightly in his seat to face her. Elsa was fighting a losing battle to keep from rolling her eyes, so she closed them briefly instead. "How are you feeling this evening? Are you well?"
The queen stared blankly at her goblet for a few seconds before looking up at the prince. "Yes, your highness. I am well. However, a banquet is hardly the time to bring up such matters." Though she made an honest attempt to keep a smile on her face, her voice was chill. This prince was not making a good impression on her at all as an acquaintance. Much less a potential husband. Though he was handsome and surely meant well, his behavior was rather off-putting.
"I apologize, your majesty, I am merely concerned for your welfare." He took a sip of wine from his glass.
Who knows how far over the edge Elsa had been already, but something in her brain seemed to explode right at that moment while watching Prince Fancy-Pants drinking without a care in the world from his glass.
The reins on her tongue broke and for the first time in years, Elsa spoke exactly what she was feeling. "I'm sure you are, Prince Alexander. Everybody in this room seems to be. However, your highness, the only person who has asked me how I am since I woke up from a poison-induced coma this morning has been my sister; and to be perfectly frank with you, I would have rathered it stay that way." Though she struggled to keep her tone even, in spite of the scathing words, the guests in the room stared at her, shocked. Her hands trembled from underneath the table, the curse wanting to be unleashed, but she wasn't done yet. "I know you're not next in line to the throne in Denmark. You may be expected to marry into a throne, but I really hope that before that happens you grow up. The point of being a ruler, Prince Alexander, is to be strong. Even if you don't believe you are, you need to look it. People asking you if you are well in front of everyone that is important to them when they know fairly well that they are not is a terrible thing for them to do. If you want to ask, do it privately, not in front of the largest gathering you can find."
The room was as still and quiet as a tomb. Elsa was never much of a drinker, preferring to keep her faculties in check, but her faculties were out the window by then and she needed alcohol. She reached a shaking hand over to the goblet and put it against her lips when she heard the most offensive thing she thought she could ever hear coming from under the prince's breath. "Okay, god, chill out..."
The goblet froze instantly. She set it down delicately and looked at Alexander, everyone else was too. Apparently Elsa wasn't the only one who was certain she was offended by being asked to 'chill out'. Elsa had to laugh, in spite of everything. "With all due respect, your highness."
"Your majesty..." Jenny interjected quietly, but the queen didn't hear her.
"That was the poorest choice of words I think I've ever..."
"Your majesty!" Jenny said again, louder.
Elsa took a deep breath and turned to look at Jenny. She rubbed two fingers across her brow, exhausted. "Yes?"
The young woman gulped and whispered, "Your... your wine..."
Not thinking much about it, the queen looked down at the frozen goblet. The crimson liquid had frozen into a solid black. Her heart stopped. She stood up with the goblet in hand and, without another word, exited the room with Jenny on her tail. Anna half stood as they left, genuinely confused.
Once the door was shut behind them, Elsa leaned heavily against the wall and slid down it so that she had her knees against her chest.
Jenny stood over her now, distress and concern playing clearly across her face. "Your majesty, I swear I didn't..."
"I know, Jenny... I know... You've been in this castle for as long as I can remember... Your parents were good friends of the king and queen..." Her voice shook as she glanced down at the goblet.
"Your majesty..." Jenny began, a look of guilt played across her face. "I must confess... I disobeyed your orders..."
Elsa looked quickly up at Jenny, knowing instantly that she meant she had tasted the wine. "What? Then how can..." She stood up quickly and opened the door to the banquet hall, completely frazzled. Every last person at that table turned to look at her. "Anna..." she began, trying to regain some semblance of dignity. Her sister stood up quickly. "Can I get you out here please? And if you would... bring your glass as well? Is there still wine in it?"
Anna picked up her glass and walked briskly toward the queen. "Yes, your majesty."
The princess managed to keep her confusion off her face, at least until the doors shut behind her. "What's wrong, Elsa?" She was still quite startled about her sister's rampage and abrupt exit.
"May I see your glass?" Elsa held out her hand. "Please?" Anna handed her the half-empty glass of wine. It froze instantly as she clenched the glass in her fists, the red wine turning black as starless night.
Anna gasped and Elsa closed her eyes. The queen's lips trembled frantically and the ground beneath her began to freeze. Snow rained down from the ceiling and the corridor's temperature lowered dramatically.
With one swift and powerful move, the queen shattered Anna's glass against the wall across from her. The frozen, black liquid fell to the floor like black snow. "No one must know." She said quietly, her fit of anger over. The snow ceased to fall and the ice began to melt as quickly as it came.
"Elsa?" Anna asked, slowly approaching her.
Elsa held up a hand to prevent Anna from coming any closer. She was too fragile right then. Too dangerous. "Tell only a few trusted guards... I will be freezing and unfreezing my drinks from now on... Clearly it only affects me and shows itself when it is frozen." She took a shaky breath. "Whoever is doing this... They aren't going to rest until I'm dead."
Tears streaked freely down Anna's cheeks. "Your going to be okay, Elsa..."
"I must marry." Elsa sighed, resigned. "I'm sorry, Anna, but despite my strong belief that you would make a good queen, most of our allies do not agree."The hurt on Anna's face, though she tried to hide it, hit the queens heart like a heavy mallet. "I am afraid that if you were to become queen, Arendelle would be vulnerable. Not because of you, but because of lack of support behind you." Elsa wrapped her sister in the tightest of hugs. "I must do this... for my kingdom."
Anna buried her face in her sister's shoulder. "I understand, Elsa."
Without letting go of Anna, the queen looked at Jenny. Would you please invite Prince Alexander to go horseback riding with me tomorrow morning? Around 8? Also, please send him my deepest apologies for my behavior tonight. He really did nothing wrong. I was in a bad place."
Jenny curtsied. "Yes, your majesty."
"Thank you. And if you would have some food sent up to my bedroom, that would be wonderful. I will not be returning to the banquet tonight." Elsa finally released Anna who looked up at her with tear-filled eyes. "It'll be okay, Anna." she said, wiping stray tears from her sister's cheeks. Lies never tasted so bitter in her mouth.