chapter 12
Reviews are welcome.
I fully appreciate the reviews by Loridhhp, but I would like to read from additional people. Thank you for the additional reviews.
I had planned for a bit more detail in some of the scenes in this chapter, but, since they just reinforce Queen Elsa's training/planning, I will forgo them.
Later, after the simple cases.
Queen Elsa and Anna are outside in the courtyard right next to the outer doors.
Around them are a couple of clerks to write any notes, such as special requests or favors that a Citizen might ask for, or write down a name that Elsa wants to remember. A couple of maids and servants stand by a nearby table with some grog and bread, for when someone needs a snack. There are also a few Royal Guardsmen in the background, for crowd control, if needed. Gerda is supervising while Kai is away. (He is trying to take a power nap to help with the rest of the day.)
Lennart, the head of the of fishing guild is standing off to the side, watching.
Elsa and Anna are standing, greeting the Citizens as they enter the Castle's Courtyard. There are a couple of chairs behind them, not thrones, just big comfortable chairs, but neither uses their chairs. There is a line of people passing by them.
It goes something like this.
Citizen of Arendelle: "Your Majesties." Bow. "My name is... Thank you for making the Winter go away. Random compliment about how beautiful something is. A wish for a long reign." Bow and leave.
Elsa and Anna: "Thank you for coming. I am so sorry. My powers...are under control, now. That will not happen again. Thank you for the compliment and I wish you to have a healthy and fruitful life."
Children, when they ask, are given an icy snowflake big enough to fill their small hands. Adults, if they ask, are given the same. These snowflakes melt away like normal ice does.
It is a successful outing, with which Queen Elsa and Princess Anna are very happy with. With Anna nearby, Elsa's nervousness about being around crowds, even being outside is under control.
Lunch... Elsa's is a very boring working lunch.
Anna though...
Inside the tavern: Ice House
"You heard?" One of Asger's friends whisper. "Princess Anna is supposed to be on the way here."
Asger nods, "Yeah."
"Did you hear the rumors that Herlofson is ordering the longshoremen to have fights with the Guard tonight?" Another of his friends whisper, "IF we do something...he'd pay us, right?"
Asger turns and growls at him, "Do you want to lick his boots?"
"No. But. Money is getting tight."
"And now that the Queen has powers, who knows what will happen?" Others whisper.
"We agreed to follow you because you said that you had a plan, Asger. But."
He nods. "But, the Queen having Ice powers wasn't part of it. I know. That's why I went to the Castle this morning and watched her on the throne. The plan will still work, I am sure, it just needs a little adjusting, guys."
They look at each other and slowly nod. "Things are getting tight, Asger."
"We will know in a couple of weeks whither it will work or not." Asger says. "Just be polite when she enters."
"Why?"
"Why because if Herlofson is going to make trouble, which he is, do you want to do him a favor?"
"No."
"So, no rudeness." A pause. "At least not now."
He thinks, 'Queen Elsa had better have a backbone. Because if she backs down against Herlofson... He will ruin the city..' He looks at his friends and considers the stress and anger in them. 'Or there will be real rioting in the streets. People will attack City Hall and the Castle, just like the did in France during its revolution.'
"So. Here it is." Princess Anna says to herself as she stops in front of the tavern. Compared to some of the other ones that she's pasted on her way here, it's a nice place. 'I knew that we cleaned up the docks and the area near the Castle and freshly painted them for Elsa's Coronation, but I did not realize that there were places like this in Arendelle. Of course, how much time did I have to explore Arendelle? Gerda and Kai made sure, especially after that mistake with the pig, that I could not escape the Castle.' She thinks.
The Ice House is a large two-story house with the typical steeply pitched roofs of Norway. It is gray with white trim. The streets and alleys around the Ice House are very much a working neighborhood. It is on the other side of the Arendelle from the Castle. There is traffic going in and out of the tavern. Most of the people are stopping and looking at Anna. Her clean clothes and her smiles to everyone she passes are different from most of the people on the streets.
Anna takes a deep breath and enters the tavern. She waves her hand in front of her face. She coughs as she enters the place, the tobacco smoke from the pipes and harsh cigars is almost overwhelming.
Silence as everyone looks at her.
She blushes, spots Kristoff and rushes over to him. He rises and she hugs him. He blushes and helps her sit at the table he is using. There are a couple of other men sitting at the table. "Huh. Princess Anna, these are my friends, Jerle." A young man similar to Kristoff's in appearance and age, but with brown hair. "And Erlend." Another young man, but smaller and thinner than Kristoff, although he also has similar looks.
They both stand and bow to her. 'Haven't I seen their faces?' Anna thinks, 'Servant's from the Castle? Somewhere.'
Anna waves at them, and looking around, says in a loud voice, "Do not worry about all that Princess stuff. Just call me Anna."
They mumble, "Thank you, Princess Anna."
She sighs. "Kristoff, I did not realize how far this was from the Castle." She looks at the table. There is some mugs for the men, but no food. "Waiting for me?" She asks.
Kristoff nods.
"Well. I have to hurry back to the Castle, so we'll have to eat fast." She looks around, "What is for lunch anyways?"
"Fast?" Kristoff says, "Fish stew, bread and grog."
"All right." Anna replies.
'Although, except for the carrots and catch as catch can meals last week, I don't think I've had that simple of a meal before.' She thinks. 'Gerda always makes sure I ate proper meals.'
The bar maid rushes over bowls of food and drink, while everyone in the tavern watches.
"Does everyone watch each other like this?" Anna whispers to Kristoff.
He shakes his head. "It's you, Anna. It's been years since anyone connected to the Castle has traveled into this part of the city."
Anna opens her mouth and closes it. 'Yeah, between Father closing the doors and such, I suppose that makes sense.'
Anna stands up and says, "Please everyone, go about your normal business. Don't let me disturb you."
People start to talk and eat, but there is a lot of pauses and eye movements at they watch her and Kristoff.
After the first spoonful, 'This is awful! Gerda would never allow this!' she thinks. But as she starts to wave to the bar maid to complain, she sees Kristoff, after breaking a carrot into a few pieces and dropping them in the stew, gulps the stew down in obvious enjoyment.
"You like this!" She asks in amazement!
Kristoff nods, "Yeah, one the better stews they've had here. Fresh salted herrings. I told them that you were planning on coming by and," He waves the spoon to the bar tender, "Joakim said he'd do his best."
Anna looks at the bar tender, he pales, and walks over. "I know this isn't the Castle, Princess Anna, but we tried our best." He says in a pleading tone.
Anna opens and closes her mouth. 'How can I complain? He and Kristoff believe that this is good...'
She smiles, "No, Ahhh..." She whispers to Kristoff, "What's his name again?"
"Joakim."
"Joakim," Princess Anna smiles, "I was just going to complement you."
He wipes his forehead, and says, "Thank you, Princess Anna. Once Kristoff told us that you were coming, we cleaned up and prepared."
Anna looks around. Compared to the Castle this place is a dump. She can see food and drink stains on his clothes and on the clothes of the bar maid. The floor has been sweep, she can tell, because all they did was sweep the mess that was on the floor into the corners.
Anna smiles and tells a lie, "Thank you. This place is great!"
She forces herself to eat the meal. The worst meal ever. "Kristoff, I spent too much time finding this place, and I must get back to the Castle quickly." She uses that as an excuse to eat quickly.
'I'm going to ignore Kristoff's table manners, he is eating more neatly than just about everyone else in here.' She thinks.
She looks around, "Who do I have to talk to?"
Kristoff's licks his lips and points to a table on the other side of the tavern. "Asger and his cronies are there, Anna. But."
She stands up, waving off his attempt to explain things. She stalks over to the table that Kristoff pointed out. Kristoff and the two men that were sitting with them, follow.
Jerle and Erlend slip hands under their tunics, so they can grasp the daggers they hid in their belts. Both are Guardsmen and they had been warned by the Captain. Captain Marcus growled at them, "IF she is hurt, and you two are not dead, you will wish you were when I get through with you."
Asger and five other older men are sitting around the table, finishing eating and drinking grog and beer. They all are at least ten years older than Kristoff and all have scarred hands, forearms or faces, from a lifetime of hard work.
Asger nudges the man next to him and stands as Princess Anna approaches.
All the men stand up and bow to her.
'This would be easier if I knew what Elsa had planned to say. But she did not tell me, so I'm going to have to guess.' She thinks.
The Ice House freezes as everyone watches Anna stop at the table.
"You are Asger?" She asks to the biggest man. He flips his thumb to Asger, who, while he is not the biggest, he is the only slightly smaller.
"I am Asger, Your Highness." He states as he looks down at her. His eyes flick to Kristoff and the two men behind him. He smiles, showing a couple of broken teeth.
Anna waves her hand, dismissing the formal wording. "Just call me Anna, Asger. I heard that you do not like my sister."
He shakes his head. "No. Princess. Whither I like her or not, isn't it. I am worried about how her powers will affect my business."
Anna frowns, "She can make Ice, how can that hurt you?"
He rolls his eyes and states, "If she can make ice, why do I need to go into the mountains, cut the ice out of the lakes and haul it down to the city? She can do that without having to leave the Castle." He points in the direction of North Mountain, not that they can see it in the building. "Rumors from the Guardsmen" His eyes flick again to Jerle and Erlend, "Say that Queen Elsa made a huge ice building. Making slabs of Ice is easy for her."
Anna blinks and thinks, 'He is right, making tons of ice would be easy. I have no idea how much Ice is in the Ice Palace but it is thousands of tons.'
"My sister..." She begins, "will fix this, Asger. I know that she has a plan."
'I just wish I knew what it is.'
"A plan?" Asger asks, "What plan? I have three children, a wife and my aged mother living with me. If I do not bring home enough money, they will starve. I need more than just a plan." He says earnestly. He points to the other men. "They are like me, Princess. We need something."
thank you for reading
jeff