Chapter 16
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.
"Who is it?" Anna calls out
"Kai. May I enter?"
"Enter."
Kai's face has a strange look on it when he enters. He is carrying piece of paper between a couple of finger tips, like it stinks. "Your Majesty. A communication from the Bishop of Arendelle." He holds it out for Elsa to grab.
"That sounds...bad." Anna says as she tries to look over Elsa's shoulder, so she can read it, as well.
TO: Elsa, Queen of Arendelle.
I regret to inform you, that due to a pastoral matter, I can not attend today's Council Meeting. It is, also, my sad duty to request that you change your plans to attend the City's Cathedral tomorrow. Please, attend the Sunday service in the Castle's Chapel, as has been your habit.
From: The Bishop of Arendelle, signed Jens Lauritz Arup
"What?" Elsa cries out. Anna follows a second later, as she finishes the note.
"Anything else?" She asks Kai. "A verbal explanation?"
Kai shakes his head. "Not at this time."
Elsa frowns, "He is no longer a member of the Council, but I was expecting his support at the Council Meeting. I know that the Church helped people last week. I was expecting him to attend, if only to give me a list of the supplies he used and he would want me to replace."
Kai nods.
"Pastoral matter means there is someone who is having a problem and he is helping them, instead of attending, right?" Anna asks.
Elsa shakes herself and smiles. "Yes. I suppose having a Bishop that is so involved with the people of Arendelle, that they are willing to brave the Queen's displeasure, IS a benefit. So."
Kai coughs. "Your Majesty, I do know this, every messenger I've sent has reported that the Bishop was alone in the Cathedral praying. I've been asked by several people if I knew what was so important that the Bishop was not taking visitors. He has only a very few, very private meetings this last week."
"So... He has NOT been talking to a lot of people?" Anna asks, surprised.
"To my knowledge, he has said nothing, publicly beyond, a simple 'leave me alone, I'm praying' or the equivalent, thereof." He nods to the note.
Elsa frowns, "So...the person he is helping is himself?"
"A personal crisis?" Anna asks. "I haven't heard if anyone got hurt during last week. Did someone from his family get hurt? Or did something else happen?"
He coughs into hand, "I only know of two deaths. One, Holger Casper, died from pneumonia, but he was over 70 years old and in poor health before last week. He is not related to the Bishop. The other was a foreign sailor, ahh. Named...Ullieg or something like that. He got drunk and wandered outside during the night. He was found dead the next morning. The body was robbed and had some injuries, so it is unclear what killed him."
"Although, if it had been warm, that would have helped him." Elsa says in a low voice. Anna hugs her sister.
He pauses for thought, then says, "Other than that, all I've heard about is a few broken bones from slips, a couple of cases of minor frostbite, but nothing else."
"Something from his family outside Arendelle?" Elsa asks.
"Everything was normal in the last letters, according to the rumors that I've heard."
"So..." Anna begins to speak. She starts walking around the room, trying to think. "What else could be his problem?"
"So." A pause. "How did the Bishop react to the revelation of my powers?" Elsa asks in a broken voice.
Anna frowns. "That is weird. I don't remember him at all, when the Duke was yelling about sorcery. He should have spoken up then. I could have used his help. I know he was at the ball. He talked to me. Nothing special, just congratulations and such. But he was there. Did he help Hans?" She asks Kai.
Kai looks at Anna and then looks at Elsa, visibly trying to make up his mind.
"Tell me." Elsa orders, after a few seconds.
"He left the ball very quickly and without comment. From what I've heard, the various under-priests began to help people on their on, without orders from the Bishop." Kai pauses. "I do know that the Duke did meet with him."
"And?" Anna asks as Kai stops talking.
"The Duke complained afterward that the Bishop would only say that he would make his decision in time for the Sunday sermon."
"What decision?" Anna asks herself. "Sorcery... the Duke was going on and on about that." She looks at Elsa, "Did he want the Bishop to say something about sorcery?"
Silence as Elsa and Kai look at each other. Elsa finally asks, "I must ask, Kai. Did the Duke mention Exodus?"
Kai nods, slowly.
"Exodus?" Anna asks. Then she shakes her head and she remembers her bible schooling. "oh. No. Elsa..."
"Exodus 22:18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." Elsa says in a low voice. "The Duke would have wanted the Bishop to confirm that, so he could use that to...overthrow me." A look at Kai. "Hans?"
Kai shrugs, "Until Kristoff returned with Anna, he did not say anything negative about you, Queen Elsa. His excuse for placing you in that cell was that it was a precaution. But he and the Duke did have a couple of private meetings, especially after he returned with you. The Duke looked pleased after them."
"But, Jens did not stand up and stop the Duke's ranting about sorcery?" Anna thinks. "Then Jens..."
"The Bishop of Arendelle is seriously considering the passage, Anna." Elsa states. "And since he is not here, he is still considering that passage. He is thinking about denouncing me as a witch."
"But that makes no sense, Elsa!" Anna cries. "He's our cousin."
"Second cousin once removed. He descends from your great-Grandfather's sister and her daughter." Kai states.
Anna throws Kai a dirty look and continues, "And he was Papa's best friend. And HE was the only person that lived outside the Castle that we could talk to for all those years! You and Kai are talking like he has turned against us!"
Elsa and Kai say nothing into the silence...
Anna grabs her sister, "Will he?"
Elsa pats her sister, "I do not know, Anna. He does not like to make waves. That is plain from how he has handled the Council in the past. Supporting someone else yelling about sorcery and witchcraft, maybe. Standing on his own and calling me a witch without anyone else? I do not know." She looks at Kai.
He takes a deep breath, "That matches my feelings as well, Your Majesty. The Bishop of Arendelle wants to have people like him and so, he avoids doing things that people dislike."
Elsa nods, 'Still what to do? The thought that Jens would turn against me, never occurred. How will I handle the meeting? I was hoping to string out the introductions, until he arrived."
Anna claps her hands, "Then if the people of Arendelle like you, Elsa. Jens will support you, since he'll not want to make the people of Arendelle dislike him."
"That makes sense, Anna." Elsa says, "And, Kai, you said that he's been alone in the Cathedral?"
Kai nods, "Yes, generally, for most of the last week, except for meals and sleep. There was that meeting with the Duke and a couple of other small meetings, but..."
"Then he has no idea what the people of Arendelle feel about me?" Elsa asks.
Kai, pauses, "The other priests may be passing along some rumors and talk."
"But, he has had no meetings with the common citizens of the Arendelle?"
"To my knowledge, no."
"Then we have to make him see that the common folk do like you, Elsa." Anna smiles as her solution. "The people will be at the Cathedral tomorrow and if they show that they support you, he will, as well."
"But do they, Anna?" Elsa asks in a small voice, "My magic and my blizzard hurt people. There has to be citizens that are afraid of me."
Kai coughs, "A suggestion, Your Majesty?"
"Please, Kai. I am not sure what to do. I never thought that Jens would turn against me." Queen Elsa says in a pleading tone.
"Normally, the Castle's servants and guards use the Castle's Chapel instead of visiting the City's Cathedral. IF we show up tomorrow, especially in Castle Livery and be vocal about our support."
"That gives me a core of supporters in the Cathedral. Which should cause him to think twice."
Kai nods. "That is my opinion."
"Will they?" Anna asks.
Kai nods. "Queen Elsa has the firm support of the Household."
He thinks, 'And we have family members spread out throughout Arendelle, in the city and the villages outside it. There will be a great number of people inside and outside the Cathedral tomorrow, making their support of Queen Elsa very obvious.'
Elsa smiles and slumps in relief. Anna grabs her, "See. There are people who support you. Not just me." She whispers into her ear. Kai can hear it, but he is trained to pretend that the King or Queen has some privacy in the Castle.
"Yes." Elsa hugs Anna. "Please do so, Kai. I would be grateful."
Kai bows, accepting the order.
Elsa let's go of Anna, "It's almost time. And we shall not be late." She gathers up the stack of envelopes on the table. Kai tries to take them, but she refuses to let him handle them. Kai does give her a small sack for them.
In the corridor next to the Council Chamber, Gerda walks quickly up to them. She bows, "Your Majesty, the Master Carpenter has just told me that he is finished preparing the doors."
Anna claps in delight. "Great, Gerda! Umm. When?" She asks.
"Later. That gives me a good excuse to stop the Meeting whenever I wish, though." Elsa replies. "Gerda, make sure everything is ready in the Courtyard. I may not give much warning."
She nods. Gerda glances at Kai. They exchange glances... She asks, "And the matter with the Bishop?"
Elsa nods to him. "Kai has my instructions, Gerda." A glance at the grandfather clock in the corner. "We still have a few minutes before I enter the Chamber." She glances around the corner.
The Council Chamber door is open. There are a couple of guardsman preventing the various Councilors and their staff from going down the corridor and interrupting the Queen, but otherwise there are people entering and leaving the room, going the other way down the corridor, as the Councilors prepare for the meeting.
She retreats behind the corner. Anna glances around the corner, and then she retreats. Kai and Gerda are exchanging whispers.
"It'll be easy, Elsa." She smiles as she tries to reassure her sister.
Elsa smiles back. The smile is a bit forced, though.
'It will not be. I wish that Jens was here. He would have been a great support. Instead... I can not allow that to distract me. I must be strong. Firm. If they think that I'm weak... Damn, without him here, I will appear weak. I could not get one of my supporters to the meeting.'
The Grandfather clock strikes 2 o'clock.
Kai motions and a guard strikes the floor with his pole-arm.
Queen Elsa enters the Council Chamber.
It is full of men. All of them are older than her. She has only met them during her Coronation Day, and yesterday. AND only for a few minutes...
NOW. She must lead them.
End chapter 16.
Thank you for reading
jeff