Summary: After years of solitude, Elsa now seeks to be the queen Arendelle deserves. But when Arendelle is invaded by a Southern King who is intent on deposing Elsa and claiming Arendelle, Elsa must muster all her courage to protect her country, and herself.

Chapter Two

- King Maximilian Du Von -

When Elsa left the palace the next morning she was greeted by the sun's warmth splitting her storm clouds into little pieces. She had cut the magical strings binding the storm in place an hour before midnight, after Ser Lennox had stopped by her chambers to deliver his final report of the evening. The old knight didn't have to say much, Elsa had known that the Ovelian Herald had told her the truth as soon as she saw the sympathetic look on the man's face. Sleep had been a long time coming afterwards.

"This doesn't feel right." Anna moved her chestnut mare beside Elsa's silvery mount. Anna wore a green wool dress with skirts divided for riding that morning. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold and her face was twisted quite prettily in what Elsa could only assume was concern.

"Nothing about the last few days has felt right," Elsa replied. "But there's nothing we can do but hear what they have to say and make our decisions then."

"Well, I still don't like it," Anna crossed her arms beneath her breasts and glared off to the side. The palace courtyard roared with activity after being brought back to life by the promise of sunlight. Snow was in the process of being shovelled away and dumped over the side of the bridge connection palace and city. Elsa followed Anna's glare until her eyes fell on Kristoff, who was helping to shovel snow onto a huge wooden pallet roped to a yoke attached to Sven.

"I take it the two of you haven't made up yet," Elsa prodded gently.

"No," Anna said quickly. "And I don't want to either. The lummox is better off on his own." Her voice shook. "I don't know what to do, Elsa. I can barely stand seeing him around the palace. . . I wish he'd just . . . go."

"I know it's hard, Anna, and I don't really know what to tell you. . . I think you just need to take what happened and try to make room for it. It isn't going to go away on its own and if try to ignore it it'll just grow and consume everything."

"'Make room for it. . .'" Anna said. "How am I meant to do that?"

Then Ser Lennox arrived, and Elsa was saved from answering that particularly difficult question. She made a mental note to speak to her again after this meeting with the invaders was done. Perhaps a word or two with Kristoff would be in order too. . .

"Everything's in place," Ser Lennox said to Elsa. "The Ovelians won't get far if they try anything untoward."

"Oh?" Elsa inquired.

"A company of arbalests wait on the harbour wall, ready to cover our escape should the need arise, and Knight-Captain Evangeline is gathering her best men as an escort. The rest will remain in the city."

Elsa nodded. "And Lord Aubert?" With the skies clearing, Elsa had ordered Lord Aubert to ride out into the countryside to gather and organise the soldiers and peasants who had been trapped outside the city. They'd need every man they could find if the Ovelians decided to properly besiege the city.

"As you ordered," Lennox said.

"Good," Elsa said.

"It's nearly time," Lennox said. "We'll leave when you command."

Elsa looked for Anna, but her sister had moved her mare away. "All right," Elsa said to Lennox. "Let's go meet this king."

#

They had not gone far before they met their first interruption.

"Queen Elsa." The king's herald, Aedan, smiled brilliantly at her from astride a dark horse on the other side of the palace bridge. "It's a pleasure to see you again." An Arendellian patrol surrounded him, each man's hand grasping their sword hilts in case Aedan made a sudden move. But that morning Aedan wasn't even wearing his red-jewelled dagger, and any attempt on his behalf to take Elsa's life would only result in his own demise.

And I am far from helpless, Elsa thought to herself. "I wish I could say the same," Elsa replied coldly, but Aedan's grin only grew. "It seems you've made a habit of entering my city without invitation."

"There's no need to have your gatekeepers flogged," Aedan said. "I presented myself to the soldiers you posted by the wall and requested they bring me to you."

"To what purpose?"

"To provide escort, of course." Aedan look behind Elsa to the lines of soldiers of horseback. "Though I see you have already assembled a sizeable one to assist in your protection."

"Elsa doesn't need anyone to protect her," Anna said quickly. "Or have you forgotten about her magic?"

Aedan turned his sickly-sweet grin upon Anna. "And the Lady Anna too," Aedan inclined his head. "I'm sorry I couldn't attend to you last night, but I'm afraid I had to return swiftly to my king after speaking with your sister."

Anna's face flushed. Leaning forward on her horse she replied. "I'd rather be attended by a giant squid."

But the Ovelian envoy had already turned his attention away from Anna and was now regarding Ser Lennox with the same droll grin. "And good morning to you too, Ser Lennox. I asked about you when I returned last night. Rickard Ashaela had a lot to say about your role in the final months of the Hundred Year War." He paused dramatically. "'The famous Arendellian soldier with the whispering sword'." His eyes lingered on the pale blade hanging at Lennox's waist. "It was hard fighting in those days. Is it true you cut your way through a dozen men to slay your enemy's commander during the battle of Blackbrush?"

"What do you know about hard fighting? Lennox could have spat the words at Aedan and they would have been kinder.

"Enough to know that I have no desire to cross swords with you," Aedan replied.

Lennox opened his mouth to retort, but Elsa raised a hand to stop him. "Enough!" she ordered. Lennox fell silent, moustaches quivering. Turning to Aedan she said. "Take us to your king."

"As you command," Aedan said with another low bow.

With the Arendellian soldiers still surrounding him, Aedan turned his horse around and began the slow descent through the city towards the fjord. Elsa's company followed a short distance behind. Ser Lennox reined his horse next to Elsa's mare and leaned in close. "Did you hear what he said," Ser Lennox said in a low voice.

"He said a lot of things," Elsa said. "He seems to enjoy the sound of his own voice more than anyone's response."

An amused snort lifted Lennox's moustache. "That he does, but men like that often reveal more than they mean in their attempts at wit."

"You heard something of note?"

Lennox nodded. "He said he spoke to Rickard Ashaela in their camp."

"I don't know the name."

"You should," replied Lennox. "He's Lord Artus Ashaela's eldest son, and brother to the queen besides! I've heard talk of him before. It's said he's the best swordsman Ovelia has ever seen, and the man who told me doesn't tend to exaggerate."

"What does that mean for us?"

"I don't know," Lennox said hesitantly. "It may mean nothing – I suppose half of Ovelia's courtiers sailed north with Maximilian. One man shouldn't be of particular note."

Yet, you thought it important enough to mention, Elsa thought.

When they reached the base of the ice wall protecting Arendelle's harbour from the Ovelian ships in the fjord, Aedan drew his horse around and looked expectantly at Elsa. A hole large enough for a horse and rider to walk through had been melted at the base. A full company of Arendellian soldiers had erected tents around it and were busy constructing palisades out of fallen trees. Elsa examined the opening curiously. She had heard Knight-Captain Evangeline's theory and was inclined to agree. It was too much to hope that these Ovelian's didn't have access to sorcery. But what kind? She barely understood her own magic, let alone what other sorceries the world contained.

"King Maximilian waits beyond," Aedan said, gesturing towards the hole. "If you are concerned about an ambush waiting on the other side, I suggest sending some of your soldiers through first to ensure the path is clear."

Elsa shot him a derisive glance but didn't reply. Instead, she raised both hands towards the sky, and brought them down in a long sweeping gesture. The effect was instantaneous. In a cloud of diamond dust and icy magic the wall was rent in two as though it were made of simple snow. When the snow finally settled, and the air cleared of ice dust it was to see a gap wide enough for more than a dozen men to ride abreast.

Aedan stared, open-mouthed, and whispered. "Blood!"

Elsa suppressed the urge to smirk at him.

Those beyond the wall seemed to share Aedan's reaction. The Ovelians had erected a small pavilion make of bright red canvas with a pair of red-cloaked guards bearing spears and shields posted at the entrance. A line of horses had been picketed nearby, each horse neighing and shying unhappily away from the magical display. Those who weren't trying to settle the horses were staring at the new gap in the wall as though they could not believe their eyes.

There was only one man who didn't seem perturbed by the display.

Maximilian Du Von Ovelia was a tall man, with hair like spun golden thread from one of the old tales Elsa's father used to tell her as a girl. A simple gold crown adorned with rubies rested on his head. He walked towards Elsa and her company before any of his companions were ready to move, confident that they would rush to follow, and equally sure that no one from Elsa's company would threaten him.

A creeping dislike for this king wormed itself into Elsa's heart. She had never truly hated anyone before – except for herself – but the way he held himself screamed of arrogance and his smile made her feel like she was a mere plaything. It was the envoy's demeanour multiplied by a lifetime getting (and taking) whatever he wanted.

Elsa called the company to a halt. One of her guards took her horse's reins and offered her his hand to help her dismount. The frozen water of the fjord was firm beneath her feet. It would be days before the ice melted.

Still astride his horse, Aedan crossed the empty ground between Elsa and King Maximilian. "King Maximilian Du Von Ovelia," he said formally. "It is my pleasure to introduce to you Queen Elsa Arendelle."

"A queen who needs no introductions," King Maximilian said, with a respectful bow to Elsa. "I am in awe."

Irritation battered against her shield of icy calm. "I'm glad we have this chance to speak, King Maximilian," Elsa replied, inclining her head in return.

"A meeting like this would not have been possible if this storm still held the fury it had over these last three days. It's strange . . . the day we are to meet, the snows stopped falling and the clouds began to part. It seems the heavens approved of our meeting."

"Every storm comes to pass eventually."

"Indeed, they do." Maximilian nodded. "Before we properly begin this discussion, please allow me to introduce to you my companions." He gestured at an older man to his right, who occasionally coughed into his fist. "This is Lord Edward Beoulve. Beside him are the Lords Artus Ashaela, Fleance Flavian and Maxwell Bastille."

All four lords inclined their heads to Elsa, but Lord Beoulve was the only one who spoke. "'Tis an honour, Queen Elsa," he said in a voice that commanded more strength than his body implied. "I knew your father well and was saddened to hear of his death. He was a noble man, and as good a ruler as a kingdom could hope for."

Elsa's poise shook again. She swallowed the ball that rose in her throat and said, "Thank you, my lord."

"Do not be fooled by Edward Beoulve's appearance," Elsa remembered Lennox telling her once. "He is a still lion, and although his claws are weathered, he is still the most cunning of Maximilian's servants."

"And you've already met Aedan," Maximilian said. "He's still not quite recovered from his walk through the storm last night." Aedan smiled at Elsa but did not say anything.

"At least he knows how to guard his tongue around his king," Lennox grumbled.

Elsa's eyes were drawn to a woman who waited in the shadow of Maximilian's pavilion. Black hair fell in soft ringlets to her shoulders, matching the black cloak she wore wrapped around her body. As though sensing Elsa's gaze, her eyes flashed around and met Elsa's so suddenly Elsa might have flinched if she wasn't so focused on remaining calm. The woman's eyes glistened crimson, as bright as hot blood on pale skin.

"May I offer you some wine?" Maximilian asked. "Perhaps a chair too. It's far more comfortable inside the pavilion. . ."

Elsa tore her eyes away from the woman in the pavilion. "I didn't come to drink wine," she said.

"Perhaps your man would like a cup?" Maximilian addressed Ser Lennox. "You seem tired, Ser."

"I'm only tired of this game you insist on playing," Ser Lennox said sternly. "Say what you have come to say so we can be on our way."

White dents appeared on the sides of Maximilian's mouth. They were only there for a moment, and then his face became smooth again. He straightened his shoulders and regarded Elsa and her company with a regal stare. "Very well," he said, voice notably colder than before. "I will be direct with you. I have come to Arendelle for the singular purpose of seeing you, Queen Elsa, removed from the throne."

There was a sharp intake of breath from those around her, but Elsa wasn't surprised. Why else would he have come?

"These are my terms," continued Maximilian. "If you surrender Arendelle to me, there will be no bloodshed. Arendelle will become a territory of Ovelia, and her citizens privy to the same rights and benefits as the rest of the kingdom.

"You will abdicate your throne to Princess Anna, who will rule Arendelle as duchess. A suitable marriage will need to be arranged for her, of course, to properly tie our kingdoms together."

"What?" Anna erupted. "No. I won't do it!"

"Anna," Elsa warned.

"Elsa, no! You can't give up your throne!"

"Anna!" Elsa said, more firmly, and her sister descended into grumbling silence. She turned her attention back to Maximilian. "You haven't said what would happen to me in all this."

"Yes. . ." said Maximilian, who had been regarding Anna thoughtfully. "You will return with me to Ovelia, where you will remain until the end of your days."

"As your guest, or your prisoner," asked Elsa.

"That depends on your next decision."

"Why?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Why come all this way just to remove me from the throne? What have I ever done to you? I've never threatened your kingdom, and I have no aspirations to do so."

"This isn't a personal vendetta." Maximilian looked at her as though the answer was obvious. "You are cursed with sorcery, and a kind unlike any other, so I've been told. And, if I remember my histories correctly, the last sorceress to sit on a throne required the combined might of Ovelia and Corona to root her from it.

"Perhaps you'll never have ambitions to conquer," added Maximilian. "But that's not a wager I'm willing to gamble on. You think this hasn't crossed the mind of old Duke Weselton, or the King of the Isles, because I assure you it has. Why do you think neither of them warned you of my coming?"

Elsa took his words in silence. She wanted to look away from the intensity in Maximilian's fierce eyes, bur forced herself to stillness. "It seems you have formed an unfortunate opinion of me, King Maximilian," she said, a bit sadly.

"One that's ever changing," he said.

Elsa didn't know quite what to make of that. "And if I refuse your terms?"

Maximilian made a great show of sighing, but a spark had ignited in his eyes when he spoke. Elsa was considered tall, but Maximilian's very presence seemed to tower over her. Elsa was given the distinct impression that this was the outcome Maximilian hoped for in his heart of hearts. "Should you refuse, then no magical storm will save your city from me. My soldiers will assail your walls, batter down your gates and put every man who raises arms against them to the sword. There will be no mercy for you, or for your sister. Your bloodline will end and Arendelle will bleed for as long as it continues to resist me."

"You will find we will not be so simply defeated," Ser Lennox said, anger finally goading him to speak.

Maximilian laughed. "The old lord Cressida said something similar when I brought my army to his castle walls. I'm sure a seasoned soldier like you knows what happened to him."

Lennox gritted his teeth.

"Take a day to think over your decision," Maximilian said to Elsa. "I'll send my herald to you tomorrow to receive your response."

Elsa's eyes flashed towards Aedan, who ran a hand through his hair and smiled at her.

That would not do.

"Spare your herald the trip," Elsa said, voice taut with fury. She raised her chin and regarded Maximilian like he was a bug to be squished beneath her shoes. Ice crystals formed in her clenched fists, and she was filled with the urge to freeze him and his entire retinue to death. "I'll not hand Arendelle over to the likes of you. This is my kingdom, and I'll fight to defend it. You may bring your soldiers to bare against my walls, but I promise you they will not make it far. You say you've heard tales of my magic, then you must know the things can I do. How will your soldiers fare when monsters rise from the snow to fight them? How will they fare when the wind blows so cold it freezes the air in their lungs? You may do your worst, King Maximilian, but be assured I will also do mine."

"And how will your people fare when the magic you level against me touches them too?" Maximilian said. "I wager that child was not the only one to die because of your sorcery."

Elsa recoiled as if the Ovelian king had punched her, but she opened the box in her heart and buried her fear deep within. When she spoke, her voice was firm. "I will do what I must."

"Then there shall be war." Maximilian almost managed to sound regretful.

"There has been war ever since the moment you sailed your warships into the fjord," replied Elsa. "I'll take my leave of you now." She paused. "I will see to it that the fjord remains frozen dawn tomorrow. I suggest you put your men back on their ships and prepare to sail home. If you are still here come this time tomorrow, I'll unleash a winter unlike any other on top of your army. And this time you'll need more than a frozen flower and a tale of a dead girl to convince me to end it." She turned on her heel and strode back to her horse. She wondered how she had managed to sound so . . . so strong. Even Anna was looking at her like she had grown two heads.

"A moment, Queen Elsa" Maximilian called after her. "Perhaps there is another solution – one that will spare your city and the lives of both of our soldiers."

"What solution would that be?" Elsa asked, curious, despite herself.

"A duel between champions, with the fate of this war hinged upon the winner's sword.

A duel? Elsa's eyebrows rose, and she glanced at Lennox, who scratched his chin. Upon noticing her look, he leaned in and said. "These Ovelians put much stock in duelling, my queen. Even a snake like Maximilian would honour the conditions of the duel, or else he risks alienating his entire army."

Two of Maximilian's advisors, Lords Ashaela and Bastille, had moved their horses forward so they could whisper furiously to Maximilian. Whatever they had to say clearly meant nothing to the Ovelian king, for he waved them away before either had finished speaking and addressed Elsa once more. "What do you say, Lady Elsa?"

Elsa cleared her throat, pushing away any hints of indecision from her voice. "You're proposing to fight my champion in single combat?"

Maximilian cast a weary look at his advisors and sighed. "No, I will elect a champion to fight on my behalf."

"And what are the conditions of this duel?"

"If my champion is victorious, then the conditions will be what I gave you before: you will surrender Arendelle to me, and you will surrender yourself into my custody. Lady Anna will wed, and rule Arendelle as a province of Ovelia."

It won't come to that. . . "And if my champion wins?" asked Elsa.

"Then I'll take my army, leave your lands and never trouble you or yours again for as long as me and my descendants rule."

"On your honour?"

"Maximilian laid a hand over his heart. "On my honour."

"If I were to agree to this, I'd need some guarantee to assure that you'll leave Arendelle if my champion wins. Hostages shall do."

Maximilian nodded, as if he had expected this. "Of course. There are several. . ."

"I know who I want," Elsa said. "You will surrender the eldest child of each of those fine lords standing behind you," Elsa said. "I will personally guarantee their safety and care. Of course, they'll be returned to Ovelia when I have word that you are back in your castle. If you don't agree to that condition, then there's no more point in us standing here any longer."

Maximilian glanced at his advisors, whose faces had gone as expressionless as stone. "I will not make this decision for you," he told them. "Your sons, your choice."

Elsa could have cut the tension in the air with a knife. Finally, although with a pained expression on his face, Lord Beoulve nodded his head and said. "I agree. My son Matrim will surrender himself as a hostage under your protection. I accept your promise of safety and protection, although I pray I don't come to regret this decision."

The floodgates opened. One-by-one the Ovelian lords stepped forward and agreed to surrender their firstborn sons to Elsa – each one called upon her promise of protection for them. Artus Ashaela spoke last, agreeing to hand Rickard over as hostage until the fate of the war was determined. A weight lifted from Elsa's shoulders at his words – this would have all been for nothing if Lord Ashaela hadn't agreed.

"Then do we have a deal?" Maximilian asked Elsa, once the commitments had been made.

Elsa squashed the anxiety in the pit of her stomach. "We do."

Runners were sent back to the Ovelian ships, and one-by-one the Ovelian lords mounted their horses and began the slow ride back to camp. Maximilian, his envoy and his guards were the last to leave.

"The duel will be held tomorrow morning," Maximilian said to Elsa.

"So be it," Elsa replied.

"You intrigue me, Elsa." Maximilian regarded her as though he was re-evaluating everything he'd once thought about her. "You stand there like you hold all the cards in this game."

Elsa considered this. "This isn't just some game to me."

"Life is a game," Maximilian said, as he whirled his horse around. "The rest of us are merely players. If you are fortunate to rule longer than tomorrow the more you'll come to realise this. For now, I bid you farewell. Until tomorrow, Lady Elsa."

Elsa watched him depart with his guards. Until tomorrow. . .

#

The ride back to the palace was long, and particularly arduous for the horses, whose hooves slipped and skidded on the slushy snow. Elsa didn't mind, as it gave her the time she needed to think. Some of the townspeople came out to see her, waving and cheering. Others turned their backs on her, or stared at her with hard, unhappy eyes.

Maximilian had been right. She could never turn her magic on those people – unwittingly or not. The face of the dead girl haunted her imagination – her tiny face looking so much like Anna's when they were children.

Anna rode close to her, but for once was uncharacteristically silent. Whenever she looked at Elsa a look of such incredible sadness appeared it made Elsa want to weep.

Ser Lennox took charge as soon as they entered the palace courtyard. "You there," he called to a passing page boy. "Stop what you're doing and inform Chancellor Kai he's needed in the war room."

The boy nearly leapt out of his skin at Lennox's bark, but quickly darted off to deliver the message.

"Are you coming?" Elsa asked Anna, who shook her head.

"Ahh, no," replied Anna. "I think I've had enough war talk for today."

"Are you all right?"

A strange look passed over Anna's face, and she looked at Elsa like she had grown a second head. "I've never heard you talk like that before," she said. "It kind of scared me."

"I. . ." Elsa stopped the lie before it left her lips. She nodded weakly. "It scared me too."

"I know why you needed to say it," Anna said. "But it just wasn't you."

How do you know who I am, when I hardly know that myself?

Elsa said her goodbyes to Anna, promising that she would come and find her after she met with her advisors. She encountered Knight-Captain Evangeline in the Entrance Hall, who promised she would make her way to the war room after seeing the Ovelian hostages safely secured in the east wing of the palace.

The war room was a small chamber behind the throne room. Elsa could not quite remember what it was used for before – Lennox mentioned something about an old sitting room when asked. A huge map of Arendelle and the surrounding kingdoms completely covered a table in the middle of the room. Smaller maps occupied small tables or lay on top of the larger one. Lennox had had the servants dig through the contents of the library for as many maps as they could find. One servant had even managed to uncover an old blueprint of the castle, which Lennox had spent many hours poring over and comparing it to drawings of the castle as it had changed over the centuries. Elsa had looked at some of the old maps with interest too, but Lennox would stay up reading and looking at maps until the early hours of the morning.

Ser Lennox went to his customary place around the table and leant his fists on it, scowling.

The silence became unbearable. "I thought that went well," said Elsa.

"'Went well'," Lennox mouthed humourlessly. "What part of that encounter do you think 'went well'?"

"Excuse me?"

"You were soundly manipulated, I hope you realise that."

"I. . ."

"It was clear as soon as Maximilian mentioned the duel. That's how he truly wants to settle this war."

"Well, perhaps it's the best solution," Elsa said numbly.

"How can you say that?" Lennox replied. "In one move Maximilian eliminated the one thing that would cost him victory . . . your magic. He knows that everything you said to him was true. His armies can't stand against your magic if you were to throw it against them."

The implication was too much. "Do you really think so little of me?" Elsa asked. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall - not after what he had said. "You might be willing to wade so far in blood you'll never get out of it again, but I can't have all those lives weighing on my conscience." She thought of the girl who had died in the night and how much that death tore at her soul. "I'd die, don't you see?"

Lennox's face twisted with sympathy, which only made Elsa feel worse. It would be so easy to defer to his judgement, but if she did. . . I'd lose all the progress I've made with Lennox and the nobility over the last year.

"At times I forget how young you are," said Lennox. "The fate of an entire kingdom is so heavy for someone your age."

Elsa couldn't accept that. "Wasn't Maximilian younger than me when he became king?"

Lennox shook his head. "That's different."

"How?"

"You have too much love in your heart. Being a monarch requires doing what's best for your people, even if that means soiling your hands to keep them safe. Maximilian knows this better than most." Lennox said the words gently, but they stung all the same.

"I am doing what I think is best for the realm," replied Elsa. "I'm sorry you can't see that."

A gentle knock on the door broke the silence that seemed to echo between queen and general. With a final glance at Elsa, Lennox crossed the room and pulled open the door, allowing Chancellor Kai and Knight-Captain Evangeline to enter.

"Your Majesty," Chancellor Kai bowed to Elsa. "How did the meeting fare?"

"As well as could be hoped," Lennox replied first. At least he didn't try and contradict Elsa when other people were around, regardless of how he felt. "The war will be decided with a contest between champions."

Chancellor Kai sighed thickly, "'Tis a shame that this must be resolved with bloodshed at all."

"Yet this is the bed we must lie in," said Lennox. "And preparations must be made." When he spoke, he addressed everyone in the room. "We can't place Arendelle's fate in the hands of a single champion. I think we can be certain Maximilian won't either."

"That doesn't sound honourable to me," Evangeline said.

"Some things in this world transcend honour," Lennox told her.

Evangeline snorted, surprised. "I never thought I'd live to hear those words come out of your mouth."

"There was a time when I never thought I'd say them. . . Much has changed this last year."

Elsa felt something warm swell in her breast. She smiled at Lennox, who returned the look with a gentle smile of his own.

"As much as I don't want to consider this possibility," continued Lennox, "we must discuss our plans should our champion lose."

"What do you have in mind?" Elsa asked.

"Should we lose this duel, you must escape and appeal to Corona for aid. King Frederic would not turn you away."

"But would he really go to war for me?" Elsa asked. "Corona hasn't fought Ovelia for over twenty years!"

"Before that they were at war for one-hundred and seventeen. You can be sure that Frederic will see this invasion as a return to Ovelia's conquering ways. Arendelle has been allies with Corona for centuries. We fought beside them during every major battle in the war! They won't forget us in our time of need."

It was tempting – far too tempting, but Elsa shook her head. "I can't run away," she said.

"Elsa. . ."

"What do you imagine Maximilian will do if I break my word to him?"

"Imagine what he'll do if you surrender yourself to him," pleaded Lennox. "You heard him say it. He only came to Arendelle for you, and there is only one fate for sorceresses in Ovelia."

"Maybe . . . maybe that's for the best," Elsa said quietly, bringing everyone else in the room to silence. "Maybe this kingdom will be better off with Anna on the throne. She'll be a better ruler than I'll ever be."

"That's not true. . ." Lennox said weakly. "Your sister has many enduring qualities, and would make a fine queen, but she doesn't have the kind of strength and love that you possess, Elsa. You're someone who can rule and should rule. Centuries come and go without person like you coming into the world. There are times when I look at you and I still can't believe you're real."

Elsa was taken-aback, and even Kai and Evangeline seemed surprised by the intimate words coming from a man as gruff and rough as Ser Lennox. "I . . . you think so highly of me," Elsa replied. "But I'm not the person you think I am. . ."

"It doesn't matter," Lennox said. "You should still be allowed the chance to try."

Elsa's heart swirled with gratitude for Lennox in that moment. "None of this will matter if I don't choose a champion to fight for me."

"Allow me," Evangeline said eagerly. "I'll slay any champion Ovelia conjures. It's a shame that you demanded Rickard Ashaela as a hostage. I've heard that he's the best Ovelia has to offer."

Elsa stared at Evangeline, nonplussed. She's actually excited to fight.

Lennox caught Elsa's eye. "Your courage is noted, Evangeline," he said, "and I'm sure you would serve your queen superbly in this, but I have another task for you – one that is equally important."

Evangeline's face fell. "I'm the best sword in the army," she said. "Who will fight if not me?"

Ser Lennox touched the hilt of his sword. "Me."

#

Author's Note: Elsa's advice to Anna is probably the best bit of advice I've ever gotten about dealing with heartbreak.

Also, as a disclaimer, I borrowed the name Beoulve from Final Fantasy Tactics, which is a great game that has inspired this story in several places. Ovelia is also the name of a character from that game too.