Chapter 5

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Coming to a stop, Merida sat upon her loyal steed Angus, and stared in wonder at the mainland, it was nothing like she had seen before, this world created by many, was truly wondrous and terrifying. Landing upon her shoulder, Tinker Bell was shocked at the sight of how fractured the world truly was. As the frozen sea they have been traveling on for the past three and a half days came to an end, before them stood a world that was literally broken apart and stitched back together.

Tinker Bell looked at the land before them, seeing that it had a clear dividing line between the frozen sea and the spring like forest. It reminded her of her formal home of Pixie Hollow. Fluttering out into the warmth, Tinker Bell heaved a heavy sigh of relief. The cold from the frozen sea and that of Britani was almost as bad as that of the Winter Woods in Pixie Hollow. And trying to keeping her wings from freezing was sapping her tiny body's energy; she had done her best to use her wings as little as possible, making use of the wild redhead Merida' hair to keep them warm.

Coming up to Merida's side, Taran patted his horse's neck, thankful for its endurance across the barren terrain. He smiled at Merida and said, "We are one step closer to getting that Amulet and freeing your family."

She nodded her head and smiled when they felt the warm glow of Bauble, and saw its keeper, Eilonwy, staring off at the landscape in wonder. With a light jingle from Tinker Bell, Eilonwy pulled out the magic mirror and said, "Show me the Amulet."

The magic mirror crackled and sparked with green magic until the reflection finally showed the sea side castle with white walls with a red roof they sought. Dark clouds swelled around the castle and the city harbor nestled in a steep coast along the sea. As the magic imprinted the direction of the castle in Eilonwy's mind, she looked up the coast towards the north where black clouds slivered over the horizon.

Leaving the frozen wasteland behind, the three travelers removed their winter cloaks to enjoy the warmer climate of the new region they were traveling in. It wasn't long before they found a road, much to the relief of the horses. By nightfall they reached the outskirts of a city that was unlike any that has been seen by the eyes of a person from the Middle Ages. It was massive; its very size was the stuff of legends and myths. There was no fortification wall around it and nearly every building had glass in their windows. The road, however was blocked by what looked like a make shift barricade and had men armed with really odd looking polearms.

Tinker Bell, who was hidden within Merida's hair jingled. Eilonwy glanced at Bauble who vanished instantly. Taran moved closer to Eilonwy and whispered, "Should we be getting ready to fight?"

"Tink said that these people do not know of magic, and will fear it." Eilonwy whispered loud enough that Merida could hear as well.

"Who are they?" Merida whispered to Tinker Bell, "And wa are we supposed to do about them?"

After a few soft fluttering jungles, Taran and Merida immediately looked at Eilonwy who took a deep breath to calm herself. "Those things they are holding," she said gesturing with her head towards the barricade, "are like bows but can fire metal balls that fly faster than sound itself. She said, that if they have them, they haven't experienced dark magic and its power which can turn those kind of weapons against them." Pausing Eilonwy glared over at Merida who was trying to project her frustration at Tinker Bell. "Merlin said, Bauble can only translate languages it or I have heard before. I've never heard of that language before."

"Arrêt!" A commanding voice cried out from the barricade.

The three companions had no clue as to what was said, but the fact the man who said it and those around them pointed their funny metal spitting sticks at them, made it obvious as to what he wanted. Eilonwy looked at Merida nervously "What do you mean? But you said?" Merida said nothing and simply looked at Eilonwy, which confused the guards looking at them because it appeared that the young blonde was having a conversation.

"Qui va là!" the voice boomed.

Looking up at the man on top of the barricade, Eilonwy cleared her throat and spoke in plain English, "We are just – travelers. Travelers who have become lost…"

Now that the three were closer to the man, he stared down at their rather odd clothing in confusion. One of his men looked to him mirroring his confusion. "Is that one supposed to be some kind of knight?" he asked his superior in French.

After a glare at his subordinate that effectively shut him up, the man lowered his weapon unwilling to point it at two young ladies. "What Kingdom of the British Isles do you come from?" he asked in English.

The sound of a twinkling bell had the men on the barricade look around for a moment in search of the bell. "London." Eilonwy called out, getting their attention once more.

The trio looked nervously at the men who spoke to each other in French.

"I don think they believe us..." Merida whispered to her companions

"Any suggestions?" Taran whispered back.

Rubbing her wounded shoulder, Eilonwy paused as an idea formed in her head. "Please good sir," she said looking at the guards, who had stopped talking and were paying rapt attention to her, "the sky has not looked the same for many days now. We are traveling north. Sir Taran," she said gesturing to him with her uninjured hand, "is escorting us to the northern kingdoms of the Danes, on a peaceful diplomatic mission. We have been attacked by savages and simply seek a warm bed and food for the night. We will leave your city come dawn."

The sky had changed that was for sure, the man thought as he stared up at the stars and after a moment of thought looked down to the three standing before his men and saw that they were tired, and beaten. Although all three of them were armed with swords, with the redhead sporting a bow, they appeared to have no firearms among them. With a nod of his head he looked to his fellow guards, "Although God has forsaken this world," he proclaimed loudly, "the city of Dunkirk will not turn away young ladies in need. But be warned," he said narrowing his eyes, "I would dare not travel any more north than this city, for an evil has swept across those lands, where devils and demons attack on sight."

"Thank you, sir." Eilonwy said with a smile. She looked at her companions and rode ahead around the barricade, with them following behind her.

After being around enough of the town folk and hearing their language, the still invisible Bauble was able to build up enough knowledge for it to begin translating everything, not just for Eilonwy but for Merida and Taran as well. They located an Inn, paid for a room for the night and for a meal in gold coins. Even though it was not the legal tender of the city, gold was still gold to the town's folk and between the two Princesses; they had enough gold to buy their own inn.

The food was odd, but after only eating salted meat, hardtack, and the occasional wild hare for weeks, it was a meal fit for a king, or two Princesses and a 'knight'. For Merida, the strangest thing was the beer which had a kind of wood smoke malt tang; it reminded her of some of her father's home made brews. When they finally retired for the night, they all shared a room utilizing this time to strategize.

With the mirror on the center of the bed, Merida sat cross legged next to it, drawing on some incredible paper that was unlike any parchment she had ever used before. With the mirror's help she had drawn out a rough sketch of the white castle's layout. It was large, and nothing like the castle that Merida was used too. It hardly had any defenses within it, as it seemed to be made for living in comfort, which made planning the raid on the castle that much easier.

Taran sat beside her, admiring her more than her drawing skills. When he heard a jingle he glanced at Tinker Bell who was going through a pouch on her belt. "So Tink," he said leaning back casually, "do you think this Genesis Cervosa you are looking for, is in the palace?"

Giving a weary sigh, Eilonwy looked at Bauble wishing it could translate Never Fairy instead of herself. It was a magical language and even though it understood it, it couldn't translate it to non-magical people. Being an enchantress, even a failed one, Eilonwy was the only one who could speak for Tinker Bell.

She listened as Tinker Bell spoke and after a moment of fleeting rebellion, because she simply didn't want to be the tiny fairy's voice, she spoke for her. "The mirror seems to want to keep the heart a secret. The Everwinter must be blinding it."

"What does this heart do?" Merida asked.

Taking a seat on the pillow and pulling out a small thin ornately carved piece of wood, Tinker Bell gave a sigh and replied through her translator. "It's complicated; they are like a cornerstone that can control the destiny of those around them. For the most part," Eilonwy continued to translate directly, resting her head in her hand, "their powers are unseen, but their effects can change an entire world. All creatures of the fey can usually sense them, because they bring balance and stability to the realms they rest upon. However, the Everwinter, prevents any fey from sensing them.

"In fact, it prevents me from ever returning to my home… If I even have a home to return to in Neverland." Bowing her head, Tinker Bell frowned, "I wish Merlin was here."

Sitting up to rest his chin on his hand, Taran smiled at Tinker Bell. "He was a great wizard. How did you get to know him?"

Looking at the wand in her hand, Tinker Bell remembered the first time she had met the old wizard and it was also a reminder of the darkest point in her life. "He saved me." Eilonway said for her, "It was just after the Counsel banished him. He found me, and asked me to join his cause. He taught me how to control the darkness that was eating away at my heart, and bring back the light. The Everwinter may cloud the details a little, but I will never forget that moment."

Eilonwy paused and leaned forward to get a better look at the wand. "That is the Dragon Claw Wand." she said in awe, "Did Merlin give it to you?"

Nodding Tinker Bell held up the wand. "If he had this," Eilonwy said for her, "maybe he would still be alive."

"Awe." Merida whispered, as she patted Tinker Bell on her head with a finger. "Don't blame yerself. If Merlin gave ya that wand, he did so for a reason. I have to believe that, because why would he send us to get this bloody amulet?"

"Maybe to summon someone…" Eilonway heard Tink chime. The fairy hadn't realized she was thinking out loud; she was a Tinker after all, and she had been working on solving that very mystery for a while now.

"To summon? Like Pocahontas?" Eilonwy asked her, never translating the thought.

Broken from her train of thought, Tinker Bell looked at Eilonwy and only then realized that she was thinking out loud. "Well that is one of the properties of the amulet." she told Eilonwy who translated, "It can be used to summon those pure of heart, such as a Heart Forged from Light. But if used for anything beyond purely noble or good intentions, it will curse you."

After a moment of thought Taran said, "Could we use it to summon your heart forged of light?"

Snapping her fingers, Tinker Bell pointed to Taran, as Eilowny translated, "You're a genius Taran."

Merida leaned back and crossed her arms, "The amulet is supposed to help us end the Everwinter and kill the Snow Queen. How can summoning yer heart of light do that?"

"That's not how the Heart of Light works, I think." Tink chimed.

Eilonwy frowned and looked at Merida, "Tinker Bell has saved our lives, and done so much to help. The least we can do is trust her, Merida. Merlin said it would help us stop the Snow Queen, and maybe with these hearts it will.

"No." Merida got off of the bed and pointed at her map. "I am not going into that castle and risking my life for something that will do nothing for us!"

Tinker Bell flew up to Merida's eye level and spoke with Eilonwy faithfully translating, even using the same tone in her voice. "Merida, the Amulet can do other things. It can grant fantastic powers."

"If it is so damn pure…" Merida scowled, "how will it allow me to use it to kill Queen Elsa? And on that note, why does Morgana have it?" she demanded. "If used for anything less than purity, it should curse her."

They were good questions, and Tinker Bell wished Merlin was here to answer them. She thought deeply wondering how to figure an answer out quickly, but even the best Tinker couldn't figure out the mind of the mighty wizard Merlin. "Maybe killing Queen Elsa isn't how we defeat her?" Eilonwy said for Tink, "Maybe there is another way that the amulet will allow us to end the Everwinter and defeat the Snow Queen."

Shaking her head, Merida's temper boiled over. "No!" she shouted vehemently, "Queen Elsa will die! That blue skinned harpy killed my father, and she will pay for that with her life! If ya don't like it, then maybe we don't need a stupid fairy tagging along."

"Merida!" Taran shouted in a reprimanding tone.

Merida fled from the room, as tears welled in her eyes, slamming the door behind her. Taran stood and gave a longsuffering sigh. "Sorry Tink." he said as he walked to the door.

After he left, Eilonwy saw that Tinker Bell was sitting on the pillow crying. "Oh, Tink…" she said leaning towards her, "She didn't mean it; s-she was just upset."

Tinker Bell wiped her eyes and glanced at Eilonwy. "I know she didn't mean it." she said looking at her feet, "Her anger…she reminds me of myself. At a time, all I wanted was vengeance, and I did everything to get it. I lost everything to obtain it, and it cost me far more than I could bare. If she doesn't let go of that hate, it will burn her up inside until there is nothing left in her except that horrible emotion."

It didn't take Taran long to find Merida, she went where she always goes when she was mad. Entering the stables, Taran smiled hearing Merida venting her frustrations to her most trusted friend, Angus.

"What does that green little twinkling bell even know!" he heard her say, "What makes what she is doing more important than my vengeance! If we kill the Snow Queen, the Everwinter will end, and she and all her fairy friends can see their stupid Hearts of Gold."

"Hearts of Light." Taran corrected as he leaned into the opening of the stall Angus was in.

Glaring at Taran for a moment Merida went back to cleaning the stall. "Who cares!" she said raking irritably, "That wispy little toad with wings isn't getting that amulet! Not until we figure out how to use it to kill that snow witch."

Rubbing a finger across an old scar on his arm, Taran spoke in a calm soft voice, "After you kill her, then what?"

"Then I go home with my Ma, and brothers!" Merida shouted as she threw the pitch fork against the stall wall and stood, with her fists clenched facing him. Angus stood by his hay bale, munching happily, long since used to his owner's temper.

"To hell with the world, Merida." Taran told her and then sighed, "Queen Elsa is just a small part of a much larger issue."

Rubbing her eyes free of tears Merida countered, "Haven't my family done enough?" she asked turning around to hide her tears, "Haven't ya proven yerself enough? Why can't we just go home?"

It wasn't about proving himself anymore and Taran knew it, he felt it. What Tinker Bell was doing was greater than himself, and he couldn't standby and hide from the evil she was trying to stop. "We could go," he said softly, "and simply leave this world behind, but I couldn't possibly disgrace your father like that."

With fire igniting in her eyes, Merida swiftly swirled around and stood in front of Taran, slapping him across the face. "What do ya know about my Da!" she shouted as silent tears poured down her cheeks.

Taran grabbed Merida's wrist when she lifted it to slap him again. He held her hand tightly as he said, "He was an honorable and noble king, who died so that we may live. He didn't run away from the darkness, and I can't either."

Taran was a lot stronger than he looked, and considering how emotional Merida was at the moment, she simply couldn't find the strength to pull her hand away no matter how hard she struggled

"I am tired," she said as she pounded her free fist against his chest, "I am scared. I don't want to fight anymore!"

Taran pulled her in a tight hug, wrapping one arm around her back, while his other hand rested on the back of her head as he gently held her against his chest. "Fate is something we cannot fight, Merida." he said holding her tighter as she shuddered, "I am scared too. But one look into your eyes and I will always find strength, because I love you Princess Merida of the Clan DunBroch."

The two stood still in the stables, holding onto each other. She slowly began to calm as she listened to Taran's steady heartbeat. When she finally calmed enough and looked up to see him smiling down at her, all her fear drifted away. She brought his head towards her own and captured his lips in a passionate kiss. They were at peace, all their worries melted away and all they were aware of at that moment was each other.

/

/

Belle looked on in confusion and horror at what she saw, there was no mistaking the city she looked down upon from the hill they stood upon was Paris. She had never visited it herself but she knew enough to know that this was not the Paris she read about or saw in works of art. It could've been the countless fires raging throughout city that made it different. Other things were rather obvious to Belle; she could easily see the Seine River and the Temple of Paris, which looked to be in remarkably good condition for its age. The wall around the city looked rather odd, Paris had always had walls, in fact she remembered reading that the Wall of the Ferme générale was nearing completion, but where that wall should be was farmland instead. She was no expert, but she was sure that the wall currently before her was the Wall of Charles V.

The things that were missing, was what disturbed her. Things like the Les Invalides, the Louvre Palace, or at least the one she had seen drawings of, was missing. What stood in the place where the Louvre Palace was supposed to be, was something barely half its size. Everyone however, could clearly see what stood in the center of the city, and even Ariel stared in awe of its breathtaking beauty, the Notre Dame de Paris.

Gaston simply crossed his arms, ignoring the city before him and glared in disgust at the Beast. "Well," he said turning everyone's attention on him, "how are we going to get this monster into the city?"

The first thing Belle did was place her hand on the Beast gently, to convince him that he should not murder Gaston at the moment, she then looked at Ariel. "Do you know where we need to go?"

Closing her eyes, Ariel focused on the city but she felt nothing pulling her into a specific direction. "I am not sure." she said frowning and opened her eyes again, "We should rest though; we should wait until nightfall, for Beast's sake."

As Ariel turned to walk away, Gaston stood in front of her and glared down at her, "Where do you think you are going?"

His distrust for Ariel was increased tenfold, since he figured out that she could blatantly control him, when she stopped him from attacking the Beast. There was nothing Ariel could do, his heart was still set on murdering the creature, and it was her control over him that stopped him from doing it. She felt sorry for Gaston, even if he was a horrible person, he didn't deserve to be robbed of his freewill. With a sad and sympathetic look, she looked up at him. "Nature's calling."

Stepping back, Gaston wanted nothing to do with what Ariel was implying. Walking into the woods, Ariel put some distance between her and her travel companions. "Why can't I sense it anymore?" she whispered nervously, "Can't you see I need your help?"

There was no response; Ariel rubbed her temples fighting off tears. "I can't do this alone. I have lost everything; I've lost my Melody." she said falling to her knees, clasping her hands in prayer. "Please show me where the Cor Regnorum is."

"There is no need to beg." a voice sneered.

Turning around quickly, Ariel fell backwards at the sight of the Evil Enchantress Morgan Le Fey, better known to her as Morgana. She stood before the mermaid in her true form with fair skin, crimson lips, long wavy hair, and faintly glowing dark indigo eyes. Ariel's emotions fluctuated from fright, to anger, and then sorrow as she looked at her tormenter. Morgana gracefully walked between the trees as she circled Ariel like a wolf circling an injured lamb.

She had no pity for the mermaid that pretended to be human; she enjoyed how much pain she had brought upon Ariel. Since defeating her master, Morgana lusted not just for power, but darkness as well. "Have you lost your will to continue?" she mocked, circling her still "Only a Heart of Light can sense the Cor Regnorum. Don't tell me that darkness has found its way into your precious heart."

With tears swelling in her eyes, Ariel followed her with her eyes "Not darkness. Agony. Please free my daughter – free Eric! Take me instead; I will do anything you ask."

Morgana stopped and kneeled before Ariel. She took her by her chin gave a sarcastic pout. "Poor little Mermaid misses her family? You know what must be done. If you do it, your precious daughter and husband will live in this new world. If you do not," she said slowly, "this world will crumble and die, and I will make sure they suffer till the very bitter end."

"I can't sense it!" Ariel said desperately, her voice filled with doubt and hopelessness. "Where am I supposed to look in a city the size of Paris?!"

Stepping away from Ariel, Morgana gave a disgusted sneer. "The only reason you cannot sense it, is because deep down you are willing to let sweet little Melody, and noble Prince Eric die before betraying the light. Maybe if I kill one of them, it will get you motivated enough."

"No!" Ariel cried as she stood slowly and wiped her eyes of her tears that started to fall. "Please, don't harm them." she said, "I will find the Cor Regnorum."

The mermaid looked sincere enough, so Morgana gave a small nod. "This is your last chance Princess Ariel. Be glad I didn't let the Everwinter lobotomize you like it has done to everyone else."

"I don't remember everything anyway." Ariel countered. "And it really doesn't help when you attack others using magic to look like me."

A smirk grew on Morgana's face, "Don't worry about those Arabs." Ariel eyes narrowed, her suspicions being confirmed "They are just pawns, much like that silly village girl and her slobbering pet."

"Why?" Ariel asked, looking down in shame as her heart burned with pain. "What have they ever done to you?"

Morgana laughed insidiously. "They have done nothing to me personally, they are simply tools that I can use and discard whenever and however I please. Their lives are meaningless, so I wouldn't get too attached."

Raising her arms dramatically, Morgana vanished into a blaze of green fire. Ariel stood still, taking a moment to collect herself, before she made her way back to her friends. She didn't want her family to die, and the notion that any part of her was willing to do so, preventing her from sensing the Cor Regnorum, felt preposterous. Yet each time she tried to sense the artifact, she could not. When she finally reached her friends who were all sitting by the tree line, the ever inquisitive Belle leapt to her feet and came to Ariel's side. "Is everything okay?"

"Just –"she began, blushing with guilt "Just missing my family is all."

Gesturing for Ariel to take a seat, Belle wanted to comfort the woman but didn't know how. "I think," she said smiling, "I've come up with a plan to get into the city."

Leaning back against a tree, with his hand on his bow, watching the ugly creature beside Belle for any threatening movements, Gaston spoke as if in thought, but loud enough for him to be heard. "I still think killing and stuffing that Beast to present him as a trophy is the best option."

Placing her hand on Beasts clenched fist as he growled, Belle glared at Gaston, who looked away as if he did nothing wrong. "We use the Paris Mines." she said looking at Ariel.

"That's a good idea." she said nodding her head and smiling.

Crossing his arms, the Beast looked away from the scarlet haired woman, "A lot of good it will do if we don't know what we are even looking for." he mumbled under his breath.

Turning to face the city, Ariel closed her eyes tightly and focused, not on what she was seeking, but instead on Melody and Eric. All she saw was images of blue flames, and thick bellowing black smoke. Focusing harder, Ariel's heart raced and she trembled trying to sense the Cor Regnorum. With nothing but blue flames in her mind's eye, Ariel released all the tension in her body and opened her eyes. "It is known as the Cor Regnorum."

The Beast simply stared at Ariel for a moment clueless as to what she spoke of, but when he looked at Belle he smiled, for Belle knew. Belle always knew things of history and knowledge, if it was in a book, the Beast was sure Belle knew about it.

"It's real?" Belle asked in astonishment. Ariel nodded her head, and this had Belle giddy with excitement. "The Cor Regnorum is real! Oh, this is so amazing, that means the Legend of Aurora is also true!"

"Aurora?" Ariel asked confused, "Oh, you mean the Aurora Regna."

Giggling with childish delight, Belle was completely amazed that what she once thought were just stories, were in fact true tales. "The tale of Little Briar Rose," she said enthusiastically, "oh, it's one of my favorites!"

"That's the one with the sword fight, and the dragon." Beast added remembering the story that Belle read to him. "I liked that one."

Rolling his eyes, Gaston groaned in annoyance. "Really Belle, more books? How are you ever going to be a suitable wife to me if you keep reading them?"

Everyone froze and looked at Gaston, who was leering happily at Belle. Ariel simply dragged her palm down her face, wondering if running into Gaston was a blessing or a curse. After a moment of whispering soothing words into the Beast's ear, Bell spoke to the group again. "The tale of Little Briar Rose," she began, "was that of a beautiful princess named Aurora. She was cursed by an evil fairy, who said that she would prick her finger on a spinning wheel on her sixteenth birthday. Her parents had three good fairies raise the Princess and they called her Briar Rose."

"Boring!" Gaston declared as he yawned.

Once more everyone paused to look at the brute in their company. Beast leaned over to Belle and hissed in her ear, "I could kill him you know, and no one would ever find the body."

"Beast," Belle reprimanded in a semiserious tone. She continued, this time not giving Gaston the benefit of even a glance in his direction. "Anyway, the Prince she was betrothed to was gallivanting through the woods when he came upon Briar Rose, not knowing that she was the Princess, and promptly fell in love with her. However, before they could meet again the Princess was whisked away back to her parents on her sixteenth birthday. There a dark fairy laid a trap, and the curse was fulfilled when Aurora pricked her finger on the spinning wheel."

Realizing that Belle was about to start reciting the story word for word, Ariel took her by her hand before her imagination could run away with her. "But what does this Princess have to do with the Cor Regnorum?" she asked calmly.

Realizing that she got a bit carried away, Belle placed a hand on the Beast's and replied, "Well in the Beast's library, I found a very unique version of the story. In it, the author tells what happened after her Prince slayed the evil Fairy and her minions…"

"I liked that part." the Beast interrupted smiling.

Patting Beast on the arm, Belle continued as she smiled, "The Prince awoke Aurora from the sleeping curse. Upon their wedding day, the Prince gave the Princess a new crown to signify their love, and the uniting of their kingdoms was called the Cor Regnorum, The Heart of the Realms."

Laughing, Gaston slapped his hand on his knee. "What a stupid story!"

With a murderous look in his eye, Beast whispered gruffly to Belle, "Seriously… I could do it."

"It was the oldest version of the story I have seen," she said completely ignoring the threatening gestures Gaston and Beast were giving each other, "the book was old, written around thirteen hundreds! I have a theory," she said leaning closer to Ariel conspiratorially, "that their kingdom was one of the three great Kingdoms before the time known as the Era of Darkness, somewhere in northern Toulouse." Snapping her fingers suddenly causing Ariel to jump, Belle looked out to Paris before them. "That's it!" She cried taking Ariel's hand and pointed to the city while Gaston and Beast looked at her in confusion. "The city walls! The missing buildings! This is Paris, but not the Paris of our time!" It felt like each piece was finally falling into place, she snapped her fingers again and looked at the sky. "It explains everything!"

"What does?" Ariel asked innocently, already knowing what Belle was just discovering.

Placing her hand over her heart, Belle was so excited she felt her heart racing with adrenaline; she smiled though, having never felt more alive. "The Arabs who stole the Rose – The ones who attacked Ariel– Paris– The sky– Everything is from a different time!"

"Different time?" Gaston asked incredulously as he stared at Belle as if she was stupid. "You see Belle, I told you those books were bad, now you're sounding just like that crazy father of yours."

Belle was very tempted to take Beast up on his offer at this point, but she used all the good and willpower in her heart to ignore Gaston as she continued her train of thought. "Although the three kingdoms fell after the Folly of Prydain, one group is famous for not only helping end the Era of Darkness but for bringing about the great peace we live in–" After a moment of thought, Belle corrected herself, "That we used to live in."

Even though Gaston silently mocked Belle, the Beast simply loved it every time she spoke; she had become more beautiful than even he had thought possible. The teacher, and mentor in her were some of the greatest of her many beauties. "Who was this group?" he asked her.

Standing, Belle pointed to the stone fortress and tower in the southeast side of the city. "The Knights Templar." Proud of her deduction, Belle turned and helped Ariel to her feet, smiling. "If anyone would have found the Cor Regnorum,"she said confidently, "it would have been the Knights Templar." She pointed to the fortress, "That was the headquarters for the Knights Templar. If you say that it's in Paris, that's where it would be."

Slowly standing and brushing off his pants, Gaston simply couldn't let the love of his life make any important decisions, she was a woman after all, and it wasn't her place. She had also missed a very important detail. "Now Belle," he said condescendingly, "for someone who reads far too much, you left out a very important part." Everyone looked at Gaston who had a smug look on his face. "All the Knight Templars are dead; killed for practicing black magic and witchcraft."

"What if they were using good magic?" Belle countered irritably. Even this statement had the Beast raise an eyebrow. She was moving into her imagination again, but if all of these fantastic stories were true, then so was the idea of good magic. "What about the magic of Merlin?" she asked Gaston, "He was a good wizard who helped King Arthur."

If Morgen Le Fey was real, then so was Merlin, which meant that Belle was right. Even if the Beast didn't want to admit it, hypothetically, not all magic was bad. Standing, the Beast placed his hand on Belle's shoulder. "We get this crown for Ariel," he said looking at the mermaid "then we find those Arabs and get my Rose and Magic Mirror back."

Stepping forward, Ariel stared at the Templar Tower for a moment and then looked back at Belle and Beast. "I will do everything in my power to return what was stolen from you."

/

/

With a final tie down of the saddle pack, Kristoff nodded with satisfaction as he began to stroke the side of his most trusted friend. Sven looked at his master with concern, the sky was still scary looking, and it wasn't normal for him to be acting so secretively. Taking Sven's rein in hand, he led him out of the royal stables, but instead of going to their ice cart, they turned towards the gates of the palace. Realizing that this wasn't some secret ice run Sven stopped abruptly which yanked Kristoff backwards.

Turning took at Sven, Kristoff saw him looking up at Anna's balcony. "Not this time buddy." he said sighing, "We need to do this on our own."

After a light pull from Kristoff, Sven simply sat down and stared at him, who rolled his eyes at the reindeer's antics. "But she needs you." he said in Sven's voice.

Putting his hands on his hips, Kristoff replied to himself, "That's why I'm doing this Sven. Anna's nightmares are only getting worse, and there is one place I know of to look for help." Sven thought about stubbornly disobeying Kristoff, but sighed and stood instead, following him as he walked to the gate.

Stepping out onto the main bridge, Kristoff paused at the sight of an elegant figure sitting on the bridge wall overlooking the fjord; the woman was covered by a pale blue cloak embroidered with silver roselings and snowflakes. When he neared the figure, she drew back her hood to reveal the kind smile of his Queen, Elsa.

Kristoff was used to being informal around Elsa, but being in public and sneaking off in the middle of the night, made him give a proper bow. "Queen Elsa."

She got off of the wall and stood against it. "Gier was afraid you were going to do something reckless." she said looking at him bowed before her and then at Sven behind him.

Standing up from his bow, Kristoff grimaced at the name of the Rock Troll, as he continued walking across the bride. "Anna isn't getting any better," he stated as a matter of fact. "And I am sick of sitting around doing nothing. I am going. And unless you are planning on freezing me, you can't stop me."

"Do you honestly think you will find the answers to Anna's curse in the Cave of the Vittor?" Elsa asked as he walked past her.

Kristoff stopped and looked at Sven, then turned around and stared at Elsa, "How do you know about the Cave of the Vittror?"

"One has to know these things," she said standing up straight with her arms crossed, "when you're the Queen." Kristoff obviously wasn't buying the statement as he stared at her with a deadpan expression. Dropping her arms and her shoulders, Elsa gave in. "Fine," she said exasperatedly, "I heard about it from Dragna. Just before my parent's died, I ran away from home once. That was when I met Dragna, who said he knew of a place that could have my curse removed."

Kristoff eyed Elsa suspiciously. "So what happened?"

"He convinced me not to do it." Elsa admitted with a small smile at the memory. With a simple gaze into Kristoff's eyes, Elsa watched as he turned and continued to walk. After grabbing a large shoulder slung pack, Elsa quickly caught up to him. Walking up beside him unknowingly, she pulled her hood over her head.

Reaching the end of the bridge, Kristoff was nudged by Sven, who stopped and looked over at Elsa. "Umm, what are you doing?" he asked her when he saw her next to him

Giving Kristoff a confused look, Elsa replied, "What does it look like I am doing? I am coming with you."

After looking at Sven, Kristoff shook his head firmly. "No, no, no. You are the Queen. You have responsibilities, and Anna would never forgive me if I took you away from her for so long."

"Let's see," she said tapping her chin in mock thought, "As Queen, my responsibilities are to my people who just suffered from an invasion and a war. This trip will take us through the war stricken lands, so I can reassure my people and survey the damage. And" she said holding up her hand to stop him from interrupting, "After talking with Anna, she said that she really wanted me to go with you - something about some bonding time. And with Princess Rapunzel and Prince Eugene sticking around for a while, they can assist her in any governmental matters that need attending. They, along with Olaf and Geir will be with Anna when the night terrors come."

The two stared at each other, neither one willing to back down.

"Oh," she said suddenly chuckling," I almost forgot. I am Queen. You don't have any say in this matter."

"Help! Help!" Kristoff suddenly cried out pointing at Elsa, "I'm being oppressed! Come see the violence inherent in the system!" The only sound that could be heard after his outburst was the chirping of crickets. "Fine." he said scowling at her.

Elsa looked out into the town with a smirk of triumph. "This should be fun." she said waving her hand, summoning Stoic, her massive red ice dear that stood over a foot taller than Sven.

"Show off." he muttered under his breath to Sven, who snorted in agreement.

After mounting, they left the town of Arendelle behind as they walked down the long main road that headed northeast towards the town of Torhild. As the sun just cresting over the mountains they reached the town that Elsa single handedly liberated from the Raven's Eye. When news spread that the Queen was entering the town, the people lined the streets in celebration. Kristoff watched as people wept with pure joy at the sight of their Queen. Men, women, and children called out her name as they rained purple heathers, the flower that has come to represent not just Arendelle but the Queen Elsa as well, over them. They could barely get through the town as her subjects swarmed around them, just wanting to have the hand of their glorious magical queen be placed upon them.

Once they made it through the town, they both agreed to eat quickly and move on as soon as possible. Kristoff gave Sven a break from being ridden by walking beside him as they ate. By the end of the day, they had reached the scared battlefield of the Osley Valley. There Elsa created their lodging for the night, a modest cottage made of ice, it even had a place where Kristoff could make a fire without damaging the structure. Going all night and day without sleep didn't leave much time to talk, both retired for the evening.

When dawn came, Kristoff warmed up a delightfully tasty apple soup, that Elsa had to admit was one of the best she had ever had before. They continued on their journey after breakfast and as they began to travel through the occupied lands, the destruction of not just the army that consisted of one hundred thousand men but the storm she had used to slow them down was truly horrifying. Every single farmhouse they saw along the way laid in ruin. Silos of grain were nothing more than brunt rubble. Then the bodies came into view, at first it was just a handful of Glowerhaven soldiers buried in the snow that once covered the land. Some appeared to have died from exposure, others from weapon wounds.

Reaching the tiny township of Geilo, they found it totally abandoned. Although it was not untouched, for the Glowerhaven army ransacked every home and burnt down the town hall. They even looted the town church that was in the center. Once more, Elsa's powers were utterly useless to remove the damage that was done. They camped there for the night, both taking the time to clean up the Church, so that if the town's people did return, their house of worship would be in better condition.

They left the next morning and as their trek entered its third day they pushed themselves hard and with some magical assistance from Elsa, they reached to town of Likness by dusk. As soon as they reached the outskirts of town, it was a vastly different sight that greeted them. Elsa sat upon Stoic in shock and horror for many people within the town had still remained there after the war. The town's bridge was the only one connecting the Kingdom to the Eastern Provence. Hanging from the town magistrate, were dozens of civilians some who were no older than fifteen or sixteen.

When people saw Elsa they didn't even try to acknowledge the presence of their Queen, not so much as a friendly hello was thrown their way. The people simply walked about trying to piece together what they had left and burying those they had lost. Dismounting from Stoic, Elsa pulled back her hood and slowly walked into the town. When they reached the town hall that stood in front of what was once an open market, she felt a horrible pain in her chest.

"Why hasn't anyone cut them down yet?" Kristoff asked coming beside her.

Bowing her head, Elsa knew the answer, but it was too painful for her to answer. Kristoff, not satisfied by her silence, stopped a ragged man who was stumbling past them pushing a cart in front of him. "Sir," he said catching the man's attention when he touched him, "the war has been over for more than a week. Why haven't these poor people been cut down yet?"

The man just stared at Kirstoff as if he just spoke another language, before pushing past him. Staring at the nearly lifeless people around them in shock and repulsion, Kristoff shouted, "What is wrong with you people?!"

"Kristoff!" Elsa hissed as she turned to face him. He looked at his Queen in anger, as she rubbed a tear from her eye and raised her head to look at the lifeless hanging bodies again. "Anna was almost captured here," she said closing her eyes, "the people helped her escape, we owe them her life, not our anger." Opening her eyes, she looked up at her subjects that hung dead from the building. Raising her hand up at them, snow began to swirl around them. Gently she took them down from the building, and laid them before her, their arms folded over their chests, their skin cleared of blood and grime.

She walked up to each silently and in turn, created a glowing blue rose of ice, placing it on their chests. Kristoff watched as she knelt beside each victim, whispering to them as if they were just asleep, silent tears falling as she did so. Her action drew the attention of the people, as they slowly gathered in the town square to watch as their Queen grieved for the death of her subjects.

When she reached the youngest victim, a boy no more than thirteen, she went down on both knees and wept openly over his still body. No words were spoken by anyone, and Kristoff couldn't help but cry at the sight that he saw. When Elsa finally knelt next to the last victim, a woman about her age, Elsa cried out to her people, "I am sorry! I am so sorry!"

A young boy, around ten years old, approached her with torn and dirty clothes. He stared at Queen Elsa as if she were a ghost, a figment of his imagination. Hesitantly he reached out towards her as Elsa simply watched him gently touch her cheek. She smiled at the warmth of his touch before he stepped back and got onto one knee and bowed.

"No, don't…" Elsa whispered brokenly.

Before she could get the child back on his feet, she watched as all the people that filled the market square, went to one knee and bowed. Kristoff was the only one who didn't bow, he was simply too stunned by the silence of everyone around him. The Queen was overwhelmed with emotion, she stood up and stepped away from the boy and stared at everyone who was showing her a type of respect she herself wasn't sure she'd ever deserved.

Unable to bear seeing the broken and painful faces of the people, Elsa ran from the market, in tears. Kristoff, Stoic, and Sven quickly followed after her. When she finally found an isolated location away from the people, she leaned against the side of a building to catch her breath.

Coming to her side, Kristoff looked towards the direction they came. "Elsa are you okay?"

"Half my Kingdom lays in ruin, Kristoff," she said rubbing her head, "So no, I am not okay."

Taking Elsa by her hand, Kristoff motioned for Sven to follow. "Come on, Elsa." he said pulling her away from the building, "Let's get you someplace warm. And I know the cold doesn't bother you." he said when he saw her open her mouth to speak, "But you still need to rest and the heat will make you feel better."

Town Hall would have been the best option, but that was where they had just come from. So Kristoff took her to the town's garrison instead. There were a handful of scouts stationed there, they were first to arrive in Likness after the war. They were there to reestablish government functionality and authority in the town. The lead scout welcomed Elsa in and placed her in his garrison commander's quarters, he was honored to give it up for the Queen.

Kristoff made Elsa some warm tea, and gave her a bar of chocolate he packed for the journey. "Anna always said," he said as Elsa smiled at the chocolate, "that a little bit of chocolate can cure any frown."

She sat down and rested her head back in the chair, as Kristoff stoked the fire. She could see why Anna loved him. "So, how do you know of the Cave of the Vittror?" she asked taking a bite from the chocolate.

Kristoff sighed as he sat down in a chair next to the fire. "The trolls." he began simply, staring at the flames, "I went looking for what happened to my parents – my real parents."

She felt a little embraced while eating her chocolate. For two years she had known Kristoff, and what she knew of his real parents was rudimentary at best. "They died when you were just a child right?" she asked softly.

Nodding his head, Kristoff played with the fire poker as he spoke. "I barely remembered them; I can't even remember their faces. I wanted at the very least, to see their faces – To know if they had suffered. And to grieve for them like a son should."

Staring at the chocolate in her hands, Elsa could feel Kristoff was hesitant to continue. "D-did they help you get memory of your parents?"

Once more, that was a difficult question to answer for Kristoff, but he tried. "The Vittror are…" he began hesitantly, "not like the Rock Trolls. They don't trust humans or believe that humans can be beings of light. Many of their kind were completely destroyed during the Era of Darkness. So when one asks for use of their magic, it comes at a price."

After putting her chocolate down and taking a sip of her tea a smile came over Elsa's face, Kristoff was right, the warmth does make me feel better. "What was your price?" she asked.

Leaning forward, Kristoff felt a pain in his chest, but continued nonetheless. "To learn their fate…I had to live their fate." She froze at his words, and felt her heart twist in sympathy towards him. "I watched, felt, and heard the last moments of their lives. So, I remember them, but what I remember is: them dying in front of me."

Elsa put her tea cup down next to her chocolate and moved off of her chair; taking a seat next to Kristoff she took a hold of his trembling hand, as the pain from the memory coursed through him. "I am so sorry Kristoff." she said softly.

"Thanks," he said curtly, as he shrugged the memory away, placing his hand over hers, "but I've learned to live with it."

"Thank you," she whispered, "You're willing to go through whatever pain the Vittror will demand for a second time, just for my Anna. I am sorry for ever questioning your heart or love for my sister."

Shrugging his shoulders, Kristoff felt that he had to return her confession with one of his own "And I'm sorry for doubting that it wasn't your love that saved Anna, but some stupid prophesy. You two have proven twice now that the sisters of the House of Fairhair don't care what some stinking prophecy says."

Elsa stood with Kristoff's help and the two shared a hug. When they broke the hug, Elsa went back to her seat and rubbed the side of her body. Kristoff noticed it was where Anna had stabbed her. "Is everything okay?" he asked concerned.

Elsa was hesitant to smile but did so anyway. "I am fine," she said, "Rapunzel healed me perfectly – maybe a little too perfectly?" she quipped and then sobered when she felt another throb in her side, "Whenever Anna has night terrors form her curse, I feel it. It sounds crazy," she said looking away from Kristoff's piercing gaze, "but it feels like it is me… Like I'm the one causing her so much pain…"

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