Hi Everyone! Surprised that I actually updated before the end of the month? Funny enough, I tried to update last night but I was having technical issues while uploading the chapter to the site so I was delayed a bit. Nonetheless, the next chapter is up! Hooray! Thank you for the reviews and for your patience with me. This chapter is pretty lengthy so hopefully it will make up for the month long wait. Please enjoy & Happy Reading! :)
Chapter 17
It was a beautiful, cloudless night in the Southern Isles. The winds were calm, the moon shone bright, the evening was absolutely serene. Or at least it would have been if it were not for the chaos ensued by the hooded gunman, Thomas Sullivan. Gregory was hurriedly walking a handcuffed Thomas Sullivan through the streets of the Southern Isles, making his way back to the castle while also looking for Hans. Last he saw of the youngest prince, Hans was running off ahead because of some commotion going on with Viktor and the so-called "Annaliese".
"Thomas." Gregory sternly spoke to his friend, "What have you gotten yourself into? Why are you entangled with this rogue goddess?"
Sullivan scoffed, "Like I said before. She makes these tempting, seemingly innocent, offers that are hard to refuse. She knew my deepest desires and she exploited them. She used me to do her bidding."
Gregory was quiet for a minute, contemplating all the trouble his friend caused in London and in the Southern Isles, "Do you regret what you've done?"
"My only regret is that I got caught." He gave a sinister smirk, "But I won't worry for long. She'll come for me. Break me out. Like she did in London."
"Aha, so that's how you did it." Gregory went quiet once more, "You know. She'll only break you out if she still needs you."
"Psh! Of course she still needs me."
"You seem so certain of that." Gregory glanced over at him, trying to read his reaction, "Why is that?"
"Ahhh okay, I see what you're doing." Thomas chuckled, "Trying to get me to talk? I am not a fool, Greg."
"Perhaps." Now it was Gregory's turn to smirk, "But you are expendable."
That seemed to shut Sullivan up, which made Gregory's smirk turn into a smile. A smile that quickly disappeared when they turned a corner, "Viktor?!" Gregory ran over to his severely injured brother, pulling Sullivan behind him. "Viktor, can you hear me?" No response. Gregory knelt down beside his brother, noticing a dangerous amount of blood seeping out of his right shoulder and left thigh. He apprehensively checked for a pulse and let out a sigh of relief when he found a faint one. He anxiously looked around, "Help! Guards! Help!"
A few guards came running down the street, but they all stopped when they saw Gregory. One of the younger guards spoke up, "Your Highness?! What are you doing here? We thought you were under house arrest in London-"
"No time for that! Viktor's dying!" He pointed at a couple of guards, "Put pressure on the wounds! Try to stop the bleeding then carefully take him to the doctor as soon as possible!" The two guards rushed forward and attended to Viktor's aid. Gregory pointed at another two guards as he shoved Thomas towards them, "And take this man to the prison!" The two guards grabbed Sullivan and pushed him along. "Now you." Gregory looked at the young guard, "Come with me."
"Yes, Your Highness." The guard obediently followed the prince as they began weaving up and down the village streets, "Prince Gregory, what are we doing?"
"We are looking for someone, well, two someones." Gregory paused in front of a shop and peered through the window, "Hans was supposed to be with Viktor who was escorting Annaliese to the castle. But now Viktor's injured, Hans is missing, and Annaliese has escaped."
"Queen Annaliese? Escaped?" The guard looked through the shop window as well, "In order to escape, one has to be in custody." He curiously looked at the prince, "Was she in custody?"
"She confessed to the attempted murders of King Richard and Prince Hans." Gregory walked over to another shop and looked through the window, "Well, I suppose it really wasn't Annaliese though."
The guard rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache, "I'm sorry, Your Highness, but you're speaking in tongues. Annaliese confessed to a crime that she committed but also did not commit?"
"Basically." Gregory moved on to another shop window.
"But how is that possible?" The guard continued to stand around instead of helping, "How can someone be so well disguised as Queen Annaliese that no one, not even Prince Hans, would have noticed? I thought she and Prince Hans were good friends."
Gregory froze. That was the second peculiar thing this young guard had said. First, he mentioned my house arrest sentence in London. No one in the Southern Isles, besides the royal family, knew about that. Secondly, how did this young guard know about Hans' past with Annaliese? Hardly anyone knew about their close friendship, let alone a guard so young.
Gregory cleared his throat, eyeing an empty wooden crate by his foot, "Yes, well, I guess you can say she had us all fooled." He turned around to face the guard, "Can you check over in that window?"
"Of course." The guard rushed over to the window Gregory was pointing to, "What kind of things are we looking for?"
"Any sign of movement." Gregory slowly bent down to pick up the wooden crate, "Anything suspicious looking."
"How do we know that the movement inside aren't people hiding in there?"
"Well there shouldn't be anyone inside." Gregory slowly approached the guard from behind, "Southern Isles emergency plan states that after a natural disaster or active shooter incident, all citizens are to gather within the castle walls so they may be reunited with family and any injuries will be attended to as quickly as possible." He stopped directly behind the guard, wooden crate in hand, "As a part of the Royal Guard, shouldn't you have known that?"
The young guard suddenly froze. He looked in the reflection of the shop window and saw Gregory standing behind him with something in his hand. Knowing he was caught, the guard pulled out a hidden knife from his sleeve. He suddenly turned around and lunged at Gregory with his knife. Fortunately, the prince was prepared for an attack and he easily deflected his blow, using the wooden crate as a shield. The knife briefly got stuck in the wood, which gave Gregory the opportunity to strike back. The prince reached forward and grabbed the guard's weapon wielding wrist. With a swift twist, he managed to pop the guard's wrist, causing him to yell in pain and drop the knife. Gregory then pulled on the injured wrist, bringing the guard's upper body forward, and swiftly connected his elbow with the guard's throat, managing to knocked the air out of him.
Stunned from the damaging throat punch, the guard staggered back and tried to catch his breath. Gregory picked up the knife that was sitting on the ground and then moved towards his attacker. He firmly gripped the man's injured wrist, which stopped any resistance from the guard, and twisted the guard's arm behind his back. The prince brought the knife up to the man's neck. "Who do you work for?" He spoke in a low, threatening growl.
The guard wheezed, still struggling to catch his breath, "I work…for no one."
"Are you a Vortex spy?"
"I said…" He menacingly chuckled, "I work for no one."
Gregory tightened his grasp, "You knew things about me and my family that no one else would know. You have to have been working with Vortex."
"Your obsession with Vortex blinds you. Open your mind, Your Highness."
Gregory hesitated, "Deam Perfide?"
As if on cue, the guard's body began to shift and mold into a new form right before Gregory's eyes. In a matter of seconds, the young guard had transformed into a beautiful woman with long black hair, intellectual blue eyes, and rosy red cheeks.
"Uhh…wow." Gregory gulped, "Is this your true form?"
"I have many forms, Your Highness." She sweetly spoke, "I can be whoever you want me to be."
"I don't want to play your games." Gregory repositioned the knife against her neck, "Where's my brother? What did you do to Hans?"
She feigned surprise, "I didn't do anything! Annaliese kidnapped him!"
He brought his lips close to her ear and growled, "I know it was you, Rogue Goddess."
She pouted her luscious looking lips and let out a small whimper, "Can you ease up on your grip, please? You're hurting my injured wrist."
He sarcastically chuckled, "If you're so powerful, why don't you break free yourself?"
"I don't want to hurt you. I have no quarrel with you."
"You have an issue with my brother, Hans. Which means you have an issue with me."
She pursed her lips together and smirked, "So protective of your baby brother. That's very attractive, Your Highness." She leaned her body back against Gregory in a seductive manner that caught him off guard.
"Woah!" He quickly let go of her and pushed her away from him.
She turned around to face him, noticing he still gripped her knife, "May I have my knife back, please? It's very sentimental."
"If you want it. Come and get it."
"Big talk for someone under house arrest. I'm surprised they even let you out. Someone must be very desperate to catch me."
"Your capture is the key to my freedom." He pointed the knife at her, "And I want my freedom back."
"How about I make you a deal?" She placed a hand on her hip, "You give me the knife back and I'll willingly go back to London with you."
Gregory hesitated, "That seems too good to be true." He cocked a suspicious eyebrow, "What's the catch?"
"No catch." She sheepishly smiled, "I just really love that knife. It was a gift from my sister."
"Sister?!" He sternly shook his head as he tucked her knife into his coat, "Now I know you're lying. There can't possibly be two of you."
"That's where you're wrong, Your Highness." She suddenly outstretched her hand which released a powerful force that threw Gregory backwards. She rotated her hand upward and curled her fingers into the palm of her hand which caused the prince to be lifted off the ground and suspended in the air. She menacingly walked towards him, keeping him in the air, watching him struggle to move. Once she stood before him, she used her free hand to slip into his coat and easily took back her knife. She finally relaxed her hand which caused Gregory to harshly fall to the ground. As he struggled to stand up, she bent down beside him and whispered into his ear, "There is no one like me."
Gregory's breath hitched as she forcefully plunged the knife into his abdomen. He collapsed onto his back and stared up at this beautiful murderess. "Oh my dear, sweet, Gregory." She knelt down beside him and planted a graceful kiss on his cheek, "You should know better than to mess with a goddess." She delicately placed her fingertips on his temples and stared deeply into his eyes, "You will beg for death but you won't die. Just relax and the pain will go away. The sooner you let go, the sooner you will begin to heal." Before Gregory could figure out what that meant, he felt her presence enter his mind. As she searched his mind for memories that carried important information, he had flashbacks of everything from his childhood to his time in London. He saw that she specifically targeted his memories in London when Hans, Elsa, and the rest of their family visited and, more importantly, when they defeated Vortex. After a couple minutes, she finally released her control on him. She gave him a sweet smile and stood up, "Thank you for the information."
She began to walk away but turned around when she heard him struggling to take hold of the knife in his abdomen. She giggled as she watched his complexion grow pale, "I'd keep that knife where it is, Your Highness. If you try to remove it, you'll bleed out a lot faster." She started to walk away again but then stopped, "But wait!" She walked back over to him, "I almost forgot that this was my knife. And I really do love it." She bent down and forcefully removed it from his body, causing him to writhe in pain, "Sorry about that. Let's see how quickly someone will come to your aid." She quickly glanced around, "Oh that's right, there is no one around."
She began to change her form again and shape shifted into a Gregory look-alike, "After all," Her voice perfectly matched his as she spoke in a mocking tone, "Southern Isles emergency plan states that after a natural disaster or active shooter incident, all citizens are to gather within the castle walls so they may be reunited with family and any injuries will be attended to as quickly as possible."
She began to saunter away and waved to her doppelgänger, "As a part of the Royal Family, shouldn't you have known that?" She chuckled to herself as she left Gregory lying on the ground, gasping for breath.
"Does anyone need help? Medical services? We have a full staff of nurses ready to attend to any injuries!" Simon called out to the people of the Southern Isles while he patrolled the castle courtyard. More and more villagers gathered inside the protective Southern Isles castle walls, trying to look for loved ones that they lost sight of during the frenzy. Simon continued walking through the crowds of anxious villagers, checking on every person that he could. As he observed the scene, he noticed that hardly anyone requested any medical attention. He felt relieved that this attack did not seem to have as big of an impact that they feared it would. But despite the lack of injuries, Simon felt a little uneasy about how inconsequential this attack went. It did not seem as if anyone, besides King Richard, was targeted and the king was comfortably resting in his bedroom. As far as Simon could tell, nothing went wrong. But it could not be that simple, could it?
Simon stood at the front gate and looked down the road towards the town. It seemed so quiet now that everyone was gathered in the courtyard. He figured that in a couple more hours, they would receive the all-clear signal and let the villagers return to their homes. He was about to return to patrolling the courtyard when he noticed a couple royal guards heading his way in an urgent manner.
"What's going on?!" He called out to the guards.
"It's Prince Viktor!" One of the guards called out, "He's gravely injured!"
"Oh no." Simon muttered to himself as he ran towards the guards. Once he reached the group, he took one look at his brother's bleeding, paled, unconscious body and he felt a knot form in his stomach. "Alright, hold on." Before they entered the castle grounds, Simon quickly took off his jacket, "The courtyard is full of villagers and I do not want them to see Viktor in this terrible condition." As they swiftly shuffled towards the front entrance of the castle, Simon used his jacket as a protective barrier to keep from anyone seeing his brother.
Once through the front entrance, Simon ran along side of the guards carrying Viktor, "What happened?! Who did this?!"
"We don't know, Your Highness."
Simon wanted to interrogate the guards further but he held his angry tongue. Trying to save Viktor was the highest priority. Simon threw open the door to the infirmary, "We need the doctor right away!" He held open the door as the guards rushed inside with Viktor.
One of the nurses hurried over to Simon, "Your Highness, the doctor is currently attending to King Richard-"
"Just get me someone who can attend to my brother now! He is dying!"
"Yes, Your Highness. I'll get the head nurse." The young nurse bowed before running off.
In a matter of seconds, Leila came running in, "Hello, Your Highness. Please have the guards place Prince Viktor on the operation table." Simon hesitated, but he did what she asked. He stood back and watched as Leila began ordering the other nurses around.
As Leila continued to work on Viktor, Simon summoned the two guards, "Alright. Now I'm going to ask you again. And let me remind you that 'I don't know' is not a valid answer." He glanced over to see Leila pulling a bullet out of Viktor's left thigh with tweezers while another nurse began a blood transfusion. Simon refocused his attention on the guards, "What happened?"
One of the guards bravely spoke up, "We were doing a security sweep on Main Street when we heard someone call for help a street or two away. We hurried over and when we arrived, we saw Prince Gregory kneeling beside Prince Viktor-"
"Gregory is here?!" Simon crossed his arms and shook his head in disbelief.
"Yes, Your Highness. We were surprised as well." The guard anxiously wiped the sweat from his brow, "But yes, Prince Gregory was beside Prince Viktor and he had a handcuffed man with him too."
"Handcuffed man?" He thoughtfully stroked his beard, "Possibly the shooter?"
"I'm not sure, but he ordered a couple other guards to take that man to the prison."
"I've got to talk to that man." Simon headed for the door while continuing to talk to the guards, "I want you two to stay here and stand watch over my brother." He placed his hand on the doorknob but froze, "Hold on." He turned to the guards, "If Gregory commanded a couple guards to escort the man to the prison, then where did he go?"
"Uhm…" The guards apprehensively looked at each other, "He commanded a guard to follow him."
"To where? For what purpose?"
The guard silently shrugged, "He didn't tell us anything. But we saw them head east."
Simon remained quiet for a few seconds, letting the information sink in. "I need to talk to the man Gregory arrested." He took one last look at Viktor on the operating table before he left the room and headed toward the prison.
As he hurried down the hall, he turned the corner and nearly ran into a familiar face, "Klaus!" Simon straightened out his jacket, "Watch where you're going!"
Klaus humorlessly chuckled, "I could say the same to you." He fixed his shirt, "Where are you going in such a rush?"
"There is an urgent matter afoot." Simon cautiously looked around before lowering his voice, "Viktor is in critical condition. He is currently in surgery-"
"What?!" Klaus whispered loudly, "What happened?!"
"That's what I'm trying to find out. But from a quick observation of Viktor's body, I noticed two gun shot wounds. One in the right shoulder. One in the left thigh."
Klaus rubbed his face in disbelief, "I can't believe this." He looked at his brother, "So where are you headed?"
"Well, from what the guards told me. Gregory is the one who found Viktor's body-"
"Wait, did you say Gregory?!" Klaus wildly shook his head, "When did he show up?!"
"I don't know! I thought he was still in London!" Simon paused to regain his composure, "Anyway, Gregory had arrested a man to which he had a couple guards escort that man to the prison."
Klaus nodded understandingly, "You're on your way to speak to that man, aren't you?"
"Yes. I figure he is our best chance at getting more information."
"I'm going with you." Klaus outstretched his arm to signal for Simon to lead the way, "There is a lot going on that doesn't seem to make any sense."
The brothers silently weaved through the maze of castle halls, both in deep thought. Finally Simon cleared his throat, "How is father doing?"
Klaus scoffed, "Sleeping like a baby. Not even phased by this."
"Should we wake him up and tell him about Viktor?"
"I would refrain from telling him anything until we have more information." He let out an irritable sigh, "You know how he can be when we don't have all the answers."
Simon chuckled, "We all can't be as good at lying as Hans can. Maybe we should have the 'golden boy' tell him, huh?"
Klaus smirked, "Yeah, probably." The two brothers stepped out of the castle and walked around the perimeter of the courtyard towards the prison. Klaus casually observed the villagers gathered within the courtyard, "Speaking of Hans…" He glanced around the courtyard again, searching for the youngest prince, "Have you seen him?"
Simon paused at the entrance of the prison, "No, but I've been busy here playing host for our people. Have you not seen him?"
Klaus frowned, "Not since the shooting began." A worried pit of anxiety formed in his stomach, "Where could he be?"
Consciousness ebbed and flowed like the waves crashing against the shores of the Southern Isles. When the cloudiness began to clear, the excruciating pain was enough to let Hans succumb to the darkness. As he tried to fight through the pain, his foggy mind tried to make sense of what led to this.
"How did Queen Elsa forgive you? Why did she change her mind about you? You left her sister, your fiancé at the time, to die a slow cold death. And you almost succeeded in killing the queen too. You should have been killed for your crimes and yet here you are. What happened? Some day your past will catch up with you. You can't run from it."
"You think you're so tough, don't you? You think you can protect your people? Your family? Your wife? Well here's a news flash, Your Highness. You are weak. I let you win. You think I failed, but I didn't. I accomplished everything I needed to and the best thing is that you have no idea what I accomplished. And yet, my master plan is already in motion. A plan that will end with your demise."
"Keep your guard up. Do not trust anyone. Trust your instincts. If something seems off, then it probably is."
"Deam Perfide is after Rapunzel and Elsa. This rogue goddess is hunting down all the supernaturally gifted individuals in the world, killing them, and taking their powers. We don't know what she is planning but we think she has been working with Thomas Sullivan and Vortex."
"I am a victim, just like you and your friend Annaliese. We were used as pawns in Deam Perfide's game. Like any human, Annaliese harbors hidden thoughts, feelings, and desires. Deam Perfide can sense this conflict within us and she makes these tempting, seemingly innocent, promises that are hard to refuse. But let's just say that you'd probably be better off making a deal with the devil. That she-beast can get inside your head and make you reveal your innermost secrets. She can get whatever information she wants out of you. She controls your mind, your every move. Some people put up a better fight than others. Annaliese was strong, her love for you is pure. She would not let Deam Perfide manipulate her. So I can tell you that the woman your brother just arrested wasn't your friend."
"Viktor!" Hans eyes popped open, his breathing fast and uneven. He frantically looked around and tried to get his bearings. He seemed to be in a dark empty room of sort. Besides the small cold fireplace on the adjacent wall, there was nothing else in the room. He glanced down to see he was sitting in a wooden chair, his legs and arms tied down with rope and his hands handcuffed behind him. He had a sharp pain in his head, which he assumed came from the blow that knocked him out.
"Hello?" He whispered at first, just in case there was someone nearby that he couldn't see in the dark room. He was about to speak louder when he heard a shuffling sound directly behind him. "Is there someone there?" He whispered again and tried to turn his head enough to see behind him.
"Hans? Is that you? Really you?" A hoarse voice whispered from the shadows behind him.
"Huh?" Hans squint into the darkness and looked around again but still didn't see anyone, yet he continued to feel the sense that someone was right behind him. "Who's there?"
"It's me, Hans." The person coughed and tried to clear their throat, "It's Annaliese."
"Annaliese?!" Hans whispered enthusiastically, "Where are you?!"
"Behind you." She coughed again, "You can't see me. I'm tied to the chair behind you."
Hans tried to turn his head, but she was right, he couldn't see her but he moved his hands far enough back that he could feel her hands. He assumed she was tied down similar to him, and they were probably sitting back to back. "Wait, how do I know that's really you? Some version of you just tried to kill me."
She sighed, "I figured that's what was going to happen. I am so sorry, Hans."
"I don't know if I should accept your apology or not. How do I know it's the real you?" Hans sighed as he hung his head, "How long have you been here while the other you has been running around."
"Um. Remember when I first tipped you off about how all three summer festivals were taking place on the same day and that it was rumored there would be explosive elements?"
"Yes and then I asked you to go back into town and find the men who started the rumors and bring them back to the castle for questioning." He thoughtfully paused, "And you were gone for a long time. Leila was asking about you. I hadn't heard from you for awhile." He took a deep breath, "You never came back, did you? The Annaliese that came to my room was the shapeshifter?"
"Yes." Annaliese nodded with an apprehensive sigh, "That shapeshifter is known as Deam Perfide-"
"Also known as Rogue Goddess, I know. Gregory filled me in earlier."
"Gregory is here?!" She desperately swallowed, her throat hurting from the lack of water, "Since when did Gregory know about Deam Perfide?"
"I guess some woman named Cassandra from Corona told him." Hans began impatiently pulling on his restraints. "Look, we can discuss this later. Right now, we need to focus on getting out of here." He paused, "Where are we anyway?"
Annaliese shrugged, "I don't know. I was knocked unconscious and brought here, same as you." She sadly looked around the dark room, "I feel like I've been here for awhile now. I can't tell whether it's day or night so I can't keep track of time. I don't even know long I've been held here."
"Well," Hans started fidgeting with the rope tied around his arms, "If you've been gone since you warned me about the festivals. I'd say its been a few days." He felt the rope loosen a bit around his upper body, "I think I may be making some progress here."
"Don't bother." Annaliese hopelessly sighed, "You don't think I've already tried to escape? Even if you are lucky enough to escape. She will find you, capture you…" She paused as her breath hitched, "Torture you."
"'Liese?" Hans' voice softened, "What did she do to you? How did you get caught up in this mess?"
"I'm so sorry, Hans." Her voice quivered as a couple tears stung her eyes, "I never wanted you to get hurt. I was just so scared and lonely. But I didn't think it would go this far-"
"Didn't think what would go this far? I need more information!" He paused while he gathered his composure, "Please, Annaliese. I know Elsa is in great danger and I need to know what we are up against."
"I don't know a lot about her plan." She shook her head as the tears dried and she regained her composure, "She didn't really open up to me. She found that I was pretty reluctant to talk so she reciprocated my behavior."
"I'm confused." Hans tilted his head, his mind reeling, "You say you didn't talk to her and yet she somehow exploited your secret desires? How did she find out?" He paused as he thought about what Annaliese said. She will find you, capture you…torture you. "What did she do to you?"
"Do you remember what happened on the second night of our journey here to the Southern Isles?"
"Umm…" He closed his eyes to help his recall, his head still pounding from when he was knocked unconscious earlier, "I believe that was the night you caught me off guard on deck? You played it off as you being drunk and I took you back to your room."
"Yes and once I changed into my nightgown and robe, you noticed something."
Hans' eye flew open as the memory came rushing back, "That's right! You had this horrible dark bruise on your neck!" He hesitated, "Wait, a second. You said Klaus did that to you."
"No, actually I didn't. You assumed it was your brother. I just didn't deny it."
Hans sat in silence as he replayed the conversation in his mind, "You're right. You just said that you weren't proud of it but you got the information we wanted."
"Mhm." She leaned her head back and sighed, starting to feel dizzy from the lack of food and water, "Deam Perfide approached me earlier that day-"
"Hold on." Hans shook his head in disbelief, "She was on our ship that whole time and you didn't say a thing to me?!"
Annaliese furrowed her brow, "I thought you said that Gregory told you everything about her?"
"Well maybe not everything. We were in a bit of a rush because I was on my way to rescue someone who I thought was you-"
"Alright, alright. I get it." She let out an irritable sigh, "Deam Perfide has the ability to extract the supernatural abilities from gifted individuals once they die. She's killed many of these supernaturally gifted individuals over the years and therefore possesses their powers. Needless to say, she is more than just a shapeshifter. I don't know how much power she possesses but I can tell you that I experienced shapeshifting, telekinesis, the ability to get inside my thoughts, and finally, teleportation."
Hans' eyebrows shot up in surprise, "Teleportation? You mean she can just magically appear anywhere, anytime?"
"Yep. Which explains how she can be practically everywhere at once."
Hans was temporarily speechless, he did not know how to respond. He decided to prompt his friend to continue her story, "Okay so she approached you on the ship, what happened next?"
"She wanted information about you and Elsa. I told her I didn't want to go through with the deal we made and that I wasn't going to tell her anything."
"You made a deal with her?" He could feel himself getting angry, "What did you agree to?!"
"Well, like I said earlier, when she first approached me I was miserable and I felt alone. She told me she had the ability to help me with this pain. After talking to her for a little while, she said she could give me someone like you in my life-"
"Wait, why me? How did I come up in the conversation?"
Annaliese sheepishly smiled, "When I was talking with her, I may have mentioned how amazing, loving, and caring you were. She figured that having someone like that in my life would help my situation."
Again, Hans was rendered speechless, "Um well, thank you for the compliment." An awkward silence hung in the dark room and Hans wished he could see his best friend's face. "So uh, what happened after you denied her the information she wanted?"
"Well, she got angry and attacked me. I tried to fight her off but how do you fight against someone that formidable?" She shook her head, a chill ran down her spine and she involuntarily shivered, "She paralyzed me with some invisible force and since I was incapacitated to fight back, she wrapped her hand around my throat and began choking me, hence the bruise. I was losing consciousness and just as I was on the cusp of death, she got inside my mind. I could actually feel her inside my mind! It felt like she was reading through my thoughts and deepest darkest desires as if it were an open book in a library, and I couldn't stop her from reading it. She learned how I truly felt about you and our situation. She learned how to talk and act like me. I could feel her extracting practically everything in my brain. Finally, when she had what she wanted, she released her grip. As I was desperately trying to catch my breath, she just smiled at me, thanked me for the information, and then disappeared."
Hans remained silent for a moment, letting everything sink in. "Wow. Okay, I-uh…" He cleared his throat, "What kind of information did she want about Elsa and I?"
"I don't know any specifics. The deal was I was supposed to tell her everything I knew about you and Elsa. She figured that with me living in the castle, I would gain valuable knowledge about you two."
"Why didn't she just disguise herself as someone in our staff and learn about us herself?"
"I don't know! I didn't even know she was a shapeshifter when I first met her! For all we know, she could have been disguised as someone working in the castle this whole time!" Annaliese took in a deep breath to help calm herself down, "There is a way to fight her mind reading, though."
"What? How?"
"Throughout that whole mind reading struggle, I accidentally stumbled upon a weakness for Deam Perfide. While she was searching my mind, my biggest concern was keeping the existence of my son hidden from her. I was scared because she closely examined my memories from Sperca and my time spent in Arendelle afterwards but somehow my memories of Henry were clouded from her. Turns out, she cannot access all of the memories from a person. Some stuff can be hidden if its crucially important to the victim."
"Alright, well…" Hans let out a breath he did not realize he had been holding, "Let's hope I never get put into that situation."
Another awkward silence filled the room, until Annaliese spoke up again, "Anyway, I didn't know until that day she approached me on the ship that her plan was to kill Elsa for her powers. And in return for my help, she was planning to give you to me."
"Wait, what?" Hans tried to turn around to look at her but his restraints were still too tight.
Annaliese hesitated, feeling guilty about the situation, "Apparently when she offered 'someone like you', I guess she really meant you. With Elsa dead, she would give you to me."
Hans shook his head in disbelief, "How is that possible? How can she make that happen?"
Annaliese let out an irritated sigh, "Are you not listening to me or something? She can get inside your mind and control you! She can make you love me!"
Hans paused, contemplating what she just said. In a quiet but sincere tone he spoke, "Annaliese? I do love you."
She shook her head, "No, you love Elsa-"
"I am in love with Elsa, yes. And I love my wife dearly. But you…" Hans was surprised he got choked up a bit, "You're my best friend, Annaliese. You were my first love. Growing up in the Southern Isles, you were there for me when no one else was. You cleaned my wounds when my brothers beat me up. You listened to my sorrows and made me laugh when I felt down. Without you, I would've been so lost. And for that, you will always hold a special place in my heart." He could hear her sniffling, "I am so sorry you ever felt like you were unwanted or unloved. I must've been a terrible friend if you felt like you had no other choice than to trust this devious rogue goddess." Hans stretched his handcuffed hands back as far as he could until he felt her soft delicate hands. He gently grasped her handcuffed hands with his own, "Just because we are not lovers anymore doesn't mean I don't love you at all. Your friendship is very important to me, Annaliese. You literally saved my life back in Sperca. You encouraged me to pursue my feelings for Elsa. You've been there for me when Elsa and I hit rough patches in our relationship. You were, are, and will always be a big part of my life. Please don't forget that I do love you, Annaliese."
She let her fingers intertwined with his and gave his hands a gentle squeeze, "I love you too, Hans." She smiled as they held their captive hands together in the darkness.
Hans gave her hand one last gentle squeeze before letting go. Stretching his handcuffed hands so far back had cut off the blood circulation and his hands had started to go numb, "If I may ask, when did Deam Perfide first approach you?"
Annaliese hesitated, "Sperca. It was during the time when I was completely distraught after finding out Kendrick was dead and I was to be a single mother. It was before you offered to help take care of me and the baby. Like I said, I was lonely and depressed."
"I see." Hans nodded understandingly, "So you really don't know anything about how Deam Perfide plans on killing Elsa or Rapunzel? Or what she plans to do with her newfound powers if she should succeed in killing them?"
"No. I assume the explosive elements at the festivals were a possible attempt to kill them. But if they didn't succeed, then I don't know what Plan B would be." She shook her head in defeat, "Once I rejected her on the ship, she stopped trusting me." She paused with realization, "But I know someone she still trusts."
Hans tilted his head with intrigue, "And who would that person be?"
"Thomas Sullivan."
Klaus and Simon walked down the spiral stone staircase that led into the Southern Isles dungeon. The cold stale air in the dungeon was a stark contrast to the warm refreshing breeze outside. The two brothers quickly made their way down a long walkway and confidently strode towards the cell at the end of the hall. Klaus nodded to his brother, signaling for Simon to take the lead on this interrogation while he secretly listened out of sight.
Simon approached the cell and loudly cleared his throat, catching the criminal off guard, "Thomas Sullivan?"
The man slowly looked up at the prince, a look of hatred on his face, "Who's asking?" He quickly assessed Simon's appearance and smirked, "You're one of the twelve princes aren't you?"
"What makes you think that?"
"I've been working at castles for most of my life. You really think I can't tell when someone is of nobility or not?"
Simon cocked an unimpressed eyebrow, "It was the sideburns, wasn't it?"
Thomas scoffed, "Of course. You all look the same. Clones of your father."
"Well, aren't you funny." Simon slowly crossed his arms, an amused expression on his face, "Like to make jokes, huh? Here's a fun little riddle for you. What's sad and lonely and very likely to lose a finger if they decide to obstruct my investigation?"
Thomas gave an unimpressed look, "You're not very good at this."
"Perhaps. But I'm very good at follow through so if you want to keep all of your fingers then I suggest you make yourself useful."
"I'm not afraid of you. There are far greater things to fear than losing a finger." Thomas let out a humorless chuckle, "How's your brother by the way? Last I saw of him, he didn't look very good."
Simon did not even flinch at the mention of Viktor. Instead, he matched Sullivan's arrogant smirk, "What about your tongue? Considering how much you like to talk, I'd think you're rather fond of it."
"You're bluffing."
"Alright, I warned you." He pulled out a set of keys and easily located the one associated to Sullivan's cell. Before unlocking the door, he quickly glanced at Klaus leaning on the corner wall, still out of Sullivan's line of sight. He noticed his eldest brother had a stern look on his face that reminded Simon to not get too carried away with this interrogation. He unlocked the cell door and stepped inside. Given that Thomas' wrists and ankles were chained to the wall, Simon knew that he was not much of a threat. He pulled out the knife that he carried in his boot and confidently strode towards Thomas.
Thomas' smug facade began to waiver, "You're not serious are you? This is a bit dramatic-"
"Listen I've wasted the past month and a half trying to find the person who shot my father." He reached forward, grabbing Sullivan's throat, and harshly pushed him up against the cell wall. "You pulled a gun on him today, making you the prime suspect. I really don't think anyone would mind if I roughed you up a bit."
"I didn't shoot your father!"
"Then who did?"
"I don't know-"
"Well then you're wasting even more of my time. If you really don't know anything then I guess you won't need your tongue." He moved his hand from Thomas' throat to his cheeks and forcefully opened his mouth.
As Simon lifted the knife, bringing it closer and closer to Sullivan's mouth, the criminal relented, "Okay! Okay! I yield!"
Simon did not move the knife away from his mouth, "You'll tell me everything?"
"Yes! Just please don't hurt me!"
"Deal." The prince slid the knife back into his boot and harshly released his grip on Sullivan. "Alright then, talk. What do you know?"
Thomas began telling Simon, and inadvertently Klaus, everything he knew about Deam Perfide. He explained how she gains her powers, who she is hunting down, and what she made him do on her behalf. "I don't understand." Simon pondered, "How does she get inside your head? Some people are pretty stubborn."
"Her best, and also favorite, tactic is to bring her victims to the brink of death. That is when people are most vulnerable and that is when its easiest for her to take control."
Simon leaned back against the cell wall and swung the keys around his finger, "This all seems so far fetched. How do I know if you're telling the truth?"
Thomas shrugged, "Ask Gregory. He knows. He'll tell you the same thing."
"I would if I knew where he was."
Thomas had a confused expression on his face, "He hasn't returned yet?"
"Returned from what?" Simon stopped swinging the keys and curiously cocked his head, "Why didn't he bring you here in the first place? Where did he go?"
"He and some young-looking guard went to go look for Prince Hans."
Simon frowned, "Young guard? What young guard? All new recruits were rotated to prison duty today while the more experienced guards were handling the security sweeps. There should not have been any young guards outside this prison."
A look of remorse showed on Thomas' face, "Hmm well that's unfortunate then."
"How so?"
"That means whoever went with Gregory was an imposter. You may want to try and find him sooner than later. He may be in trouble."
Simon started to exit the cell, but hesitated, "Wait." He turned to look at Sullivan, "Why would you tell us to go help him? Why would you care if he's in trouble or not."
Much to Simon's surprise, Thomas looked a bit worried, "Gregory is a good friend of mine. Or at least he was. Despite my criminal doings, he and I always got along when it came to our work. I respected him. Although he may no longer think of me as a friend. I'm afraid that this Deam Perfide business may have ruined our friendship." He let out a sad sigh, "I may not care about many people. But I do care about my friends. And he is one of my closest friends. I don't want to see him get hurt."
Simon regarded this seemingly sincere confession with suspicion. Without saying another word, he turned and left the cell. He swiftly locked the door and headed down the hall with Klaus right on his heels. "Did you hear all of that?"
Klaus nodded with a concerned expression, "Basically both Gregory and Hans are missing and in danger. This Rogue Goddess is roaming around our kingdom and we don't have anyone that can stop her."
Simon chuckled, "Now would be a good time to have Hans' wife here, huh? You think she's powerful enough to stop Deam Perfide?"
Klaus remained silent as he thought about Elsa's warning to him before he left Arendelle with Hans a while back. If anything should happen to Hans during this whole endeavor, you will answer to me. Klaus nervously gulped as he remembered how close her icicle came to piercing his throat. "Yeah…yeah I think she could put up a good fight."
"I think I almost got it." Hans continued to flex and then relax his upper body, causing the rope to slowly stretch itself out. He was hoping that eventually the rope would become loose enough that he would be able to shimmy it up and over his head. Annaliese had grown quiet, the effects of dehydration were taking a toll on her. She desperately tried to remain conscious but it was starting to get difficult.
"Just hang in there, Annaliese. I'll get us out of here." He continued to struggle with the rope a bit longer until it finally got loose enough for him to wiggle out of it. "Yes! Got it!" He stood up but then quickly realized that although his upper body was free from the rope, his wrists were still cuffed and his ankles were tied to the the chair as well. "Dang it." He sighed as he sat back down.
Since the rope around his upper body was gone, he was able to turn around and look at his best friend, "Annaliese? How are you doing?" He noticed that she looked very pale, her lips were extremely dry, and she was barely responsive. "Oh no. Hold on, Annaliese. Don't give up on me." He desperately looked around the very dark room and tried to find something that would help him break free. He was disappointed to find there was not much in the room besides the chairs they were sitting on and a cold fireplace.
Wait! That's it! Fireplace! He stood up and awkwardly shuffled with the chair across the room towards the fireplace. Once he got closer, he closely sat beside the hearth and noticed that it was made from rigid brick. He found a sharp corner on the fireplace hearth and aggressively began to rub the rope around his ankles against it. In a matter of minutes he heard a SNAP! And instantly felt the rope release his ankles.
He stood up and hurried over to his friend, "Annaliese? It's me. I'm going to get you out of here." Although his wrists were still cuffed behind his back, he was able to bring his bound hands low enough that he could squeeze his lower body through his arms, allowing his hands to be in front of him instead of behind.
He grabbed the hidden knife in his boot and swiftly cut the ropes around his friend's upper body and ankles. Hans quickly reached forward and caught her body as it limply fell forward, "Alright, let's get out of here." As much as he would like to carry her in a more modest way, given that both of their wrists were still handcuffed, the best he could do was gently place her over his right shoulder and carefully hurry out of the room.
Hans cautiously ran into what he thought would be a homely hallway but it turned out to be a massive warehouse instead. "Woah." He was temporarily stunned at the sight, he thought that they were being kept in a rundown home or shop or something relatively small. He never thought he would find himself in what looked to be an abandoned lumber mill. Hans carefully walked through the intricate maze of rusty old saws and other machinery, making sure not to accidentally bump Annaliese into anything dangerous.
Hans saw a faint light flicker up in a room on the second floor, he assumed it was an office of some sort. Perhaps an office with water for Annaliese or at least the keys for these wretched handcuffs. He walked over to the stairs but to his dismay, they were originally made from iron which had rusted over time, making the stairs extremely unstable. There is no way I can make it up there while carrying Annaliese. Hans found a hidden pile of old tarps underneath the stairs and although it was not the comfiest looking hiding spot, he decided that would it be the best option to hide Annaliese for the time being. After gently placing her down and covering her up with the dusty tarps, Hans began his dangerous climb. He hesitantly took the first step, wanting to see if these rusty stairs would even hold his weight. They have to be strong enough to carry someone, there is clearly a lit lantern upstairs meaning someone must be coming and going from there. He paused at the thought. There might be someone up there. Perhaps Deam Perfide? He instinctually reached down and pulled out the hidden knife in his boot, just in case he encountered someone.
Hans took in a deep breath and cautiously continued his ascent up the rusted metal staircase. Despite the poor condition of the stairs and the generous amount of wobble it gave, it was a rather quiet climb. He reached the top in no time and, with weapon in hand, he snuck into the office. It was a small room with a desk beside a window overlooking the warehouse floor below. The lit lantern was resting on the window's ledge and the oil was close to running out, Hans estimated no more than half an hour left before the flame would extinguish. He quickly searched the office for any signs of someone else being there, but he found none. Whoever lit the lantern has probably been gone for quite a while and they could be back any minute now. While he was looking around the office, he noticed there was a pitcher of water resting on the desk. Yes! Perfect! Now where is the handcuff key?
Hans shuffled through the desk drawers and on the last drawer, he moved a couple of old lumber receipts to reveal a small key. Oh my goodness! The key! He easily unlocked his cuffs and gratefully rubbed his wrists. I have to get out of here before someone shows up. He tucked the key into his pocket and grabbed the pitcher of water before hurrying out of the office. He carefully made his way down the rickety stairs and ran to Annaliese's hiding place.
"Annaliese, I found water!" He excitedly whispered as he removed the tarps, "Can you hear me?"
Annaliese let out a small groan, "Hans?"
"I'm here. Everything is going to be alright." He pulled out the key and swiftly unlocked the handcuffs around her wrists. He then scurried behind her and helped her sit up, having her lean back against his chest. "I've got you, 'Liese. Drink the water." He held up the pitcher of water to her lips and she eagerly drank for a while, not caring as water splashed all over her face and her dress. Once she got her fill, she tiredly leaned back against Hans. He held her hand and gently grazed his thumb across it to help her relax, giving her body time to recover. He knew that their captor could return at any time but he could not force Annaliese to move while she was still recovering.
"Hans?"
He looked down at his best friend resting against his chest, "I'm here, Annaliese. What do you need?"
She took in a deep breath, "I need you to go."
"Huh?!" He leaned forward to took a look at her face, noticing her eyes were still closed, "What are you talking about?"
"I know you received permission to go back home to Arendelle. You should go and make sure you catch the ship. I don't want you to miss it because of me."
"Annaliese, no-"
"Arendelle needs you. Elsa needs you."
"Annaliese, I am not going to leave you behind."
"But-"
"This is not open for discussion. I am not leaving you." They remained quiet for a couple of minutes, until Hans quietly piped up, "How did you know about me getting permission to go back to Arendelle?"
"Deam Perfide. She overheard your father and Klaus discussing it. When she brought you here earlier, she mentioned it to me. I don't know why though."
"Did someone call for me?" Hans and Annaliese froze at the sound of a mysterious voice. Hans narrowed his eyes, looking around the dark warehouse and hidden in the shadows across the way, a figure appeared. He couldn't tell what it looked like, all he could hear was the sound of its shoes clicking on the wood floor. Hans and Annaliese looked at each other with panic in their eyes. Hans frantically glanced around the warehouse and found an old door that was slightly ajar, but there was no way to reach it while staying hidden. They would have to run for it and risk getting caught again. He tapped Annaliese on the shoulder and pointed towards the door. She nodded and slowly stood up, trying to get her bearings.
Hans watched her struggle to quietly move. He knew his friend would not be able to make it out of here without their captor catching them both. He knew that Annaliese needed medical attention. He knew that one of them needed to escape and find help. He knew the other needed to distract their captor. He knew what he had to do.
The mysterious voice called out again, "Prince Hans of the Southern Isles. King Consort of Arendelle. It is a pleasure to finally meet you."
That clenched it. The captor wanted Hans. He needed to be the distraction. Annaliese could tell what her best friend was thinking and she grabbed his arm, firmly shaking her head 'no'. But Hans gave her a stern nod, gently removed her hand from his arm, and stepped out from their hiding place.
"I would say the same but…" He continued to search for any identifying features on the hidden figure, "that would require me to actually see you." He began to wander in the opposite direction of the door Annaliese would try to escape through, hoping to direct the captor's attention away from that area.
The ominous voice chuckled, "Oh look who is feeling feisty today. Let me give you a friendly face to chat with." From within the shadows, Hans could see the figure morph into a different body shape. "There." Out from the shadows, Leila sauntered towards him, "Is this better, Your Highness?"
Hans hesitated for a brief moment, slightly unnerved from what he saw, "I assume you're Deam Perfide? Because I know the real Leila isn't a shapeshifter."
She feigned being impressed, "Wow you really are the smartest out of all your brothers, aren't you?"
"Speaking of my brothers…" He continued to walk further away from the door, knowing that Annaliese was waiting for the opportune moment to make a run for it. "What happened to my brother?"
"Brother?" Leila smirked, "You've got twelve of them, you have to be more specific-"
"Viktor. The one you shot."
"Oh yes. Your partner in crime." She let out an exaggerated happy sigh, "It's nice seeing you finally getting along with at least one of your brothers."
"Stop avoiding the question." Hans could feel himself losing his temper, "Did you heal him as you said you would?"
She wore an expression of sincerity as she began following him further into the warehouse and away from the door, "I am a goddess of my word. Your brother is fine." She casually leaned against an old workbench and smiled, "See, you can trust me. I mean no harm to you."
Hans glared back at her, "You have a funny way of showing it." He noticed that one of her wrists was wrapped up in a bandage, as if it were sprained or something, "What happened to you?" He gestured to her injured wrist.
"Oh this?" She held it up with a wince, "This was a gift from your brother Gregory."
Hans chuckled, "And to think he's one of the more diplomatic princes of the Southern Isles."
She smirked in response, "Hm. Enough about your brothers. Let's talk about you." She stood back up and began to walk towards him, playfully twirling the ends of her jet black hair, "Believe it or not, I have no qualms with you, Your Highness. I just wanted us to have a moment to chat."
Hans continued to watch her meander in his direction, making sure to keep tracking her with his eyes, "Well with that nifty gift of yours, you could've talked to me whenever and as whoever you wanted."
Leila smirked, "Maybe I have." She fondly looked him up and down, "I've been more involved in this situation than you think."
"Try me."
"In due time." She paused briefly, as if carefully choosing her next words, "Can I admit something to you? I feel like we've gotten close." Once again, she casually leaned against a workbench, except she was a lot closer to him this time, "Your family is troublesome to me."
Hans scoffed, "Well, there's thirteen of us. That's typically an unlucky number."
She playfully giggled, as if enjoying the banter, "No, no. Not that family. The one you married into."
An anxious and angry knot formed in Hans' stomach. He knew she was going to try to extract some sort of information from him about his family back in Arendelle, "The family I married into is anything but troublesome. Unless of course you have some ill-intent plan that involves toppling kingdoms and hurting innocent people or something along those lines."
"Why would you assume I have some ill-intent plan?" She pretended to pout, "I thought we were getting along?" Her pout disappeared as a more sinister expression took its place, "A few mornings ago I asked, 'are you not afraid of your brothers anymore?' Do you remember what you told me?"
Hans froze in realization. That morning was the morning after Annaliese told him about the coincidental three festivals and their suspected terrorist attacks. That morning was when this shapeshifter took Annaliese's identity and infiltrated the castle. Deam Perfide must have been pretending to be Lelia that morning when she "accidentally" walked in on Hans in the bathroom. When they chatted, he thought he was being honest with a good friend. Turns out he was opening up about his past to this rogue goddess, not Leila.
He scowled at the shapeshifter in disbelief, "Do you remember what I said?" He did not want to repeat it in hopes to not incriminate himself.
"Of course." She gave him a menacing smirked before shapeshifting into Hans. She then began repeating what Hans answered from that morning, "Not really." The fake Hans humorlessly chuckled with a half-smile, "They've already done their worst to me and I'm still here so I don't think there's anything they could do that would phase me now." She shape shifted back into Leila, and curiously tilted her head, "Then I asked, 'what worries you?'."
"That is enough!" Hans angrily pleaded. He slammed his hand down on the table, knocking a few rusted tools onto the ground which gave a loud enough diversion to allow Annaliese to silently slip out of the slightly ajar door without Deam Perfide noticing. But there was another reason he yelled. He knew what this rogue goddess was getting at and it terrified him.
She gave him a sinister smile, unfazed by the commotion he caused, "And then you responded." She changed back into Hans again, "The safety and well-being of my family back in Arendelle. Annaliese included as well." The fake Hans chuckled as he stepped closer to be face-to-face with the real Hans, "That's your weakness, Your Highness. You actually caring about those people has truly made all the difference." She changed back into Leila once more and stretched her neck as if she was getting tired of shapeshifting, "I must admit, I initially read you wrong. I thought bringing you back here to be reunited with all your brothers would break you and you would reveal all the juicy secrets about your precious Arendelle family. I didn't realize you went completely soft. You put up a good fight and a decent facade."
Hans raised an inquisitive eyebrow, "So you admit to shooting my father? Just to get me here?"
She held up her hands in mock surrender, "Consider this my confession." She dropped her hands and began to saunter back towards the shadows, "But enough about my confession. Let's talk about yours, you big 'ol softy. I meant what I said out in the town square. The Arendelle sisters made you soft. Elsa made you weak. Fortunately for me," She began to disappear into the shadows, "I have no such weakness. All I have to do is wait."
"For what?!" Hans called out to her. He did not want her realizing that Annaliese had escaped and if there was one thing he noticed about this rogue goddess, it was that she loved to talk. He figured if he kept asking her questions, this would give Annaliese a head start on getting help and maybe Deam Perfide might even reveal some information that would be of use to him. His hunch proved to be correct as he watched her come to a halt. For a few seconds there was no sound at all except the pounding of his heartbeat. Eventually he watched her turn around and saunter back towards his direction but she remained hidden in the shadows.
"There is a book. 'Census Actus Supernaturalis'." She stepped out of the shadows again, still wearing the facade of Lelia. "A legendary book that keeps track of all the supernaturally gifted individuals throughout history, past and present."
"Is that what this is all about? You're looking for a legendary book?"
"You think I'd go through all this trouble because I, Deam Perfide, the Rogue Goddess needed help from you mortals to find a dumb book?" She let out a sarcastic laugh, "You're adorably naive, Your Highness. I don't need help finding it. I already have it." With just a swift flick of her wrist, she produced a decently thick book out of thin air, "Take a look." She lowered the antiqued hardcover book down to his line of sight and quickly fanned through the pages, "This book documents various details about supernaturally gifted individuals such as name, birth date, where they live, their special gifts, when they died, and their current location." She snapped the book shut and tucked it under her arm, "The book magically updates itself, which is how I've been able to locate so many supernaturally gifted individuals over the years. Sometimes it can be tricky though."
"I don't see how. You have the world's greatest cheat sheet at your fingertips."
"The book only updates the location on an individual when they use their powers. So if someone decides to go incognito, then they become difficult to track down. Which is why I have to align myself with other outside sources who can help me locate these hidden targets."
Hans casually leaned on a workbench, seeing some of the pieces fall into place, "Outside sources such as Vortex. You use terrorist organizations to stir up trouble and try to force those in hiding to eventually reveal themselves by using their gifts to protect themselves or loved ones, thereby updating the book for your schemes."
She temporarily paused, an impressed look on her face, "Bingo. You're so smart, are you sure we can't get along?" Hans glared at her in response, "No? Well, alright." She suddenly outstretched her arm which released an invisible force that threw Hans backwards several yards before he harshly hit a sturdy warehouse beam behind him. He let out a loud grunt as he fell to the floor and tried to overcome the pain. He grabbed the hidden knife in his boot and swiftly threw it in her direction. She easily deflected his knife with a quick flick of her wrist, using her telekinetic powers to cause the knife to fly off to the side and completely miss her. "Oh, Your Highness, you do not want to start a fight with me."
"I've been fighting my entire life." He slowly, but confidently, stood up, "I think I could put up a good fight if you didn't cheat."
"Cheat?" She tilted her head curiously, "Oh you mean my powers?"
"Don't you mean other people's powers?" He smirked, watching her aloof facade begin to crack. She was clearly bothered by that comment. So, naturally, he continued to poke at her, "You're only powerful because you stole gifts that were given to people who actually deserved it. They don't belong to you. You're just a thief!"
"Silence!" A loud rumbling sound grew as the entire building started to shake, "I am a goddess!" She began to levitate, a sinister look in her eye, "I am the most powerful being in existence!"
Hans grabbed onto the sturdy beam beside him as he began to lose his balance from the swaying floor. He clearly discovered something that triggered her. He just did not know if he was going to regret saying it or not. On one hand, she could accidentally reveal her plan out of sheer rage. On the other hand, she could just kill him. He decided to keep asking her questions in hopes to avoid the latter.
"How many powers do you possess?"
"I've killed many gifted individuals over the years. But I am saving some of the best for last. Your wife and her cousin possess some extraordinary gifts."
Hans' eyes widened in fear, "Why are you doing this? What is the endgame?"
"That…" Even in her powerful rage, she hesitated, "That is personal." She slowly lowered herself back down as the ground stopped shaking, "I thought you could have been an ally. You used to be devious and cunning. I want that Hans back."
He wanted to play the facade of the old Hans in order to appease her but his convictions got the best of him, "You're too late. That Hans is dead."
"So be it." She raised her hands which lifted all of the nearby saws and other heavy lumbering equipment into the air. With a swift flick of her wrists, all of the equipment went flying towards Hans.
Hans expertly dodged, ducked, and jumped over everything she threw at him. He desperately tried to run for safety but she continued to bombard him with dangerous tools. He needed to find a way to escape but it was difficult to look around for an exit when he had to keep an eye on this rogue goddess at all times. He suddenly stopped running as a huge saw blade flew across his front, narrowly missing him and lodging itself into the wall. Across the room he spotted the door that Annaliese had snuck out of. He had found his exit. He started running towards it but Deam Perfide realized his plan. She immediately stopped throwing things at him and instead stopped him in his tracks with her telekinetic powers, "Nuh-uh-uh."
Hans tried to move but he could only feel the crushing invisible force she put upon him. She sauntered over to him, "I will give you one last chance to willingly join me."
Hans clenched his jaw, trying to fight her invisible grip on him, "I will never join you. I would rather die."
"That is not for you to decide." She lifted the hand that was controlling him, causing him to be lifted off the ground, "You know, I meant what I said earlier. I don't wish to harm you. I don't want you dead." She pulled him towards her and brought him so close that she could whisper in his ear, "But you will suffer so greatly that you will wish you were dead." She threw him across the warehouse and harshly slammed him against the wall, except this time she pinned him up against the wall as if he were a painting on display. "Now let's see if I remember correctly." With her free hand, she expertly flicked her wrist and a small crossbow magically appeared, "I believe the first one hit the leg." She shot the crossbow and the arrow pierced his leg, causing him to yell in pain.
Her crossbow magically reloaded, "Then the stomach." She shot it again, perfectly nailing him in his abdomen. "Then the shoulder."
Hans' breathing was shallow and rapid as he gasped for air. He never imagined he would ever relive the torture of that horrendous night in Sperca, yet here he was. She knew. Somehow she knew the exact spots where I was hit by the rebels' crossbows that night. How did she know? Unless… Then he remembered something she said earlier.
"I've been more involved in this situation than you think."
"You were there, weren't you?" He gasped as he fought for breath, "You were disguised as one of the rebels."
She smirked, "Your Highness, who do you think was the one that tipped off the rebels about Elsa's presence in Sperca? How else would those drunken fools have broken into the castle that night if it were not for my help?"
Hans began to cough up blood, "You never wanted to overthrow Kendrick's reign. All of that commotion was because you were looking for Elsa. You wanted to kill her that night and take her powers for yourself." His eyes widened in realization as everything fell into place, "You gave Anna the plague on purpose, knowing that Elsa would have to travel to Sperca to find the antidote. But when Anna magically recovered on her own, you went ahead and poisoned Kristoff with the plague instead."
"See, this is why I like you so much. Even when you're dying, you're still sharper than ever." She laughed at her own bad pun, "Since you're so smart. Do you remember where the last two arrows went?"
He tried to breath deeply but the pain was too great, "Stop the teasing and just kill me, you coward!"
She rolled her eyes, "So dramatic." Without hesitation, she rapidly shot the last two arrows into his chest.
Hans breath hitched when the arrows pierced his chest. Right before his body went numb, he felt her loosen her grip on him and he crumbled to the floor, gasping like a fish out of water. He watched as she meandered towards him and knelt down beside him. She delicately placed her fingertips on his temples and stared deeply into his eyes, "You will beg for death but you won't die. Just relax and the pain will go away. The sooner you let go, the sooner you will begin to heal."
Hans was terrified as he could slowly feel the sensation of something sinister clouding his thoughts. His head swirled with another voice that did not belong to him. He could not hear his own thoughts, he could only hear Deam Perfide's voice. He finally understood what Annaliese was talking about. He felt the horror of someone else trying to rummage around through your thoughts, memories, ideology. He desperately tried to fight her from gaining access to anything related to his family back in Arendelle, but Deam Perfide was right. The more he fought her, the greater the pain from his injuries ailed him. If he just relaxed and let her inside then the pain would go away. Nonetheless, he tirelessly continued to fight her through the pain. If she needed him so badly, she would not let him die. He just needed to hold her off as long as possible.
He continued to feel her poking and prodding through his memories, and in order to appease her and gain some relief from the pain, he allowed her access to his childhood memories. She rummaged through them as if she were looking for something at the shop. She was searching for something specific. She occasionally paused here and there to take a closer look at his traumatic childhood but there was not anything especially interesting. She finally got to his more recent memories such as his first trip to Arendelle for Elsa's coronation. Immediately he guarded his thoughts and fought her as she began prodding for more information about Elsa. He repeated Annaliese's words in his mind. She cannot access all of the memories from a person. Some stuff can be hidden if its crucially important to the victim.
He followed Annaliese's advice and focused on his love for Elsa, thereby clouding his memories of her from Deam Perfide. This is for Elsa. The love of my life. I would rather suffer and die before betraying my wife. Consequentially, the more he blocked from the rogue goddess, the more intense the pain from his injuries became. Nonetheless, he continued to fight despite the tempting desire to give into his injuries and lose consciousness.
After a couple more minutes of fighting, Deam Perfide finally released him from her control, "Well, I underestimated you. It seems your love for your wife is truly unbreakable." Hans did not respond. He lay on the floor gasping for breath, blood dripping down his body, as everything began to go dark. The last thing he heard was Deam Perfide sinister voice, "If I can't access these old memories, then I guess I have no choice but to go create some new ones instead." She smiled at him, "Thank you for the information." Hans helplessly watched as she walked away and slowly disappeared into thin air like a phantom. He could only assume that was the teleportation gift Annaliese had mentioned to him. He desperately tried to call out for help but before he was able to utter a word, he lost consciousness.
"Alright let's spread out! I will take a some guards and search for Gregory. Klaus, you take a some guards and search for Hans." Simon ordered as he and Klaus took a group of more experienced guards back to the last known location of Gregory and Hans, the place where they found Viktor's body.
Klaus firmly nodded, "If anyone has a run in with anything suspicious like a rogue goddess or whatever then blow on your emergency whistles. You will receive back up within a minute or so. We cannot afford to lose anyone else tonight." With a look of determination, he eyed everyone in the group, "Any questions?"
"NO SIR!" The guards responded in unison.
"Excellent." Klaus looked over at his brother and extended his hand, "Take care. Good luck."
Simon gave him a smirk and firmly shook his hand, "Same to you."
Klaus nodded and then ordered his men to follow him, while Simon did the same. The two groups went their separate ways and began breaking down every home and shop door they came across. Since all citizens should still be in the castle courtyard, they decided to take an aggressive approach to find their missing brothers. Time was of the essence and this was the most efficient way to search for them. Simon's team went east just as the guard who brought Sullivan in suggested, while Klaus' team went south towards the forest.
After about twenty minutes of searching, Simon turned the corner of a smaller, quieter street and froze when he saw a body lying beside a storefront. "I found a body!" Simon ran towards the body, his guards right behind him, and as he got closer his heart dropped. "No."
He found himself standing over Gregory's body, a pool of blood surrounding him. Just by looking at the pale and stoic expression on his brother's face, Simon knew he was dead. Out of protocol, Simon knelt down and checked for a pulse, tears stinging his eyes when he found none.
One of the guards cleared his throat, "I am sorry, Your Highness. Is there anything you want us to do?"
Simon bowed his head, not wanting the guards to see his tears. He spoke in a quiet voice, "Search the area for any clues of what happened or who could have done this." The guard nodded and relayed the message to the rest of the group. As the men split up to search the area, this gave Simon a moment alone with his deceased brother. Tears brimming his eyes, he placed a gentle hand on his brother's cold shoulder, "Greg. I haven't seen you in years, and this is how we reunite?" He squeezed his eyes shut as a few tears ran down his face, "I am so sorry we couldn't save you. We couldn't get to you in time. You came here to help us and we let you down." He opened his eyes and forced himself to look at his brother's body, "What happened, Greg?" He examined the bloodstain on his shirt. He carefully unbuttoned his shirt and cringed when he saw the gapping stab wound in his abdomen, "Who did this to you?" He felt his despair turn into rage, "Who. Did. This."
"Your Highness…" One of the guards walked up behind him, "We found this wooden crate. It looks damaged."
Simon slowly tore his eyes away from his brother and examined the crate, "Those markings look eerily similar to Gregory's stab wound." He compared the markings and nodded, "I'd say this was used, probably by Gregory, to defend himself." He sadly looked down at his brother, "I hope he put up a good fight and did some damage to whoever attacked him." His voice slightly quivered, "I hope he didn't suffer for very long."
Simon slowly stood up, feeling as if this was just a bad dream, "Well…" He cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure, "At least my brother is no longer missing. Please cover up the body and return him to the castle. Notify the doctor so he may do his final examination and then prepare his body to be buried." He looked at one of the middle-aged guards, "Deliver the news of Gregory's death to the prisoner, Thomas Sullivan. He claims they were close friends." Simon began to walk away, he needed to tell Klaus about Gregory.
"What about King Richard?" One of the guards called out, "Shouldn't he be notified?"
Simon stopped but did not turn around, "No. Not yet. We need to find Hans first." He walked away with a newfound sense of determination, "Hopefully we're not too late."
Meanwhile, Klaus and his team were finishing up their search on the southern region of town which was just on the edge of the Southern Isles forest. If they did not find any trace of Hans here then they would migrate west, towards the shoreline and docks. Klaus stood outside the last building as his team began regrouping from the search. "How did we do? Find anything?"
A guard dejectedly shook his head, "Nothing, Your Highness. Everything looks to be in order."
Klaus furrowed his brow and nodded, "Alright. Let's begin heading westward then."
As the unit of men were about to move out, they heard Simon's voice call out, "Klaus! Wait!"
Klaus turned around to find his brother running towards him, but one look at Simon's face told him everything he needed to know, "You found Gregory, didn't you?" Simon's face looked unreadable to the common person, but Klaus knew his brother well. He stepped away from his team for privacy because he could tell his brother had been crying which only meant one thing, "Gregory is dead, isn't he?"
Simon solemnly nodded, "Single stab wound to the abdomen. He must've bled out."
Klaus pinched the bridge of his nose, "First Viktor. Then Gregory. God only knows Hans' condition."
Simon rubbed his head as if he had a headache, "If I had gotten to Greg sooner-"
"Don't start blaming yourself-"
"But its true!" Simon could feel angry tears sting his eyes, "The only reason Viktor has a sliver of a chance to surviving his injuries is because Gregory was there to attend to his wounds and help stop the bleeding. But when Gregory was in grave danger, no one was there to help him and now he's dead!"
Klaus reached forward and placed his hands on his brother's shoulders in a comforting way, kindly looking into his eyes, "Simon. There was nothing we could have done. We acted as fast as we could and unfortunately it wasn't enough. But you cannot blame yourself. You didn't stab him."
"How can you act so unbothered about this?!" Simon shrugged Klaus' hands off his shoulders, "Our brother is dead! Do you not understand that?!"
"I do understand." Klaus' voice was calm despite the situation, "But there is a time to grieve and there is a time to focus on the task at hand. We need to focus on finding Hans right now. We already lost one brother today, I cannot bear the thought of losing another."
Simon blinked away the tears, his voice still carrying a hint of anger, "We need to find whoever did this. We need to avenge Gregory's death."
"We will find the culprit. I promise."
Simon firmly nodded his head, "Alright. We may not have gotten to Greg in time, but we might still be able to help Hans."
As if on cue, a familiar voice called out from the forest, "Help! Help! Someone help!"
Everyone turned around but Klaus recognized the voice first, "Annaliese?!" The two brothers hurried over to her as she emerged from the forest, stumbling from her dehydration and lack of food, "Hans is in danger! He needs help!"
Klaus reached forward to help her but Simon pulled him back, "Wait. This could be a trap. Remember what Sullivan said about this rogue goddess having the ability to shape-shift?" Simon looked her up and down, "Are you the real Annaliese?"
She tiredly leaned against a tree, out of breath and feeling dizzy, "The real Annaliese? So you must know about Deam Perfide then? Which means you talked to Gregory?"
Simon's eyes grew dark, "Gregory is dead."
Annaliese's eyes widened in surprise, "What?! How?!"
"Shouldn't you know?" Simon crossed his arms, "You killed him."
She violently shook her head, her eyes still wide, "I did no such thing! I've been held captive for days!"
"AHA!" Simon pointed an incredulous finger at her, "If you've been held captive for days, then how come I saw Annaliese at the festival earlier today?"
"That was Deam Perfide!" Her legs gave out and she fell to the ground, "You have to believe me. Hans is in trouble. He needs your help!"
Simon opened his mouth to answer, but Klaus cut him off, "Hans is alive? You know where he is?"
She nodded, "Yes! He sacrificed himself to help me escape!" She looked up at Klaus with pleading eyes, "Please help him. I know what Deam Perfide is capable of and knowing her tactics, he could be on the cusp of death."
Klaus bent down and scooped her up into his strong arms, "Lead the way, Annaliese."
She lifted a weak arm, pointing into the forest, "We were being help captive in an abandoned lumber mill hidden in the forest."
He nodded understandingly, before turning to his team, "Guards! Follow me! Hans is in danger!"
As they all charged into the forest, Simon slightly hesitated but nonetheless he followed as well. They ran for several minutes before finally stumbling upon the old lumber mill. Just as they were about to burst inside, Simon grabbed Klaus' shoulder, "This could also be a trap. We need to think this through."
Klaus firmly shook his head, "I don't think we have time for that. But if you're so unsure then you can take care of Annaliese and stay out here." He handed her over to Simon, catching him off guard. Before he could say anything else, Klaus and his guards kicked the door down and stormed inside.
"Hans!" Klaus called out, "Hans! Are you in here?!" The warehouse was completely silent. They all curiously looked around at all the debris that was thrown around. "What happened here?"
Simon slowly stepped inside, still carrying Annaliese, and glanced around at the disaster, "What on earth could've caused all this destruction?"
Annaliese spoke quietly, "Deam Perfide. She's powerful. The worst thing we can do is underestimate her."
Simon regarded her coldly, "After seeing how she brutally murdered Gregory, I don't think I will ever underestimate her."
Klaus turned to his team, "Everyone spread out and search the debris. Hans could be hidden somewhere underneath this mess."
The guards followed Klaus' orders and began thoroughly searching through all the rubble. After a couple minutes of searching, Klaus began circling the perimeter of the warehouse, trying to find a good vantage point to oversee the search efforts. But as he walked along the wall, he noticed a strange clearing among all the debris. He quickly climbed over some wreckage and hurried over to the open area, stumbling upon the youngest prince, "Hans! I found him! He's over here!"
Klaus bent down to get a better look at Hans' crumpled body, noticing the small amount of blood that has begun to pool around him. "Oh my gosh." He gasped when he examined the five arrows lodged into his body. He heard the scuttle of footsteps behind him and one by one the guards gasped when they saw his body. Simon and Annaliese were the last to reach the body.
"Hans!" Annaliese cried as she tried to pull away from Simon's grasp, "Please tell me he's alive."
Simon scoffed, "I doubt it. Who can survive that?"
Annaliese scowled at him, "He's done it before. He can do it again." She squirmed again, "Put me down!" Simon happily obliged. She crawled over to Hans' body, not caring that her dress was being covered in his blood, "Hans? Hans, can you hear me?"
Klaus hesitantly reached forward and checked for a pulse. He instantly withdrew his hand, "I don't believe it. He's still alive."
"What?!" Simon immediately dropped to his knees to get a better look at his brother, "That is impossible!"
Annaliese annoyingly looked at the two princes, "Enough talking! We have to do something! We could lose him any moment!"
She reached forward to pull an arrow out of Hans but Klaus quickly grabbed her arm to stop her, "Wait. If you pull out the arrow, he could lose even more blood. He is in such a fragile state, we have to be meticulous in everything we do."
"Fine. What do you want to do?"
Klaus glanced around the mill, noticing the small office up on the second floor, "What's up there?"
Annaliese followed his gaze, "I'm not sure. I know Hans went up there to investigate earlier. He brought back a pitcher of water and the key to unlocked the handcuffs we wore."
Klaus stood up and nodded, "There might be a medical kit or something up there. This used to be a lumber mill, right? That means the mill supervisor should store a med kit in his office, in case of any accidents." He jogged over to the rusty old staircase that led to the upstairs office, giving it a suspicious glance before carefully ascending the steps. Once he reached the top, he quickly searched through the dark office for supplies. The lantern that sat on the ledge by the window had gone out, making it even more difficult for Klaus to look for a medical kit. He quickly shuffled through the old desk, but found nothing. He searched through an old cabinet, but found nothing. The last place he checked was an old closet, with a missing doorknob. He pulled out his hidden knife and used it to fidget with the latch mechanism. After a couple attempts, he managed to get the door open.
Once the door was opened, his jaw dropped, "What on earth is all this?" He carefully examined the closet, studying the numerous amount of files neatly piled into different boxes. The boxes were labelled with names of many kingdoms and countries, some of which were ancient and no longer existed. Almost all of the boxes were sealed but his eye caught a box in the corner with the lid popped open. He read the label, "Arendelle/Corona?" He removed the lid and looked inside. Just more files, but what about? He read the front of the file sitting on top, "Hans Westergard." He picked up Hans' file and then looked down at the file that was underneath Hans', "Elsa, too?" He furrowed his brow, "What is going on here?" Since Hans' file was in his hand, he opened it up and briefly read through it. It seemed that the file was a cumulation of notes taken about Hans' entire life. He skimmed through the childhood notes since he obviously knew Hans growing up. But he slowed down when he reached the part about Hans going back to Arendelle after his crimes in the eternal winter. It was clear that these notes were not as thorough as the childhood ones, but there was still a lot of interesting information. He read about how Hans and Elsa travelled to Sperca in search for something and how the rebels attacked the castle, noting that Kendrick, Annaliese, and Elsa all escaped but Hans died. "Wait, what? That doesn't make any sense." Klaus mused out loud, "Annaliese told me about the rebel attack on the castle but she never mentioned Elsa and Hans being there, let alone Hans dying." He reread the note about Hans' death, "Five crossbow arrow wounds: one in the leg, stomach, shoulder, and two in the chest." He put down the file as his mouth hung open, "That's exactly what happened right now." Then he remembered what Annaliese had just said "He's done it before. He can do it again." He shook his head, his mind was racing and nothing was making sense.
He picked up Elsa's file and noticed the next file underneath was labeled Rapunzel. He was tempted to read Elsa's file but then he heard Simon call out to him, "Klaus?! Did you find anything?! We're trying to stop the bleeding but we could use some medical supplies!"
Klaus mentally slapped himself for getting so distracted, "Nothing yet!" He put the files back into the box and slid the box back where he found it. He continued to search through the closet but all he found were more boxes filled with files. Just as he was about to close the door, he noticed a hook mounted on the backside of the door. And hanging on the hook, a medical kit. "Found it!" He practically slammed the door shut and hurried out of the office. He carefully descended the rickety staircase and then ran back over to the group.
"I've got it! I found the medical supplies-" He froze when he saw the remorseful looks on everyones face, "What happened?"
Simon regretfully looked up at his brother, tears in his eyes, "It's too late. He's dead."
Thomas Sullivan tiredly sulked in his cell, waiting to receive his next directive from Deam Perfide or at least hear word about Gregory. He was starting to get tired of being the rogue goddess' fall guy, always taking the blame for her schemes. But then again, he knew better than to double cross Deam Perfide. It was wiser to fight with her instead of against her. As if on cue, a middle-aged guard walked up to his cell, "Thomas Sullivan?"
He gave the guard an incredulous look, "I thought only the young guards were on prison patrol today. Shouldn't you be out looking for Gregory or Hans?"
"I was apart of the search party, yes. But the search is over." He paused as he gathered his thoughts, "I have been told to deliver the news to you that Prince Gregory is dead."
Thomas' aloof facade immediately disappeared. He felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him, "W-what? H-how?"
"We found his body in a small street in town. He was stabbed and left to die." The guard had a stoic expression on his face, "Prince Simon told me that you and Prince Gregory were close. Thomas numbly nodded without uttering a word. The guard showed a bit of sympathy to the prisoner, "I am sorry for your loss." And without another word, the guard turned around and left.
Thomas felt cold, empty, and numb inside. He knew this fatal stab wound to his friend was done by Deam Perfide. He felt an overwhelming amount of regret weighing on him as he thought about the last things he and Gregory said to each other.
"Trying to get me to talk? I am not a fool, Greg."
"Perhaps. But you are expendable."
Thomas sighed, "Maybe I am an expendable fool after all."
A familiar voice piped up, "Perhaps but I still like you."
Thomas' head snapped up, "Gregory?!" He eyed the man, who looked like Gregory, standing by his cell door, "Very funny, Deam Perfide. I just heard Greg is dead."
She feigned a look of disappointment, "Aw no. I guess that means this disguise is no longer useful."
"You couldn't have used this as a disguise to get in here. The guards have already been notified of Gregory's death." He raised an eyebrow at her, "So what did you really use to get in here?"
Deam Perfide, still shaped as Gregory, chuckled, "Come on, Thomas. Why so serious? I came all this way to help you escape and you can't even pretend to be happy to see me?"
"You killed one of my closest friends. Allow me to grieve a bit."
She shape-shifted to one of the young guards, one of her go-to disguises. Wearing a solemn expression on her face, she softly spoke, "I'm sorry for your loss, Thomas. I didn't want to hurt him, but he attacked me." She held up her bandaged wrist, "See?" She put her arm down, "It was self defense, I swear."
Thomas scoffed, "Given all your special abilities, you couldn't have found a less deadly way of defending yourself?"
"Hey." Her sorrowful expression changed to one of irritation, "When I left him, he was still alive. It's not my fault that his brothers took forever to gather a search party and find him."
Thomas felt anger beginning to bubble up inside of him, but in order to stay on her good side, he pushed it down and calmly responded, "What's my next assignment?"
As she opened her mouth to respond, the middle-aged guard from before approach the cell, "Hello Greyson."
Deam Perfide, pretending to be the young guard, properly saluted, "Sir."
"At ease." He tiredly sighed as he looked between the young guard and Sullivan, "I've received more news from the search party."
Deam Perfide hopefully perked up, "Did they find Prince Hans?"
"Yes." The guard wore an unreadable expression, "Prince Hans is dead."
"What?!" Both Thomas and 'Greyson' responded at the same time.
Thomas threw a subtle look in Deam Perfide's direction, "What happened this time?"
The guard hesitated, "He was found in an abandoned lumber mill out in the forest. He was shot with five crossbow arrows."
Sullivan could not hide the shock he felt, "Five?! That's a bit excessive, isn't it?"
'Greyson' threw him an odd look, "Clearly whoever is doing this is a mastermind. They know what they're doing. Seems like they don't want to take any chances on having loose ends."
The guard nodded, "I agree. Which makes them a formidable enemy." He turned to leave but then stopped, "Prince Klaus and Prince Simon are bringing Prince Hans' body back to the castle as we speak. There will be around the clock guard presence during the doctor's final examination of Prince Gregory and Prince Hans' bodies. Be prepared to receive your orders in a little bit."
As the guard continued to walk away, 'Greyson' responded with a half-hearted salute, "Yes, sir." Once they were alone again, Deam Perfide turned to Sullivan, "I think my job here is done for the moment."
"Pardon my ignorance, but I thought Hans needed to be alive for your plan to work. Did the plan change?"
"Oh not at all." She smugly smiled, "Hans isn't dead. He just looks dead."
Thomas furrowed his brow, "What do you mean?"
"The crossbow arrows were previously dipped into a potion that makes it seem like he's dead, while also keeping him alive. It slows his heart rate down so much that its practically undetectable, but also provides a sort of 'healing' enchantment that will keep him alive despite the five arrows in his body. By the time the doctor begins to examine his body, he'll have a stronger pulse, they will think its a miracle, and then they'll fix him up good just in time for me to use him again."
"Alright but couldn't you have accomplished that with just one arrow? Why five?"
"Oh you know how much I love my irony." She chuckled, "Let's just call this foreshadowing, shall we?" She shape-shifted from Greyson to a common handmaiden, except her uniform did not match the ones from the Southern Isles. "Are you ready for your next assignment?" She lifted her non-injured hand and directed it toward Sullivan, more specifically his chains. In a matter of seconds, she clenched her hand and the handcuffs around his wrists and ankles broke open.
He gratefully rubbed his wrists, "Yes. What's next?"
"It's time to visit another kingdom and you're coming with me."
He looked at her appearance, still not recognizing the handmaiden uniform, "What are we doing?"
She smiled, "I'm ready to collect my next set of new abilities."
He surprisingly lifted his eyebrows, "Arendelle?"
"Nope." She reached her arm through the cell bars and outstretched her hand for Thomas, waiting for him to grab hold so that she may teleport both of them at the same time, "The Kingdom of Corona. I wish to heal my hand."
Thank you for reading! Please review! Have a great weekend! :)
