Chapter Three: Uneasy Alliances

Arendelle Village

March 23, 1813

Private Thomas "Tommy" Thomson instinctively held his little brother Hans close to his chest when he noticed a series of plumed bicorns walk past his family's bakeshop. Heart pounding with anticipation, the sixteen-year-old lad curiously stepped outside the shop and saw a group of French soldiers as they marched down the road. Tommy was not the only person to notice them. The cobbler across the street also came out of his shop and so did the seamstress next door. A group of children at the end of the street, stopped in their skipping game and eyed the soldiers with apprehension but none of the Frenchmen in their bright blue and white uniforms paid any heed. They went on walking, quick-paced and in formation until they disappeared with the turn of the road. By the time they did, Tommy realized the entire street was full of people as shopkeepers and patrons who came out to watch this curious sight.

"What's going on?" Tommy asked no one in particular. His question was echoed by others around him.

One young urchin came running back from where the soldiers had gone, shouting at the top of his lungs: "It's the French! They've all gathered in the square. They're asking everyone to come over. They said, they have an announcement to make."

Tommy felt an unpleasant lurch in stomach. He knew the same worry was felt by everyone around him as people began to murmur apprehensively.

"What do they want?"

"Why are they here?"

"Do they have news about the war?"

Tommy sensed that Arendelle was in a state of constant anxiety for the last few days. A week ago, the king of the Northern Isles was announced to have passed away in his sleep from a long-standing illness. Although no formal announcement was made from the royal palace, the word on the street was that Queen Elsa was to be crowned Queen of the Northern Isles after the mourning period for her husband's father was over. It appeared to be true for a group of Northern Island delegates and soldiers had arrived almost immediately and had doubled the guards surrounding the castle. However, what surprised everyone was the arrival of two French Brigantines in the fjord a mere three days later, bearing an entire company of French soldiers and a new ambassador who also happened to be a Marshall.

Tommy heard of Marshall Henri Baujeu during his time in the army. He was among those who were said to be close to Emperor Bonaparte. What he was doing in Arendelle was quite a disturbing puzzle and even more worrying for Tommy was that his soldiers had effectively stationed themselves in one the inns at the center of the village and they were constantly roaming freely without a clear motive for their presence. With such a mystery surrounding the French soldiers, people began to speculate. Some say that they were there to protect them as an ally from a foreign invader. Others say they were there to recruit new soldiers among the Arendellians for the next war that Napoleon was about to launch. The most disturbing theory was that they were there to conquer them and make Arendelle a French state. None of the three theories, Tommy knew, boded well among the Arendellians. Most people, specifically those that have family members that fought in this last campaign, hated the French and their wars. Tommy himself, who had spent months freezing and starving while he watched his companions die in Russia, would prefer never to see another battlefield in his life.

Are they going to announce today that I have to go back out there and fight for them again? He thought grimly.

Tommy's sister Elsa came beside him with her apron still tied to her waist. Her hands were still covered in flour. She looked at him with deep worry furrowing her brows. "What's going on Tommy?" she asked.

Tommy handed little Hans to her. "Go inside the house. I need to go to the square and see. Tell Mama I'll be back soon."

"Be careful," she said as she briefly hugged him.

Tommy raced to join the other villagers heading to the square. When he got there, he found a huge crowd already gathered around the dais that was constructed for public announcements and the occasional festivities. Standing at the center of the dais was a tall middle-aged man who had flecks of silver lining his dark brown hair. He wore the uniform of a French high-ranking officer and from the line insignia on his shoulder, Tommy immediately recognized him as Marshall Baujeu. Queen Elsa stood apart behind the Marshall in a modest black dress that was obviously made of fabric and not her usual ice. Her hair was tied in a bun, an unusual style that Tommy hadn't seen her wear since her rather dismal wedding day. Her face looked gaunt and tired, her head bowed down almost in a prayerful stance. Tommy would have wanted to observe her further but the Marshall began to speak and another Frenchman translated for him in Arendellian.

"We come here to honor the brave men of Arendelle," the translator announced. "Soldiers who have joined their French brothers in the fight against the tyranny of the Russians..."

"Tyranny of the Russians? The Russians have never even been here. Most of us have never even seen a Russian. What is he talking about?" whispered one man behind Tommy. Two others beside him immediately whispered in agreement.

"The Arendellians have stood beside us in the victorious conquest of our enemies and the Emperor commends them on this day…" continued the Frenchman.

"Conquest?" another man in front of Tommy snorted in disgust. "Conquest my ass. That so-called Emperor is delusional if he thought we conquered anything in Russia."

"That bastard just led our men to die," another man nearby snidely complained. "And he has the gall to send his men back here and say lies."

"We commemorate," the Marshall continued through his translator. "This day as a renewal of the friendship between Arendelle and France…"

"That Napoleon can hang himself. If he thinks to bring us into another war in the name of his so-called friendship then that's one friendship we can do without," Tommy heard someone say out loud and this time his sentiment was echoed on by others. The murmurs were now growing among the crowds that it was beginning to be heard above the speaker on the dais. The translator was then forced to speak out louder: "We honor the soldiers of Arendelle who have given up their lives in battle…"

"Well you've got one thing right! Those soldiers should be honored. They were sacrificed in a worthless war!" someone shouted out louder than the others.

"Bring the rest of our men home!" another shouted back. Soon there was a cacophony of voices shouting among the crowds:

"Our sons and fathers deserve to be with their families!"

"We don't need your wars! Go home!"

"You made enough orphans and widows! We want our men back!"

"Get out of Arendelle! We don't need you!"

Tommy realized the situation was getting out of hand. He tried to shout for peace but his voice could not be heard over the din of the crowd that was growing into restless mob whose anger was now taking on a more violent tone.

"Return our men!"

"Down with France!"

"Death to Napoleon!"

Someone tossed what appeared to be rotten fruit towards the soldiers. It harmlessly hit one of the peg legs of the dais. However, it was enough to provoke the French. In horror, Tommy saw the French soldiers suddenly lift up their arms and point them at the crowd who immediately screamed back in protest. Tommy expected a blast of fire, but nothing came. He looked up and saw that Queen Elsa had run up in front of the soldiers with her arms out.

"Stop! Please! Please don't!" she cried out. She turned to Marshall Baujeu and said something to him with a pleading look. The Marshall motioned for his men to stand down and they did so but he whispered something back to the queen.

Queen Elsa faced the crowd and slowly addressed them. "I ask you all to remain calm. I understand a lot of you are worried for your men in the army. I am asking the Emperor that they will be returned soon. We are not being asked today to send men into another battle. Marshall Baujeu only wishes to honor those whose lives have been lost. That honor we can all agree, is only proper and rightfully deserved. Please, I ask you to put aside for the moment your anger. The Marshall and his men are here as guests and no one shall be harmed. Please extend to them our courtesy and they shall do the same. Let us make this day about our brave fallen Arendellian soldiers who were once a part of our lives."

Her words had an immediate effect on the crowd for they quickly quieted down. The Marshall took up his speech once more and this time, he no longer went on about false praises about the war.

"As Queen Elsa says, we are only here to honor the men of Arendelle. We shall call out the names of the men and a commemorative medallion shall be given to their families, a symbol of gratitude and recognition for their bravery in battle."

Marshall Baujeu paused to receive a list from his aide. He dismissed the translator as he no longer needed one to read the names. One by one, names were called and often a sobbing woman, child or a set of elderly parents came up to receive the medallion. Queen Elsa turned to each one of them, holding them close and offering quiet words of comfort.

Tommy decided he no longer needed to stay on. He knew a lot of the names that were called. He didn't want to hear them anymore knowing some of his playmates, friends and neighbors were now gone forever. He turned to go.

"Lieutenant Kristoff Bjorgman."

The crowd immediately fell into a hush.

Tommy stopped and turned back, startled at the name. He was one of the few people who knew Kristoff was still alive. However, he also knew French records indicate he was executed because of desertion.

If his court martial records did manage to come out why would the French include him on this list? Tommy wondered. He scanned the crowd. His unusually tall height gave him the advantage to see several men who came home to Arendelle on the boat with him and thus also knew about Kristoff's desertion. They looked just as baffled as he. Tommy redirected his gaze on the dais, expecting to find Anna there, but she wasn't. It was Queen Elsa who accepted the medallion then quietly returned to her place in the background.

Why would she allow the French to declare him dead when she knew he is still alive?

Tommy again stared around the crowd for an answer. His gaze met Captain Otto Ingrebretsen. He was the son of Kai, the queen's steward and one of the royal family's loyal supporters. The twenty-nine year old Captain Otto had been assigned to guard Anna's family so he was also in the know about Kristoff's real status. The older man motioned for Tommy to quietly follow him away from the crowds.

"Captain what's going on?" Tommy asked once they had moved to a less crowded corner of the street.

"Don't say a word," Otto replied. "Queen Elsa needs to declare him dead to keep him safe for now. You know about these ugly rumors about him and his children."

"How could I not?" Tommy replied. He had seen some of the graffiti on the walls and he had been among the soldiers who would wash them out immediately whenever he encountered them. He couldn't bear to tell Anna the extent of the degrading depictions.

"Well Queen Elsa is about to become Queen of the Northern Isles in a week's time. She will be recalling Princess Anna and her children by then back to the castle. Things are different in the palace now. A lot of Prince Knudsvig's supporters are gone but the Queen wants to make sure Princess Anna and her children are safe until we find out who is really behind these attacks. She doesn't need that when she is in a precarious situation with the Northern Isles."

"What precarious situation?" Tommy asked.

"I can't tell you right now," Otto explained. "But you will know tonight when my father briefs you. He's asking me to let you know to come to the castle for a meeting with the Queen about having you escort her sister and her children back to the castle. She asked for you specifically."

Tommy felt rather astonished the queen had singled him out for such a service. "You know I'd be honored to do that."

"I'm glad. Both Queen Elsa and Princess Anna trusts you and so they think you are the best person for this."

"I'm just glad to be of service. I owe both the queen and the princess a lot," Tommy remarked sincerely.

"Good, I'm hoping you can do another thing for them right now."

"What is it?"

"I need you to blend in the crowd, talk to people. Try to get a feel of their sentiments about the Queen and her family. You've seen how people reacted today about this war. We need to know if that anger with the French extends to the royal family."

Tommy swallowed a lump in his throat, his worry for Anna resurfacing. "You think people are also angry at the Queen and her sister?"

"We can't be certain, but it would help greatly if we get an idea on people's opinions," explained Otto. "We are living in dangerous times and information may be the key to our survival as a nation. If we knew beforehand what we are dealing with, Queen Elsa can do something to avert particular disaster and protect us in the long run. I am asking if you are willing to be a part of this to help her prevent a disaster much like she did today. If you are, you can start in the central village and you just report what you hear to me. In the coming weeks, we can send you to other villages to do the same. I assure you, you will be justly compensated for it."

Tommy didn't really need to be offered money to do this. Anna was his friend and the Queen had always been kind to his family. He would not want to see them come to harm. He would help in any way he could. "You don't need to convince me. I'll do it."

"Good," Otto nodded. "It might be best if you start right away. People's emotions are running high right now and there will be much talk. I suggest you start at the—"

"Tavern," Tommy finished for him. "People are certainly going to go for a drink when they are in this state. With the announcement of Lt. Bjorgman's dead, that will only fuel the conversations even more."

Otto smiled back at him, obviously impressed. "You learn fast. I'll meet you back at the castle at seven tonight. I'm off to do my own listening in by the docks."

Tommy bade him goodbye and headed back to his own street. After quickly briefing his mother and sister what happened, he walked to the local tavern. He found a few fellow soldiers, veterans like him from the last war, having a pint. He was immediately called out to join them. He sat down and was immediately served a mug.

Tommy didn't have long to wait or even initiate an opening. The men talked openly and Tommy found out they had quite a lot to say.

Arendelle Castle

March 23, 1813

Kai looked up from the page he was reading and gave his son a satisfactory nod. "A fine report," he praised. "Insightful and heavy on significant details we've missed before."

"Thank you Papa," Otto replied. "I can't take much credit for this. Our new recruit was quite a brilliant source. Private Thomson seems to have a knack for getting people to talk to him openly. He's young, relatable as a soldier and people trust him. They said things to him they would never say to me, knowing I'm related to you."

Kai had to give a smile at his son's instinct to recruit someone new to be the eyes and ears of the royal family. Relying on the servants associated with the palace got them only as far as observation. This young soldier turned up a goldmine of information in just a matter of hours. That information however, made him frown again.

"This latest development on people's opinions is rather disturbing. These are coming from people in this village who had personally known Elsa and her family. If they are getting dissatisfied with the way she is running things then we are in a lot of trouble."

"Papa you have to understand people are angry right now after what happened in the square," Otto defended. "If Queen Elsa hadn't intervened against those French soldiers who knows what would have happened."

"Violence would have erupted," Kai agreed. "We would probably be facing martial law under the French and Elsa would be blamed even more for it."

Kai rubbed the side of his head as he focused once again on the report. People were both angry and scared that the French seemed to be exerting their power in Arendelle after it had already taken the lives of so many of their men. And although a few people praised Elsa for attempting to keep the peace this morning during the near explosive confrontation, a lot more were vexed with her for taking little action against the French. Some said she should just threaten the French with her ice powers so they'd leave them alone. Others said she ought to freeze to death any Frenchman who would dare hurt an Arendellian or sink the French ships already docked in the fjord. The words "weak," "passive," and even "conniving" had been used to describe her.

"People just don't understand that Elsa couldn't simply threaten to freeze France to get what we want," Kai went on as he rubbed his temples to relieve the pressure from the migraine he was having over this. "There are ethics and diplomatic relations involved here. Threatening violence against one nation can result in retaliation to the very same men Elsa is trying to protect."

"Well whatever Queen Elsa does, Papa she needs to get those men home alive," Otto said gravely. "You've read what some of our own soldiers are saying. They said if their soldier brothers are killed needlessly because Queen Elsa couldn't get them home, it would be better for them to follow another ruler who can keep them safe. That may be just the anger talking but if enough of them keep thinking that way we may be facing a revolt against the crown."

Kai shuddered to think what would happen to Elsa and the rest of her family if it came to that. The world was changing and the mandate to rule of those with royal blood meant less now than it was a generation before. The revolution in the Americas, in Haiti and even the one in France had opened the minds of the common people that a person's birthright did not automatically mean they would rule forever. The peasants are now aware they had a collective power of their own to decide who rules them. Elsa had understood this and was in fact more welcoming of the inclusion of non-royals in her court than even her own father. At Anna's prodding, Elsa made an effort to be seen by the peasantry living in the village surrounding the castle and had more interaction with them than King Agdar would have allowed had he still reigned. It seems it still wasn't enough to maintain people's loyalty.

"There may be a potential candidate to replace Elsa already if we are not careful," Kai offered.

"Lord Svenson?" Otto offered. "He seems to be currying much favor with the masses. The three ships from the Northern Isles already in the fjord are seen as a welcoming sign by people I've spoken to. Arendellians feel much safer knowing we have the backing of the Northern Isles watching against any move by the French."

"He is also well-regarded by the upper classes," Kai replied. "Even among Knudsvig's supporters, he maintained a cordial relation, until of course he moved into action against them. By then it was too late for any of them to speak out."

Lord Svenson was true to his word to Elsa. In less than twenty-four hours from the time he spoke to her, his uncle Lord Nyberg and his group of generals had Knudsig in custody and taken back to a safehouse in the Arendelle countryside with most of his friends and supporters. By breakfast the next morning, Elsa received Knudsvig's signed abdication in favor of their "unborn son." A bloodless coup d'état was efficiently carried out without much of the population of Arendelle and the Northern Isles being aware of it. No one raised a word of protest. Not one of the courtiers in Arendelle had made a stir even when those closest to Knudsvig disappeared overnight.

As the Northern Isles had a custom of a two-week mourning period for their king, the abdication was not announced publicly. Elsa decided that the announcement of her "pregnancy" and Knudsvig's abdication would be made only after the mourning period was over. It would give her and the Northern Isles time to prepare to bring forces to Arendelle to counteract the ones from France should Marshall Baujeu insist on bringing Elsa to Paris. So far, Marshall Baujeu had appeared respectful of Elsa's request for quiet for two weeks. After what happened this morning, who knew what action France would take to keep Arendelle in line. Lord Svenson, however, assured Elsa that more ships from the Northern Isles are now on their way and will be here by next week in time for Elsa to be crowned as their new queen.

"Elsa is now beholden to the Northern Isles lords for her protection against France," continued Kai. "I don't trust them. They have their own agenda for power and there is an obvious way they can expect payment from her."

"Do you really think that Queen Elsa will take Lord Svenson as a lover to father the child she will claim to get legitimacy in the Northern Isles?"

"I don't like it," Kai shook his head grimly. "The man is moving fast around court. He is also well known within the village. People hate the French and Lord Svenson has the means to expel them once their ships arrive. He can either present a viable option against Elsa's rule or strengthen hers."

"If he does the latter, he can start pulling her strings," nodded Otto.

"Or destroy her completely with a scandal she can never recover from. However, he is Elsa's best option right now. If he does become Elsa's lover we need to protect her reputation at all costs. I want you to keep an eye on him. Send a man as well to the country house where Knudsvig is being kept. We need to make sure he neither talks nor any foul play happens to him or she suffers the consequences."