Chapter Twenty: Unbidden Desires

The Fjord of Arendelle

May 4, 1813

"They should have seen us by now," Holford remarked to his Captain as he stared into the approaching land in the distance. "Are there any signs that they suspect anything?"

His Captain put down the spyglass. "Nothing, Sir. It all seems quiet in Arendelle. The French ships are still in the port. They don't seem to be doing anything but sit there. No movement to intercept."

Holford felt reassured at this but he didn't want anything left to chance. "Let me," Holford held out his hand for the spyglass. His Captain handed it over. Holford saw just as his man reported: Arendelle didn't seem to be in any form of heightened alert. Their little ruse with the French colors appeared to be working. He was sure that Baujeu won't be keeping silent for long and would inevitably send out signals to verify if they were friendly reinforcements. Holford was ready with the appropriate response to continuing their deceptive advance. The French won't even know who they were until they were close enough to land and within range of cannon fire.

Like any naval-trained Westergaard prince, Holford was ready for both battle and negotiation. He expected to do a little bit of both in this endeavor, though it was likely he would be doing the latter more than the former. He had the element of surprise on his side and the French would certainly be more preoccupied with keeping the internal peace in Arendelle during this rather infamous wedding day than looking to external forces that could threaten them.

Aside from his three ships, the fjord was clear. There was no sign of the Swedish forces anywhere, which meant Hans was probably delayed. That was another favorable advantage. Holford can let his younger brother can play the hero in Sweden. He would take the long-haul prize. Holford was already picturing himself walking in on Baujeu as he stood on the altar and interrupting the French Marshall's wedding. He would be the knight-in-shining-armor that would rescue Queen Anna from her distress and become the liberator of Arendelle. He would be there to comfort her and reassure her that her kingdom was safe. She couldn't possibly reject him after that.

Something that sparkled in the distance caught his eye. It was faint but it appeared to be coming from the eastern side of the castle near the wall that bordered the castle's northeastern defenses. He was at an angle that he couldn't see past the towers, but there was something there. He refocused the spyglass to the bridge that connected the castle to the village and caught the faint outlines of what appeared to be dozens of people moving at a fast pace towards the castle.

He waited for several minutes as his ship approached until he could see that there was indeed a flurry of activity in the castle peripheries. The castle gates appeared to be wide open and people from the village were streaming in, though they appeared to be unarmed. He could see no effort coming from the castle to prevent them from coming in.

"Something's happening," Holford declared. "Signal the Kristine. They have a better view of the eastern wall. I saw something odd from there."

"Very well Sir," his Captain promptly replied and shouted the order to alert the ship to their left.

Holford didn't have to wait long. The Captain of his other ship promptly answered in a few minutes.

"Sir," his Captain hesitated. "It's a little odd, but the Kristine reported that they saw something like a bridge of ice that was formed from the eastern wall and there appears to be an invading force heading towards the castle using it."

"Ice?" Holford repeated in confusion before he realized he shouldn't have been surprised at all.

Could it be that Queen Anna's children have now shown magical powers similar to Queen Elsa's? Perhaps her people have decided to rebel and stop the wedding and they're now attempting to storm the castle with the aid of the children's powers.

Holford knew from the reports provided by Lars that Arendelle's fighting force had a limited capacity and even if they attempt to attack the French, they would be no match for the French regiment stationed there. Perhaps they could gain some ground if aided by magical powers, but eventually, they could never really hold Arendelle forever if the French decided to retaliate with force.

Well, then it's up to me then to aid Queen Anna. And I'm in a perfect position to build the suspense so when I show up she will be desperately grateful.

"Go full speed," Holford ordered his captain. "And ready the guns. When we are within range of the French fleet, fire at them at will. I'll give Queen Anna a little light show to announce my arrival and put terror in the eyes of her groom. Baujeu won't know what hit him.

"Aye, Sir," his Captain moved to obey.

Holford could feel the heightened sense of euphoria as the cold breeze hit his face as his ship picked up speed. A moment later though, he felt himself shiver and he noticed that he wasn't the only one. All of his men appeared to be pulling their coats closer to their chests.

"Sir, the wind seems to be picking up speed. Strange, it appears to be coming from the direction of Arendelle castle."

Holford looked up to observe the direction of the sails and saw that his captain's report was correct. He knew all the wind patterns in this region. Wind should be coming from the open sea at this time of the year, not from the mainland.

"We're slowing," Holford said as soon as he felt it.

"Sir! One of the French ships have launched," shouted one man hanging from the sails who served as a lookout. "They are moving to intercept!"

Damn it! Baujeu knows! Well then, I will just have to engage him then. "Call a beat to quarters! All hands stand ready to engage!"

"Sir, you may want to belay that," the same man called out.

"Why?" Holford asked.

"The French ship is flying a Swedish flag."

Hans! Double damn it!

Holford seethed as he peered once more into the spyglass. Sure enough, his youngest brother was there on the deck of the former French ship attired in Swedish regalia.

"Stand down and change our colors to the Southern Isles. That French ship is now under the command of Swedish forces. Let them know we are allies under the Sixth Coalition.

It was not the most ideal scenario, but Holford knew not all was lost. Even if Hans had beat him in stopping Queen Anna's wedding, the youngest Westergaard still had a disadvantage. Queen Anna would most likely rebuff his advances. Hans did kill her husband after all, while Holford could be just the comforting shoulder she could depend on without all that emotional baggage between them.

Once his ship was within verbal distance he stood ready on deck with the usual fake smile on his face.

He was the first to call out. "Brother?"

Hans immediately saw him and acknowledged him with a curt "Holford" in the same deadpan expression he used the last time they met in Warsaw. Holford figured Hans didn't appreciate his untimely arrival and can perceive why he was here.

"So you've managed to aid Arendelle," Holford went on. "May I ask how Queen Anna fares? I trust she has been liberated from her French captors."

"She is free of the French," Hans replied coldly to him. "Though not by my efforts. She has done it by herself. She has successfully mounted an insurrection last night and when I arrived she was already in charge."

Now, this is an interesting turn of events. Could it be that Hans came too late to save the Queen-in-distress as well? Well, that's one less point on Hans in her book. She probably views him as an unwelcome presence. This means she's more likely to warm up to me.

"I'm surprised you're late to the game Hans," Holford grinned. "Caleb was right then to send me. He thought you could use a hand in getting things right in Arendelle. So here I am to offer assistance."

"The assistance is appreciated," Hans replied in a manner that was obvious he didn't mean one word of it. "But I wasn't late. I was busy re-establishing ties."

Holford couldn't help but let out a laugh. "Re-establishing ties? Well, I hope you gained some ground on that after just a few hours of arriving here with Queen Anna already IN CHARGE." He emphasized the last two words to make sure Hans could feel the sting behind them.

"Well, she's not exactly in charge anymore," Hans said in such an offhand manner Holford abruptly stopped laughing at what he thought his brother meant. He knew Hans could be vicious, but he didn't realize Hans would commit cold-blooded murder just like that when there were other alternatives.

"You killed…" Holford began but couldn't go on.

Hans suddenly looked horrified as he appeared to realize what he just said.

"Prince Holford, you presume too much," a female voice spoke from behind Hans. "General Jorgenbjorgen wasn't late. He was busy re-establishing ties with me because I'm the one in charge."

The woman emerged from behind Hans. She was attired in a blue outfit that seemed to be one entire piece that formed a sparkly blouse, form-fitting trousers, and a magnificent blue cape. Her platinum blonde braid shone in the morning sun and she looked radiant on the deck of the French ship yet her blue eyes radiated a coolness that frightened him.

"Welcome to Arendelle Prince Holford," Queen Elsa remarked regally. "And in answer to your unspoken question, General Jorgenbjorgen, our esteemed ally has been most helpful in rescuing me from the French and bringing me home to my kingdom."

Holford felt his blood drain from his face as he realized Hans just pulled the one trick that can get him into Princess Anna's bed.

Arendelle Castle

That same evening

Elsa watched as the delightful faces in front of her gasped at the ice-made decorations she let loose into the sky. She formed and re-formed half a dozen other figures into various animal shapes that moved fluidly and sent the crowd before her "oohh-ing" and "ahh-ing" even more. She kept it up for a few minutes more, dazzling them with the spectacle of animals in the wild that she could see from her imagination. She finished it off with a picture she remembered recently: that of Hans' ship as she had seen it in the dawning of the light emerging from the mists while she was in high spirits after she successfully recovered the eighteen Arendellian captives. She allowed the snow-made ship to move over her ice-made waves towards the last image she conjured: Arendelle castle.

Coming home, she thought as the crowd wildly cheered. She liked to think they could all relate to that last image she showed them. She was proven right a moment later when shouts of praise rose from the crowd below:

"No place like home!"

"Back to the family is the best place to be!

"Arendelle forever!"

"Bless you, your majesty, for always thinking of us!"

"Thank you, everyone," Elsa heartily replied. "It gladdens me that I am back into the bosom of my people. Now please enjoy the rest of your evening!"

She accepted the generous applause then took leave of the balcony. However, she couldn't help but watch from the window as her people below continued to celebrate with food and wine while dancing, talking or ice skating on the little rink she created on one area of the courtyard. It was almost like watching a scene from the time before the war started before their lives have been turned upside down by politics and death.

They're happy and for just this moment. That's enough. After all, we've been through, I will let them have this time to enjoy.

She wished she can do the same, but realized she couldn't. She was on borrowed time. She had to make a move soon to secure her kingdom in the long term.

After her arrival with Hans this morning to a surprisingly liberated Arendelle, Elsa only had a few minutes to confer with Anna before she and Hans boarded one of the French ships to meet the approaching Southern Isles ships head-on. It didn't take them long to confirm that Prince Holford of the Southern Isles was leading the trio of ships that were masquerading as French reinforcements. Hans assured her he had no idea that Caleb had sent his older brother to aid them. But as Holford claimed that he was only there to help and offer an alliance, Elsa naturally welcomed him to Arendelle. She didn't trust both brothers but at this moment, she knew she had to maintain alliances with both men.

As much as she was pleasantly surprised that Anna had managed a rebellion on her own and had retaken Arendelle from the French, she knew the freedom her sister regained cannot be sustained by Arendellians alone. From the moment she re-entered her castle's perimeter, it was painfully obvious to Elsa that Arendelle's defenses were weak. If Hans had truly wanted to take over Arendelle this morning, he could have done so and nothing short of using her ice powers for violence could stop him. She was grateful that he had refrained from speaking about their deal. However, she could see it in his eyes and the way he had suggested politely to her about setting up security details within the castle and the village. He knew Arendelle would not survive if the French decided to retake it. It didn't matter that he didn't liberate Arendelle. Elsa still needed him and if he withdrew his support, her country was in trouble from both internal threats and external forces.

One of those external forces was currently prowling near her sister. She discerned Prince Holford's motives within the first few hours of meeting him. Holford had been sticking to Anna ever since he arrived at the port. He seemed to be making an effort to act gallant around her. Elsa was certain Holford's target was Anna or rather a marriage to Anna. It was happening just as Hans had said. The Coalition, or at least Caleb, already had a back-up fielded to marry Anna if Hans failed to secure her hand. Should Elsa turn both suitors away, she wondered how many more she would need to field from the Sixth Coalition.

She watched as Lord Ragnar approached Holford and engaged him in conversation. That distraction allowed Anna to get away from the sixth Westergaard prince, only to come face-to-face with the thirteenth one. Elsa watched as Hans spoke with Anna in the middle of the courtyard. She was too far away to hear their conversation but she could tell from Anna's expression she seemed to be confiding something with him. Suddenly Hans used two of his fingers to hold Anna's chin up to meet his gaze. He said something to her and it made her smile back at him. That intimate gesture sent an uncomfortable tingle down Elsa's back and she had to look away.

When she dared to look down again at them, Hans was now leading Anna towards the middle of the dance floor to join other couples who were already dancing to the merry tune the musicians began playing. When Hans and Anna started moving in time to the music, they did so with a grace of a couple who had been so in sync with each other, they seemed to have been dancing together all their lives.

Elsa found herself completely drawn to them. She moved back out into the balcony so she can view them carefully. The dance was a rather high-spirited number that involved Hans twirling and lifting Anna several times in the air. Their energy together was so infectious that more couples began to join in and onlookers formed a circle around them to watch.

They went at it for a minute more before they ended with a dramatic final lift and Hans dipping Anna almost to the ground. When Hans righted her back up to a standing position, Anna laughed heartily and clasped her arms around his neck for a brief hug before pulling away to bow as an acknowledgment of their cheering audience.

It was during that hug that Elsa noted the smile on Hans' face and the crinkle at the side of his eyes. It was a genuine smile of happiness and one that meant Hans would do anything for Anna.

The band picked up another song and a group of children pulled Anna away so she can join them in another dance in the nearby ice skating rink. Hans didn't follow her and was left alone standing in the same spot where he stopped dancing. Elsa saw the crinkle was back in his eyes as he stared at Anna who was disappearing with the crowd. He seemed to sense he was being watched and he slowly moved his gaze upwards until he met Elsa's eyes. The moment he saw her, his face flushed red and he hurriedly looked away.

Elsa suddenly felt self-conscious and she hastily retreated into the safety of the darkened room beyond the balcony. The memory of him emerging soaking wet from the river came into her mind and she could feel the same warmth that invaded her cheeks that night.

River's Edge near Arendellian Capital

May 2, 1813

She wanted to curl up in a ball in some hole somewhere and never show her face again. She hadn't been this embarrassed since the first time she laid eyes on him and narrowly escaped freezing him by slamming the library door on his face. She could still feel the phantom tingle that came from his touch just moments ago when his hand ended up on top of hers while he was reaching for the cheese.

Why did I have to trip on that stupid rock? And why did he have to come up at the worst possible moment when I was flat on her back into the grass, splattered with mud and my skirts hiked up…

She didn't want to even think what he had seen of her. She had seen the hungry look in his eyes when he had glanced at her legs. She wasn't afraid he would take advantage of her. What frightened her was that she allowed herself to imagine what it would feel if she let him.

In her effort to find ways to fulfill her duty and sire an heir with Knudsvig after their disastrous wedding night, Elsa had taken to reading a lot of books. There weren't many books on the subject that talked about physical intimacy. There was nothing in her library about them when she inherited it from her father and the shelves of the Arendellian bookstore in the village provided no help. So she secretly procured books that she thought could enlighten her in the matter. She did find several, but most had conflicting information. A few gave her a rough idea on what to expect and at least two had been explicit enough that her imagination could fill in the rest. At that moment when she was knocked down among the reeds with Hans standing and staring above her, her early readings on romantic adventures and what she learned of the marital act had fused and her mind had pictured herself taking his offered hand. However, instead of using that hand to get up, she imagined pulling him down to her level, allowing his lips to claim hers, and inviting him between her legs. Even as she ran away from him, her mind kept conjuring images of their bodies entwined among the reeds with wanton abandon. As much as she wanted to block them out they just kept coming and she knew she had to get away as fast as possible.

The sound of a splash abruptly stopped her and brought her back to her senses. The splash was loud enough that she knew something large had hit the water. Her logical brain began thinking that something must have happened to Hans.

Was he attacked? Was he in a struggle somewhere back there? Maybe one of my men had seen us and decided to defend my honor by drowning him. Well, I can't let him die on the eve of battle, could I? I still need him to rescue Anna.

She turned back and found the riverbank empty. Even with the moonlight, it was still too dark to see anything in the river. The water gurgled noisily and the crickets were chirping constantly all around her but otherwise, there were no other sounds.

Elsa paced the riverbank, racking her brain for what to do.

Should I call out to him? Go back to the camp and raise an alarm?

Something that sparkled on the ground caught her attention. She raced toward it and found it was the hilt of a sword, with the blade still inside. His pistol was also lying haphazardly a few feet away surrounded by a shirt, shoes, trousers, and the familiar Swedish military jacket.

Elsa wanted to kick herself.

I'm worried sick he could be dead and all the while, the stupid man merely decided to go out on a midnight swim!

Naked.

No! I do not want to think of that right now!

She moved away from the river's edge but plopped herself back among the reeds where she knew she couldn't be seen. However, she still had an unobstructed view of that part of the riverbank where his clothes lay.

"I am staying here to make sure he doesn't drown. I am staying to make sure he's still alive and wouldn't need rescuing," she whispered aloud to herself as she anticipated his return. "Stupid, stupid man goes for a swim alone. Doesn't he know it's dangerous to go dipping in the dark in a raging river! He could be swept away for miles by the current and have his head bashed into some rocks and no one would even know where to find him. And where would that leave me then? How am I supposed to lead his men to recover Arendelle without him? They would probably suspect I killed him and they will abandon this venture altogether. They would probably report back to Sweden that I harmed him and they would retaliate by taking over Arendelle! I would end up being in a worse case with both France and the Sixth Coalition against me! Damn it, Hans! All this because you selfishly thought to swim alone in a damn river!"

Maybe I could have stayed and prevented Hans from going into the river, came a thought she was afraid to voice out.

"No! I could not prevent that idiot from diving into that water!" she replied to herself out loud.

I could have if I had just taken his hand when he offered it and engaged him in intimate congress.

"Damn it!"

She heard a rustle and she slapped her mouth with her hand to quiet herself. She saw him appear from the water's edge. He was too far that she couldn't see him in full detail, but she could make out his hair dripping water down on the outline of his perfectly chiseled physique. He had broad shoulders, muscled arms, and a toned stomach. Even in his state of undress, she could see the confident way he carried himself on those strong legs and she found herself unable to look away.

She watched him slowly get dressed. He appeared to be taking his time and Elsa was secretly grateful for it for she enjoyed his movements. When he was back into his uniform and was putting on the final touches, Elsa found herself imagining herself helping him fix his collar and reattaching the saber of his sword on his waist.

Just like Anna had done for Kristoff before he went off to war.

She stopped herself at that last thought. What am I doing? I am being ridiculous! I am not imagining myself as Hans' wife!

She felt the warmth on her cheeks as shame flooded her senses. The idea of her coveting him when he just declared minutes ago that he was in love with her sister felt wrong. She turned away and quietly headed back to the camp.

Arendelle Castle

Present time

Elsa felt the familiar sting of shame as she realized she was giving in again to her voyeuristic tendency towards Hans. In this darkened room, she could still see him standing below her balcony. His eyes were raised once more to where she stood just moments ago. He looked so unsure of himself as if he was at a loss on what to do. Finally, he walked away and disappeared from Elsa's line of vision.

She couldn't understand what was happening to her. Hans could set her teeth on edge when she was thinking straight, but could also send her into moments of madness like these when she was observing him from a distance. It was a dangerous feeling and one she knew she had to avoid at all costs. She had too much to lose and she cannot afford to act like an infatuated girl around him that will allow herself to put her guard down when the fate of her country was at stake.

He's in love with Anna. He will do anything for Anna. Just Anna and everything she holds dear. That's what I need to focus on and use. I have a kingdom to sustain and that should be my priority.

Suddenly she knew the answer to what she needed to do. But there was someone she needed to consult first.

A pub in the Arendellian Village

The lad took a swig of his tankard of ale and looked to his two companions.

"Did you see him? Dancing with Princess Anna?" he said. He was careful to keep his words soft enough not to be overheard from the next table. It didn't take much effort for the pub was noisy enough with the men by the bar clinking glasses and cheering a soldier who sat there regaling the other people with stories of how he had helped pull off the insurrection last night against France.

"The rogue is trying to get in her good graces. So is his brother. I bet she was forced to endure both their company," his older companion muttered.

"She didn't look like she was being forced. She looked happy to be dancing with him," their third and youngest companion commented as he sipped his ale.

"She's probably acting," the oldest boy commented. "I bet you those bastard Southern Isles brothers have been forcing her hand, Queen Elsa, too. Maybe they have Princess Anna's children hostage. They certainly have not appeared here tonight. You wanna bet, those Southern Isles princes are in league with the Duke of Weselton and have Queen Elsa and Princess Anna in their clutches. Mark my words, they are going to slowly take over and soon we'll all be drafted to fight their battles just like our fathers with France."

"I can't go and fight," the youngest man muttered. "My Ma and sister only have me left. If I die, they'll have no one to work to feed them."

"Well we all have to fight, but not for France or some other foreign power," the oldest boy remarked. "I can fight and I have fought. Last night when we fired on those French frogs with General Mattias, we were able to get the French to surrender to us. If we can do that, we can do it again. We don't need these Sixth Coalition bastards. We'll form our militia here."

"Here, here!" the first boy agreed. "But what about Princess Anna and Queen Elsa?"

"We're going to get them on our side," the oldest boy reassured them.

"How?" asked the youngest.

"I've got a plan," said the oldest boy. "But we have to do it tonight."

A/N: So I got Elsa a little thirsty too in this chapter. Will she be satisfying that soon? Stay tuned to find out. Just a bit of trivia: I found out the term "intimate congress" was a rather polite term for copulation back in the 19th century and I thought it would be fun for Elsa to use. She's bound to come across it having read so many books on the subject.