Michael paces his cell the in the jail of the castle. He fights back his anger as best he can at the betrayal of Kai's words. He told him all the guards were informed of the 'situation', then after he takes down the assassin, he's led back into a room held at sword-point. He didn't put up a fight, just to show who side he is on.
Still he was led to the dungeon and after the door slammed shut, the guards left.
Michael turns when he reaches the wall. It's only been two hours since the attack in the ballroom and already a staff member came to doctor Michael's wounds, and distribute a painkiller, and he's eaten, but no one has told him what's going on outside. No matter how forcefully he's asked them.
He thought Kai would've come by now. Michael drops to the edge of his cot. He had trusted the steward, and it's landed him in jail despite his constant reassurance. Still, Michael is trying to believe that once the mess clears and Kai explains himself to the Queen and Princess, which could take hours itself, things will be easier. They and the guests all saw him fighting the assassin, and even he thought Michael was on his side. And he clearly said he wasn't there to kill anyone. They really have no means not to trust him. Whether it's to reassure himself or chastise his own thoughts of betrayal, Michael doesn't know.
He is still trying to trust Kai, but every part of him, every fiber and every nerve, is straining toward freedom, not just from this cell but from the prison of this city beyond it.
Maybe he never should've taken the job.
The dungeon is a dank, smelly pit carved out of the foundation of the castle. Individual cells are simply hollowed-out husks within the stone. The walls are slimy with moisture, iron bars block the view of wooden door's little window, and a few half-hearted torches burn along the aisle between cells. With the heavy-iron cuffs around his wrists, the chains loop through iron circles welded onto the back wall of the cell and restrict his ability to go more than halfway towards the door and to either side of the box of a room.
The guards didn't reprimand any of his weapons, so that can only mean it won't take long to decide his fate. That can be both good and bad. He studies the shackles around his wrists. Tough, and no rust. His wrists ache against the cold iron. But he's been taught to free himself from worse. The weapon's master of the rebels had bound him from head to toe and made him learn how to get loose, even if it meant spending two days prostrate on the ground in his own filth, or dislocating his shoulder to get out. so, not surprisingly at all, he has the chains off in a matter of seconds.
Heavy footsteps sound at the main entrance, and Michael looks up to see Kai, blazing torch in one hand. He stops in front of Michael's cell, and the rebel keeps his expression neutral.
"I . . ." Kai starts, but closes his mouth. "I, I'm sorry that -"
Michael stands and lets Kai see the cuffs fall and clang to the floor. This makes the steward clamp his mouth shut and a nervous guise comes across his face. He swallows and clears his throat, determined to have his words sorted out.
"Michael, please understand that I made sure that the guards on patrol at the party were well informed -"
Michael walks towards the door and in seconds he grabs a handful of Kai's scarf and shirt and yanks him back, slamming Kai's face against the bars. The clang rings out throughout the jail and Michael jerks him twice more before he hauls his fist up bringing Kai eyelevel with him.
"So you said, but now look where I am." His voice is low and raspy. Kai's eyes suddenly show the fear that Michael has seen so often in prey, and he snarls. "You said they were all informed, yet when I was brought back, they held me at sword-point and hauled me down here!"
Michael's voice rises. He doesn't know where the anger is coming from, except that he can feel it writhing inside him, violent and vicious and the strongest he's felt all day. So he decides to feed it. He shoves Kai back and he stumbles to the floor.
"I am not a man to be crossed." He nearly growls.
Kai coughs and pushes himself to his feet. "I . . . I understand; and please know how sorry I am, sir." He stutters. "I, I guess that the guards were afraid to show it in front of the Queen -!"
"So they dragged me down here because they're afraid to show that, plan, to the Queen?!" Michael roars.
"It's more complicated than that, Sir Michael."
"The hell it is."
"It took some time to calm Princess Anna and to escort all the guests home. But I assure you, the Queen fully understands and trusts you."
"Then why the hell am I still here?"
Kai sighs. "The Queen is, grateful, that you saved her, and she has agreed to let you go, tomorrow morning."
Michael gives him a confused look. Then he tries to think. The guards didn't take his weapons. Is this supposed to be a test?
He sighs and steps back, sitting back down on his cot. "Can I at least get something to eat?" he snips.
"Your meal will be delivered shortly." Kai says, he takes out a small handkerchief and presses it to his forehead.
Michael sighs. "I'm sorry, Kai."
Kai looks to him surprised for a short moment. He presses the handkerchief to his forehead and gives Michael a small smile. "Quite alright, sir. I understand your frustration, and I promise I will make it up to you."
Michael coldly chuckles and shakes his head. "I don't deserve your kindness."
Kai only smiles more and takes his leave. There's the bang of the door at the end of the main hall. As observes the contents of the cell, his thoughts drift to the assassin.
No doubt he will be interrogated, but where are they keeping him? This seems to be the only holding facility, and yet he has yet to see guards drag him down here as well. Perhaps he's left in conditions that are far worse?
Michael decides to sharpen his blades with fallen bits of brick, line the fletches of his arrows and practice his form. Before long, a guard comes down and peeks through the bars of the door. Despite Kai's word of release, Michael can't help but feel bitterness towards the guards.
"Well if it isn't the shit-bucket I ordered." He sneers. The guard's eyes narrow and the middle door pop open to reveal a tray of food. Michael's nose wrinkles in disgust and approaches the door. "And whatever that is. Can't you lay some pasta for me?"
"This is a dungeon, not a bed and breakfast!" The guard snaps back. "You will eat whatever I bring!"
"You mean whatever the Queen tells you to bring." Michael replies.
The guard growls. "If her Majesty didn't need you, I'd teach you some manners."
"Oh really? And what does she need me for?" He quirks an eyebrow.
The guard clamps his lips together, realizing he made a mistake. "Just watch your tongue boy!"
He then storms off out of the dungeon.
Michael clicks his tongue and then grins. With soft clinks, he twirls the keys on his finger. Course he could just pick the lock, but for some reason, the thought of showing the Queen how he easily acquired the keys from the guards seems a lot more satisfying. He pulls his mask over his face.
Slipping through the dungeon door, he glides down the hall and up towards the warmer levels of the castle above. He navigates his way through the castle, nimble as a cat and smooth as a snake, his memory guiding him. He soon finds the council room where he hears voices muffle through the walls. He slinks to the one wall and peeks around.
Of the voices, Kai's is the first he recognizes. "Your Majesty, please understand. We did this for your own good."
He hears a female's frustrated sigh and the pacing of heels against the wood floor.
"Please let me explain."
"Okay . . . okay." Another sigh. Then there's a shift of fabric and Michael watches her sit on the throne chair.
He listens closely and hears a thick cracking sound. His eyes flick to the floor and he sees the polished wood fading in color, a thin dusting of thin ice permeating over it.
"Explain yourself." Elsa demands, either not caring or not paying attention to the ice that forms beneath her feet.
"Y-Your Majesty, Michael is an elite Master of the shadows. He's a thief of the greater good." Garther stutters to say. "He's very good in what he does -"
"And what would that be?!" Anna interrupts. "Stealing?! Killing?!"
"Anna, please." Elsa's stern tone overpowers.
"If you recall, Your Grace, Michael said to the assassin that he wasn't there to kill anyone. And he came along with the guards quietly and without fight." Kai reminds.
"What is, Michael's, back story? What exactly do you know about him?" Elsa interrogates. He can almost see her lip curl when saying his name.
"Uh well, that's where it gets, touchy Your Majesty." Kai tone stiffens. "He, he's had a rough past. And this is just from mere observation, he explains little to none, and out of respect I didn't pry."
"Oh well! That's very promising!" Anna squeaks again.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesties, no disrespect. But Michael seems like the kind of man who is, highly dedicated to what he does; and if he wanted to kill you at the party, he wouldn't have even shot that arrow at the assassin." Kai says.
"Kai," Elsa's voice chimes. "I understand why you did this, however that doesn't overlook the fact that you brought a stranger – whom of which you know little about – into the castle against my better judgment."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"A-and how do you know he won't betray you in the end? What is it about a man dressed in black and leather that seems so trusting?!" Anna says.
Michael chuckles and steps around the doorway.
"Well for one thing, he surrendered. He lowered his weapons . . ." He leans against the doorframe, spinning the guard's keys on his finger. "Oh, and he broke out of the jail without picking the lock or harming a guard."
The room falls silent and the air thickens as Michael can sense the women's fear spike. He quickly notices the large man from before with the reindeer and the snowman, next to the throne chair. Princess Anna screams and instantly runs behind the man.
Michael steps into the room and tosses Kai the keys. His black cape flows like a back phantom behind him. He keeps his gaze on Queen Elsa, who sits with such a stiff posture it seems like her spine is replaced by a steel bar. He watches her breathing. It's long and her shoulders move with a slight shudder.
She's scared.
He walks with a swagger, amused at how he has such an easy grip of fear on the Queen.
He stands a respectful distance from the throne, giving the Queen and her sister their space. Michael softens his face, even attempting to smile even if the Queen can't see. He bows and say, "Your Majesty."
"How, how did-! You! How did you –?!" Anna stutters.
"If you let me, I can explain and answer your questions, to an extent." He carefully phrases. "First being that I'm not here to kill you."
Anna and Elsa exchange glances and Elsa sighs. "Fine."
"What?! Elsa!"
"Anna, something is going on here, and if Michael can shed some light on this, then what else do we have to lose?" Elsa reasons.
Anna sighs, and after exchanging a weary glance, she consents to her sister. She goes to stand next to the throne, still eyeing Michael wearily.
"So, Michael, what can you tell us about yourself." Elsa asks, the knuckles of her folded hands are near white.
"Depends on what you want to know." he purrs, stuffing hands in his pockets. The shift alone makes the guards twitch their hands to their weapons.
Elsa exhales heavily. "I want to know why you're here."
"I was hired by your butler here to protect you, and to figure out if someone's trying to have you killed. Which seems to be true." Michael slyly says.
"Okay, so now, what is it you do?" She proceeds to ask.
"Hmmm," Michael ponders trying to find the right words. What he does isn't bad, but for others it could still be seen as crime. Plus with the bounty put out from his old kingdom, it can easily reach him should he remove his hood. "I guess you can call me a bounty hunter."
"You 'guess'?" Anna instantly questions. "See, I don't know about this guy Elsa. . ."
"Anna." Elsa calmly silences her with an extended hand. "How so?" She directs towards Michael.
"I hunt down those who do wrong and after roughing them up, I let the guards take care of them. Though unfortunately, sometimes, I need to take the law into my own hands."
Elsa's lips press into a tight line as she ponders. She doesn't have much to go off of, and they both know that, and despite him wanting to tell her enough that she can trust him, his reputation will tarnish in turn of earning her trust. She only has his skills and presentation to go off of.
"Whoever is plotting your assassination could have minions hiding in your kingdom, perhaps even servants in your own castle. Now I'm not saying this to discourage you or make you paranoid. From who was hired, I'd say they're amateurs. But that only means they'll learn from their mistakes and improve." Michael explains.
Elsa sits erect while Anna leans her hip against the throne. The Queen's eyes are large, but stunning, her collarbone distinct. This is a woman who can be one's worst enemy, or greatest ally.
"From years of experience, I can safely say that these dealings are down and dirty. I know my way around those kinds of people and places. I can help you." He says as he takes a step towards the throne. The guards set their hands on their weapons. "And all I ask in return is pay, and your trust."
Michael bends to one knee and lowers his head.
"If you allow it, I will protect you with my life, Your Majesty."
He keeps his head low as Elsa and Anna exchange looks. Anna's guard seems to have dropped an inch, her face now softer with concern and debate. Elsa rises from her throne.
"Very well. I will see through that you have full access and privileges in our kingdom. I'll also notify the guards of your new title. Wouldn't want them thinking you are part of the common rabble now."
Michael raises his head. "I thank you, Your Majesty."
"But I have a request." Elsa holds up her hand, palm up. "I wish to join you."
The entire room goes silent and compared with Anna, the snowman, the reindeer and the big, muscled man, and Kai's shocked faces, Michael only raises an eyebrow in surprise.
"I'll not stand idly by while an assailant slander's my name and slaughter's my sister. Those are the conditions I require if you wish to roam my kingdom free and without bounty."
Michael looks into her eyes, and despite the concern he sees, her determination blazes within her; a flame forged in love and sacrifice, a rather polar counterpart to her normal element.
He nods. "Very well. I grant your request. But you will be at my side at all times. My life is not safe, Queen Elsa, as you will soon discover. But know that regardless of the risk, I will bring you with me."
"I'm not scared." Elsa says.
"Even I am sometimes afraid, as will you often be."
The Queen shakes her head. "Scared or not," she says, staring him in the eyes. "I will not show it."
A foolish boast, one Michael has heard a thousand times. But looking at the woman, seeing her resolve and courage, he knew without a doubt that he believes her.