At first, all he felt was bitterness.
For years, he restlessly paced the small confines of his prison.
He suppressed a rude snort. THEY would tell him that he was lucky he wasn't residing in a small cell, with nothing but iron bars, shackles and rats for company. It was all he could do to keep from cursing them or calling them out on their stupidity.
He certainly didn't feel lucky.
All he felt was a rising hatred, anger and bitterness.
Every so often, he would approach the window and grip the sill with tight fingers, not noticing the pain or the whitening of the knuckles. He would gaze outside with heartbreaking longing in his eyes.
Oh, what he wouldn't give to smell the fresh air.
Feel the wind in his face.
Close his eyes as the rays of the sun warmed his face.
But he couldn't leave.
All of the windows and doors were carefully bolted shut. He tried many times to break down the doors and windows. But the glass wouldn't even crack. The only thing he got for his troubles were sore shoulders and injured feet.
With no doctor on hand, he had to treat his injuries himself.
He became adept at wrapping makeshift bandages around his feet.
He would also carefully remove tiny specks of glass from his feet with a pair of rusty tweezers he managed to find in one of the cleaner rooms in this hellhole.
And it WAS a hellhole.
No matter what THEY said.
He wanted to growl in frustration. Even though he wasted many hours away plotting his revenge, it would be difficult to get his vengeance if he couldn't escape this blasted house!
Every so often, a ship would come with supplies.
The guards would come armed and dangerous.
He would be backed carefully against the wall and forced to turn around. Then his hands would be carefully handcuffed as the ship's crew dropped off food, clothing and various sundries he would need in order to survive.
He never did learn how to cook.
But he learned to make do.
He would try to question them, but they were clearly under orders to ignore his questions. Instead, they would sternly order him to shut up with the barrels of their guns aimed at his face.
Needless to say, he complied.
Albeit with great reluctance.
At least he got to see them every few months. It was getting to be so bad that he was desperate for any company. It was sad that their cold visits were all that he had to look forward to.
But it was either that or lose his sanity.
The latter option was becoming more tempting by the day.
He paced throughout the small house so often, he would be able to navigate this dump blindfolded. He knew every object, every door, every window, every nook and cranny.
He even knew how many wooden boards were in the floors.
One time, he was so bored, he counted the cracks in the ceiling.
If he wasn't being insane by his boredom and anger, his dreams were driving him to the very edges of his sanity as well. He couldn't make heads or tails of them.
All he could remember were bits and pieces.
Aforementioned bits and pieces didn't make a bit of sense.
He didn't bother talking with his visitors about this. It was clear they wanted nothing to do with him and were only giving him food and sundries under orders.
Otherwise, they would have gladly left him to starve.
For lack of anything better to do, he decided to prepare himself a meal.
Out of necessity more than anything else, he learned to be sparse with the portions. He wasn't eating sumptuous delicacies anymore. If he ate too much, he wouldn't have anything left. Since he was kept locked in the house, he couldn't even go hunt.
It felt like ages since he last wielded a weapon.
He didn't even know how long he'd been trapped in this house.
The food was bland yet healthy. He was given what he needed to survive, not to enjoy himself. The clothing he was given was equally dull and bereft of any finery or decorations.
How long has it been since he had proper clothing?
Ate a real meal that wasn't prepared by himself?
When he was finished, he cleaned the dishes, a task he performed out of necessity as no one else was going to do it for him.
Again, not something he was accustomed to.
There were many things he had to learn how to do the hard way.
After the dishes were done, he carefully filled a nearby bucket with soap and water. With no tub to speak of, he had to make do with what he had. He stripped, no longer caring about modesty as he might have in the past.
His only company was himself.
He groaned in bliss as he cleaned the dirt and grime from his body.
The water, even though it was somewhat cold, felt good on his hair and skin. He scrubbed his hair and skin vigorously. When he was done, he lifted the bucket over his head and carefully upended it. He let out a groan and a shiver as the cold water washed over him.
But it was the only way to get rid of any remaining soap.
Feeling more human, he walked naked to his eyesore of a room.
Carefully, he combed his hair and got dressed. He made a mental note to do the laundry later. He hissed all of a sudden, gripping his head tightly with his hands. Eager, desperate, for any kind of relief.
Any surcease.
That was another thing that annoyed him.
Every so often, he would get throbbing headaches.
Wishing once more that he had a doctor, he decided to take a nap. It wasn't like he had any pain medicine to speak of, he mused bitterly to himself.
Even though it was still light outside, he climbed into bed.
Falling asleep before his head hit the pillow.
FLASHBACK
He was excited to leave home.
This was his first trip abroad and he wanted to make a good impression.
Fortunately, the rest of his family was too busy with their own affairs to bother, but they needed to send a representative when the invitation was delivered.
Knowing that he wanted to prove himself, his parents agreed to let him go in their stead.
This was especially exciting.
As he never got to go anywhere.
This trip was also a relief. His siblings were always teasing him and giving him a hard time, simply because he was the youngest.
His parents never defended him either.
They were of the belief that he needed to man up and solve his own problems.
The trip on the ship was long and boring. He could only read so many books and the heaving of the ship didn't do his stomach any favors.
At least he didn't have to help the crew in any way.
It was one of the few times his status came in handy.
On days the seas were calm, he would stand on deck, enjoying the wind in his hair. Desperate for company, sometimes he would visit his horse.
Of course, his horse didn't exactly enjoy the rocky journey either.
But they only had each other.
He was starved for companionship, but the captain and crew were too busy with their duties to bother with the likes of him.
Finally, the ship was close to their destination.
He and his horse were all too glad to get off.
Curious, they explored the town they docked at. There was a sense of celebration in the air. The townspeople looked excited and they were clearly setting up for something.
His explorations were interrupted when someone collided with his horse.
FLASHBACK ENDS
He tossed and turned in his sleep. Many times he was on the verge of waking up, but something would keep him asleep. He had a feeling that he was about to learn something.
Something EXTREMELY important.
ANOTHER FLASHBACK
Once the ceremony was over, he decided to explore the area.
He made a mental note to return in time for the ball.
According to the stories, this was a mystical area and that ancient creatures were supposed to exist. Creatures that only existed in myth and legend.
The town was surrounded by a vast forest.
Curious, he looked around with his horse in tow.
He stopped, his brow furrowing. Was that a rock rolling forward...deliberately? As if it were operating under its own steam? Confused, he decided to follow the rock.
Eventually, he reached a valley.
A valley full of rocks of varying size.
Instinctively, he crouched behind a nearby tree. He had a feeling he couldn't afford to be spotted. His suspicions were confirmed when two of the boulders unfurled themselves.
Trolls, he thought.
The stories were true!
"Grand Pabbie, you know what's about to happen." One of them said.
"Yes, Asger. The queen's powers are going to be revealed."
"I thought your spells would prevent that from happening."
"Unfortunately, the guards intervened before I could reapply the spells."
"But that means her powers would be unleashed upon the world!"
"Not if the fear I implanted inside her kicks in."
"What do you mean?"
"The moment her powers are revealed, she would flee and seek to isolate herself."
"What of her sister?"
"If the aversion wards still hold, she won't go after the queen."
"Grand Pabbie, we are not alone."
"I know."
Stiffening, he turned and tried to run.
The key word being tried.
Unfortunately, many rock trolls unfurled themselves and attacked him at the same time.
The next thing he knew, he was lying on the ground against his will. Many rock trolls were holding him down by the hands and feet.
The troll known as Grand Pabbie looked grim as he slowly approached.
"I'm sorry I have to do this, but it is for the Greater Good."
He struggled, but the trolls wouldn't allow him any purchase to move. All he could do was watch helplessly as Grand Pabbie placed a hand on his forehead and rendered him unconscious.
He felt like the scene should have gone black after that.
Somehow, he could still see what was happening.
"There." Grand Pabbie said a few minutes later. "It is done."
"He won't remember anything?" Asger asked.
"Yes." Grand Pabbie nodded. "In fact, he will tie into our plans perfectly."
"What do you mean?" Asger asked.
"If something goes wrong, nothing would be tied to us." Grand Pabbie said.
"You mean to make him a scapegoat." Asger realized.
"It has to be done." Grand Pabbie said grimly. "If the queen is beyond any type of salvation, he would be necessary towards doing what should be done to save the world."
"You mean..." Asger's voice trailed off.
"If need be, he'll kill the queen." Grand Pabbie said.
"And if it isn't necessary?" Asger asked.
"He'll still try and take over Arendelle." Grand Pabbie said.
"Why are you so eager to get rid of him?" Asger asked.
"I've seen the future." Grand Pabbie said grimly. "He genuinely cares for Princess Anna and it would eventually grow into love. But I see nothing but doom and disaster if he becomes the king. Besides, it would interfere with my plans for Kristoff."