Chapter One

No Turning Back

ANNA

Standing up from her portable writing desk, Anna stretched and felt her back pop after a prolonged period of sitting and sifting through countless administrative reports and documents of the Arendellian army. Reports had come from Matthias back in Arendelle, where he had been thriving in his new post as Minister of War. He'd written in his report that it would take a month or perhaps more for food, ammunition and other goods to arrive at their current position, given the increasingly hazardous weather.

Anna looked outside her tent in frustration and silently cursed at the falling snow. The army needed those supplies, and not just the Arendellian divisions. The Coalition was ever closer to the capital of Exon now, and the thought of the coming battle made her shiver, and not from the cold.

It'd been two days since she'd found her friends lying defeated and broken in the forest not far from Netheide. Shortly after Elsa and the others had left to pursue Jade and confront the Crimson Order, Anna had gotten a harrowing premonition that something was about to go terribly wrong. Call it a sisterly bond or whatever else, Anna had been right.

She'd been level headed enough to not dash into the forest by herself though, and had taken a battalion of Arendellian soldiers with her without stopping to explain herself to anyone else. It was only later that she realised that she'd taken one of the best Arendellian battalions with her by coincidence - the Fourth - and it was just as well. They'd rode hard through the forest as that was where the Order was meeting Jade according to the letter by Hans. And they were just in time too, for Anna had emerged into the clearing to see the brown cloaks having defeated the Warriors.

Melody, Tracy, Deirdre and Janus all lay unconscious, with the assassins towering above them. The overwhelming show of force made up of light cavalry and regular infantrymen had been enough to drive the assassins deeper into the forest, and the battalion promptly gave chase.

Further in, Anna and the Arendellian battalion had forced the brown cloaks to retreat and flee, and it was then that she spotted Maui lying not far off, and her sister slumped against the tree. She remembered almost panicking, and the events that ensued seemed like a blur to her now.

The Warriors had been rushed back to the Coalition camp where Holli had been summoned to the medical tent, and the young Witch Doctor did what she could with her spells. She'd told Anna that the Warriors would need to recover for themselves, as they'd encountered a foreign form of sorcery that Holli had never dealt with before.

The very next morning at dawn, the Coalition broke camp and changed route towards the Southern Border of Exon's capital. The march which would have taken three days in good weather, would take another week in winter. The casualties expected to recover from the ambush, as well as the Warriors, were piled onto the supply carts and wagons and dragged through the thick snow together with the column.

Anna was getting increasingly jumpy. The closer they got to Exon with each passing day, the greater the chance of being ambushed by the bulk of the Imperial Horde. By now, General Hydrech would have reached the safety of the capital and have had the chance of handing over command to Field Marshal Kane. Anna really wasn't looking forward to having the Coalition come up against Kane's lethal tactics, and she knew that she needed the Warriors in the impending final stand against the Imperial Horde. But in their current state, she wasn't sure if that was such a good idea.

Her friends had begun to stir gradually, one by one, starting first with Deirdre, and then Melody, Tracy and finally Janus. They had regained consciousness but were still weak and spent most of the day resting. All except Elsa and Maui who were still out cold. The two of them had apparently ran into a trap back in the forest. Anna still wasn't sure of the details, and she hadn't exactly gotten the chance to ask, what with her friends being half lucid. Anna was worried sick for Maui and her sister but apparently there was no time to worry about that as well. There was another Confederation dinner meeting to attend now that they'd made camp for the night.

"Your Majesty." Hayley held out her purple winter jacket. The assistant had been sorting through another stack of papers on her own at the other side of the tent, and Anna often wondered how she did so without going mad.

"Thanks." She donned her jacket and pulled it on tighter to cover her chest. The days were getting unbearably cold, not to mention the nights.

To a certain extent, she envied Prince August and the Vjorman division. After the trap at Netheide, the Coalition had agreed that it would be best that the Vjormans hunker down and establish new lines of communications, since they'd sustained the most casualties in the latest battle.

The Vjormans would be best suited to hold down the fort in Korynes there while the rest continued the march. They would begin to amass food supplies again from the city and transport them to the advancing column. And just like that, the Coalition had lost a fighting division. Anna wondered how cozy the city of Korynes must be, safe behind the walls where the Exonians couldn't get at them with actual buildings to take shelter in.

A soldier from her Queen's Guard scratched at the tent flap and poked his head in cautiously. "Your Majesty, His Royal Highness has arrived."

"Oh good." Anna pushed her hair over her shoulders. She'd given up taking the time to meticulously braid them into pigtails or a neat bun these days, opting instead for a double braided-back style. She swept out of her tent, a night chill instantly biting at her already reddened cheeks.

Kristoff was dismounted, holding the reins of two horses in one hand, and putting his other on his hat to keep it from flying off in the harsh wind. He wore thick leathers, with an Arendellian green military jacket suited for winter climate. She couldn't help but notice that he was wearing his old gloves from his ice-harvesting days. Oh, how that feels like so long ago.

"Anna," His voice was such a sweet sound to her ears.

She closed the remaining distance between them and hugged him. "You're a sight for sore eyes." She mumbled into the thick fabrics of his jacket.

He gave a half chuckle and enveloped her in his thick arms. For a moment, Anna allowed herself to be lost in her husband's embrace. For that brief moment, he was the only thing in her world, and everything else faded away. There was no Empire, no Crimson Order, no war to fight. Just Kristoff and his rugged charm.

"Are you alright?" Kristoff asked, running a gloved hand through her hair.

"I've been better." She snuggled her head against his chest. Sadly, she knew that there were problems she had to deal with. There was no avoiding them. Pulling away from his embrace, she adjusted her coat and let out a misty breath. "I'm just worried about Maui and Elsa. They haven't stirred since the forest."

"Holli did her magic on them, didn't she?"

Anna nodded.

"Then they'll be fine. Just give them time to recover. Don't worry." He rubbed the back of his hand against her cheek and smiled reassuringly. "Besides, we got our own problems to deal with."

"Way to go spoiling the mood." Anna grumbled, and saddled up. She took the reins from Kristoff and waited for him to mount. Then, they both set off through the camp towards the Einsfeltai, where Duke Helmsley's tent stood in the centre of everything.

Along the way, Anna filled her husband in on everything he'd missed. Befitting of his post as Commander-in-Chief of the Coalition, Kristoff had been increasingly busy with military matters as the Coalition moved deeper into Empire territory, and hadn't been present when the Warriors had reunited to discuss their findings. And so when she brought him up to speed on their new knowledge about the Crimson Order and the looming prophecy about the dormant Eternal King, his eyes had grown quite wide. They grew wider still as Anna recounted what she'd seen when she had taken an Arendellian battalion with her into the forest and found her friends and her sister at the Crimson Order's mercy.

"Hell." He muttered in dread and scratched his nose. "Elsa, is she-"

"She'll be fine." Anna said, not sure if she was reassuring Kristoff or herself. "Holli says she just needs rest."

He let out a small sigh of relief, but his expression turned worried again. "This business with the Order and this High Priest character. It's bigger than anything we've faced before, isn't it?"

Anna nodded grimly. "Afraid so."

"Damn." He said and lapsed into silence as they rode.

The weather's getting worse, Anna noted as they navigated through the countless rows of tents, and watched as soldiers plodded lethargically through the snow, filling their cooking pots with snow to be boiled over fire. Soldiers huddled together by small fires for warmth, while on the other side of the camp, Anna could see the medical tent filled with casualties from the battle, as well as those who'd fallen ill during the march.

If there was one thing that killed soldiers faster than being on the battlefield, it was the cold. Cold breeds disease, Marshal Frederick had told her when she'd questioned why soldiers were increasingly coming down with fever and colds. And if left untreated, the disease would spread like a plague through the camp.

As far as she knew, Holli was working overtime with the rest of the regimental surgeons and doctors to help the sick and wounded, but their combined efforts were nowhere near enough. After all, there were still nine divisions of soldiers in total. And the numbers had unfortunately dwindled at alarming rates over the past few months.

At this rate, Anna wasn't sure if the Coalition would be able to stand up to the Imperial Horde at the gates of Exon. Even with the League of Sorcerers by their side, she was feeling skeptical, but it was a little too late for that now.

Anna and Kristoff arrived outside Helmsley's tent and dismounted. They were greeted by the Einsfeltai sentries who showed them into the Duke's tent. Inside, they found Helmsley already waiting with Marquess Horatio. Frederick was there too, standing in the corner as usual with his hands clasped rigidly behind his back. He saluted at their arrival. After pulling out a chair for Anna, Kristoff took his place at Frederick's side, ready to help the Field Marshal.

Folding her hands in her lap, Anna looked round. Their numbers had dwindled all right. King Uxzas had been captured by the Crimson Order and was most likely dead by now. Price August and the Vjorman division were quartering at Korynes Fortress to establish new lines of communication, and Melody was still recovering and not ready to return to political action just yet. That just left her, Duke Helmsley and Marquess Horatio at the table, and frankly, Anna wasn't liking those odds at all.

"Good evening, Your Majesty." Helmsley said, and Horatio simply gave her a casual wave which by law could have him punished for being so flippantly informal to a monarch. But out here in the heart of Empire territory, she had more important things to concern herself with.

Clearing her dry throat, Anna favoured them with tired smiles. "Good evening."

Helmsley snapped his fingers and Einsfeltai servants streamed into the tent with plates of steaming food. The food, Anna observed as it was set before her, was of a noticeably lower standard than it had been just a week or two ago. Resources were getting increasingly scarce, and it was affecting even the nobles. Anna herself had refused grand portions or extravagant meals from her own staff, opting instead for simple meals. She figured that she ought to do her part to conserve food as much as the common soldier, but apparently the other Confederation members didn't have the same reservations.

They ate in silence for most of the meal, and Anna was glad for it. There was no energy for small talk anymore, and all of them realised it. Even Horatio ate his modest portion without a word. The silence was quite welcome, though tensions were still undeniably present.

Duke Helmsley was the first to break the silence, having waited for the others to finish their food before speaking. "I called this conference this evening to discuss our armies' collective capabilities. I am very well aware that we have taken some heavy losses over the campaign, and we need to reassess the situation before we get to the capital."

Damn right we've taken some heavy losses, Anna wanted to blurt out in indignation, but held her peace. She desperately wanted to declare that this whole campaign was going to end badly if they were to continue this way, and that the best thing to do was to turn back to Korynes Fortress to regroup with the Vjormans, at least for the winter.

"Yeah, I agree." Horatio said. He'd lost some of his boyish, youthful charm somewhere along the way, but the brashness had unfortunately remained. "If we're going to win this war once and for all, we need to know what we have left," He turned to Frederick. "Marshal?"

Frederick dipped his head and cleared his throat. He too, had seen better days, Anna observed. The loyal Arendellian officer who'd been a family friend for the longest time had more silver in his hair and beard than she remembered. Dark circles around his eyes indicated that he'd spent quite a fair bit of time poring over maps and planning strategies together with Kristoff and the other senior officers.

"At the rate we're going, we'll arrive in Luftzeit in three days, and cross to the capital's south by the seventh." Frederick said, his voice not betraying any hint of exhaustion though it showed a little on his disciplined features. "So far we haven't encountered any trouble yet, but I suspect we will meet stiff resistance very soon."

"This deep into their territory, they're bound to strike at us." Kristoff added. "We can't really afford any more casualties. The medical staff are working overtime and many are still not getting the help they need."

Helmsley looked severe. "What are you saying?"

"That we might need to consider our options wisely." Anna said. She knew that they were going to have the same argument again for the umpteenth time, with the same results. But nonetheless, she was going to try for the sake of the soldiers. "We can't keep going on like this."

"Like what?"

"Well for starters, there's the health conditions." She motioned at the tents outside. "And we're also running alarmingly short on food and supplies."

"We'll get the food we need when we pass the villages tomorrow." Horatio waved a hand dismissively.

Anna glared at him. "And what if they refuse?"

"They're the enemy, don't forget." Horatio smirked. "I'd have no compunctions ordering my men to pillage and burn their houses down. This is war, after all."

"No." Anna leaned forward. "I won't allow it."

"With all due respect, the Xerflorians are mine to command." Horatio said mockingly.

"And we are a Confederation." Anna said, steely meeting his eyes. "We can't stoop to their level, or we're no better than the Exonians."

"Wake up, Your Majesty. This is war." Horatio hissed, getting up and pushing back his chair. "Wars aren't won with moral compasses."

"There have to be some lines we don't cross." She insisted.

"I'm assuming you haven't heard what the troops are calling the war, have you?" Horatio said. "They're calling it the Long Winter Campaign. And they're damn right about it. We've spent far too long playing civilised. We need to do whatever it takes to finish this war quickly so we can get the hell out of this godforsaken country."

"Sit down and cool it." Kristoff said in a stern voice. "It won't do to bicker amongst ourselves. Especially not when we're this deep in Empire territory."

Helmsley cleared his throat. "I'd have to agree with His Royal Highness." He put a particularly subtle sarcastic spin on the title. "There will be no pillaging, Horatio."

Scowling, the hot headed marquess pursed his lips and sat down.

"In any case, even if we can't find food or supplies, we can send our foraging parties out when we make camp." Helmsley said. "Not to worry."

"I still think this is a mistake." Anna decided that she couldn't remain silent anymore. Now that she knew about the Crimson Order and the prophecy of the Eternal King's return, the landscape had changed quite a bit. They weren't just fighting the Imperial Horde. They weren't just in danger of being defeated by the Exonians in the heart of their territory.

No, they were in danger of being annihilated completely if Lord Magnus decided to free the Eternal King and unleash him upon the world. Unfortunately though, Anna couldn't exactly tell the Confederation members that. Sorcerers and their magic was one thing, but demons, shadowy cults and the prophecy of an immortal tyrant was something else entirely, far beyond the line of credibility.

"Listen to me," Anna pleaded. "It's quite possible that this is our very last chance to pull out of this wretched war zone of a country before it's too late. We're not well equipped enough to fight on their terms. Ammunition is running low, and so is morale." Even to her, the argument sounded weak compared to the actual threat they really faced.

"We don't win wars with morale." Horatio said acidly.

"Wrong. What if they all decide to desert?" Kristoff said, picking up a report and waving it. "Reports here show that more and more have begun to fall behind during the marches and never showed up again in camp. Or they've been waiting till dark before bribing the sentries on duty and slinking off into the night." He waved the report in Horatio's direction. "Deserters are increasing. Numbers don't lie."

"Fools." Horatio muttered, but loud enough to earn a stern gaze from Helmsley who was old enough to be his grandfather.

"We cannot turn back now." Helmsley's tone was more matter-of-fact than a reply. "Not when we're this close to ending this war once and for all."

"And what if we can't win?" Anna's voice rose louder than she intended. "The Empress has to have brought out her big guns. There's no question that Hydrech bought himself enough time with that little ruse in Netheide. He'll have the time he needs to get back to Exon. Not to mention that Field Marshal Kane is waiting for us with God knows how many more brigades and divisions. We can't fight them. Not in our condition."

Helmsley squeezed the bridge of his wrinkled nose and shut his eyes, sighing as though he were an exasperated headmaster reprimanding a wayward student. "Ma'am. We've had this conversation over and over again."

"And I keep telling you the same thing." Anna retorted instantly. "We need to make winter quarters and regain our strength and numbers."

"And at the same time, allow the enemy to do the same." Helmsley stressed slowly and impatiently. "We cannot afford for that to happen. They're difficult enough to deal with as it is now. How do you think we'll be able to beat them when they've had time to build their defences over the winter?"

Frederick cleared his throat. "Permission to speak plainly, Your Grace?"

"Denied." Helmsley snapped.

"We'll stand a far better chance of winning this war if we can just be patient." He ignored Helmsley. "If we go any further, this campaign will be a suicide attempt."

"No one asked for your input, old man." Horatio said rudely.

"I'm speaking in the interest of the Confederation." Frederick's tone was polite and level, but had a very stern edge to it. "As the appointed Field Marshal of this Coalition, I cannot in good conscience allow the march to continue. I will not waste good lives for nothing."

"Stand down, Field Marshal." Helmsley's voice was like ice. "Or I will have you removed and replaced."

Frederick's face remained impassive, and his posture was still rigid. But Anna could tell that he was angry, though military decorum prevented him from displaying it.

"This Coalition will march." Helmsley glared round at his guests. "Long Winter Campaign or not, we have not come this bloody far to fail now. We will win, leave this godforsaken country and end this damn war once and for all. This conference is over." Before anyone else could say anything, he stormed out of the tent with as much pompousness and dignity as his age allowed him.

Anna stared indignantly at him as he left. This was his tent. He was the host of this meeting! With him gone from his own quarters, he was essentially forcing them to leave. Well, it wasn't like he was going to listen to reason anyway. He was too stubborn and too rigid to see any other way, so much so that Anna felt that she'd have made more progress arguing with a brick wall.

Horatio was the next to stand to his feet. He wiped his mouth with the tablecloth and sneered at the rest. "Get your orders ready, Field Marshal." He mocked Frederick. "I expect that we'll be off at dawn." With that, he swept out of the tent with the hem of his flamboyant fur cloak in hand.

Apart from the Einsfeltai servants, only Anna, Kristoff and Frederick remained in the tent. There was an awkward silence, save for the clinging of plates as the servants cleaned up the table, all of whom probably felt as tense as the three of them were.

"Right." Anna stood up. No point in hanging around in the lion's den any longer. "I think it's time we left." She dipped her head at the servants. "Thank you."

"Well, that was a disaster." Kristoff said in a low voice when they were safely out of earshot of the Duke's tent. He turned to Frederick. "Looks like we'll be heading south tomorrow."

"Quite right, sir. Unfortunately." Frederick's face was a blank mask as always. "I apologise if I spoke out of turn in there."

"No, Helmsley and Horatio needed to hear it." Anna said and added. "Not that it did them any good."

"Have your staff draw up the orders and deliver them." Kristoff told Frederick. "Then get some rest. It's going to be a busy day tomorrow."

"Sir." Frederick drew himself up and saluted as crisply as a young lieutenant. He turned to Anna and saluted her too. "Your Majesty."

Anna watched as Frederick excused himself and retreated in search of his own tent back in the Arendellians' side of the camp.

"They're hell bent on having us all buried in the snow on some Exonian field." Kristoff lamented irritably after a long moment. "But what can we do? We can't very well just turn the army around without the others' agreement."

"They won't. Their pride won't allow it." Anna gritted her teeth. "Which leaves us back at square one."

"The damn prophecy."

Anna nodded and felt the bitter wind blow subtly against her face like a premonition, and her long jacket flapped gently in the cold breeze. She didn't like how things were going at all.