The ship cut through the waves at full speed, its white sails, filled with the sea breeze, proudly displaying the emblem of Arendelle. Standing on the deck, Roderick walked towards the bow. In the distance to starboard, he could see the legendary Light Narwhal floating peacefully in the sky of the Enchanted Forest. But the forest was not his objective today.
His long navy blue coat fluttered behind him, snapping to the rhythm of the wind, and his golden ornaments were more dazzling than the sun. A broad smile lit up his face, and even his usually dark eyes shone.
"On my kingdom, as master I reign,
In their love, glory, and fortune I bask.
I am their guardian, the fearless hero,
And all adore me, for I am their protector!"
Around him, the sailors sang joyful refrains in unison, their laughter mingling with the soothing lapping of the water against the hull. After two days of sailing on these calm waters, their objective finally appeared on the horizon: Ahtohallan. The crow's nest shouted it to the rest of the ship, and the entire crew exclaimed in joy.
Roderick felt his heart race. He would have gladly joined his crew, shouting even louder than all of them combined, if his status as king did not require him to maintain his composure at all times. Finally, his goal was there, before his eyes. Today, he would become the most powerful sovereign ever known. No one would ever dare to attack Arendelle again, and it was all thanks to him.
"In my heart, I know, I am destined to reign!
And this forest harbors unmatched power.
Of this magic, I alone am worthy,
And of my greatness, it will be the sign."
The king and his crew finally descended onto the frozen shore of the glacier, their steps softly crunching on the pristine ice. They were all eager, but the sailors fell silent. Around them was a silence befitting a sacred place. They stood facing an entrance carved into the immense cliff, and Roderick approached, feeling as if he were being called by the mysterious depths of Ahtohallan. He placed his hand on the smooth surface of the glacier, which reflected his face, filled with confidence and excitement.
"In the ice, I see only my reflection,
A glorious, majestic, unparalleled king!
With these powers, Arendelle will be protected,
And I, I will be an adored legend!"
He signaled for the sailors to wait for him here. This was something he had to do alone. He entered the cave, feeling the ancient magic that slumbered in these places, a force that seemed to inexorably guide him.
The walls of the cavern emitted a faint blue light, but the further Roderick advanced along the winding tunnels, the dimmer the light became, until it left him in complete darkness. He was about to grab his torch and some tinder when he noticed a light at the end of the tunnel he was in. He continued in that direction, keeping one hand on the ice wall for safety. An intense cold ran through his flesh as he traversed the smooth surface of the glacier.
He emerged into a vast chamber crossed by an abyssal chasm. The walls of ice seemed to faintly sparkle in the sunlight filtering through an opening in the ceiling. Facing him, on the other side of the chasm, a soft, white light emanated from an opening in the ice, drawing his gaze. At first glance, there was nothing to suggest he could cross the chasm, and despite the impressive distance separating him from that opening, Roderick felt an unwavering determination growing within him. Nothing could stop the king of Arendelle from reaching his goal.
Roderick detached the grappling hook from his belt and expertly threw it towards the frozen rocks overlooking the opposite wall. The rope coiled around one of the rocks, and after ensuring its solidity, he took a deep breath, gathered momentum, and leaped.
His vertigo lasted only a few seconds. Carefully avoiding looking down into the depths below, he let go of the rope at the opportune moment and landed with a certain heaviness on the other side, rolling to absorb the impact. As he got up, he surveyed the room he had arrived in: a vast dome entirely made of ice, in the center of which was engraved a strange symbol on the floor. Instinctively, Roderick knew he had to stand on it.
"Spirits of the Forest!" he exclaimed. "I am Roderick, king of Arendelle! I have passed your trials and am now ready to receive my powers!"
As he spoke, he spun around, arms outstretched, as if addressing an audience surrounding him. He felt them, the spirits, their presence swirling all around him, like a silhouette glimpsed out of the corner of the eye but never truly seen.
But nothing happened. Roderick furrowed his brow and raised his voice again:
"I am the king of Arendelle! The most worthy to receive these powers! Without them, I cannot protect my kingdom from invaders!"
The light in the chamber gradually dimmed as the walls dulled. The ice seemed to lose its luster, becoming more opaque, darker, and grayer. The king of Arendelle widened his eyes.
"No! You cannot do this!"
A sort of wailing sounded in the distance, and the walls briefly turned bright red before becoming completely black, plunging the poor man into darkness and silence.
The spirits had pronounced their refusal.
"These are my powers!" Roderick raged. "Mine, and mine alone! I am the only one worthy of the magic of the Enchanted Forest!"
He grabbed his torch, and after some effort, his hands trembling with anger, he managed to light it. Now only the flickering flame illuminated him. Everything around him was dark.
Roderick felt his cheeks flush with anger. He gripped the torch so tightly that the wood creaked dangerously.
"Worthless arrogant spirits!" he continued shouting, his eyes bulging. "Do you think you are above me? I will obtain these powers, and you will not stop me!"
His voice echoed, but only silence answered. A heavy silence he could not accept.
As he emerged from Ahtohallan, the king was greeted by the wild exclamations of his crew. They all wanted to congratulate him for being blessed with magical powers by the Enchanted Forest. Roderick looked at them, his eyes dark. All traces of greatness and confidence had disappeared from his face.
"Back to the ship!" he barked. "We are returning to Arendelle!"
The sailors fell silent immediately, looking bewildered, and slowly made their way back to the deck of the royal ship to carry out his orders.
They had just set sail, crossing the waves in the opposite direction, when a man emerged from the captain's cabin and approached the king.
"My king," he bowed, "the crew is worried about you. And I must admit, so am I. What happened at Ahtohallan?"
The man was tall and sturdy, with broad shoulders. His azure eyes sparkled like two pearls above an imposing mustache. His Venetian blond hair was perfectly groomed, and his sideburns framed a face that, despite its harsh features, exuded kindness.
When he stood up, he easily towered over Roderick by a head, which did not intimidate the king in the least.
"Stand up, Runeard," Roderick ordered.
He sighed heavily before continuing:
"I suppose I can at least speak to my advisor... Ahtohallan did not grant me any powers."
The man named Runeard widened his eyes in surprise, and a silence fell between them, only disturbed by the gentle song of the Light Narwhal in the distance.
"My king, I am sure there is a good reason," the advisor articulated slowly. "The spirits of the Forest must have seen the greatness of the man standing before them and judged that he did not need powers to be stronger."
"I could be even greater," the king hissed through his teeth. "The spirits were afraid of me. Unless..."
He turned to the Light Narwhal, which continued to float peacefully above the Enchanted Forest.
"... unless they are testing me once again," he concluded in a whisper.
Runeard followed his king's gaze, and a smile spread across his lips.
"Are you thinking of the golden sword, sire?" he asked. "I have read its legend in the royal archives, a shard of light that fell from the Light Narwhal and has the power to bring back light itself..."
"What? No, no, that's not it," Roderick interrupted. "I have no interest in stupid legends."
"My king," his advisor insisted, "if you were to find this sword, you would surely gain its powers as well as the respect of your people."
Roderick turned to him, looking severe. His eyes betrayed a certain disdain, close to disgust.
"I already have the respect of the people of Arendelle, and I have no need for a vulgar sword," he spat. "It is the magical powers of the Enchanted Forest that I want. And what better way to prove my worth than to defeat that creature? It is not a spirit, yet they have granted it the power of light... When I have defeated it, Ahtohallan will be forced to acknowledge my superiority and grant me the powers of the Narwhal."
He turned to the crew:
"Hard to port! Head towards the Light Narwhal and prepare your cannons!"
Runeard's smile disappeared as he looked away and cast his worried eyes on the poor creature floating in the sky, its horn blazing like the sun. Behind the advisor, the crew muttered, visibly worried about the king's mood swings. But the captain had no choice but to obey Roderick's orders.
The king remained on the deck as they approached the Narwhal. The creature spotted them and seemed to move towards them, swirling joyfully. A malicious smile spread across Roderick's mouth. The poor stupid beast thought they wanted to play. But from this game, only he would emerge victorious.
He was still standing on the deck when he ordered the cannons to fire. He was still standing there when the Narwhal let out piercing screams. And he was still standing there when its lifeless body slowly washed ashore and was engulfed by the waves.
For a few moments, a deathly silence fell over the ship. No sailor had the heart to celebrate this victory, or rather this killing. They did not have time to mourn, however, as a gigantic wave loomed over them.
"Storm! A storm!" some of them exclaimed, panicked.
Indeed, the sea was becoming increasingly turbulent. Thick black clouds obscured the sky until they plunged them into darkness akin to night. The ship struggled to turn back and return to Arendelle, but it was futile. A rogue wave appeared on the horizon, so wide that the ship could not avoid it. The entire crew stopped and watched as this thick wall of water approached them, so high that it seemed to touch the sky. Lightning streaked across the sky, and some thought they saw an equine creature in the wave.
It crashed onto the ship, which broke apart and was dragged into the depths. The royal ship of Arendelle had vanished.
"For having killed a legendary and peaceful creature, and thus triggered the wrath of the spirits of the Enchanted Forest by your arrogance and self-interest alone, I, Runeard, hereby strip you of your title of king, and hereby exile you from the kingdom of Arendelle forever."
The hammer fell, just as the sentence crushed Roderick's heart.
Luckily, the king and his advisor had survived the storm, of which they were the only survivors. After being rescued by the Northuldra people who inhabited the Enchanted Forest, they returned to Arendelle, where the king's trial was held for two weeks.
The former king, chained and handcuffed, cast a dark and malevolent look towards his most faithful advisor.
"I see, muttering," he said. "Is that how it goes, Runeard? You orchestrated all of this to oust me and take my place as king! You are nothing but a traitor!"
"And you are nothing but a madman, Roderick," the new king Runeard sighed. "We will give you a boat, and may the elements be kind to spare you as you drift south."
He gestured for the guards to take Roderick, who struggled like a devil. They seized him firmly by each arm and forcibly dragged him out of the room. The deposed king twisted to face Runeard while shouting:
"A traitor and a coward! You want the powers for yourself alone! But I will make you pay, Runeard, do you hear me?! You and your descendants! These powers belong to me! They are mine!"
The double doors closed, and Roderick, the shame and the mad king, was never seen or mentioned in Arendelle again.