The night had barely fallen on the Northuldra camp, which was now only illuminated by the moonlight and the scattered campfires, casting an eerie glow on the tents like ghosts emerging from the darkness of the night.
High in the air, floating in a cloud of darkness, Roderick observed the refugees bustling below. But he cared little for them; he scanned the camp with his eyes, searching for one single person. Once he found her, the refugees, his future subjects, would follow him. But he couldn't see her from here.
With a resigned sigh, the former king of Arendelle slowly descended towards the Northuldra. Some began to notice and point at the dark mass of smoke approaching them, and a panicked wind shook the clearing. Roderick ignored it, and when he set foot on the ground, he surrounded the entire camp with his darkness, preventing anyone from escaping. Deafening screams of terror echoed in his ears, but he tried to ignore them.
He strode through the camp, pushing aside the few fools who stood in his way. He finally stopped when he saw a familiar face emerge from one of the tents.

"You!" exclaimed the young woman defiantly.

He finally recognized the one standing before him, her red hair dancing like flames in the flickering light. She had stood in Elsa's way the day he reclaimed Arendelle. A wicked smile spread across his lips.

"Anna, is it? The so-called queen of Arendelle?"

Anna straightened her dress and stood proudly before Roderick, hiding her worry behind a mask of impassiveness. Kristoff joined her and stood by her side, ready to react to any suspicious move from the man before them. However, he made no move.

"What do you want?" she asked resolutely. "I warn you..."
"I did not come to harm my people," Roderick cut her off.
"Arendelle does not belong to you!" Anna exclaimed, taking a step forward.
"Anna!"

Kristoff held her back by the arm to pull her towards him. She gently freed herself from his grasp but did not move. She continued to stare at Roderick, his wicked smile sending chills down her spine.

"You are right," he continued. "Arendelle does not belong to me. That's why I wouldn't hesitate to harm anyone who stands in my way."

He raised his hand to interrupt Anna, who was about to protest vehemently.

"Unless Elsa comes out of hiding and follows me to the castle of Arendelle."

Anna's heart skipped a beat. Roderick's smile had now taken on a cruel aspect. Around them, the Northuldra warriors formed a circle, pointing their spears at the intruder, backed by the Arendelle guards, led by Mattias. The young queen regained her composure and did her best to show no sign of the panic engulfing her. Deep down, she was relieved that Elsa had left today.

"Elsa is not here. And she would never have followed you. You've wasted your time."
"Really?" Roderick asked in a soft voice. "What a pity. In that case, I suppose I have no choice."

He raised his hand, and the mass of darkness surrounding the camp descended on several tents, lifting them off the ground and hurling them forcefully. The few civilians in their path barely managed to avoid them. Fortunately, the tents were empty.

"Stop!" exclaimed Anna, throwing herself onto Roderick's arm, forcing him to lower it.
"I didn't come here to threaten you, nor to harm my people," Roderick continued as if nothing had happened. "I could have razed this camp with a snap of my fingers. I simply want Elsa to come with me."
"I told you, she's not here!"
"Then I suggest you find a solution, Queen Anna, if you don't want the camp - and all of Arendelle - to be destroyed."

The sarcasm when he pronounced Anna's title pierced her heart. Yes, she was their queen, but she was unable to protect them. She had no sword, no powers like her sister. She looked up at Roderick, and the words escaped her lips before she could stop them:

"Then take me instead. And leave the people of Arendelle alone."
"You?"

The deposed king burst into laughter, a sinister laughter devoid of joy. Anna bit her lip, regretting her words, but it was too late. She had to own her choice. Behind her, Kristoff and Olaf called out to her, protested, but she tried to ignore them. She did her best to hold back the tears of fear threatening to flood her cheeks.

"Kristoff, don't try to stop me," she said in a trembling voice. "It's my decision."

Finally, Roderick stopped laughing.

"I accept. Follow me."

Anna went to take a step forward, but a whirlwind of darkness surrounded her and lifted her a few inches off the ground. The gust lifted the nearest empty tents on its path, while Roderick crossed the wall of darkness surrounding the camp. The darkness faded away and accompanied the man, whose silhouette had disappeared, leaving only the black whirlwind carrying the queen of Arendelle to his kingdom.

The throne room, vast and majestic, was shrouded in darkness, except for a candelabra that burned dimly above the throne. The walls, a blue-green reminiscent of Anna's dress, were adorned with the Arendelle crest, its gold reflecting the flames like hundreds of eyes watching the scene.
In the center of the room, Anna was still ensnared in a cloud of darkness that bound her feet and hands, forcing the queen to face Roderick. He had turned his back to her to gaze out at Arendelle through the window.
The air in the room was heavy and tense, seeping through the pillars framing the room. The atmosphere was so thick that Anna found it hard to breathe. The silence stretched on for long minutes before Roderick finally turned to her.

"Anna, queen of Arendelle," he began. "If I may call you that, you, the granddaughter of an impostor."
"My grandfather deserved the throne more than you!" Anna retorted.

Roderick burst into laughter, the same laughter that sent shivers down her spine, as he sat on the throne.

"And by the way, how is it possible that you look so young considering you knew King Runeard?" she asked aggressively.
"My dear," he replied with a weary smile. "Do you really think time passes in the void?"

He sighed, and in that moment, she thought she saw the weight of time on his face.

"I drifted south for weeks in a simple boat after my exile," he continued. "I had no provisions, hunger and thirst threatened me. That's when I washed up on an uncharted island. This island has an entity as powerful as Ahtohallan, and unlike the frozen river, it saw my true power. It saved me and gave me these powers."

The darkness coiled around his hand, and he lazily played with it as she asked him:

"I don't believe you. No one would be foolish enough to entrust such powers to someone as wicked as you!"
"Oh, you're a clever girl, you must realize it didn't do it out of kindness," he replied in a too sweet voice. "When it felt powers emerge in Arendelle - Elsa's powers - it knew the time would soon come. Once your sister discovered her true powers, and only then, could I take them from her."
"You failed," Anna mocked. "It's not Elsa you have in front of you, and when she comes she'll stop you, and your thirst for power!"
"Oh, how brave! A queen without power, alone and powerless, dares to defy me. It's touching, really."

Roderick rose and approached her. He looked at her with tenderness, almost with pity, and caressed her cheek with his thumb. The queen exclaimed in disgust, trying to pull away.

"She is a spirit of the Enchanted Forest, and you are sisters."

Anna shuddered, understanding where he was going with this.

"I have no powers," she said hastily.
"Oh really?" he scoffed, laughing. "I have a good way to find out."

He returned to the throne where he picked up an object from the armrest that Anna hadn't noticed before: a silver dagger.

"I assure you, I have no powers!" she insisted as her pulse quickened.
"We'll see," Roderick murmured, advancing.

He raised the blade above his head. As he approached, Anna felt her heart race, almost painfully. Paralyzed, she couldn't look away from the dagger. She screamed when Roderick thrust it down.

"Nooo!"

She closed her eyes and waited for the pain. But it didn't come. With shallow breaths and trembling body, she let several seconds pass. Then she opened her eyes.
The blade gleamed just in front of her face. Behind the weapon, Roderick watched the queen, his face betraying a hint of disappointment. He tossed the dagger, which landed on the perfectly polished parquet floor, and let out a long sigh.

"It would have been much easier to retrieve your powers. But no matter, I will obtain Elsa's, and you will see how much better the term 'sovereign' suits me than you!"
"You... You will never have them!" Anna retorted, trying to recover from her terror.
"Do you really think she will leave her beloved sister in danger?" he replied. "She must surely be on her way to Arendelle by now. And the darkness will be there to greet her.

A logn shiver ran down Anna's spine. He was right, as soon as Elsa learned that she had gone with Roderick, she would rush to her rescue. She swallowed hard, hoping with all her heart that she and Aodhan had managed to retrieve the Narwhal's horn.

"You want to do to Elsa what you did to the Narwhal," she realized slowly.
"Of course. And this time, when I have killed the fifth spirit, there will be no one to stop me from reaching Ahtohallan. The river will have no choice but to give me your sister's powers.
"I won't let you!"
"Anna, Anna. You have allowed yourself to be imprisoned. You are not even capable of protecting Arendelle, and you think you can stop me? What a pathetic queen! And the same goes for your sister, even though she has powers!"

Roderick laughed as he pointed to the window, where they could see the black fog still reigning over the kingdom. Only the tallest tower of the castle managed to pierce the dark cloud.

"Where is Elsa?"
"Do you really think I'm going to tell you?"

He shrugged, visibly amused despite his icy gaze.

"I expect anything from such a young, impulsive, and inexperienced queen. You're as arrogant as Runeard. But I'm not worried, she'll come to me."
"She will come, yes," Anna assured. "And she will stop you!"

She locked eyes with the deposed king, her brows furrowed. In her eyes burned her love and unwavering loyalty to her sister. Roderick approached her again.

"A child like you can't understand. Elsa's sacrifice is necessary for me to reclaim my throne and the power that is rightfully mine. And this will be only the first. With the powers she will bestow upon me, I will sacrifice the other spirits to the Isle of Darkness. And I will not only be the most powerful king of Arendelle, but of the entire earth. All the kingdoms will kneel before my greatness, and no one will ever dare to attack my kingdom again!"

A gleam danced in his eyes, a gleam Anna recognized quickly. That of madness. Roderick spoke more and more like a madman.

"I will be a god, and my throne will be in Arendelle!"