Chapter Sixty One

Unexpected Return

ANNA

The cup of steaming hot coffee in her hands was just enough to take away the edge of the fatigue that had been afflicting her since Steinfall had been breached. After the success of her near-suicide mission with the Witch Hunters, the Northuldra siblings and the three sorcerers, the Coalition had successfully invaded Fort Steinfall and neutralised the Exonians. Knowing when he was beaten, General Hydrech had negotiated an immediate surrender and asked for quarter. The Exonians capitulated without further bloodshed and were taken prisoner, as ordered by Field Marshal Frederick under the rules of civilised warfare. Food and water wasn't a problem anymore, for the Exonians had stockpiled plenty in Steinfall. Weapons were in abundance too.

The Coalition would've had no problem with digging in over the winter if not for the fact that Kane had the entire Imperial Horde with him, according to General Hydrech. The Imperial Horde would tear down Fort Steinfall brick by brick to get to the Coalition, and Anna had no doubt that they would succeed eventually under the command of Kane and Hans. Staying in Fort Steinfall wasn't an option, but as Talya had reported earlier this morning, Agrabah's naval ships were only going to arrive in another four days' time, if all things went well at sea. All they had to do was just survive another four more days before they could all make it off this cursed territory.

From the high bastion walls, Anna sipped and relished the feeling of piping hot coffee dribbling down her throat as she watched the Coalition set to work. At best they only had three days before the Imperial Horde arrived to deal what they thought would be the final blow to the Coalition. Frederick had told her that Kane probably thought he had them cornered, so there was no need to rush the march. It would be more expedient to give the Imperial Horde ample rest before crushing the Coalition once and for all. But little did the enemy know that they had an exit strategy and one hell of a plan to slow down the Exonians.

The moment Fort Steinfall was theirs, Field Marshal Frederick had repurposed half of the Coalition to begin rebuilding the fortress' defences. The earthworks were reconstructed and severely beefed up, the ramparts were raised higher and the ditches were dug deeper. In addition to those, the divisions worked in tandem to chop down trees from the nearby forest and transport the logs back to Steinfall, where the wood would be chopped further into stakes which were bound together to form palisades. The soldiers had spent the bulk of the morning working furiously at the different tasks, and now, Anna could already see Frederick's plan begin to take shape.

Numerous palisades were being wedged deep into the field of snow, as well as many thinner, individual stakes that were meant to hinder the Exonian cavalry from charging the walls, and effectively took away Kane's ability to order the infantry forward in line or column. With the sheer erratic placement of the numerous palisades and the individual wooden stakes, the Exonians would have a hard time advancing through the field. And then there was the repaired doors of the fortress, enforced by heavy steel plates and a deep trench filled with freezing seawater dug around the perimeter of the fortress. Unfortunately though, their defences were vulnerable to mobile artillery as well as the heavy siege pieces alike. And that was why the Coalition's best artillery batteries would come in to level the playing field.

In addition to the defences on the ground, the Einsfeltai and Danish artillery teams led by General Ivon were already wheeling into place, some positioned by the parapets while many more took up their places behind the embrasures a level below. The long range artillery guns like the eighteen and twenty four pounders would whittle away at the ranks of the Exonians to slow them down as much as possible, and when the enemies got to the base of the wall, shorter range guns like the eight and twelve pounders would blow them to hell with round shot and canister shot at point blank range.

It wasn't perfect - no battle plan ever was - but it would hold the Imperial Horde at bay, hopefully long enough for the Agrabah ships to arrive at the coast behind the Fortress. There was a high possibility that given Kane's calibre, he could find a way to punch through their defences much quicker, but then again, this was the best the Coalition could do given the short time they had.

"Anna."

Internally, Anna groaned. She'd given orders that she wanted some time alone after that strenuous and frankly chaotic mission in the wee hours of the morning. It was a lot to process after all. But then again, she knew this was going to happen sooner or later. It wasn't that she didn't want to see her husband - she just didn't need to hear a lecture now. Sighing, she turned to see Kristoff marching towards her.

"Kristoff, before you say anything-"

"Are you alright?"

Anna stiffened. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Oh, thank God." He sighed, the worry on his features turning into vexation. "I said not to do anything stupid," The deep frown on his forehead making him look at least five years older than he was. "I asked you to stay in the tent for the night, so imagine how I felt when I came back to find you gone?"

"Don't tell me. Furious?" Anna mumbled, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

"Damn right I was," Kristoff seethed, towering over her. "Anna, I told you I didn't want you running out there playing warrior!"

"We are Warriors. Or have you forgotten?" Anna levelled his gaze steely. "Just because our friends are gone doesn't mean we've stopped being Warriors."

"That time is over. We aren't heroes running about trying to save the world anymore. We're trying to save our people from this goddamn war!"

To some extent, what Kristoff was saying was true. Deep down, Anna knew that things had changed. She wasn't a hotheaded princess looking for adventures with the Warriors anymore; she was a queen and the default head of the damn Coalition. But that wasn't going to stop her.

Anna puffed out her chest. "Wwe're trying to save our people but to do that some of us need to make sacrifices."

"But not you! You didn't have to put yourself out there!" Kristoff's voice rose, attracting the attention of some of the soldiers within earshot.

Again, he was right. She could have done without crawling across a freezing field of snow to sabotage the enemies' guns and almost get killed trying to blow up the doors of the fortress. In truth, the Witch Hunters, the Northuldra siblings and the three sorcerers could have done it by themselves. So then why had she been so adamant about joining them?

"Do you have any idea how worried I feel whenever you run straight into danger?" Kristoff dropped his voice to avoid attracting more unwanted attention from the people around them, though his face was still set in a deep frown. "You can't…you can't keep doing this to us."

"I'm not doing this to us," Anna retorted in spite of the fact that she knew Kristoff had a point, and in a way, though she wouldn't admit it, he was right. "You know very well that I can take care of myself. And I don't need you telling me what I can or cannot do."

"And what if things hadn't gone the way you hoped?" Kristoff asked. "What if you'd ended up like Horatio?"

"Horatio's fine. All it took was a minor spell from Holli and his arm's fixed up." The marquess had been rushed to the witch doctor shortly after Fort Steinfall was seized, and she'd performed her miracles on his wounded arm.

"And what if they'd missed him and shot you through the heart?"

"But they didn't."

"And what if they had?"

"They didn't. Stop treating me like a fragile doll," Anna glared up at her husband. "Look, I'm tired. I don't really feel like arguing with you, not right now."

"If not now, then when?"

Anna was about to snap back something but there were shouts coming from below. Even as she steadfastly locked eyes with her husband, her stomach flip-flopped and her mind began to race. Was the Imperial Horde already here? Damn it, it's too soon!

Turning to see what the commotion was all about, her eyes widened. Out in the middle of the field, there was a singular portal of dark power, and in front of it were three figures, quickly being circled and surrounded by the soldiers currently working on the defences. Anna's heart leapt in her chest. Was it? Could it be?

"What the hell is going on?"

"Come on. We have to get down there now!" Anna stopped long enough to cast a glance over her shoulder at her husband. "We can finish this argument later."

Sprinting hastily down to ground level, Anna and Kristoff saddled up the nearest two horses that probably belonged to the officers, and rode hard towards the centre of the snow-covered field. The wind in her face, Anna leaned forward and pushed her mount into a gallop at breakneck speed. Her heart was racing, hope and fear mingled at the same time. She couldn't believe her eyes, but she supposed she would have to see this for herself if it was true.

A fairly large group of soldiers had gathered round the three newcomers, the dark portal having already disappeared. Pushing past and squeezing between them, Anna found it increasingly easier to navigate through as the soldiers realised it was the queen and her husband. A gap opened for the duo to pass through.

Anna gasped as she debouched from the throngs of soldiers, laying eyes on the three newcomers. Melody and Deirdre were caked in snow and blood, and between them was… Her eyes grew as wide as saucers. "Is…is that?"

"I can explain everything," Melody said cautiously.

"I don't understand," Anna stared at Eleanor who scowled back. So Hans had been lying about Eleanor being dead, which was of no additional relief to her. "How? Why-"

"I said I can explain everything. I promise," Melody repeated.

Anna exchanged a baffled look with Kristoff, who seemed like he was about to have a fit when he laid eyes on the ex-Empress in their midst. And she couldn't blame him, for she felt the same way. Anger, indignation and a flurry of other emotions threatened to bubble to the surface but she suppressed them when she caught the pleading look in Melody's eye.

Why the hell was she and Deirdre with Eleanor now? Why hadn't Eleanor lashed out and destroyed them with her demon powers yet? What had happened in the past three weeks since Anna had last seen the Warriors? And where the hell was Elsa and the rest? She had so many questions to ask, but she supposed that could come later.

"Arrest her!" Anna shouted, jabbing a finger clearly at Eleanor. "Make sure she's locked up securely. Very securely. I will question her later myself."

Eleanor looked like she was about to protest as soldiers grabbed her arms and frogmarched her away, but she made no attempt to incinerate them with her powers or impale them with her tendrils of dark energy. Meanwhile, Deirdre - of all people - watched with displeasure as they escorted her sister away.

"We'll help her, right?" Anna overheard Deirdre whispering to Melody.

"We will. But I suppose she had that coming," Melody remarked as they all looked on. She turned to Anna and Kristoff and flashed a greatly relieved but fatigued smile. "You have no idea how good it is to see some familiar faces again."

"Same too," Anna stared at Melody and Deirdre in a mix of awe, gladness and great bafflement. "But what the hell is going on? Where are the rest?"

"A lot of shit's happened the past three weeks. Stuff you wouldn't believe," Deirdre said. Her clothes, hair and face were smeared with blood and ash, making it obvious that they'd just come from a fight of some sort.

"And we'll tell you all about it. It's a very long story," Melody added. "Look, it's really damn good to see your faces again but I think we could do with some real food and a proper shower."

###

It's a miracle. Anna still couldn't believe it even though she'd witnessed it with her own eyes. Melody and Deirdre were back but they'd dragged Eleanor with them. Why? How did they get into cahoots with the villain they'd been fighting over the past year? Where were the others? At the time, it was obvious that the two girls were in no condition to weather a bombardment of questions from Anna, and there was no way in hell she trusted Eleanor to give her the answers she was looking for.

But by now, the two girls would've freshened up, had a change of clothes and a room to rest in. Anna had specifically ordered for her staff to escort them to fresh quarters and bring them food from the newly acquired supply which used to belong to the Exonians. Meanwhile, the Coalition soldiers had taken Eleanor away to be imprisoned in one of the many chambers in Fort Steinfall.

The thing was, no one had seen the Empress before - only having heard of her tyranny - so no one was any the wiser about what the hell she looked like. And just as well too. If people knew that the tyrant Eleanor Tal Yin was in their midst, there would be chaos. And not to mention that the Confederation members would want her head on a stake. Anna decided that she would find out from Melody and Deirdre herself, since Kristoff had other responsibilities to tend to. It wasn't like she was on the best terms with him right now anyway.

Escorted to where Melody and Deirdre were quartered, Anna nodded her thanks to the Queen's Guardsmen and knocked on the sturdy iron door. Before she could stop herself, she pushed open the door before anyone could call for her to enter.

"Sorry," she apologised as Melody and Deirdre who were seated at a table looked up abruptly at her arrival. "Old habits die hard. Plus, I'm really dying to hear what you have to say."

"I see you have things well in hand here." Melody gestured around at the spartan-like room which held nothing except two mattresses, a small table and two chairs. "Got the Coalition to safety."

"Ah." Anna considered telling them about the battle they were about to face in less than three or four days time, but thought better of it. First things first, she needed to know what'd transpired in the last three weeks before bringing Melody and Deirdre up to speed on the her front. She closed the door behind her. "I suppose so. It's been a hell of a journey. I'm sure yours was too."

Deirdre scoffed. "You have no idea."

"I guess I could start by asking why the hell Eleanor's with you guys, but I have more pressing questions on hand," Anna said, looking between the two girls. "Let's start with where all of you been the past three weeks, and where the rest are now."

Glancing at Deirdre who pursed her lips, Melody sighed. "Alright," She said. "The first couple of days, we were caught in back-to-back snow storms."

Anna nodded. She remembered the cursed blizzards. It'd definitely been supernatural.

"We managed to reach the capital after a few days but by then we weren't in any condition to fight. And I think that was our biggest mistake. Heading in at anything less than our best," Melody grimaced. "Anyway, Deirdre took us up through a series of tunnels that snaked beneath the city and we found Eleanor chained up in the castle's dungeon."

"That figures," Anna said. "Hans betrayed her and took control of her Empire for himself. So he lied about her being dead and kept her prisoner. But that doesn't explain why you sprung her from her cage."

"He's too powerful. We had to strike a deal with my sister," Deirdre told her. "She knew what to expect because she already fought him once when he revealed his true intentions. We agreed to release her for her help, but for all the good that was worth. Hans and the Crimson Order still wiped the floor with us like we were nothing."

"Damn it," Anna's palms grew sweaty as she listened to the incredulous - and frankly horrifying - tale. "Did she know where my sister and the others were being kept?"

Melody shook her head. "She didn't."

"And you trusted her?"

"She really didn't know. Hans played us all, including her. The fury I saw in her eyes when we were questioning her was real. She had no idea where Elsa and Tracy were being kept, but all she wanted was payback."

Anna sighed. "And what about Jade?"

"We were too late," Melody went on, her expression growing haunted. "Magnus turned her into one of the Mage Slayers before we even got to the capital and Hans used her against us."

"We couldn't get to her," Deirdre growled. "She went after Janus who fled from the fight. We have no idea what happened to him after that."

"Oh God," Anna felt her heart sinking even deeper. "So my sister, Janus and Tracy are still somewhere in Exon?"

"Assuming they're still alive," Deirdre said cautiously.

"Hell," Anna swore. "What about Maui?"

Deirdre exchanged another long glance with Melody, the latter dropping her eyes.

"We knew we had no choice but to fall back. We were severely outnumbered and outmatched," Deirdre said slowly. "But Maui charged Hans, and…and-"

Anna frowned. "And?"

"He…he was stabbed," Deirdre grew quieter. "Eleanor got us out of the capital with her magic but it was too late. Maui…he died from his wounds."

The blood drained from her face and Anna felt as though her world was crumbling. "Maui's gone?" she whispered.

Tears were already brimming in Melody's eyes as she stood abruptly and excused herself from the room in a hurry. The door shut behind them quietly, leaving a very puzzled Anna alone in the room with Deirdre.

"I'm guessing she's taking it really hard," Anna wiped away her own tears.

"More than we know," Deirdre sniffled. "She blames herself for what really happened."

"And what's that?"

Deirdre inhaled deeply before continuing. "Hans was going to kill Melody, so Maui charged him but got stabbed. When Eleanor got us clear of the capital, he was already bleeding to death. He knew that Hans and his lackeys would come after us and he knew he was going to die regardless of what we tried to do. So he wanted us to carry on without him."

"But Eleanor's power," Anna was distraught. "She could've used her portals-"

"Hans drained her life force and demon from her," Deirdre explained. "There was no way to get out of there after she used her last bit of power to get us out," Rubbing her eyes, Deirdre tried to compose herself before going on. "Maui didn't want to burden us with dragging him across the plains. He knew it would slow us down and wouldn't do much good since he was already dying. So he asked Melody to…kill him quickly."

"Oh, God." Anna put her head in her hands and blinked away hot tears. Maui was really gone. She'd known that him being out there without his demigod abilities would be incredibly dangerous, but she hadn't thought he would actually fall in battle. First they'd lost Will Daltrey, then Jordan, and now Maui too. The rest of their ranks had been scattered and divided. Her sister and Tracy were still out there somewhere, hopefully still alive. Jade was a Mage Slayer now, and Janus had completely disappeared off the grid. The Warriors had been torn apart.

"After that, we knew we had to find a way to get back to you and the Coalition. To warn you about Hans," Deirdre said, her voice still plagued by grief. "Eleanor knew a place where her demon could be restored to her. A temple on the summit of a mountain range. There was a cult there which used to be part of the Crimson Order, but members defected centuries ago."

"Just like the League of Sorcerers." Anna remembered Elsa recounting that story.

Deirdre nodded. "They managed to help Eleanor get her demon back. But we were attacked by supernatural creatures. Undead soldiers with soulless, green eyes who have no will of their own." A haunted expression crossed her features. "We were able to confirm that they're the work of Hans."

"He must be able to resurrect the dead back to life and manipulate them into doing his will," Anna guessed, filled with dread.

"Yeah. They came at us and we would've lost if it weren't for Eleanor. She saved us, and not for the first time in the past few weeks."

"I see," Anna knew she needed to tread carefully, seeing as how it appeared that Deirdre had made amends with her sister. "You know I'm going to have to ask. How are we sure that she's not going to turn on us and go rogue again? You of all people know what she's capable of."

"I'm damn well aware," Deirdre said stiffly. "Don't you think I'd be the first one to tell you not to trust her? She ruined my life to begin with."

"Sorry."

"I know her better than anyone. She's…different now." Deirdre looked pensive. "The past three weeks haven't exactly been smooth sailing but a lot's changed between us. I really think her demon corrupted her in the first place but now that she's free from its influence…"

"But you said she sold you out and got you exiled," Anna pointed out. "That was before she became a demon host."

"I know," Deirdre pursed her lips. "But you weren't there when she decided to stick her neck out and help us. It took awhile but she eventually came round. She helped us defeat her own Imperials and save a village from occupation. She even saved us from Hans' undead soldiers."

"I don't know," Anna's eyebrows were knitted together, her eyes narrowed in an utter lack of conviction. "It's not that I don't trust you," she added hurriedly. "But I just…I just can't see how a monster like Eleanor can change."

"Don't forget I was a monster too. A ruthless pyromaniac who liked burning people alive out of vengeance."

"That's different."

"How so?"

"You didn't try to conquer the world and kill us all."

"That's not what I'm trying to say here," Deirdre shook her head. "Look, I get it. You're having a hard time believing that Eleanor's on our side now. I don't blame you, because if I were you I wouldn't believe me either. So why don't you go talk to her?"

Anna set her jaw. "I intend to."