Disclaimer! I do not own Frozen/Disney.
Hi! I'm baaaaack!
I was just re-reading your reviews and I couldn't help but to feel guilty for too much teasing. I bet if Elsanna can complain about the teasing I am making, I'll probably have my eardrums busted. Anyway, Thank you soooo much for sharing your thoughts and some hilarious comments LOL. I am utterly surprise to see 266k words and it's not even halfway yet.
Anyway!
I hope you all enjoy this chapter!
A woman on a ship watched the lands of her ancestors grow smaller and smaller as the ship sailed south. She never wanted to leave but she had to because she still had a role to play. She carried with her an important thing, she never parted with it in her journey to the strange land she would live for an indefinite amount of time.
Her journey was a week long and there was someone waiting for her, who led her to a modest house in the outskirts of the capital of Éire. She gained friends in the form of the people in the market square but she was ever so vigilant in her surroundings. Years passed and spent her quiet life with the company of the man, who escorted her from the port, as her protection, however her mundane life changed when she found an unconscious girl in the forest.
The girl was about the age of thirteen, the woman nursed the girl back to health, and she took care of her as if she was her family. But what the woman didn't expect was this child would lead her back to her homeland years later.
Kingdom of Northul
The Queen of Northul, Yelena, was looking down from the window of her study to see caravans of different goods from their port. Recently her granddaughter managed to forge a trade partnership with the Duchy of Westerland and the heir of the Duke of Wester was overseeing the trade on behalf of his father. Queen Yelena had met him a couple of times, however she never had any proper conversation with him but from what she'd seen since this trade partnership started, she could say that the young Wester was an upstanding young man with good manners and looks.
Traditionally, this man was third in line after the Runeard, Harfta, his father, on the succession of Arendelle when King Olav was still alive, but the rules were changed in favor of the current Queen and the deposed princess and now the Crown Princess of Corona could be an option too. Currently the Crown Princess oversees Arendelle in the absence of the Ice Queen, no wonder the latter was brave enough to leave her capital despite Northul's intimidation at the border.
"Your Majesty, the Marquis of House Gale arrived."
"Let him in." Queen Yelena ordered.
"Your Majesty." The man with dark brown hair, peppered with white streaks, arrived. He bowed to his Queen, before looking at her with his pale gray eyes.
"Marquis." Queen Yelena said in greeting. "What brings you here?"
"I apologize for my sudden visit, it's just that the people in my territory are terrified of what could happen if a war broke out between our kingdom and Arendelle."
"You don't have to worry about that. Arendelle is much of a coward to start anything at this moment. Your land is safe." Queen Yelena explained.
The Marquis couldn't get rid of the anxiety since his land would be the first casualty if there would be skirmish.
"They stationed a lot of soldiers to guard the border."
Queen Yelena clenched her teeth in annoyance.
"Marquis, I can assure you that Arendelle has no means to start a war. The army she brought were either bought or borrowed. Arendelle's standing army was obliterated at the end of the war for the throne. If a war starts, it will be to our advantage since we do have more than enough men to reconquer the stolen territories they took long ago. Furthermore that young Queen can't possibly muster a force that can rival Northul in a short span of time." Queen Yelena pointed out.
She was confident to say these things because Arendelle could crumble any moment since its economic status was on the brink of ruin, it lacked men to protect it, its navy was in poor shape and the distrust of Queen Elsa was immense.
She was still ashamed for having turned down the marriage alliance but it doesn't matter since Arendelle would bring little to Northul at its current state, her display of interest on the supposed marriage alliance was only to appease her granddaughter who refused to marry anyone other than Queen Elsa. At first Queen Yelena refused but not after her granddaughter's another visit to Corona a couple of years ago when she learned about the other monarch's unusual anatomy. She doubted this story and thought of it just a rumor created by her own granddaughter just to have her approval but the news of the arranged marriage of then exiled heiress and the deposed princess made the rumors true. How Honeymaren found out such intimate information only proved her keen interest towards the new Queen, or perhaps it was an open secret, Queen Yelena wasn't sure.
"Indeed, you're right Your Majesty." the Marquis agreed.
"I always am." Queen Yelena responded. "Tell me, how's your daughter?"
"Samantha still refuses suitors as always. I'm afraid all the eligible noble men of Northul tried and failed. I'm growing old and she's still unmarried. I'm worried that my line will end with her since she's my only child."
"That's indeed worrisome." Queen Yelena turned to her window and watched the young Wester instructing his men. "How about I make her my granddaughter's companion? She could meet unmarried young noble men of marriageable age from other kingdoms, who seek young and beautiful women such as your daughter, if she accompanies the princess to any royal functions."
The Marquis' eyes went wide in surprise. "Y-Your Majesty, you have given our house such great honor! I don't know what to do to express my utmost gratitude!"
Queen Yelena chuckled and turned to him. "Just continue to serve and protect our borders, that alone would be enough for me."
"Thank you so much, Your Majesty. I'll be forever in your debt!" the man bowed.
The Queen's eyes were looking at him with such a calculating gaze. "I hope you'll inform your daughter at once so she could introduce herself to me once I called for her."
"At once! With your permission Your Majesty." the Marquis said, eager to be dismissed. Queen Yelena nodded and then he quickly made his exit.
"Young foreign nobleman with a trickle of royal blood." Queen Yelena smirked as she watched the young Wester do his job.
Arendelle
King Frederic couldn't help but to notice his wife's excessive attention to this young redhead woman she apparently found. At first he thought his wife was just being kind to help such a poor damsel but eventually he noticed how his wife spent a lot on dresses for the young woman and even invited her to their family luncheon and afternoon tea. He then knew something was up but he didn't know what it was.
Now King Frederic was watching his wife and her 'ward' stroll in the garden while the Queen left their own daughter on her own devices. There was this surge of anger within him for seeing his wife pour so much affection to a young woman who they barely know instead of their own child.
Crack
Hot tea mixed with blood dripped from his fist hand after crushing the tea cup. No wonder their precious daughter avoided any invitations coming from her own mother, this sight alone was too much for him. What more if his princess witnessed it first hand?
He stood up and told the fear stricken guard that he would see his daughter if the Queen asked for his whereabouts.
King Frederic went inside the castle and walked towards the study given by his niece to his daughter in her stay, but before he could reach his daughter's study, couple of men were carrying blank canvases and crates of painting supplies coming from the foyer where Kai, the head butler, accompanied them.
The King turned his head towards the window and saw the gloomy sky, he grimaced for a split second. He sighed. The sight of the painting supplies had led him to the castle gallery where the previous tacky paintings of the bastard usurper had been replaced.
His blue eyes immediately went to the portrait of the beautiful woman who shared the same blue eyes as him. His sister, the Princess of Corona and Duchess of Vinter, Iduna.
King Frederic strode forward to stand in front of his sister's massive portrait.
"You might think I look too old now," he said in a soft tone. "You were too young when you left our home to get married. I still resented Uncle Olav for marrying you off early." he looked down and saw his bleeding hand.
"I always asked myself that if he hadn't married you off to Agnarr, would you still be alive now? Would I still have my only sister alive and happy? Would my elder sister be there for me whenever our father's temper gets the best of him and lash out on me?" King Frederic swallowed the lump in his throat. "I never had the chance to mourn your passing, I was blinded by rage and vengeance to the point I wanted to invade Arendelle and kill the bastard myself but I didn't because if I'm gone, your surviving children would be then left unprotected at that time." he once again looked out of the window.
He then recalled all the harsh things his niece had to endure under his tutelage. "I think you would hate me for what I did and for what I am still doing. I bet you wouldn't forgive me for the decisions I made and still making for the greater good, for paving a direct path for your daughter to the throne of Arendelle without kill-." his jaw clenched. "I'm sorry." he said, almost in a whisper.
His blue eyes then went back to the portrait of his sister.
"However I can't say my vengeance had nothing to do with it. I have always been this way, and I may have passed it on to your daughter. She has a fiery temper, a cold look that puts fear in the hearts of people, a deadly hand even without a weapon, and words that could either bring comfort or dread."
"Not to mention stubbornness and pride."
King Frederic whipped his head around towards the source of the voice.
"Meine liebe Prinzessin." King Frederic smiled at the sight of his beloved daughter.
"Liebster Vater." Rapunzel smiled but her smile turned into a frown when she saw his bloodied hand. "What happened?"
"It's nothing. Arendelle ceramics are made with low quality materials than expected." King Frederic chuckled. "What were you saying about your cousine?"
"Just read." Rapunzel passed the letter sent by Elsa through Admiral Hofferson. "The admiral informed me about the necessary arrangements needed to be made as soon as possible."
King Frederic read the contents of the letter.
Dearest Cousin,
I write to you from Eldr Duchy, we have received word about the current location of King Arkyn of the Valley. We had expected him to go straight back to his kingdom after what happened before, but his ship was spotted at the Grand Duchy of Atlan's port.
I suspect that he will buy ships and forge an alliance with the Grand Duke of Atlan in order to gain a vast fleet he can use to invade Arendelle. War will be soon upon me and because of this I might cut the royal progress short. I am planning to go northeast in the next few days and once I arrive at Vinter Castle, I'll send you another letter so we can meet in person and further discuss this.
I gave Admiral Hofferson the necessary instructions and I also granted you the permission to use the forest in the Duchy of Vinter in case the lumber there in the capital would run low. I sent another messenger to Pabbie to notify him and have him prepare everything.
You don't have to worry about the castle's management because I sent a letter to Kai, informing him to take over most of the work so you can devote your time in overseeing the building of the fleet.
I know I already asked too much of you and I'll make sure to repay it ten fold once I return.
And as for the current status of the cleaning up, I have tons of rubbish needed to dispose of soon. I'll write another letter of how it turned out.
P.S. Please show this letter to your father and tell our people the most intimate information regarding our preparations, while telling the others that Admiral Hofferson's sudden presence was a long planned routine monitoring of the ships.
Sincerely Your Cousin,
-E Vinter R.
"I've always knew Arkyn's presence here at the coronation was a bad thing, however let's just hope that Grand Duke Atlan will not make any negotiations."
"I hope so too, Arendelle is slowly reviving itself but another war will surely end it. Not to mention Northul's display of arrogance." Rapunzel's words were filled with contempt.
"Your cousin is too soft. If I were her, I would muster an army and turn those arrogant Northulians into dust. Her concern for common people is too much for a woman of her rank, it's foolish. Sacrifices have to be made in order to keep the peace." King Frederic's harsh words weren't gone unnoticed.
"Yeah but you're not her. Also, she doesn't have an army like you. Also Father, there's nothing wrong about having concern with the common people. I am concerned about our own people too, does that make me foolish? Is sacrificing innocent lives by participating in a pointless war, sparked by rejecting a spoiled and obsessive woman worth it? As rulers, don't we have to find another solution that doesn't involve death?"
King Frederic frowned. He wasn't aware of this fact. "Whatever you even mean?" ignoring the rest of his daughter's words.
"Only selected people were told about Northul's true motivation for their actions. Princess Honey-something, had been obsessed with my cousin even way back when she was still engaged with Isa. I caught the Northulian eavesdropping on Isabela and Elsa whilst they were having a private conversation in one of the drawing rooms while a banquet was being held, where she was apparently invited."
He suddenly remembered the encounter in the hall the next day after Elsa's coronation. He even teased his niece that morning but he had no idea how intense the princess' interest was.
"Speaking of that pretty young lady, such a pity their engagement didn't lead to marriage. Your mother and I are fond of her, I heard from Kai that you had ordered them to prepare a room for her?" King Frederic asked.
"Me too. I did hope she'll end up marrying my cousin but things happened, I hope she'd arrive on a later date for I have so much to do, I'm afraid I can't entertain her properly." Rapunzel groused. "I am certain mother couldn't help me with that since she has her hands full with that Eld- woman." Rapunzel did her best not to waver under her father's calculating stare.
"What was that you were going to say?" he asked in a tone Rapunzel often heard whenever someone was caught lying.
"What do you mean father?" Rapunzel asked feign ignorance.
King Frederic suddenly broke into a soft smile. "Nothing my dear Prinzessin."
"Oh okay. By the way have you seen Cass? I've been looking for her since morning."
"Auberon's daughter? I haven't seen her." King Frederic answered while he frowned at the sudden gloom taking over his daughter's face. "Did something happen?"
"No."
"Right. Anyway, when will your mother get rid of that woman?"
"Who knows." Rapunzel answered in indifference.
"She should do something about her before I do." King Frederic offered his hand to his daughter and both turned towards the double doors of the gallery. "Let's have luncheon, just the two of us, I rarely see you."
"Blame my cousin for that. She's overworking me." Rapunzel complained.
King Frederic chuckled. "Like you did when she was still one of the Generals in Corona. I think it's only fair you help her now because she could use all the help she can get. Her enemies are all over the place. She can't trust anyone but you."
"Yeah. But she better do me a favor because I am about to die of stress." complained like a child.
A hearty laugh escaped from his lips, since it was rare for him to see his daughter act like this. "I hope not. You are to be Corona's future Queen."
Eldr Castle
A day after the execution of the rebel leaders, Elsa and Anna found themselves on the main balcony once again, Elsa had the captured rebels rounded up in the courtyard. She watched them shake in fear and some of them knelt and cried because of their impending death. The crowd also asked for the young rebels to be freed.
"YOUR MAJESTY! HAVE MERCY!" they cried out.
"YOUR MAJESTY!" they called out again.
Elsa raised her hand to silence them.
"You have committed treason against your sovereign Queen and therefore the punishment is death."
Anna whipped her head to look at in disbelief, however Elsa looked and ordered her men to move.
"YOUR MAJESTY! YOUR MAJESTY!"
"Elsa I thought you're going to set them free?!" Anna asked in panic.
The crowd made a collective gasp as the words of the Queen's men swung their swords. . . and cut the rope used to bind them.
Everyone was confused.
"Your punishment should be death, however there were accounts stating how you surrendered and didn't harm any of my men and how you were all threatened to participate in the rebellion by holding your respective families as leverage in order for you to join the traitors. That should be taken into consideration."
Seeing this kind of sight over and over should've hardened her heart but these were barely considered as young adults, they could still do a lot of things in their lives, and a family who awaits them back home. They were forced to fight someone else's war because of fear. Elsa swore she won't be compelled to mass execute mere children against her will again.
"All of you, witness how one's greed and lust for power affects so many lives. Mere children being used to bolster rebel armies just because of selfishness. These children barely started to live, there's life ahead of them but grown people's selfishness tried to cut their lives short." she clenched hands into fist, but a warm hand held her left hand.
Elsa's hands relaxed and she entwined her hand with Anna's. "I, Queen Elsa First of my name, hereby pardon you all and you may go back to your families and live."
The crowd cheered.
"THANK YOU SO MUCH, YOUR MAJESTY!" The children cried and were grateful they didn't suffer the same fate as those traitors.
"LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!" they shouted at the top of their lungs and cheered. Elsa let out a soft smile, earning loud clapping and cheer.
Once the noise died down, Anna moved a step forward and declared.
"As the Duchess of Eldr, it is my pleasure to inform you that a feast will be held tonight here at Eldr Castle to celebrate our victory, and to honor all the brave men who sacrificed their lives to ensure the peace in our kingdom! Everyone is welcome to join." Anna declared.
Loud cheers echoed in the castle courtyard.
The entire Duchy was in a festive mood, the streets were filled with people who were drinking and dancing. Men, women, and children were having the time of their lives, each household homemakers baked their best pies, made their specialty dishes for the feast, even though the castle would provide the food they still want to participate in since it's been a long time since they felt this kind of feeling. For the past decades only the rich families could participate in festivities at the castle, commoners weren't permitted to come near the castle gates but since the new Duchess took over, the castle gates were once again opened for the common people.
They were grateful and happy now they didn't have to be scared of the Queen and her army, especially not after ridding them of those greedy, corrupt and treasonous nobles and other rich families.
Inside the castle, the castle staff were all over the place, preparing different kinds of meat, desserts and drinks. Barrels of mulled wine, mead and beer were brought out from the wine cellars to the courtyard, while the others were dismantling the platform part by part carefully and using the wood to make a large bonfire at the center. The royal guards were stationed at the wall walkways and at the gates and were on high alert since many would participate at the feast.
While many people clamoring downstairs, the upper estate rooms were properly guarded and were silent. In the council room gathered the nobles and the Queen. The argument between blood relatives was getting pretty intense.
"We have no assurance that she won't be a problem in the future." Count of Isles pressed on.
"She helped us to stop a rebellion, if it weren't for her warning we wouldn't have any inkling what could've happened. She prevented the blood bath inside the Duchy." Anna pointed out in defense.
"She's still a daughter of Runeard!" the Count shouted as he rose from his seat.
"And I am his granddaughter!" Anna stood as well as she slammed her hands on the large sleek table. "If the suspicion roots from her bloodline then you should be suspicious of me! Look I understand your anger-"
"Do you?" the Count angrily cut off Anna.
"I do." Anna responded in the same tone, she looked straight into the Counts' eyes. "Don't think I don't know how much pain they caused to us, to me. You lost a sister and a nephew, while I lost a father and grandmother. I may be too young to remember but that doesn't make their loss any less painful, especially the person responsible was my grandfather." Anna said.
The Count was silent before bowing his head. "I apologize, that is so insensitive of me. I seek Her Grace's forgiveness." he sat down
"Given." Anna responded and sat down. "As the head of our House, I'll be responsible for her and her mother until their estate is restored." the nobles' gaze turned to Elsa, as if asking her to veto Anna's decision. This kind of treatment once again irked Anna.
"Have you talked to Lady Giselle about this?" Elsa asked.
"Not yet, but I will after this." Anna said.
"Hm." Elsa hummed in response. "Now, M'lords, give me reasons not to let Lady Giselle and her mother stay here."
The Duke of Weselton fixed his spectacles and spoke.
"It would be wise to be wary of her presence here because she might be used as another figurehead for those who are . . .dissatisfied with your reign." his eyes briefly looked at the other Eldr retainers. "And having her at the heart of the Duchy would be the greatest advantage to those seeking another rebellion."
"And who are those, Your Grace?" Lord Solskinn's eyes were filled with contempt.
"As I said, those who are dissatisfied with our Queen's reign." the Duke offhandedly replied.
"Our loyalty lies to our Queen." Lord Solskinn stated with such anger at the implication of them having another candidate for the throne.
"Surely." the Duke curtly replied. "Again, she could be used as a new figurehead, especially now that she's unmarried. Anyone who would marry her could spark another rebellion unless. . ." the Duke trailed off and looked at the Queen.
Anna on the other hand saw that look and she felt betrayed. That old man wanted Elsa to take Lady Giselle as a mistress?!
"Hmm." Elsa pondered. "It's not unheard of, it would be natural for me to do just that. Whether they like it or not, monarchs commonly intervene with that if they want." Elsa said calmly.
Anna looked at Elsa with hurt in her eyes.
"YOUR MAJESTY!" the Eldr retainers stood up in protest.
"You promised to marry Her Grace!" Lord Jorgen erupted in anger. "And you! How dare you suggest such a thing!" he pointed a finger to Duke, who offended him countless times since this discussion started.
The Duke looked at him blankly. While the Count of Isles was pondering in his chair.
"SILENCE!" Elsa exclaimed. "All of you sit down!" she ordered. While Anna just looked down with tears blurring her vision.
Once the noise died down Elsa spoke.
"I don't know what had gotten into your heads to say that, I intend to marry the Duchess." Elsa turned to Anna but the latter was silent in her seat, "Everything okay?" she asked softly.
Anna nodded and blinked her tears away and smiled a little.
The other men in the room were stunned at Elsa's soft way of speaking towards Anna, while the Duke Weselton just smirked at them.
Anna cleared her throat and spoke. "How long until you marry Lady Giselle after our own marriage?"
Elsa could only raise her brow at question.
"Your Grace, I think you misunderstood what Her Majesty meant." the Duke explained.
"I do not intend to marry another, Your Grace." Elsa looked at Anna and smiled a little. "I am going to keep my promise."
"Then what did the Duke mean with his words?" Lord Solskinn asked.
"Lady Giselle is unmarried and I intend to arrange a marriage for her to one of my loyal men, to prevent ill-intent from those who seek the crown." Elsa explained as she turned to them.
Once the words sank in her mind, Anna felt relieved.
"Do you have any candidates in mind?" the Count asked.
"I do. Quite a few of them actually." Elsa said.
"Wait. I think Lady Giselle's opinions should be taken into consideration." Anna said.
"I agree, but we can only afford a short time for her to make up her mind." Elsa said.
"That settles it then?" the Duke asked.
The men murmured to each other and nodded.
"Good. That's it for today." Elsa said as she dismissed her council, who filed out the room. Anna as well stood up but she held her wrist. "Stay."
Anna nodded and sat back down.
Once the old men exited the council room, Elsa turned to Anna and held her hand.
"What's wrong?" Elsa asked softly.
"Nothing. It's stupid really." Anna answered.
Elsa rose from her seat and she lifted Anna from her own seat, earning an undignified squeak, then deposited her on the sleek table. "It's not nothing, you were crying earlier. I saw it."
"I misunderstood, that's all." Anna answered, totally mortified.
"Is that why you asked me that absurd question?"
Anna could only look away in embarrassment.
"Look at me." Elsa lifted Anna's chin and smiled. "I would never dream of marrying another person but you. You are my everything." she pressed her forehead against Anna's own.
Anna sniffled but soon smiled. "I love you."
"I love you too." Elsa responded before pressing her lips against Anna's. Anna responded to her kiss before pulling away gently.
"Who is your candidate for Lady Giselle?" Anna asked.
"Someone loyal and kind." Elsa smiled. "He's one of my trusted men."
"I can only think of three of them. Your cousins?" Anna asked.
"Perhaps." Elsa smiled mysteriously.
Somewhere in Arendelle.
A hooded figure stopped by a tavern and made its way up to the upper floor of the establishment. In the room gathered well built men, some sported beards and some were clean shaven, some even have scars on their faces. The hooded figure pulled his hood down, revealing a well defined nose, chiseled jaw and stern mouth, surrounded by a short thick black beard, and a pair of light blue eyes. His hair is long and dark. He looked handsome for a man who was almost in his fifties.
"Rune." one of the men uttered
"Bjørn." the man named Rune replied and took his seat.
"What news of the east?" asked Bjørn.
Rune looked at them with seriousness in his eyes. "The Duchy is once again headed by an Eldr."
"How is that possible?!" one of the men raged.
"The new Queen had given the title to the last legitimate Eldr." Rune informed.
"The former princess?" Bjørn asked.
"Yes."
"Did the illegitimate spawns stand still? I doubt it." a man named Sindir asked.
"You're right, they didn't, that's why their heads are now displayed on pikes at their respective castle they knew as home. The Queen had them executed. And I heard she led her troops to stop an invasion in the north with only an inferior number of men compared to her enemies and won."
The men looked at Rune in shock.
"The current Queen is cleaning up the mess that started twenty years ago. And there's a rumor of a possible unification of Vinter and Eldr through marriage." Rune added.
Again the men were stunned until Bjørn spoke.
"We should gather our men before then. We cannot be idle if something big like this is happening. We finally found our match."
"Aye! We must mobilize our men, now is the time." a man named Birger spoke as he stood up.
"The old crowd would go insane once they hear this. Never in their lives would they see this coming." Sindir laughed maniacally and drew his sword. "My blade is thirsty for blood. Living like this in the shadows had put me into the brink of insanity. I can finally freely kill without consequences. Those damned Northerners will finally quench my thirst."
Rune and Bjørn shared a look before agreeing.
"So what's the plan?" a middle aged bearded man named Torsten asked.
"I'll gather more substantial information about their movement, until then we should gather our men and be ready." Rune started and stood up. "Until then my brothers."
The feast at the Eldr castle was in full swing. The place was full of merriment, especially the courtyard. Men, women and children of all walks of life were invited. The large bonfire lit the entire place, there were long and large tables along the side filled with different kinds of food. All of them were having a great time.
Meanwhile, in one of the drawing rooms gathered the Queen, the Duchess, the two ladies of House Andalasia, Captain Hofferson and Lieutenant General Olaf. The four ladies were having tea, the Queen called for them in the middle of the festivities, while the two gentlemen were guarding the door from the inside.
"How are you feeling, Lady Narissa?" the Duchess asked.
"A lot better, Your Grace." Lady Narissa answered. "I have yet to thank you and Her Majesty for saving our lives and for providing us medical assistance, so thank you. We'll be forever in your debt." she bowed her head.
"It is our duty to protect our people, and you are one of them." the Duchess smiled.
"If there's anything you require of us, we'll do our best to give them." Lady Giselle bowed her head in gratitude.
"Thank you. I appreciate it. Please raise your heads." the Duchess once again smiled at them. "We're grateful for your loyalty and for warning us of the rebellion. If it weren't for you, we couldn't have known what fate awaits us. And I am terribly sorry for what happened to your household."
"We only did our duty to our Queen and kingdom." Lady Narissa answered. "And thank you for thinking about our ruined household. I wish to return there once I recover."
"No." the Queen answered, making the two ladies nervous. "The Duchess and I agreed that you two shall remain here in the castle until your estate is restored. The fallen House of Stabbington and Tremaine will cover all the necessary expenses as compensation to the damages they caused. I had instructed my men to collect all the valuables from their estates and had them surrendered to the Duchess. And you will be provided with people to help you run the place."
"Y-Your Majesty- that's too much." Lady Narissa trembled in her seat. "I cannot thank you enough." her eyes were filled with tears.
"It's the least that we can do since we cannot give back the lives that were lost." the Duchess solemnly smiled..
"Thank you so much!" Lady Giselle knelt on the carpeted floor with her head down before the two high ranking women in the kingdom. "I am grateful for what you've done to me and my mother. We cannot thank you enough for giving us this kind of generosity. I will be willing to lay down my life and be loyal to you both. I also want to thank you for looking past my bloodline because you helped and are still helping me and my mother. I may be a daughter of Runeard but I will never ever betray my sovereign Queen and will do anything to protect her." tears were streaming down her cheeks as she uttered these words.
"Then. . ." the Queen rose from her seat and pulled out her ancestral sword, surprising the others in the room. "Do you Lady Giselle of House Andalasia swear to loyalty and serve me, Queen Elsa first of my name, as your liege?" she placed the flat end of the sword on Lady Giselle's left shoulder.
"I do so swear." Lady Giselle's voice was full of conviction despite her surprise.
"Do you Lady Giselle of House Andalasia swear to loyally serve and protect Annalise Arianne Claire, Duchess of Eldr and future Queen Consort of Arendelle, until death takes you?" The three ladies were surprised how the Queen worded the oath.
"I do so swear." Lady Giselle replied.
"Do you Lady Giselle of House Andalasia swear to renounce your father's name and be fully recognized as a child of Andalasia and be free from its binds?"
"I do so swear." Lady Giselle was relieved and elated to be recognized as a full blooded Andalasia.
"Please say your vows."
"I, Giselle, solemnly promise to loyally serve Her Majesty, Queen Elsa, as one of her loyal knights to protect her in any harm and serve the kingdom of Arendelle until death takes me."
"I dub thee, Lady Giselle of House Andalasia, a Knight of Arendelle." Elsa moved her sword to Giselle's right shoulder. "Rise."
Lady Giselle wiped her tears away and stood proudly, as her mother watched in tears.
"Lady Giselle, you are now under the command of Captain Hofferson. He's the captain of the Arendelle knights. You should follow his orders."
"Of course, Your Majesty." Lady Giselle bowed as a knight would.
"Good." the Queen gave a knowing smile, no one except the Lieutenant General had noticed. "You all can retire or join the festivities." The four left the Queen and the Duchess inside.
Once they were alone, the Duchess turned to her Queen.
"I didn't expect you would do that. I am thankful for giving Lady Giselle this opportunity to prove her worth and loyalty so those men in the council will shut their traps." the Duchess said.
"Now you know how I feel about those bunch of old bats." the Queen chuckled and sat back down next to the Duchess.
The Duchess smiled and hugged her Queen, who earned a kiss on her crown.
"Thank you."
"It's nothing. Now I can be assured that one of your ladies-in-waiting is capable of protecting you."
"What do you mean?" the Duchess asked.
"After learning that she could wield a sword and defend herself, I've decided to make her one of your ladies so you'll have an extra protection atop your excellent swordsmanship."
"Good gods Elsa, you don't know how thrilled I am to have Lady Giselle as one of my ladies since I've always wanted to be close to her since we met at my investiture because she's so kind to me. I don't know how to thank you."
"There's one way." the Queen said before lifting her Duchess to sit on her lap, earning a squeal from the latter. The Queen smiled knowingly.
"You sly. . ." the Duchess wrapped her arms around the Queen's neck and leaned down to kiss her deeply. Her words earned a smirk from the Queen.
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