It's been two days since they set out from Arendelle and the Prince still had a sour expression on his face, seeing his supposedly dead comrade turned traitor does that to a person. Especially when that traitor was supposedly following orders from someone that was currently in their castle staff. Now that the Prince thought about it, Talib was originally brought in by the former King and changed sides fairly quickly when Alrick took power. There was always something off about the man, the way he stayed in his lab all day experimenting didn't help his image either.

Plus the fact that Rahim said that he woke up to him standing over him, meaning he at least knew how Rahim had become Wrath.

There was a lot to consider, if the alchemist happened to still be loyal to Rakat then there may be more traitors in their ranks. Ahimoth needed to inform the King and help plan their moves accordingly. Talib was no idiot in any stretch of the word, the Prince was sure the man had plans ready to be set in motion in accordance to things around him.

The large man was so deep in thought that he didn't notice Lilian walking up behind him until she put a hand on his shoulder. Turning over to face her, he tried to offer a welcoming expression but the patient stare she gave him told him it wasn't working.

"Massage for your thoughts?"

The large man chuckled a bit before turning back toward the see and seeing the outline of a guard tower overlooking the docks on the horizon. He knew he didn't need to tell her his thoughts because she very well knew them, she just wanted him to vocalize them and think them through. That was one of the things he loved about her, she pushed him to think logically versus him charging in with no hesitation or planning. She helped him in his studies to transform him from battle hardened warrior to deep thinking ambassador. He had succeeded in his mission of getting an invitation to the Winter Solstice Gathering, something his old self would've easily botched.

He was actually surprised, seeing Rahim made him want to tear his old comrade apart. He might've acted on his first instinct had Lilian hadn't forced to him learn to control his anger so well. The Prince still felt that Rahim deserved more punishment but the Snow Queen seemed to have taken a liking to him, so he held himself back since she was watching. He honesty didn't know what to feel toward Rahim, he knew that he was still angry, but with what he learned he didn't know where he wanted to aim it.

It would've been nice if Rahim just turned out to be a traitorous asshole who felt nothing when he betrayed them. Instead he was distraught and remorseful, the emotions that played on the young man's face showed that he was really shameful when he admitted what he did. When he was deciding what punishment Rahim deserved, memories of their early days filled his mind. Them fighting one another over the last leg of meat in camp, fighting back to back against soldiers with only the other to trust, and saving one another time and time again. The young man was mostly always grim after his training under his father began but there were times an odd joke or smile would come from him.

He could've demanded that Rahim return to Blackdust and be executed for his crimes. Judging from the young man's behavior after he was banished, he probably would've accepted the punishment. The Prince's old bond with his friend kept him from ordering his execution but that was over now, Rahim is dead. The monster that killed him was now in his body and did deserve to die but the Prince had other pressing things to think about.

"You know you don't need a massage to know my thoughts. Tell me, what do you think I should've done with Wrath?"

"You mean Edward?"

The Prince couldn't help the scoff that came from his mouth, Wrath had a fake name that was irritating to repeat. He knew it was petty but he wasn't quite ready to call Wrath by his new fake name.

"Yeah, him. Do you think I handled it well, I tried to rein in my anger and hurt but it was so damn hard to do so."

Lilian put a hand on his back and rubbed it soothingly as she spoke to him. "A lot has happened, no one can expect you to bottle up all your feelings when faced with someone who was supposed to be long dead."

"When I brought him back to the castle, you escorted me back to my room and talked me out of making a mistake. After I calmed down enough for you to treat me, I knew you went to go see him and stayed with him until he awoke. I tried to get my mind off that you went to him after knowing what he did by talking to that Captain. I felt that you should've stayed with me to just be there but you were already gone, for a moment I thought.."

"…that I loved him more than you?"

Ahimoth's mouth shut as he expected the hand on his back to retract but it stayed where it was. When he and his father brought Lilian and her father to the kingdom, he was attached to her everywhere. They were young and even then she was beautiful, he spent a few weeks trying to get her attention but often failed. She was completely devoted to her father and he respected that, but there was one more thing that occupied her mind.

The soldier that snuck her the pills her father needed.

One day she asked him if he knew who brought her the pills but with all of them wearing essentially the same uniform and most of them being killed made it likely he would never know. It wasn't until she described the only soldier who carried a katana with a left handed glove. At first he was jealous that she seemed more interested in meeting his best friend than all of his attempts but he tried getting the two of them to meet. However Talib began to ask for Rahim more and more limiting the few times he saw his best friend before the war started.

Looking back then whenever he'd tell her stories about Rahim and him she seemed so fascinated in them and for the most part he thought it was because of his feats. However when she left him to see Rahim after he and Kristoff brought him back, the Prince felt for a moment that maybe she was really fascinated in Rahim. Ahimoth was a confident man on the battlefield his skills had saved him time and time again and would continue to do so, but with matters of the heart he wasn't so sure. Maybe it was one more reason he couldn't forgive Edward.

"You never change, so tough on the outside that people think you're some kind of monster but on the inside you're a sweet little boy. That's one of the reasons why I love you so much. You have a big heart. When I left, I felt you needed time alone to figure out how to feel. I would've wanted you to forgive Edward but you may not have been ready for that." Lilian then moved to turn him to face her and wrapped her arms around his neck so he would look at her.

"Whatever you chose, I will support you in every way I can, the same way you've done for me. I will always be there for you, its what I promised when I agreed to marry you, speaking of which, you better not go off on any more dangerous adventures, you will be there when we get married." The large man smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist and gave her a chaste kiss as the ship docked.

The two separated and was about to direct the guards at the docks to move their luggage but noticed none of them were present. The Prince looked out and noticed that no one was on the docks, there was usually some kind of activity but it was so quiet that the wind that howled was deafening. Lilian didn't seem to notice as she waited by the gangplank with a smile on her face but lost it when she saw his cautious expression. Ahimoth walked past her and down the gang plank before turning around to address the guards on the ship.

"Ready the ship to depart again. I want two of you to come with me and the rest on the lookout, anything suspicious, you sail." Two guards followed up behind the man as Lilian stood to the side, she knew that he wanted her to remain on the ship in case something happened. While she may have been an Elemental, her abilities were weak and she didn't have as much battle experience as he did. Staying on the ship would keep him from worrying about her and focus.

Ahimoth shot her a grateful look before walking with two guards flanked behind him as he made his way toward the nearest guard tower. The door wasn't guarded and opened easily that made the Prince strain his ears for a sound. As they ascended the stairway a stench entered the large man's nose that he was all too familiar with.

Blood.

The two guards behind him smelt the same stench and readied their weapons. They all ascended the tower until they got to a door that led to the main room that held a large cauldron to signal an attack. The Prince strained his ears to hear anything on the other side but it was still quiet. Looking back at the guards behind him, he motioned they wait here for a moment then charge in after him. They nodded and Ahimoth opened the door and stepped through it entering an open room that had a great vantage point over the docks.

So far the room was clean, there was no one inside and no blood splatter anywhere. However the Prince could still smell the stench in the air and judging by the hair that was standing on the base of his neck, he knew someone was watching him. Over the years of fighting, the large man had gained a good sense of imminent danger, it wasn't perfect but it had saved him time and time again. The open room had little spots for cover, a person could hide behind one of the stone pillars that led formed an archway to a view outside tower but that was it.

Walking outside, he went around each pillar listening for a sound but none was made. He stopped over a vantage point that looked over the ship he came in, he was pleased to see that Lilian was waiting at the bow of the ship. When she looked up and caught his eye, he waved at her a bit which she responded in kind. He was about to turn back inside when he saw her eyes widen and she pointed behind him in fear.

He didn't think as he dived to his left as he heard the sound of a sword hitting stone. Rolling into a fighting position, he was staring at a figure in dark clothing with their sword drawn. Ahimoth mentally smacked himself, he didn't think to check the roof, that was where most assassins hid. He would have to scold himself later, the figure faced him before charging with an overhead swing.

The Prince got into a grappler's stance as he had no weapons, he was hoping to catch the assassin off guard with them thinking they had the advantage. Due to having height and reach on the smaller assassin, the Prince was able to reach and grab his opponent's wrists halting their attack. He then pulled them toward him while thrusting his other hand out in a palm strike to incapacitate the enemy. The Prince didn't expect the assassin to lean back before jumping up getting him in a flying arm bar.

Before he could let go of the assassin's wrists to slip out of their hold, they violently jerked their hips and sent him rolling until the assassin ended up on top with his arm against their chest. The assassin raised their sword ready to add to their body count but didn't expect two things to happen.

The door to the room exploding open with two guards coming in, and Ahimoth being somehow stronger than he looked. The large man with beast like strength, grabbed the assassin's collar, sat up as much as possible lifting them off their feet, before bringing his arm down with their head cracking against the stone floor. The sickening sound the assassin's skull hitting the stone clearly illustrated that they were likely dead.

"Your Highness!" Ahimoth growled at the name as he got to his feet. He hated being referred to by his royal title. After his father took the throne, Alrick had abolished the old warrior way they chose a King to give more power to the people. When he had to make the transition from Lieutenant to Prince, he told everyone he knew if they called him by his royal title after telling them not to, he'd give them a swollen eye.

"Do not call me that. Anyway I guess I should thank you. Even though I had everything under control you gave me an opening to finish it quickly." They nodded and watched with curiosity as he jumped on the edge of the roof above them and pulled himself up. On the top were the bodies of the guards that manned the towers, they all had their gloves removed and wrapped around their necks. The usual white gloves of their uniform were red with blood but kept any of it from dripping down the roof.

No wonder I couldn't find any blood.

The large man looked further down toward the other posts and could see a mass on top all of them, if he had to guess, they were probably the other guards that manned the towers. This did not bode well as the Prince climbed down to see his two guards checking the assassin's body for any signs of life or information. When they noticed him walking up to them, one of them shook their head. The assassin was dead and had no information on what they were doing. Ahimoth thought for a moment about the situation, if it were him why would he kill tower guards at a dock.

Invasion would've been his first answer but they hadn't seen any other ships on their way back and unmanned guard towers wouldn't go unnoticed for any significant amount of time. Perhaps they were stealing something from the capitol so they secured their evacuation route, but from what they've seen no one was here. Whatever the reason, someone was here and they didn't want to be noticed.

The Prince walked over to the large cauldron and withdrew the necessary items from a small cabinet built into it that allowed him to ignite it. Hopefully there were troops further inland that would see the signal fire but for now they needed to get back to the ship and head toward the capitol. The trip there would take roughly five hours on foot, they'd have to check the stables to see if there were any horses left or if the assassins were thorough enough to kill them.

Ahimoth sighed, he was supposed to have an easy month. Get invited to the Winter Solstice Gathering, live it up in a castle, mingle at the Gathering, then return home. Instead he gets a visit from someone who's dead, got to fight a demon of all things, and came back home to find he might be walking into another battle. At this rate he'll never get married.

King Alrick was sitting in his study going over maps and documents as well as balled up drafts of request to other kingdoms to open up trade. Ever since he became King he's been either stuck in his study or going out through the kingdom trying to alleviate the deeds of Rakat. Child labor was abolished, education was easier to obtain, taxes were being lowered, no matter what he did there was always more.

He missed being the Commander of the Mystic Guard, he had to relinquish the position to his son for the time being as he focused on his kingly duties. After the civil war, their military was in shambles. It was pathetic, they were prided on being small yet elite, the very mention of their name put fear in the hearts of their enemies. Maybe that was why so much of his military might was depleted, soldiers turning on each other would cripple any army. With all the training the average soldier received in Blackdust, Alrick should be relieved that casualties weren't higher since all their soldiers were professional killers but he wished that wasn't the case.

Blackdust was an isolated kingdom that was ravaged by war and barely had resources to fend for itself. Thanks to Arendelle, they managed to survive but it wouldn't be enough. For them to prosper they needed more allies, that's why the Winter Solstice Gathering was so important. Every Arendellian ally would be there and it was a good place for him to plead his case for his kingdom. He needed to show they weren't a hired army anymore, he wanted to show they could be formal allies and could embrace this new age of peace. Unfortunately, most kingdoms he wrote to were caught up in the rumors that a platoon of their soldiers could kill a brigade of theirs. Despite if it was true or not, people feared they would want to take over their kingdom if they were allies since their loyalty could supposedly be bought. Rakat really dug them in a hole when he sent them to the far corners of the world fanning the flames of war.

Almost makes me wish he were still alive so I could kill him again.

Alrick leaned his head back and groaned loudly, the day had been long with council meetings and monitoring the kingdom. The only good news he had today was when Ahimoth sent him a letter saying that he secured an invite to the Gathering. The King almost jumped out of his chair in joy feeling that his son was finally getting the hang of being a diplomat but the next few lines killed his excitement.

His son went on to say that he would be returning home immediately due to some unforeseen occurrences that could only be discussed in person. The King immediately started to panic wondering what could've possibly gone wrong but calmed down when he realized losing it wouldn't help. The letter also went on to say that there was an Elysion survivor that planned the kidnapping of Queen Elsa. Alrick immediately ran through every autopsy of every soldier that died in Elysion looking for anything out of the ordinary. Upon inspection he found out that some of his soldiers were sent to that psychopath Talib where all the reports said the same thing.

Subject status: Useless

It angered him to know that the alchemist had the gall to call his loyal soldiers subjects when they died retrieving two Elementals that he asked for. Both of which he kept as specimen that ended up dead. It was a challenge telling Lilian her father was killed by the alchemist, even more so when she tried to set the man ablaze. The only reason the alchemist lived was because of the fact that Pride was standing right there.

When she found out she launched a massive ball of fire that consumed the throne room in flames and smoke. When the smoke cleared, Talib stood there unharmed as he stood behind Pride who had somehow blocked the blast of fire with his body. His clothes were a tattered mess but from what the King could see there wasn't a burn mark on him. Before Lilian could try again, Pride had her suspended by the throat ready to snuff her life. Alrick had to order the young man to put her down. Pride put her down before warning her that should she take any action against the alchemist, he'd add her name on the long list of Elementals that he had hunted and killed.

Alrick felt a headache building when he remembered what Pride's pastime was. Whenever he would encounter an Elemental during his military campaigns, he'd kill them on his own without an ounce of hesitation. Normally the Mystic Guard would coordinate to either eliminate or capture the Elemental but Pride would hunt any one he has his sights on. The King had multiple conversations with the man trying to figure out what he had against Elementals to make him hunt them so passionately. He'd always get the same answer that unnerved him.

They haven't earned their abilities, they were chosen at random to have everything handed to them. I refuse to accept someone being strong if they haven't earned it. Its an insult to my pride and I will not tolerate such a disgrace.

The only thing that kept Lilian alive was Pride's loyalty to the throne. Alrick ordered she not be harmed and gave the man his word that she wouldn't retaliate against Talib. Pride accepted that and did his best to not be in the kingdom whenever she was, which was most of the time. When word spread that the Queen of Arendelle was an Elemental, Pride tried making a beeline to her. To him, an Elemental being a monarch when she was shut away for so long was a massive insult to him, Alrick sent him in the other direction on a mission to find more remnants of Rakat's army.

That was a few months ago, Pride should be returning soon. With Ahimoth returning with Lilian, things were bound to get out of hand. Alrick groaned, how he wished that all his problems could be solved with his double bladed sword. He had to juggle the kingdom, the Winter Solstice Gathering, Pride, Lilian and Ahimoth in the coming weeks.

A knock interrupted his thoughts and he glared at the door, if it was another council member demanding he do something else, he would kill them. The King shook his head, he didn't do that anymore, he was all about peace now, he would lightly scold them for demand something from a King.

"Enter,"

To his surprise, it wasn't a council member. In the doorway was Pride with the same stone cold look on his face. In his hand was his signature swordspear draped over his shoulder. Alrick set his things down and slowly moved out of his chair to his feet. For a moment, the King considered the possibility that Pride was fed up with him trying to reform the kingdom to a peaceful one and came for his head.

The older man wasn't afraid of Pride, he'd seen the man in action when he first joined the military with his little brother and knew that he was an extremely dangerous person but skill and experience determined the outcome in a battle. While the man's skill was largely unknown since every few had lived to tell about it, the King had decades of experience over the man.

Pride was silent for a moment before stepping into the room and revealing that he was dragging a dead body in his free hand.

"Assassins have infiltrated the capitol. Their targets are you, Ahimoth, Lilian, the council members, and Talib." The man carelessly threw the corpse into the study and left, likely going to defend his father Talib. Alrick looked over the corpse and could tell that the assassin had been thoroughly tortured before they died. He shook his head as he stepped over the corpse before heading out of his study to deal with the current threat.

Today was already such a long day, they couldn't do this shit tomorrow?

Ahimoth had returned to the ship and explained the situation before searching for the horse stables. They all lucked out when they found a carriage and a full stable of horses. The Prince had Lilian sit in the carriage as he drove and had the other guards have their own horses protecting the carriage. They all rode hard without rest and soon made it to the capitol.

The capitol was similar to Arendelle the way that the village surrounded the castle with one bridge connecting the two landmasses. The castle however was much grander than the one in Arendelle. It was square from a bird's eye view with solidly built structures that could withstand a barrage of cannon fire. The structure was also tall easily being several stories high giving it an imposing impression to any invaders.

When they all arrived, the bridge to the castle was blocked off by soldiers who had their weapons trained on any that approached. Upon seeing it was the Prince, they all backed down and returned to their posts as they let them pass. When Ahimoth and Lilian made it inside, they could see that there had been a battle inside the castle, glass and decorations had been ruined and littered the floor where the new castle staff cleaned it up.

The two and their entourage booked it to the throne room where they found King Alrick cleaning sitting on his chair with an annoyed expression on his face. Propped against his throne was his double bladed sword that had a single edged blade sticking out of each end of the handle. Both blades had a specks of blood on it that most likely belonged to the five dead bodies with missing limbs that littered the throne room. It seems the assassins made an attempt on the King's life but found out there was a reason he was able to be the last person to win the throne in combat.

"Welcome home son, hope you had a great time in Arendelle." The Prince couldn't tell what his father was more annoyed at, the fact that assassins tried to kill him or that his son returned from what was supposed to be a diplomatic mission under a week after it started. Ahimoth ignored the tone before walking forward and bowing at the waist.

"I take it you know of the current situation."

"Yes Pride came and told me we had intruders and they're only targeting, the royal family, the council and our chief alchemist." Even though he was speaking with the poise of a King, he couldn't help but look over to Lilian with a slightly worried flash in his eyes. The woman had become like a daughter to him after her father had been killed, he was truly ecstatic when he found out his son and her were getting married.

He feared for her safety every time, Pride was around. While Pride always maintained a calm and controlled persona, he still at times displayed a predatory look at the woman every time he saw her. He needed to find a way to deal with Pride, especially if they were going to be allies with Arendelle but with the way things were going. If Alrick died, then there'd be no one to stop Pride from doing what he pleased.

Lilian on the other hand felt her body freeze at the mention of that man. After her emotional outburst that led to her first confrontation with the secretive man, she was terrified of him. She threw everything she could into that fireball and he easily shrugged it off and had her by the throat. What really scared her was his eyes, there was so much hate in those eyes, she felt like she was staring Death in the face after spitting on him.

She knew that he wanted nothing more than to kill her and had no desire to give him a legitimate reason to do so. When her anger faded and it turned to grief she cried into Ahimoth's arms confiding into him that she was ashamed that she was too afraid to get revenge for her father. The Prince told her that fear is natural and she shouldn't be beating herself over it. There have been a few times this last year that Ahimoth had wanted to demand Pride to keep his eyes off Lilian but she had stopped him knowing that if the large man threw a punch then either him or Pride would end up dead.

"Oh great, he's back. Let me guess, he's gone off to protect daddy dearest hasn't he?" Alrick chose to ignore the obvious disdain that accompanied that sentence. One way or another he was going to work out a peace between Pride and those two.

"Yes, while he's securing Talib I sent soldiers to protect the council members. We've found and dealt with a quite a few assassins but we can't be sure that they're all dead so for the time being, you two will remain with me and will call for a meeting in the war room."

Under the castle in Talib's workshop stood Pride, his weapon was sticking out the wall with two assassin bodies impaled on it. The room was a tattered mess, papers and reports were all strewn about with potions and beakers laid broken on the floor. The man's face was in his customary blank expression as he looked over to his father's corpse.

He had made a beeline straight here when he warned the King to protect the alchemist but was too late. Pride wasn't going to pretend there was any love between him and his father, the only reason that he went out of his way to protect the alchemist was because despite the hell his father put him and Rahim through, he was still his father.

He made them strong, made them earn everything they ever gained, taught the value of pain and put them above any who opposed them. Even though his brother was killed, Rahim managed to take Wrath down with him. He dedicated his entire life to his task and completed it, if Talib hadn't put them through hell as children, there was no way Rahim would've gotten his kill.

Talib is the reason I am Pride today.

Pride knew all about the other Sins, when Rakat ordered Talib to create them, the alchemist saved the mantle of pride for his son. The strongest out of the seven sins that all humans shared, Pride knew that he wasn't human anymore but it didn't bother him. He had all the power he wanted, no one could stop him from doing something he really wanted to do.

Not even Father himself could control Pride.

Father had given Pride numerous orders which he ignored and followed Alrick's instead. To him, Alrick was more tolerable being ordered around then someone he's never even seen before. With Alrick, Pride knew that the King would fight for his life and make anyone who wanted his head really work for it. The pride in his skills and kingdom appealed to Pride that made him loyal.

The only infuriating thing about Alrick was the fact he was willing to prostate himself over peace. There were many times Pride wanted to tear his head off but restrained himself when he felt that prideful nature resurface whenever someone stepped out of line and challenged the King. Pride supposed that he could let two Elementals live for Alrick's sake but if the King ever showed too much weakness, then his name would be added to Pride's list.

Right after Father.

He had hoped that Talib would be able to point the man in Father's direction but with his death that wouldn't be possible. Perhaps Father knew Pride was looking for him and wanted to tie up any loose ends so he ordered the alchemist's death. There were more assassins in this one room than any other place in the castle, even the King had less opposition. It was likely the assassins' real target was the alchemist, if that was true, that at least proved Talib knew something.

Gathering his now dead father in his arms, Pride headed back upstairs to the throne room, he'd go through every document later hoping to find a clue of some sort to Father's location. He supposed he could ask the other Sins, he had kept track of Sloth, Lust, and Gluttony after they left the kingdom, they might've had some inkling where Father could be hiding. Greed and Envy disappeared completely after the civil war, from what he remembered of Greed, he was likely following Father's orders like the dog he was. Tracking him down would be almost impossible given he can move from place to place with just a thought.

As for Wrath…

Pride hadn't met the new Wrath yet, he was away on another assignment from Asger the Crusher. He was to search a region for some mystical creatures, trolls, if Pride remembered correctly. The search went on for years, in fact, when he returned, he found out he missed an entire civil war, his brother was dead, the Mystic Guard had been wiped out, and their Commander became the King. Pride didn't really care for the kingdom's affairs but one thing nagged at him for a long time, Asger the Crusher was the King's second, how was it that Alrick was able to face the King without killing the Crusher. All the reports said that Asger disappeared during the war, in fact Alrick himself said he couldn't find the man.

That angered Pride, the leader of the King's Spear should've fought instead running and hiding. His name was also on Pride's list of people he was going to kill, that was the reason he was always away, he wanted to hunt down the people on his list.

When he made it to the war room where everyone was likely to be, he was greeted with the unwelcome sight of the council, Ahimoth, and Lilian. He promptly ignored the them as he laid his father's body on the ground and approached the King.

"They've succeeded in killing one of their targets." Watching the King's face was slightly amusing as he looked down on the body with a pensive expression. It was no secret he hated the man but now that he was King, everyone in the kingdom was his responsibility and he failed today in keeping the alchemist safe. Turning two guards that there were standing by the door, he motioned them over.

"Take the body to the morgue and have it prepped for a funeral." The two men nodded as they gently grabbed the body and left the room to follow their monarch's instructions. Alrick cleared his throat and was likely about to extend his condolences to Pride but was cut off when the man raised his hand.

"I'm not going to pretend that I am even slightly burdened by his death, he taught me the value of strength and couldn't even defend himself, that disgusts me. The only thing that matters to me is that he likely had information that I was seeking but now I cannot ask him." With that Pride left the room not caring to even notice the expressions on everyone's face as he dismissed the death of his only living relative.

The council were the first to speak, they began to demand that the King find out who ordered the assassins. One even suggested Arendelle might've sent them because they were a threat and Queen Elsa only extended a hand in friendship to get them to let their guard down. Alrick's face was neutral but Ahimoth already counted him looking over to his double bladed sword six times as the council argued. It went on and on until the King had enough and walked over to his throne, grabbed his sword and left the room altogether.

Ahimoth inwardly groaned as he sent Lilian a pleading look which she caught and left to go chase after his father while he dealt with the council. It took an hour of him placating them by answering the same questions over and over while reassuring them that all security precautions would be taken to ensure this didn't happen again. When he finally got them to the point where they felt satisfied enough to leave, he left the war room and walked through the castle until he made it to the barracks.

The sounds of metal clanking against metal filled the air as he walked him into the training yard where his father was letting out his anger on training dummies. The woodened ones were left cut in half in a corner and now he was working on the very few metal ones they possessed. Lilian was off to the side holding Alrick's coat as he hacked and slashed at the dummy, not caring in the slightest that his weapon was getting chips and nicks into it.

Ahimoth joined her and waited until the King made a particularly hard swing and completely bisected the dummy's head off. His breath was labored as his fit muscles were taut with frustration and sweat. When Alrick finally managed to stop breathing so harshly, he turned to see his son and fiancée patiently waiting for him. Lilian offered him a napkin to wipe his forehead as well as his coat, both of which he gratefully thanked her for.

"So what did the council say?"

"Same old, you aren't fit to be King, you're better situated to be a soldier and should consider letting the decide who should be King." Alrick had stormed out after hearing the main point the council wanted to get across: this attack cannot happen again. Ahimoth stayed to hear them out if they wanted anything else but mostly the council believed the two of them weren't fit to rule. It was demoralizing at first but now it was just plain irritating, they worked hard to be where they were at today and none of those old crows can say they fought and bled for their kingdom.

Alrick hoped that gaining more allies at the Winter Solstice Gathering would finally shut his council up and they would acknowledge him as King but the closer it got the more worried he became. He had hoped that sending someone closer to Queen Elsa's age would be easier especially when they were accompanied by an Elemental, one of the last that were alive thanks to Pride. However when he learned Ahimoth couldn't stay in Arendelle he began to panic more, now that they were here and the attack was over, he could finally indulge his curiosity.

"Alright Ahimoth, what happened in Arendelle that forced you to leave the way you did?"

Oddly his son looked away and shook his head as he couldn't seem to gather his thoughts. The King turned to Lilian in confusion about to ask her what was wrong but she gestured that he wait a moment for his son to speak. It took a minute but the Prince faced his father with an annoyed expression.

"Well I guess I should start with the main reason I left. Rahim's alive and he's in Arendelle."

Now it was Alrick's turn to be speechless, he remembered Rahim, one of his most trusted soldiers being killed in action by a creature that Talib created. The same Rahim that was later seen on Rakat's side where slaughtered the Mystic Guard save for himself and Ahimoth. When he found out his son was wounded after his duel with Rakat, he was terrified when he saw the single stab wound to the chest, one of Rahim's most notable signatures. Miraculously, the wound wasn't life threatening, somehow the blade missed everything that was vital.

When Ahimoth woke up and confirmed he saw Rahim, Alrick didn't know what to think. Someone as skilled as Rahim would never mess up his signature kill technique, the only reason his son was alive was because Rahim spared him. Even though the traitor killed all of the Mystic Guard's families, Alrick was grateful that he didn't take Ahimoth too.

"Turns out that when he was allegedly killed in action, he really did die and was reborn into the creature that killed him. That same creature, using Rahim's body, annihilated the Mystic Guard."

Alrick for once couldn't keep his face neutral as he looked downright confused. Realizing this would be a long story, he motioned for the two of them to follow him as he walked into Ahimoth's office and locked the door behind them for privacy. He then took a seat behind his son's desk, even though he officially gave up the title, most felt that he was still the Commander.

"Start from the beginning."

Edward had just finished his last training session with the Captain. Each day they'd spar in the morning, instruct during the day and work on any bad habits he had at night. Due to him already being trained, Stonewell had made an accelerated learning schedule for him to touch up on his skills and broaden his mind.

The young man had finally found out was bothering the older man when he was shown Zavis's skeleton. At first he thought the hunter was just faking his death again but when he couldn't find a stone, he knew that he was really dead. The skeleton dissolved into black dust the day after that, Elsa had been informed and was worried but there was nothing more they could do so they pushed that thought away and focused on the new additions to the guard.

Day one he went through every single weapon in the barracks hoping to find one that he was most skilled in. Stonewell could tell the young man wasn't using his weapon of choice. After going through the entire armory, Edward finally admitted that the weapon he was most skilled with was a katana. The older man had to think for a moment when was the last time he'd seen one, apparently before he came to Arendelle he was in a foreign country that was at war. The enemy was old and wielded katanas with extreme precision.

The Captain noted it took years of dedicated study to use a katana effectively and suggested the young man attempt to specialize in a different weapon. When Edward said he was quite efficient with one, the Captain had him run to the blacksmith and ask he create one as soon as possible. When he visited the irate man, he remembered something that was really important that had slipped his mind during the chaos of the last few days.

Kristoff's box of coins to purchase Anna's ring.

When he asked the blacksmith, if he had seen the box he was told it wasn't there but if it was it still wouldn't pay for all the damages. After putting in his order for his katana, Edward pooled together all of his money and did the math in his head. If he gave Kristoff all his money and filled every order they had giving all the profits to the mountain man, he'd barely have enough for the ring. The young man knew the ice harvester would likely not accept the offer but it was high time that the new guard put his foot down and didn't take no for answer from the royal family.

The next day after spending the entire ice harvesting day arguing, he finally got Kristoff to take the money and all the pay with the promise that he'd pay the young man back. When they returned and Edward finally had the chance to meet the guards he'd be training he was surprised to see that Anna was in Captain Stonewell's advanced group.

Apparently the redhead was a mean scrapper with her bare hands, she had a streak of getting half the guards in submission holds. Edward didn't know if it was because she was the Princess that the guards held back or that the guards were really dismal when it came to their jobs. It was only when he saw Anna get two guards by their necks with her arms and legs that he believed that he shouldn't mess with the redhead.

The guards in his group were mostly recruits who had potential but had terrible form and believed that their number advantage would overcome their enemies. He had to break down to a science what the next few days would consist of. He'd have them work on strength and endurance during the day when he wasn't around then sword techniques and forms when he could watch them. He gave them a basic set of drills to complete everyday before dismissing them and preparing for his final training session with the Captain.

Since he hadn't gotten his weapon yet, today's training session was hand to hand combat. The match between them lasted a lot longer than the one they had when he came back from visiting the trolls. Edward's fighting style revolved around palm strikes and quick footwork. As much as he hated to admit it, the style was based off Wrath's fighting style when it used claws to rush by and used its maneuverability to get to its next target. They had fought until it ended in a draw with both of them sporting new bruises on their chest areas.

Now with the moon out, Edward was about to head to his room at the inn when a certain redhead jumped into his path. "Hey Ed!" The young man looked into the sky to see the moon shining brightly before looking down at the equally bright expression of the Princess. How she had enough energy to be this excited when it was so late baffled him but he shrugged the thought off.

"Hello yourself Anna, it's a little late, shouldn't you be in bed right now?"

"Well after I finished with the Captain I was about to head in to get ready for bed when I saw that you were heading to the training yard after everyone left. There was something important that I wanted to ask you about and I wondered if you wanted to come to kitchen with me to get a late night snack while we talked?"

The young man considered her request for a moment, he was feeling tired after a long day of work and wanted to go to bed but if he was being completely honest, it was hard to say no to the redhead.

"Alright, but can we make it quick? I have an early day tomorrow and it'd be smart of me to get rest before it starts."

Anna's face lit up as she grabbed his arm and with no small amount of force pulled him into the castle. The two zoomed down the halls with the young man having to watch his step as the small girl pulled him along with no mind that she was making him trip over his feet. They made it to the kitchen where there was already a set of small sandwiches lined up on a tray ready to be eaten. The young man raised an eyebrow at this but said nothing as the redhead scooped up the tray in one hand and pulled him in another direction.

After a few flight of stairs and turns the two made it into the parlor they all sat at after dinner. The fire inside was already lit with two chairs in front of it and a smaller cushion in between them providing a perfect place to put the tray down. It was at that moment Edward knew that Anna had planned all of this in advance.

She all but threw in his chair, placed the tray down and hopped into hers with the same bright smile she had earlier. Without saying anything she reached over and grabbed two sandwiches and began to eat them. Edward refrained from eating, he was busy thinking of what she could possibly want to talk about. He hoped that she wasn't thinking about Wrath, he didn't see her face when all of them saw the demon in person but he could easily imagine she had an expression that showed fear.

The redhead finally noticed that Edward was just staring at her and tried to chew her food more before speaking with some still in her mouth. "They taste great you should take one." What came out of her mouth wasn't entirely English but he could tell what she was trying to say.

"Anna what is it that you wanted to talk about?"

As much as he liked her, he rather make this a short conversation if it was about Wrath. The Princess swallowed her food before burping in a unlady like fashion before her bubbly attitude turned serious. The young man braced himself for the barrage of questions that was likely about to come out her mouth but was caught off guard when she spoke.

"How do you feel about Elsa?"

Edward's head went blank for a moment he replayed the question in his head. The more he replayed it the more the same thought popped up in his head.

Where did that come from?

"Umm…I guess I respect that her people love her for being a kind ruler. She's nice and very intelligent for her age and is doing well being a single monarch."

Anna loudly groaned and over exaggerated falling back into her chair before leaning forward with her finger pointed at him. "I don't mean as the Queen, I mean as Elsa, how do you feel about Elsa as a person?"

"…she's nice and intelligent and comforting to be around…"

The redhead seemed to have lost her patience as she cut him off.

"Do you have feelings for her?"

Edward tried, he tried his damnedest not to stutter any of his next words but cursed himself when he did. "W-what?" Anna didn't let up but the twinkle in her eyes made it obvious that was forming in her head.

"You heard me, do you have feelings for Elsa?"

The young man's first instinct was to deny the allegation immediately but he'd be lying through his teeth. While the feelings the redhead was thinking about may have not been the ones he had, he couldn't deny that the platinum beauty had an effect on him. He was both in the most control of himself as well as impulsive when he's around her. He was drawn to her, his thoughts strayed to her too often for his liking.

She was a massive distraction, she pulled him into things he would've avoided had it been anyone else. He didn't know what it was about her. Was it the way her skin glowed more luminescent than the sun, the way her blonde locks brought attention to her angelic face, maybe it was her open sky blue eyes that pierced his heart, maybe the way her dress perfectly hugged her shapely…

NO!

Edward would not let his thoughts go down that particular road. She was already pulling him in any direction she wished without knowing it. He didn't need to give her even more pull then she already had. He need to stay focused, he was staying in Arendelle until their soldiers could properly defend themselves and then he was gone.

No one woman was worth him risking losing control to his inner demon.

Unless she's the Snow Queen.

He didn't know if it was his thoughts or Wrath messing with him again, either way, he squashed that thought before answering the redhead. "I'm afraid you're mistaken Anna. I've barely got to known Elsa and thus cannot possibly have the feelings you think I could somehow harbor. We are friends and nothing more, I am in her debt for all she has done for me and hope that training her guards to better protect her kingdom will make us even."

The redhead leaned back in her chair but her calculating expression didn't leave her face. With the way he spoke he hoped that he convinced her that he felt absolutely nothing for the blonde but could easily tell she didn't buy that. Hell he wouldn't either after the way he stuttered earlier.

"Really, I think saving her life more than makes up everything she's done for you. Plus you two seem to be a little close, at least that's what it looked like when you took her hand and walked her to her study after we had dinner."

So she was faking being asleep.

Back then, he found it kind of odd she would snort at very opportune moments that snapped the young man out of the platinum beauty's hypnotic stare. He was grateful for it but thought they came at too coincidental moments. If he was having a hard time convincing the redhead he felt nothing, he was in trouble now.

Part of him wondered how bad it would really be if he came clean about how he felt about Elsa. He really didn't know if he was being honest with himself. The concept of love to him was foreign, he had a shred of it as a child but he buried all those memories growing up so he wouldn't be weighed down by what he had lost so long ago.

He didn't know if what he felt for Elsa was love, he liked being around her, she made his day with just her smile. Her voice put him at ease, her scent was intoxicating, she was patient, intellectual, and kind. She possessed many traits that would make any man crazy for but what set her apart from everyone else was that she was the only person he could ever admit his darkest sins to. He had laid out his soul to her in the infirmary when he told her what he did during the civil war. Most people would've been horrified, even Anna and Kristoff was beyond shocked to learn what he did.

But Elsa…

She held him in the warmest embrace he ever felt. She broke all of his walls with just a touch and gave him his truest sense of peace. Even Wrath shrunk away from her when she was near, the demon that thrived on anger was instantly quelled by the platinum blonde. He actually began to consider a future in Arendelle but had to remind himself that it wouldn't last, getting attached here was dangerous and illogical but try as he might here he was extending his stay.

"That was a lapse in judgment that I apologized for and made sure wouldn't happen again. While it is true I saved her life, I'm sure the Captain would've been able to do so if I told him when I found out she might've been in danger. As you also know, I can't stay here, I'm a danger to everyone around me. Once your guards have been properly trained I'll be on my way, you've seen Wrath and let me tell you, its capable of horrific things if left unchecked. I appreciate all you've done for me but there's nothing you can say that will change my mind."

Anna crossed her arms as she pushed her tongue in her cheek in a thinking gesture. After a moment she shrugged her shoulders. "You're right nothing I say can possibly change your mind." The young man blinked in confusion, he hadn't known the redhead to give up so easily, in fact he'd probably see a mountain bow to her before she did. It wasn't until her next words left her lips did he realize while she may not have been an eloquent royal, she wasn't stupid.

"Elsa on the other hand. can, the night before Ahimoth left and you were in the infirmary I know Elsa didn't go to bed until early in the morning. Me and Kristoff left to give you two some privacy but before we did, you were adamant in your inability to face the Prince but after speaking to Elsa you were standing tall the next morning ready to face him. Later that day even when you were about to leave Arendelle, Elsa convinced you to stay and even visit Grand Pabbie. I know I may not be as smart as others but I can tell when someone feels strongly about someone I love, especially Elsa."

She was right, both times Elsa managed to get him to bend to her whims when he was determined to do something else. There was no use denying that he felt something for the woman but he didn't know how to put it into words. Hypothetically speaking even if he was attracted to her, she was a Queen and he was a banished traitor from a kingdom she might become allies with. There was no way for the two of them to become romantically involved, it was a pipe dream and he was far to wary to pursue such a dream.

"Alright Anna, I won't deny that your sister has an effect on me but I highly doubt it has anything remotely to do with love. For me love is just a word that has lost its meaning, a weight I chose to let go of to keep me from being distracted. Elsa deserves someone who would shower her in love and recognize how special she is, even without her magic she's beyond compare. She should have someone who would tear down the sky for her if she wanted the stars. That person couldn't possibly be me."

"So you admit that you feel something for my sister?"

"Something yes, love I highly doubt."

"Well that's enough for me. And if you want my opinion you've already gone farther than most would have without anyone asking you either. Kristoff told me that the moment you thought she was in danger you dropped everything and raced up the mountain for her. I'd be happy that Elsa has someone besides me who's willing to do that for her."

"You give me too much credit"

"Or maybe you give yourself too little credit. Well its getting quite late, don't worry I won't say anything to Elsa so this can remain between us." Anna got to her feet and moved to leave the room not bothering in to pick up the remaining sandwiches left on the tray. When she got to the door, she stopped and turned back toward him with a soft smile.

"But…I will tell you what Elsa realized how to control her power. Love will thaw, love for herself and the people she cared about helped her gain control. Maybe love will also help you, I know you don't have many people you care about anymore but you should know that we do. Me, Kristoff, Olaf, Gerda, Kai, even the Captain, we all care about you. And I know that you know that Elsa cares about you, just remember that you aren't totally alone because we'll always have you in our hearts."

With that heartfelt speech, she left the parlor to give Edward the privacy to think about their conversation. While it was true nothing Anna could say could change his mind he couldn't help but applaud her words, they really moved him. His time in Arendelle was limited but now he swore to himself that no harm would befall the people he's come to care about. The young man was about to leave the room when he realized that there was still a tray of sandwiches ready to be eaten.

Curiosity getting the best of him, he took a bite out of one and instantly was glad he did as he finished it. These were very delicious, he had no problem eating all but two of them. he didn't know what he was thinking but the next morning, Elsa found two sandwiches wrapped in napkins on her desk in her study. Next to them was a note, picking it up she couldn't help but smile as she read it.

In case you forget that you should eat breakfast, have these, your sister says they're quite good and I can't help but agree. Hope you have a great day and remember not to overwork yourself, you have people who care about you.

-Ed

After Ahimoth finished, Alrick took a moment to organize his thoughts. This Father person seemed to have a hand in the weakened state of the kingdom and turned one of his most trusted friends into a traitor. There was also this Greed character, if Talib really created Wrath then he must've created Greed. And now that he thought about it, their names bothered him too what kind of parent names their kids after the Seven Deadly Sins?

The King's eyes widened as something just occurred to him. Pride was Talib's son, surely the alchemist didn't use his own son for his experiments, but the more thought about it the more disturbingly it fit. If the other Sins that Talib created had extraordinary abilities then it wasn't too farfetched to think that Pride possessed them too. While he didn't want to accuse the man of being an enemy of the kingdom just yet, he needed to research the matter covertly.

"None of this leaves this room, we need to tread carefully. If what you say is true and this Father person has been manipulating us then w can't tip him off that we're on his trail. Ahimoth, you and Lilian are to remain here, I will attend the Winter Solstice Gathering in your stead. You two will also be taking care of the kingdom for a while, I'm going to go over every report that Talib ever wrote for any information that can help us. I'll also tell Pride to return to the his task of hunting Rakat's army."

As Alrick prepared to leave Lilian couldn't help but speak up. "What about Edward?"

The King paused at the door before answering. "While Edward may have been innocent in the massacre of the Mystic Guard the council would still demand his execution since Wrath is still alive in his body. Ahimoth's judgement was spot on and I will not revoke it. As for the matter of Talib's funeral, I will travel to Arendelle and ask if he has any words for his father. As for Pride, keep this from him, if he found out the monster that killed his brother now controls his body, he might head over to Arendelle for his head and destroy the only chance of us being allies since Elsa has come to care for Edward."

He then left the room as he massaged his temples, he had so much to do in the coming weeks, how he wished being King was easy.

Pride had already left the castle and was heading toward the main shipyard that was on the coast of the kingdom. He had originally wanted to look over all of his father's documents but they would always be there. The other Sins weren't guaranteed to stay at their current lodgings, the only one he had hope to find the easiest was the one who rarely moved.

Sloth the Indolent was held up in a kingdom that would take him a month to get there but he was quite confident she wouldn't find the desire to move before he arrived to question her.

Hey guys I dropped a new chapter while I'm on my training exercise. The terrible quality of the chapter probably speaks for itself but I hope you all enjoyed it. The next chapter may be before the 2 when I get back home. I've been planning this fanfic out for a while and came up with a couple ideas on how this could go, please stay tuned because when I get back I'm gonna go on a super writing spree until Frozen 2 drops. Please drop a review see ya