Edward was currently in his room getting ready for the ball that marked the beginning of the Winter Solstice Gathering. He had bought a long navy blue frock coat that had that had the bottom flaps separated into two tails with a black fur inner lining that was trimmed with gold. His black cuffs were thick and were secured with one out of the two buttons. The coat was simple and might seemed somewhat bland but it was easy to move in plus he actually liked it. The material was somewhat thick yet wasn't heavy to wear, and it had a latch to secure the open sides together should one wish to be warm. He opted to keep it open while wearing a navy blue dress shirt with a black vest and tie. After finishing his ensemble he inspected his clothing for any imperfections that could be present.
When he could see none, he looked over to his desk at the thick black leather gloves that laid there. The coat kept his hands uncovered which was a problem when he looked over to his left one where a red clawed hand poked out the sleeve. The days after Hector had been made the Queen's personal guard, training for all the guards had once again been suspended to prepare for the Gathering. During that time Edward had been meeting with Gerda and given a quick rundown on how to act in high class society. Their time was short but with his childhood lessons on being proper, learning noble etiquette didn't take too long.
It was the dance lessons that were the biggest obstacle.
It took him hours to get a base understanding of some dances. It was painful to watch him in the beginning but he now he wasn't a hopeless case as he was when he started. When he'd leave the castle and have the rest of the day to himself after his lessons, he went out of the village into the mountains to be alone. There he'd shed his great coat and white gloves and rolled up his left sleeve to reveal his arm.
Since he'd last spoken to Wrath, Edward found that he couldn't use any of the demon's abilities. It seemed the predator wasn't going to let him use them after a few days. His body was still stronger than a human's and he could still get a small warning when someone was angry but not enough to read their thoughts and moves. His left arm though seemed to retain all of the demon's abilities.
Edward could knock down a tree with a single punch and his claws were sharp enough to carve into thick tree trunks quite easily. From the dagger test in his room, he realized his arm could heal just as fast as he could will his body to when he had control over the demon's abilities. It was likely that Wrath was using this arm to test in some way, what it could mean however he didn't know. It took time but he was able to ensure no one was aware of anything wrong with his left arm. The claws on his fingertips were controllable enough to the point he could keep them from shredding his gloves or cutting anything he held.
When Gerda had him learn the waltz, he was extremely worried she'd feel the difference in his left hand when he held hers but she didn't seem none the wiser. That was good, he was making progress however tonight would be the ultimate test. As much as he'd love to just stay in the background and not dance he was sure that he would have to. He donned his gloves and made his way out of his room and toward the castle while mentally trying to assure himself.
As he walked he couldn't help his thoughts going to a certain blonde. While he remembered that should have no reason to get upset at the ball, he couldn't help but doubt himself. When he asked Elsa what reason could he have to get upset, he fought to keep his expression from betraying his thoughts. Logically speaking, he was right for saying that since she was a Queen and he had no claim on her whatsoever, especially after she decided they remained strictly friends. From an emotional standpoint however he wanted to refuse and tell her that no man in there deserved her and she should send them packing.
What makes me more deserving of her then them?
He couldn't help that last train of thought going through his head. It was his inner cynic talking but it was an honest thought. Just because he got a kiss from her doesn't mean he deserved her, the guilt from his past still plagued him today and he felt that he still needed to pay for it. He shook his head, he couldn't think about that tonight, he needed to focus on making sure he didn't lose his cool at the ball.
There were men coming for Elsa's hand he didn't assure her that everything would be fine only for him to lose it at the first pretty boy. He would remain calm and collected, he'd represent the Captain well and maybe dance a few times to play his part. Then he'd leave and fulfill his duty so the summit that was scheduled after the ball could go on and he could focus on security.
The gates of the castle greeted him where the guards let him pass. There were a few guests here and there waiting for the ballroom to open. The young man lightly tugged on the bottom of his coat to straighten out any wrinkles while pulling his black gloves back and taking a long breath. It was time to focus, the ball would only last a few hours, just a few hours.
He's been in foreign lands fighting terrible battles while keeping his head on straight and on a swivel. He endured the hell of living with his father and obeying his stuck up rules on how one should present themselves and became a successful soldier in an elite force. One ball shouldn't be too hard.
He kept telling himself that but as more and more guests arrived and he could pick out a few Princes who walked with that arrogant air around them he couldn't help but sigh.
This is gonna be a long night.
Elsa was overlooking the steady flow of guests as they entered the courtyard and were waiting for the ballroom doors to open. For tonight she decided to forgo her usual ice dress in lieu of something more traditional. She wore a dark blue dress with a black bodice accented with white winter snowflakes she melded on herself. Her hands were free of the gloves that she thought would conceal her magic and hoped it would make her seem more approachable.
Her hair was fashioned in the same manner as her coronation and had her long lost tiara that was returned by Kristoff when he went up the mountain to drop off the snowgies, little snowmen she created when she had a fever. She applied a light blush on her cheeks with some magenta eye shadow and rosy red lipstick. She also for once decide to leave her cape, she had a feeling that she would be forced to dance and decided that flat shoes and no cape would make her night easier.
When she looked herself over in the mirror, she could see her mother staring back at her. The two of them were so alike that they could be twins except she was a blonde while her mother was a brunette. Her mother always dressed in a conservative manner befitting a regal Queen. Perhaps that was why Elsa made her outfits with her flawless skin exposed, as a sort of rebellion from her late parents. She loved and missed them dearly but her childhood consisted mostly of them teaching and preparing her to be a Queen and not embracing that she was a teenage girl. While she loved her dresses she felt that tonight she should try to appear like her parents while she was with so many of Arendelle's allies.
With one final check, the blonde left her room and walked down the hall to see her personal bodyguard waiting for her. Hector had cleaned up very nicely, his hair was slicked back with his face freshly shaved. His clothing consisted of a green overcoat with purple and black crocus designs with some medals on his chest that most likely came from his service in the guard. His trousers were a darker green almost a moss color that was tucked into his black boots.
He was conversing with a maid, unaware the Queen was coming his way. She watched him whisper a few words into the woman's ear that made her giggle and blush before going off to fulfill her duties. Elsa wasn't really surprised she had seen him do the same to two other maids after he first started. Back then she raised an eyebrow at the behavior and finally noticed the looks Anna gave the man when he had his back turned. When the blonde asked her sister about it, the redhead finally told her what happened in the training yard the other day when she was talking to Edward.
While it somewhat disgusted her that her personal bodyguard expressed an interest in 'heating up her cold body' she was more interested in Edward's reaction. Anna said the young man looked downright furious and ready to give her guard a piece of his mind but was stopped by the Captain who explained it would be a bad idea to harm the noble. It made her heart flutter to know that Edward wanted to defend her honor yet it also worried her that he would explode tonight at the ball. She then remembered the way the two looked at one another at the dinner the night Hector was made her personal guard.
The young man didn't seem to be angry at her guard. He only seemed stiff and tried to be polite when he congratulated the noble. The feeling was hardly mutual as Elsa had caught the glares Hector sent the young man's way and the look he had on his face when she asked he leave the two of them alone. Edward had remained calm in front of the latest man he almost lost his temper to. She had no idea the Captain knew of the council's weariness to the new instructor and how many times she defended the young man. She hadn't meant for Edward to know so he wouldn't feel he owed her anything but it seems the Captain thought differently and decided to tell him.
Edward was likely going to take what Stonewell said to heart and try his damndest to remain calm at the ball. He had a pretty good grip on his anger before she was kidnapped but the following events after it was emotionally trying. Even for her, who had nothing to do with what happened, couldn't stop herself from shedding tears for the tortured man. As a Queen she told herself time and time again she couldn't get invested into one man that couldn't be a King. Elsa, however wished that Hector wasn't waiting at the end of the hallway to escort her to the ball, she wished Edward was patiently waiting out her door with a smirk on his face and his arms crossed.
Dispelling those thoughts she reached her personal guard who bowed when he noticed her presence. "Your Majesty, permit me to say, you look radiant tonight." Elsa had a polite smile on her face as she curtised in response. "Why thank you Hector, you dress quite nicely, I'm sure Kira found you quite dashing." The man's eyes widened for a moment as he fought to keep his face from showing his surprise. He didn't expect the Queen to see him claim his next conquest, surely this would harm his chances at earning her favor. When he straightened up she still had a polite smile on her face that gave away nothing but Hector was no fool, she saw right through him.
"Ahh yes, she wanted to know what it was like being the personal guard to the Queen. I only said that I haven't been assigned to this post long and can't accurately say anything." The blonde nodded her head and didn't press the issue before taking regal steps down the staircase without a word. Hector followed her with a respectable distance between them as they arrived to the ballroom. The finishing touches were being added by the staff as they set food and drinks off to the side to allow room for dancing.
When Kai gave her a nod saying everything was ready she ordered the guards to open the gates and watched the guests swarm into her ballroom. It quickly became quite loud as the guests began to mingle and dance with one another on the floor. Elsa choose to remain on the raised dais to oversee the ball as well as field any dignitaries who wished to say hello.
The blonde wished her sister would show so she wouldn't have to do all the talking but so far Anna was nowhere to be seen. The redhead had said that she might be running a little late since she wanted to make sure Kristoff was ready for tonight. The blonde could understand that this might not be the ice harvester's comfort zone but the fact that he was marrying her sister made it necessary to start learning how to be a Prince consort. Elsa hoped there wouldn't be too many men trying to woo her sister in front of Kristoff, the man maybe peaceful and usually thought things through but she knew everyone had their breaking point. Being reminded constantly he was a commoner and an attack dog made the Captain livid, she didn't want to see that happen to the mountain man.
Some dignitaries came up and greeted her as time passed, some Princes even tried asking her for a dance which she politely denied saying she didn't know how to dance. As her eyes scanned the ballroom they landed on a familiar hair of brown hair that was wearing a navy blue coat. She thought had that Hector cleaned up well, but Edward was a different story. He looked very handsome in his simple attire as opposed to the myriad of finely dressed nobles that bussed around. He stood off to the side trying to not to draw any attention to anyone but he managed to capture the Queen's.
A few moments passed and Elsa watched a young woman in a fine pink dress approach him and start talking to him in an animated manner. She couldn't hear what they were saying of course but she watched the young man smile and bow in a joking manner which caused her to giggle. The blond raised an eyebrow as the woman offered her hand which he took and led her to the dance floor. Elsa chose this time to look away, she stomped down the sick feeling she had in her gut as she forced a polite smile on her face for the next dignitary.
She had chosen this, and now she'll live with it.
Anna wasn't helping Kristoff get ready for the ball, the ice harvester had already been ready for hours. Her true objective was to get something for tomorrow. Not many people knew but tomorrow was Elsa's birthday. The blonde had decided that there wouldn't be a giant party for her birthday and instead wanted to use the time to get closer with Arendelle allies. The redhead had opposed this saying that her sister's birthday was an important event on its own but the blonde wouldn't budge.
Surprisingly Anna kept her mouth shut to anyone that her sister's birthday was during the Gathering. She only told Kristoff who helped her plan a small surprise party last year after the summit was done. They still had the same plan this year but both of them forgot to include the newest addition to their lives: Edward. He had no idea that tomorrow was Elsa's birthday, despite the weird tension around him and Elsa, the young man should be apart of her sister's special day.
That brought her to her current predicament, finding him. She had left Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven to start with the preparation of the surprise party as she rushed to join the ball. Kristoff offered to go so that no she wouldn't be swept up in the ball but she knew that Elsa was likely looking for her so it was better if she went instead of the ice harvester. The redhead burst through the doors of the ballroom to see that the party inside was already in full swing.
The guests were currently dancing with one another with the royal band playing. Anna carefully weaved throughout the mass of people looking for the young man but so far didn't have much luck.
Maybe Elsa's seen him.
The redhead pushed through the crowd until she made it to the dais where her sister was speaking with some Prince who was trying to flatter her into dancing with him. "My Queen someone of your beauty and grace cannot possibly not be able to dance and even if you cannot I would be more than honored to teach you." Elsa had that polite smile on her face but Anna could tell that she wanted to say no, coming to her sister's rescue, the redhead brushed up against her.
"Elsa thank goodness I found you, Sven got loose and is running rampant in the courtyard, he'll only listen to you so I need you to come with me." The blonde tried not to roll her eyes as she allowed herself to be pulled into the crowd disappearing from the Prince's line of sight. She looked back to see Hector attempting to follow after them but smiled when she watched him get swallowed up in the mass of bodies. Anna had come up with several excuses to pull Elsa away when she needed to without being rude to their guest. Sven causing trouble was chief among them since not many knew who the reindeer was.
When the two women exited a side door that led to an empty balcony, the redhead closed the door behind them so they could have privacy. The blonde couldn't help the sigh that escaped her lips as she leaned against the stone railing with her hands massaging her temples. "Thank you Anna, that was the sixth Prince who wanted me to dance. I was getting tired of finding ways to tell them no and you came in the nick of time."
"What are sisters for?"
The blonde smiled as she felt the mounting headache begin to recede behind her eyes. She would only hide out here for a moment before returning to the ball. "So where have you been, usually you'd be bouncing around the party with Kristoff in tow?"
"Oh, he's being a big baby so I'm letting him sit this one out until the party dies down a bit. He suggested that I should just go but when I asked him if he was fine with me turning down Princes hands without him, he said he'd be right down. Anyway that's not why I'm here, I was wondering if you'd seen Edward, while I was on my way here the Captain said to send him his way if I saw him."
The smile that was on the blonde's face once again evaporated at the mention of the young man. Anna had to stop herself from pulling out her hair, seriously why did these two have to make things so hard? "Alright what is it this time?"
Elsa could pick up the mild irritation in her sister's voice and looked ready to say it was nothing but the raised eyebrow daring her to say it had her telling the truth.
"I just saw him dancing with some woman not too long ago, no big deal."
"Ok what's the problem with that, you and I both know he has feelings for you, why did it bother you he's taking the Captain's place and mingling with people like he was supposed to? It's not like he's gonna fall for some girl tonight when he has you."
"...What if he doesn't?"
Anna had a confused expression on her face as she thought about what her sister said. They both knew that Edward had feelings for Elsa he admitted it to both of them and his reaction to Hector further confirmed it, so why did the blonde doubt it so much. The redhead was about to ask when her sister just huffed and started to rant while pacing.
"This is frustrating I can't get him out of my head! There is no way me and him could ever be together, the council wouldn't approve and I doubt other kingdoms would to if they found out about his past! On top of that, he still needs help controlling Wrath and I don't know how to help him do that, how do you even do that. Grand Pabbie said he needed to accept him and Wrath are one in the same but Edward religiously believes that can't be true, who can blame him, Wrath killed his mother right in front of him! He also caused Edward's death and used his body to slaughter his comrades and innocent people, of course, Edward wouldn't want to be that demon. When I was kidnapped and he came to save me, he used Wrath to slaughter those men without hesitation in a brutal fashion. He has a right to be worried that Wrath could take him over and slaughter everyone in Arendelle if he's not careful. I tried to be there for him and even helped him face Ahimoth but all that got him was being banished from his homeland. I'm worried that I'm the cause of him losing control, he used to be able control his temper quite well, he let some guy spit on him without losing it, now he's ready to injure my personal guard after one comment about me! I appreciate that, I really do, but I might be making things worse for him, when I told him that kiss was a mistake I thought it would be better for the both of us if we just remained friends. He wouldn't have any reason to get upset and I could help him learn control if we kept our feelings out of this. Now I see him laughing and dancing with some girl and I can't help but wish that was me! He's probably already over his feelings but I'm not! I want to tell him that I made a mistake and want to be with him but that ship has likely already sailed and it wouldn't be feasible. I would still be Queen and he would still be considered a banished traitor from another kingdom who had a hand in a long line of wars across the world!"
Elsa kept her voice down to an icy whisper but as she spoke she became more animated and waved her arms causing the balcony outside to freeze. Luckily the ice didn't seem to make its way toward the ballroom, being content with just causing a miniature snowstorm in around the blonde. The redhead wasn't too bothered by the cold thanks to the dress she had in preparation for the Gathering. Anna's dress was reminiscent to her coronation dress with winter accents such as a baby blue color scheme with fur sleeves and a collar to adapt to the cold weather.
What surprised her was Elsa's dam of feelings coming down in such a way, the redhead got her to not give up on helping the young man but that didn't apply to their relationship. While she wanted to say that the council could go jump off a cliff, she knew her sister cared about what they thought about her and since they had just as much power as she did they couldn't be ignored. If Edward's past and current predicament were made known to the council there would be dire consequences.
They could use him to make it seem like Elsa was intentionally putting Arendelle in danger by having a demon among them training their guards. They could use that to force her to abdicate her throne, in that scenario it would likely fall to Anna but that meant they had a new target to get rid of and with her marrying an ice harvester and her lack of aptitude in politics she didn't like her chances. She knew that love was a dangerous game but it was one that Anna believed needed to be played.
Anna plunged herself into the snowstorm to give her sister a calming hug who was leaning over the railing with her hands in her hair. The redhead rubbed her back and waited until the snowstorm subsided and the balcony thawed. After a few moments Elsa straightened her back and returned the hug.
"Thank you, I just needed to get that out."
"What are sisters for?"
Elsa softly smiled.
"Alright you need more time to calm down, so you stay here until I get back, I won't be gone long, just stay here ok?" When the redhead got a nod in response she rushed through the balcony door and her heart stopped when she bumped into someone not three feet from the door.
Hector caught the redhead before executing a bow and looking at her with a blank expression as she looked up at him with a nervous one. Had he been standing here the whole time, if he was, did he hear everything Elsa said about Edward? She wanted to ask what he heard but kept her mouth shut, if she said anything that would give away something was up with the young man. The Princess racked her brain for anything to say, anything at all but kept coming up blank. It was when the man began to open his mouth did she wince in preparation of what he'd ask.
"The King of Blackdust has asked if he could speak with the Queen, would you please tell me where I can find her so I can deliver the message?"
Anna couldn't help the sigh that escaped her lips, if he didn't know where Elsa was then he didn't hear them talking. Thankfully they avoided that crisis. The Princess cleared her throat before answering the personal guard. "Ahh yes, Elsa had to step out for a moment but will be back in no time, could please tell the King she's on her way?" Hector nodded and disappeared into the crowd making Anna once again sighed in relief. Getting over her scare she pushed her way through the mass of bodies on the dance floor looking for a certain someone. It took a few minutes but she finally found that mop of brown hair talking to a woman off to the side.
Seeing Edward with another woman made her teeth grind but she controlled herself and skipped over to them with her usual bubbly smile on her face. As she got close to them, she couldn't help but accidentally bumping into the young man with her hip and cause him to lose balance and drop his conversation with the woman he was talking to.
"Hey Edward I've been looking all over for you." The bubbly smile on her face and tone matched a happy Anna but the young man knew better. He turned to the woman he was talking to and bowed to her before being pulled away by the redhead. Edward just couldn't seem to catch a break with the Princess, recently every time he's seen her she was pissed at him. Keeping a grip on her hand as the small woman pushed through the crowd at surprising speed they found themselves at a balcony door. Anna let go of the young man and crossed her arms with an irritated expression.
"Alright what did I do now?"
"For once, nothing. Right now you're completely free from any wrongdoing."
"Then what's with the look?"
"I just wanted to know, when Elsa said that she wanted to remain friends, how did you feel?"
Edward huffed as he looked around him to make sure no one was close enough to hear what he was saying before leaning in to talk to the redhead. He was well aware that if the wrong people heard this conversation, life would get very difficult for Elsa, he didn't need that on his conscious as well.
"You know, you can't solve all your sister's problems right, she has to make her own decisions."
"I do know that, which is why I'm not going to do anything. I'm just curious on what will you do. I know you two agreed to stay friends but honest, is that really what you want? Does it not bother you that Elsa could be swept off her feet at any moment to any guy who would want her not for her personality but for material gain. What if someone like Hector got to her before you did, how would you feel then?"
"Honestly, I'd probably kill him, and that's precisely why we need to be strictly friends. I need to be able to control myself and pining after Elsa while not being able to say that she's already spoken for would be hell. Why would I do that to myself?"
"You're right, it does sound like hell. It sounds hard, harder than anything anyone would ever do for someone else. The question I want to know is, is it too hard for you to do it for her?"
Edward closed his mouth and ran the question in his mind over and over thinking on how to answer. Unknownest to him, Elsa was listening through the balcony door and held breath waiting for his answer.
"...a lot of bad things could happen to her if one thing goes wrong…"
"They could and knowing our luck they probably will. That's why it's important to remember why you started this in the first place."
"This feeling I have might not even be love."
"Are you willing to risk not knowing?"
He didn't, he really really didn't. He wanted to let his feelings for Elsa grow and feel that perfect moment he had with her on that clocktower. What Anna proposed what dangerous and would be difficult going forward. If he wanted Elsa, he'd have to maintain enough control to not lose himself in his rage.
His mind stopped.
If he wanted Elsa, he couldn't lose himself to Wrath.
His resolve may be weak, he may have been just a puppet, but when those words crossed his mind, it cleared. He wanted to be with Elsa, she had accepted the monster that was him with open arms and a warm smile. He wanted to protect her in any capacity he could. He thought it was hell to stay silent and watch her entertain suitors, that wasn't hell.
Hell for him was those moments after he asked her if those bandits raped her. When he burst into that room and saw them holding her naked body, that was hell right then right there. As time passed since his talk with Wrath, he came to realize that, he felt no remorse for what he did. He'd gladly tear them apart limb from limb if someone had stripped her naked and intended to defile her in such a way. Whether they be man, soldier, commoner, noble, or King, he'd still make them feel his wrath. The predator was right, he was in control that night, the next day too when he fought Envy. His abilities had waned due to his subtle worry since Ahimoth was close by.
He would always have regret over his actions but he told himself that he would get control for her. And he would, come hell or high water, he would. Edward couldn't stop himself from chuckling and looking down at the redhead in front of him. She had a way to get him to pull his head out of his ass
"Alright Anna, I'll speak to Elsa later after the ball."
"Good." The Princess turned away and was about to walk toward the door when the young man grabbed her arm.
"You're not curious on what I decided?"
"No, like you said, I can't solve all my sister's problems. I'd like to but I know she'll need more than me in life. Elsa is a lot stronger than she gives herself credit for and she doesn't need to be saved, she'll hit every problem she comes across with her usual way and get through it one way or another. Would it be nice if she took it easy and let others in to help, it'd be great but I can't be the only one she lets in. Maybe you two aren't meant for one another, I understand love is a foreign concept to you and that all you might be feeling is gratitude for all she's done for you. I'm not saying that both of your feelings will go away when you explore then, but I'm just warning you how hard things will be if you go down that road. I'm not going to sugarcoat it, you'll have to keep your cool with an essentially endless stream of proposals from men wanting my sister. It may seem hard but you'll have to trust that she only has eyes for you and that she can take care of herself, the same way Kristoff did before he proposed to me. I want you to really ask yourself what you want and if that's my sister then I suggest you be ready to fight for her because she's more than worth that."
If he wasn't impressed with Anna's intelligence before, he was now. The woman may not have the factual knowhow of running a kingdom but she sure knew how to look into the human heart. He'd have to make sure that he bought her a box of chocolates later in gratitude. As he let go of her and she walked to the balcony door she looked back with a smirk on her face.
"Now you can go back to that woman you were dancing with if you like but I just wanted to tell you that Elsa's birthday is tomorrow."
The smile on the young man's face was wiped off with a stunned expression as the redhead quickly shut the door leaving him by himself.
Elsa's birthday was tomorrow?! Why didn't anyone tell me?! I need to get her a gift!
The young man quickly decided that he had done what the Captain had asked of him. He mingled with a few guests, danced, and answered some none sensitive questions about his new job as the instructor for the Arendelle guard. It was pretty dark outside but there were still some shops bound to be open at this time, hopefully he would be able to find a gift before tomorrow. As he shuffled through the crowd, he was almost to the doors when a heavy hand grabbed his shoulder. Normally he would've shrugged it off and continued on his way but remembering where he was, Edward turned around and was about to explain to whoever grabbed him he had somewhere to be but his voice died when he realized who was behind him.
An older man with short cropped blonde hair bearing a few faint scars on his face and emerald green eyes stared down on him. His face was cleanly shaven and he was wearing an ornate coat that had Blackdust's sigil on the shoulder. The founder and first Commander of the Mystic Guard and current King of Blackdust, Alrick the Mystic.
"So you're Edward, Ahimoth was right, you look quite different from Rahim, especially with that smile on your face when you talked to that woman a minute ago. Please indulge me, I'm curious, am I speaking to Rahim or am I speaking to Wrath?"
Anna had walked through the balcony door where Elsa was trying to look like she hadn't been eavesdropping on the conversation just outside the door. Unfortunately her sister saw right through her and fixed her with an amused look.
"Looks like you have a date tonight."
The blonde nervously tucked a strand behind her ear before responding with raising her arms to her side and letting them down.
"I guess I do."
"Remember Elsa, Edward was right. I can't solve all your problems, there's going to be some things you're gonna have to figure out for yourself. You were the one who wanted to keep Edward at a respectful distance away but now you can't handle it. That little episode a while ago shows that you two need to have an honest talk, one where you two can air out your true feelings. Whatever comes after that talk is up to you two, me and Kristoff will try to help but it's ultimately not up to us."
The blonde nodded her head in understanding. She wanted to think out what she was going to say later but remembered that tonight was about feeling and not thinking so she tried to keep her mind blank. There was one thing that weighed on her mind though.
"Anna did you happen to see Hector in there, he might still be looking for me as we speak."
The redhead's eyes widened as she seemed to just remember something. Hector said the King of Blackdust was here and wanted to speak with Elsa. She didn't pay too much attention because most monarch's wanted to speak with her sister but she remembered that Edward came from Blackdust and was still considered a traitor. Even though Prince Ahimoth banished him from the kingdom, the King might've felt that a more severe punishment was necessary.
"Elsa! The King of Blackdust is here and so is Edward!"
The blonde's eyes widened as she clearly grasped the gravity of the situation and rushed back into the ballroom looking for Blackdust's sigil on any of the guests. Anna had decided to try and find Hector who knew what the King looked like so that they could intercept the man before he caught up with Edward. The personal guard wasn't too hard to find as he stood on the dais waiting for Elsa to return. As much as she disliked the man, she needed his help to find the King.
Anna quickly told the guard that Elsa needed to speak with the King urgently but couldn't find him so she was hoping he'd lead them to the man. Hector nodded and gave the redhead a brief description of the King before joining her in her search for both the King and Elsa.
Short blonde hair, green eyes, scars on face.
Anna scanned high and low for anyone matching that description but came up with nothing. As the two of them searched, they found Elsa talking with one of the guards manning the front entrance to the ballroom. The blonde quickly thanked the guard and turned to face her sister and personal guard with a worried expression.
"It seems that the King of Blackdust stepped out to talk with Edward."
Outside the two men walked next to one another without either of them saying a word. The young man chanced a few nervous glances at the King who kept his eyes straight ahead as they took the route that led toward the garden. Upon arriving there, Alrick took in the beauty of the scenery before plopping himself down on a bench with a content smile on his face.
Edward chose to remain standing and well out of the older man's reach. Even though his senses were diminished, he was focusing heavily on the King in front of him waiting for the tiniest spark to give him a warning of an attack. In the young man's mind however, he wondered if it would really help. Alrick was a master at suppressing his emotions to keep a level head that saw him through many battles.
If his old Commander wished to strike, there would be little warning.
"You can relax, I have no intention of fighting you."
The young man didn't take his eyes off the older man, the Commander had every right to want his head on a plate after destroying his troops and nearly killing his son. He expected anger from Ahimoth and from Alrick he expected a cold expression on his face as he remained poised and dangerous. However, the older man had a small smile on his face as he looked upon Edward, as if he was remembering something from long ago.
"Ahimoth already explained everything and to be honest it matches up with some thoughts I've been having for some time. I know that Rahim wasn't the one who betrayed the Mystic Guard. That monster that Talib created, Wrath, did that after taking over the body. I am also aware that you harbored guilt for those actions and faced my son befitting a member of the Mystic Guard. You were willing to admit to your mistakes and accept your punishment. While I personally believe that banishment was uncalled for, I can understand why my son made that call and will not revoke it. Despite you not being the one who committed those crimes, the kingdom recognizes you as the one who did. Thus the council who now shares as much power as I do would most certainly want your head if you ever came back to Blackdust."
Edward slightly relaxed when he heard that the Commander knew of the situation and felt he didn't betray his brothers that fought alongside him. However, he was still a little dismayed that his banishment would remain unchanged.
"It's nice to know you feel that way Your Majesty."
The two fell silent as they sat in the gardens, just enjoying the silence it brought. The young man wanted to ask the King about his brother but was cut off when the older man spoke.
"How's Wrath?"
That question sent a brief gust of emotions surging through Edward, the demon was still a sore subject for him but he was learning to live with it. It was nice that the King blamed Wrath for the slaughter and not him however there was a chance they were one in the same. If what Grand Pabbie was true and they were the same soul then the young man wondered how Ahimoth and Alrick would react.
He'd wager they'd probably kill him if he said 'I am Wrath.'
"Wrath has been...cooperative. It has let me use a fraction of its abilities to stay alive while letting me have control over my body. I have no idea how long this arrangement will last but I hope to be able to suppress Wrath when that timeline runs out."
"So you're saying Wrath is conscious right now, like its aware of what I'm saying?"
The young man nodded and watch his old Commander's face scrunch up in a pensive expression at the new information. It seemed like there were things he wanted to ask but wondered how to phrase it so the demon wouldn't catch on to their true meaning. The King briefly thought about using coded messages to communicate but remembered that his son had said Wrath had Rahim's memories, so it would know exactly what he was trying to hide.
Essentially whatever Edward knew, Wrath did as well.
That was not ideal, Alrick wanted to probe his old subordinate for information about Father but if Wrath was on the mysterious person's side then it would likely interfere. As he thought of this Edward could see the look that crossed the man's face and could easily guess what the man was thinking.
"You can just say it Your Majesty. Wrath won't tell Father anything unless my will is weaker than its when that timeline runs out. So for the moment, it won't interfere with anything that could potentially be used against Father."
The King looked at Edward with a calculating stare for a moment, probably now considering the possibility that Wrath right now was using Edward to get information for Father. He looked into the young man's eyes and noticed that they were still the same shade of blue that he back when his skin and hair were different. Ahimoth had said that whenever Edward would use his abilities that his eyes would turn red, Alrick came up with multiple theories after remembering that Pride also had red eyes and after reading the many research notes left behind by Talib.
He theorized that when their eyes were red then they were exposing themselves to the demon that inhabited that particular body. That helped explained why he never saw Pride be injured, even after getting hit with Lilian's fireball, the man remained in perfect condition. The only damage he sustained was to his clothes, Ahimoth had said that both Edward and Envy couldn't heal while using their abilities. So if Pride was hit with a fireball and remained without a scratch then he must've had some ability that negated damage to his body somehow but didn't extend to his clothes. If his theory was correct then Pride and Envy both were constantly exposing themselves to the demons in their body but with Edward having his original eye color, he might not have been affected.
He also considered that he might be wrong and Wrath had a firm grip on the young man but then he doubted the demon would've allowed Edward to help Ahimoth fight Envy after it failed to kill his son before. Rolling the dice, the King cleared his throat before speaking.
"During the civil war after I killed Rakat and his army retreated you went with them right?"
The young man nodded.
"DId Father order you to go with them?"
He received another nod.
"So you have an idea where they are?"
"I've got a vague one. I wanted to tell Ahimoth before he left but Wrath made sure the thought never crossed my mind when we talked. I don't know if it did that to see how much control it had over me or to keep me from endangering Father's forces but now my mind is clear and I can tell you where the last place I left most of Rakat's factions."
"You can do more than that, how about you help our kingdom by finding the last of Rakat's army and putting them down? If you help us eliminate the threat to our kingdom, I can convince the council you were a spy and because of you we ended Rakat's army. That would make you a war hero and clear your name of being a traitor, you could return home."
Edward froze as he heard his old Commander's words. He wanted the young man to hunt down the very men he helped escape that had killed scores of innocent people and forced him to run for weeks in fear. The idea of revenge was appealing but Stonewell's words rang in his head. Revenge was a fool's dream, he had sought it his whole life and ended up with more regret and guilt he hardly knew how to deal with. Chasing revenge again might lead to even more disastrous result, there was also the fact that he had to remain in Arendelle to turn the guards into soldiers. They still had a long way to go and if he left then he doubted Stonewell would be able to train them in an effective amount of time.
"I appreciate the offer but I have responsibilities here Your Majesty. The royal family has done much for me and I owe them a debt, I can tell you where you're likely to find the remnant factions but I must remain here until I've absolved my debt."
"Surely you rescuing the Queen more than absolves any debt that they could possibly have over you."
"It's more than that, ever since I was a child, I've been pushing away my human emotions to become better and stronger for the sake of my goals. My mind had no peace, just a constant stream of anger and rage directed toward the monster that ruined my life. After getting my revenge, I literally became the very thing I hated and was the cause of my comrades who fought beside me. I've spent a long time tormenting myself and reliving the hellish nightmare that is my past. However after coming here, I've finally found a semblance of peace. When I'm here, I can finally feel human again. These people offered me a home when I destroyed mine and given me support when I had no one, despite what the royal family says, I can never repay that debt but I can do my best to try."
The King listened to the young man with a neutral expression on his face. He would very well understand the desire for peace that Edward had, he himself wanted that for his kingdom but knew to get that peace he needed to fight for it. Rakat's army was a credible threat to Blackdust and forced him to have all trade routes monitored for their return. The latest attack on the kingdom showed that they were still vulnerable and needed to neutralize the threat. Pride had done most of the work hunting them down but Alrick knew that Rakat's army numbered in the thousands. The Open Arms Pact, was made to counter this and restore their military but based on their current numbers they were still outnumbered three to one. The massacre of the Mystic Guard's families had more men turning against Rakat feeling that the King had crossed a line but a majority of the old King's force was comprised of bloodthirsty warriors who lived only to fight and kill.
Alrick needed them dealt with as soon as possible. Edward would be a welcomed asset to be sure but the King understood his position. Unfortunately he had a feeling that the young man wouldn't be able to enjoy his peace, Wrath was still inside him and would drag him back into the fight. What Alrick wanted to know, was who would fight for who.
Would Wrath fight for Father or would Edward fight for Blackdust?
"Listen I get what you're saying but be honest with me, do you really believe Wrath will let you have peace? You yourself said that you have an unknown timetable when the arrangement you have right now will come to an end. I get the appeal of spending it in peace and wouldn't blame you for doing so, but wouldn't you rather use the limited time you have to help atone for the things Wrath had done? Plus its safe to assume Rakat was in league with this Father person. If you help us eliminate them then we might be able to find this Father person and kill him before he can order Wrath to take you over again."
The King made a valid point, he longed to be somehow be able to make up for what he did in the past.
However he just decided he wanted to be with Elsa.
He told himself he'd get control for her and would protect her because she saw past the monster inside him. He knew it was selfish to want to spend his limited time in peace with the woman who meant more than he realized. He could always learn control while hunting down Rakat's army and he wanted to end Father for controlling him, but the blonde was still on his mind. The fact that someone had taken her from her castle and was close to raping her lingered in the back of his mind. Whenever he wanted to leave that thought stayed his hand, he didn't want her to be in that position ever again. If he was there he'd do everything in his power to keep it from happening but knew that he was a danger all on his own. He at least wanted to ensure her guards could keep her safe before he left, maybe after that he could join Alrick's hunt for Rakat's army.
The question was, would there be enough time?
Would Wrath be willing to wait that long without interfering, would Rakat's army make a move on a kingdom that could result in many deaths, or would Father make his move on Elsa before he left?
Those questions plagued his mind, in any one of those scenarios there would be a massive loss of life that could be traced back to him. He didn't know if he could live with more innocent deaths on his conscious but if he was being honest, deeply honest.
The warmth he felt in Elsa's arms was still what he wanted most.
His brain told him that he should take the King's offer and make use of however much time he had.
His heart told him to make sure that Elsa understood how much she mattered to him and gamble that his feelings for her were strong enough to overcome the dangers he feared.
He was torn, he once again weighed his duty as a soldier and his desire to be a human again. Noble men would sacrifice their happiness for the sake of an entire kingdom, especially their home. Rahim wasn't a noble man, he was an avenger who lived to make Wrath pay, Edward on the other hand wanted to atone for the things he's done. Right now, Alrick was offering him atonement, the thing he should've wanted most but he was afraid to take it. He wanted to stay in Arendelle with Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, Stonewell, Klein, Mr. Jorgen…
...and Elsa.
Why did it seem that everytime he was close to feeling happy something always happened to take it away from him? Maybe it was divine punishment, that he would always be cursed to never be happy. He used to believe he could never be happy and that he should devote all of his time to ensuring Wrath wasn't the cause of more destruction but that one smile on that angel's face had him believing again.
He should say yes, he should sacrifice any choice of being happy and atone for his sins until the very end. That was a noble calling and he could get behind that but his heart and soul kept him from speaking the words.
He needed to speak with Elsa, perhaps for a final time.
"...I have to think about it Your Majesty…"
Not the answer he wanted but Alrick nodded. He wouldn't hold against whatever the young man decided, he would still get the remnant faction's locations and that was valuable information. He desired peace above all and regretted that he was asking a comrade to give up his just so the kingdom he was banished from could have it. The older man sat up and walked past Edward giving him a light tap on his shoulder before heading back to the ballroom, he still had something to discuss with Queen Elsa.
And after, I can learn how much of a grip she has on Edward.
After a month of traveling Pride finally arrived in some unknown village, it was high in the north and was currently in a snowstorm. The people stayed indoors as he walked through town with his weapon on his shoulder. He doubted that Sloth would engage him in battle but his life had been one battle after another, if she stood in his way, then he'd crush her.
No matter how much she meant to him.
It was almost impossible to track another Sin since they had the ability to keep moving for an extended amount of time in harsh environments. Father might've been able to track any one of them at any given time since he could control their actions but Pride had no such ability. The only way he was able to track three of the Sins was because one of them wrote to him of their location every so often.
He never knew what went on in Sloth's head, not even before she was Sloth, he couldn't understand what went on behind her brown eyes. She had written him letters detailing where she traveled with Gluttony and Lust for the longest time as well as detailing where possible locations for remnants of Rakat's army.
If he didn't know better, he'd say she was sabotaging Father from the inside out but dismissed that theory since she was far too lazy to do so. There was also the fact that among all the Sins, she had been with Talib the longest. He had seen her with his father many times, even when they were growing up. Rahim may not have remembered the young girl in their father's lab but he did.
Shahbaz wondered how she could put up with his father for so long before he just wrote her off as a head case. It wasn't until they had an actual conversation that made him reevaluate the young woman. She was smart, smarter than him if he was being honest. She learned much under his father and only wanted to learn more, Talib was pleased to have someone interested in learning from him and indulged her, that was probably why she got off so easy with him.
When he became Pride, she was the one and only person to know that Shahbaz had devoured the demon's soul rather than the other way around. That was the reason Father had no sway over him because his pride kept any outer influence from controlling him. Regardless, he took the name Pride and pronounced that Shahbaz was dead because he had no interest in looking toward the past, he was only interested in moving forward.
Pride kept his distance from Sloth, if she had become a Sin then she was likely under his control and the Sin was slightly hesitant to face the possibility that he might have to kill her if she stood in his way. However with Talib dead, she was the smartest person he could turn to to give him information. Hopefully she would see that fighting him was pointless but was prepared to fight her should she choose to resist him.
"You haven't changed one bit, that frown on your face is such a waste of effort."
The Sin turned to see a woman sitting on a chair outside a closed diner. She was wearing a snow white coat that he'd seen her wear whenever she was experimenting with his father. Her black stocking legs coming out of her white skirt were crossed with her reading some book in her hand. Her raven colored hair was pinned back in a bun with two stick like objects as her eyes were hidden behind her simple glasses.
"I could say the same, you always had your head in a book, ignoring the world around you almost constantly."
The woman laughed as she closed her book and turned out of her seat to face the man.
"Well there are some things that can grab my attention. You've been quite the busy body, traveling all over and killing Rakat's army left and right, Father has grown quite irritated of your activities. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were provoking him to come find you, but that'd be a mistake considering he made you."
"I don't fear Father, he can't control me."
Sloth took a step forward and caressed his tan cheek with her hand while gazing into his blood red eyes that watched her like a hawk.
"Pride always comes before a fall. The question is, will it be Father's or yours?"
"Where is he Sloth?"
"He's here in this village."
Pride narrowed his eyes as he briefly considered the possibility that Sloth was lying to him but remembered that it would be too much effort on her part to lie. If she was lying, he would find her and kill her and he didn't see her fighting unless Father ordered her to.
"Then take me to him."
"And what if I don't feel like it?"
"Then I'll make you feel like it."
The two held each other's stares for the longest time.
She could see Pride's hand on his swordspear beginning to twitch in preparation of what could happen. He could see her pale white silk skin on her face not wrinkling in worry at all. He waited for her to make the first move before he struck but was surprised to feel her lips against his before backing away and turning around.
"This way."
She began to walk without even looking behind her to see if he followed. Pride remained where he was for a moment before following. He didn't know if he was walking into a trap or not but he'd face it like he did everything, head on and without fear. However in the back of his mind, one thing bothered him and kept him from having absolute focus.
The last time he saw Sloth, she had tan skin and red eyes like his, how had she returned to what Mary looked like back when she was a human?
Hey guys new chapter sorry for the long wait, work sucks and honestly I haven't been able to do anything. As soon as I get home I hit my bed and wake up the next morning with only like an hour or two before needing to go to work. Hopefully I'll be able to get some time off next week, I should but idk. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, it was supposed to be done last week, hell it was 3k words from being done and I could've knocked it out if I had a significant amount of time to myself but things happen you know. Hopefully I can crank out another update soon, I already have the basic outline of what will be covered in the next two chapters. Drop a review or pm if you want to reach out to me. Have a nice one.