This next chapter is a shoutout to Loveisanopenfridge for the excellent review that really made my day when I read it.
Sloth and Pride had walked to the outskirts of the village and up the nearby mountain ignoring the snowstorm that raged around them. For any other human they would likely wait it out but for the two Sins, it was like strolling in the rain. The pale skin woman still hadn't looked back to see if the man was following her, she just kept her eyes forward as they made it to a cave. She walked in while Pride stopped and looked back down the path they came up.
They were quite a distance from the village but it was still visible, as they walked up the path, he looked around for any sign of people. The only sign was a single set of footprints that they followed that hadn't been completely covered in snow by the time they're. That meant that someone had walked this path before they did fairly recently given the state of the snowstorm. If Sloth was leading him to an ambush then she would surely need more than just herself to defeat him unless she had another Sin waiting for him in the cave.
Pride hadn't had many personal interactions with the others Sins besides Sloth due to him being sent away by Asger before the civil war. He knew she had the ability to make phantom like beings to do any and all work so that she wouldn't have to exert herself. From what he could remember they weren't very physically fearsome, what made them so dangerous was the fact that they weren't alive thus had no limits. They could very well travel around the world is Sloth wanted one to and it would continue to do so unless told otherwise. They weren't that strong as they struggled to lift something that was too heavy for an average human.
The final aspect that made them in his opinion troublesome was that anything they saw or heard, so did Sloth.
If she sent her phantoms after him it would be a simple matter to repel them if he saw them coming, but ultimately pointless unless he took her out. So far she hadn't reacted in a way to suggest she was nervous at all with him following her which would normally make him think that perhaps she wasn't leading him to a trap. However with father concerned, the man couldn't be sure. After watching her form begin to fade into the darkness of the cave, Pride let his weapon hang at his side before going into the cave keeping her in his line of sight at all times.
As they descended deeper and deeper into the cave, Pride could see other pathways inside that seemed to go on for quite a distance. While eyeing the woman in front of him, the man dipped his swordspear into the ground and began to drag the tip along it creating a line of where he walked. In case things got too hectic, he would know how to get out if Sloth decided against helping him. Finally after a few winds and turns the woman stopped in front of a single tunnel before turning back to face the man. Pride raised an eyebrow as she stepped to the side and pointed down the tunnel.
"You will find Father in the cavern at the end of this tunnel. Before you ask, no I will not be accompanying you. I have no intention of getting in between the dispute between the two of you. I'm going to head back to the village and finish my reading, I highly suggest you join me but if you don't then that's up to you."
"How do I know it's not a trap?"
"Do you really think I'd go through the effort of leading you all the way here to trap you instead of giving you exactly what you wanted so you'd have no reason to make me waste more effort?"
Pride said nothing and fixed her with an unbelieving stare that made her huff.
"Father can kill you by himself without my help, why you fill this need to prove yourself to him baffles me…"
"I don't need to prove myself to anyone!"
Sloth closed her mouth when she heard the shout come from the so far composed man. Inwardly she cursed herself for her words, she knew Pride and how much it hurt his namesake whenever someone doubted the skills he obtained throughout his early life. Before he became a Sin, his life was a living hell that no one could expect a child to remain sane in. She remembered Talib once commenting on how his older son killed his instructor because the man suggested that he wasn't living up to the expectations placed on him.
That he wasn't as strong as he believed, and that all his suffering was for nothing.
The man couldn't be any older than eight when they brought him into their workshop with blood covering his fingertips. That was one of the first times Mary saw Shahbaz's eyes resemble a demon while he was still a human. The years after that, even after his little brother coming to live with him and his father, the boy got worse. His temper and arrogance grew to the point where Talib had to personally oversee Shahbaz's more advanced lessons to ensure the boy remained in control.
When he reached his teens, the man learned how to control himself and his arrogance was his most dominant trait. He wouldn't mindlessly slaughter but he'd demolish other people's pride while bolstering his. However there was one thing that could shatter the persona Shahbaz put on for the outside world. One thing that revealed the demon inside the human.
That he could never prove himself to be as strong as Talib said he'd be.
All his life he trained and suffered in pursuit of proving himself to be the best in everything that had to do with combat. The boy was a genius when it came to battle, he thrived on facing tougher opponents but it wasn't enough for his father. Talib always pushed for more and more, saying that when Shahbaz ever considered he couldn't do something, he was being weak. That would lead to harsh punishments that the boy took without a whimper to prove that he was strong. He even endured all of that while taking care of his brother who was five years younger than him and tried giving him the love neither of the boys received growing up.
Shahbaz was all about proving himself to be the best there ever was.
Pride was supposed to be the King, the one that was unquestioned in its seat of power above the other Sins.
As Sloth she shouldn't question him or insinuate that he was still trying to prove himself even after gaining all his power. However Mary knew Shahbaz, she was one of the reasons he remained sane. She knew that if he faced Father then the outcome wouldn't be favorable but she had her orders, she was to bring him here and not interfere. Her face may have been passive and expressionless due to her not expending the effort to show her emotions but her mind was ablaze. She had envisioned ten different things that would happen if he went into the cavern.
And all of them ended up with him joining Envy in the altar.
"I apologize, I didn't mean to say that. I just would like to point out there's a reason why he is the Father of all Sins, and you're just one of the seven. I won't stop you but I highly suggest you reconsider your current course of action, contrary to what you believe, Father still has a hold over you, one he will likely use if you confront him as you are doing right now. I've watched you, your reasoning for doing this isn't worth the effort. You can do anything you want, why risk everything you've gained for something so trivial?"
Pride's outburst had him breathing hard as he reined in his urge to strangle to woman in front of him. Had it been anyone else, he would've snapped their necks at being questioned, but an old part of him understood what she was saying. His memories from being a human defined him and pushed him forward in everything he did. He guessed her memories reminded her of what they used to have and she didn't seem keen on watching him supposedly throw his life away. However, his answer was one that told her why and kept him moving forward.
"Because this is my pride."
The man walked past her without another word as her face for a split moment showed regret on it before settling into her neutral mask and walked toward the exit. With Father and Pride about to meet, she didn't want to be anywhere around the two of them when they got to business. Dying was a pain and reviving oneself took way too much effort and getting caught in the crossfire between those two was a death sentence.
Pride walked into down the tunnel until he came upon an alter of some sort with seven stone pedestals at the base. The first thing the Sin noticed was the unnatural green flame that flickered in one of the pedestals. The second was a man hunched over kneeling to the mural, a very familiar looking mace off to his side.
"It's been a long time, kid. You were my best soldier and now you're destroying my army, most would be furious or feeling betrayed. Me? I'm not surprised in the slightest, you were a killer before I took you in and I knew I was creating a monster when I trained you. The question I would like answered is why you would bow to that pathetic excuse of a warrior, Alrick, rather than take Blackdust for yourself and be a King?"
Pride's hand tightened on his weapon as the man began to rise to his feet using his mace as a support. Sloth had lied to him, this man couldn't be Father but he could forget about that at the moment. After all, Pride finally managed to catch up to one of the top names on his hit list. The man watched as Asger the Crusher turned around with a smile on his wrinkled face as he leaned on his mace eyeing his old Lieutenant.
"I bow to no one, I do what I want whenever I want. I tolerate Alrick because his pride for his kingdom is refreshing and he killed the last King in combat. I can't tolerate someone who left and didn't defend his title, someone who always preached about how powerful they were in battle, only to disappear when it starts like a coward. Today, I erase the stain of my pride of being trained by Asger the Crusher, the coward who was supposed to be the second best in all the kingdom, but was nowhere to be found to prove it."
The old man couldn't help but chuckle as he pushed off his mace and took a few steps forward past the pedestals and three meters away from the Sin.
"There were some things I had to attend to that required my attention for these last few years. Plans that I am finally able to put in motion, but you've become a credible threat to my plans. I tried ordering you to stop and told Greed to not interfere with you because I hoped, you'd come to your senses and listen to your Father. But I was wrong, time and time again, you've defied me, ironically it's my fault, you are my pride, I can't expect you to accept orders like a dog. Now I'm forced to...educate you as to why you should listen to your Father. Envy was incapable of learning his lesson, I hope some discipline is all you require to get back on track."
The old man's face turned from an easy smile to an unamused expression as he lifted his mace and put it on his shoulder. Pride cracked his neck before raising his swordspear to the side and fixing Asger with a homicidal stare.
"I would like to see you try."
Toward the entrance of the cave Sloth almost bumped into a man flipping through some pages in a book as he briskly walked past her. She didn't need to guess where the man was going, Pride's battle was likely going to begin soon. He needed to get there to help educate the Sin, not unlike the way he did to punish Shahbaz and Rahim when they were children.
Talib of the Tainted Wisdom always liked having someone to teach.
The ball was still in full swing, the guests were still talking and dancing with each other having a good time. Unfortunately the Arendelle royal family had their minds burdened by the news that the King of Blackdust was speaking with a pronounced traitor of his kingdom. When Elsa heard that the two of them stepped out, she was about to go out herself to look for them but was pulled away by Kai who said two more dignitaries needed to speak with her urgently.
The blonde wanted to refuse and tell the man she'd be back shortly but Anna had convinced her that she would look and that the Queen could join her later. Elsa flashed her sister an appreciative smile before being hauled away by Kai as the redhead was out in the courtyard looking around for any sign of the two men. She questioned the guards to see if anyone of them had seen Edward or the King, only to be told no until she found Klein who pointed her toward the garden.
As she turned the corner to get on the path to the garden, she was face to face with an older man who looked down at her with predatory green eyes for a second before they softened.
"Good evening my lady, what seems to have you in a rush this fine evening?"
Anna curtsied and was about to reply when she got a good look at the man's face. The scars on his face weren't disfiguring but were easily visible despite being so faint against his pale skin and short blonde hair.
Short blonde hair, green eyes, scars on face.
Her eyes looked over to the symbol on the man's shoulder and could easily see Blackdust's symbol sewn onto the sleeve. It didn't take much brain power to realize that she was speaking to the King of Blackdust. The redhead quickly glanced around for Edward who Klein said was with the King and upon finding he was nowhere around, her eyes shot back up to the older man who chuckled as he observed her.
"Please, don't look so alarmed. It was an honest question as you seemed to be in a rush, if my presence bothers you, I will be out of your hair on your word."
"Oh no, you didn't do anything wrong, I'm just looking for a friend of mine. I was told he went this way but I haven't been able to find him."
"Ahh, well I would be happy to assist you in finding your friend but alas I need to speak with the Queen immediately, you wouldn't happen to know where she is?"
Anna pointed back inside the ball where Alrick slightly bowed his head as he walked past with an easy smile on his face. She watched him a few more moments until he disappeared back into the ballroom and she went toward the garden. It didn't take long to find Edward hunched over a bench wringing his fingers and staring out into space. He didn't even notice her until she sat down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder to let him know she was there.
"Are you ok, did he say anything to you?"
The young man took a deep breath before exhaling and facing the redhead with a pensive expression, like he wondered what he should say.
"He just gave me something to think about, it's nothing bad but it's weighing heavily on my mind."
"What is it?"
"Nothing that can't wait until later, for now I want to focus on getting that birthday gift for Elsa. You know, a little warning ahead of time would've been appreciated."
"Elsa likes keeping her birthday small and with everything going on, it kinda slipped my mind that you didn't know her birthday was coming up."
Edward let out an exaggerated exhale as he rocked his feet a bit before standing up with a grunt of exertion.
"Well now I know and have little time to waste, I guess I can speak to Elsa another time." The young man turned to leave to look for a gift but was stopped by the redhead grabbing his arm. He turned back to see Anna's smile at the thought of how he wanted to get her sister a gift as soon as possible but in the back of her mind, she knew that Elsa wanted to talk later tonight.
"You can get her a gift tomorrow, the shops are all about to close right now and Elsa will be tied up with summit talks to notice you disappearing for a day. She however will notice you leaving the ball, especially after she saw you dancing with that girl from earlier."
Edward inwardly cringed when he thought about how he didn't notice Elsa watching him in the ballroom. He was still under the impression that they should remain friends and didn't deny the woman a dance because he felt it would've seemed rude. She was however quite pleasant to be around, he found out her name was Wilona and that she was a noble's daughter. They talked a bit about what he did in Arendelle and some of her experiences traveling outside the kingdom. It was a nice talk but in the back of his head, he couldn't help but wish it was Elsa who he was speaking to. Anna was right, his absence would most likely be noticed and despite how much he really didn't want to, he needed to stay so he could talk to Elsa afterward.
"She wasn't...upset...when you spoke to her right?"
The redhead gave him a shrug before pulling him toward the ballroom.
"That's up to you to find out lady killer."
The two dignitaries happened to be from the Northern Isle who had some concerns that they wished to convey to Elsa before the summit tomorrow. Apparently there have been massive troop movement from Arendelle's previous trading partner Weselton toward the southern region. The two dignitaries couldn't say if they were heading toward Arendelle but couldn't help but press how many soldiers were moving.
Elsa thanked them for telling her and said she would think on it and have a response by tomorrow as she walked away. Hector as always remained silent as he fell in step behind her until she made it back to the dais and projected herself to be a overwatching host while in her mind she thought about what Weselton could be doing. It had been two years since she cut off trade with them and she knew had kept tabs on them to make sure they weren't gearing up for an invasion.
The Northern Isles were one of the kingdoms allied with her that kept an eye on them and was sure to interfere if they were making an invasion plan for Arendelle. However Weselton was only reported to be moving south, Arendelle was to the southeast of them. Any heavy troop movement through the land put other kingdoms on edge, and with Weselton's less than flattering reputation she was on edge as well. She hoped that they wouldn't find any other kingdoms who felt that Arendelle was a good target to invade.
Strategically speaking, her kingdom wasn't large and had a small military. They were a trade nexus where multiple kingdoms went through her for trade which made her economy go up. Plus her capitol was on the water while being surrounded by mountains which made an attack on the capitol quite difficult unless one comes by sea. There was almost no benefit to invade her kingdom, the only thing special about Arendelle was her.
Having a monarch capable of creating snowstorms with a flick of her hands and living beings with ease painted her to be a devastating weapon. She would always err on the side of peace and defaulted to negotiation to prove to others she was no threat but her power preceded her reputation. Even though she had plenty of allies, she also had plenty of kingdoms who wanted nothing to do with her, saying that a single young woman wasn't fit to rule.
Especially one with ice powers.
She had hoped that she could make her kingdom as unappealing as a target as possible but she still had nightmares of waking up one day with ships on the horizon screaming for the witch's head on a stick.
"Humans generally don't welcome things that they do not understand, some may embrace the unknown while others view it as a threat."
Edward's words when they first met rang in her mind and she couldn't help but agree. She always had to put on a front that she was a regal and perfect Queen who was in complete control of her powers and would never use them. That's what all her allies expected from her and that's what she gave them last year and hopefully this one. In reality, she was a reserved child at heart that could be mature when the time came for it and had to watch herself every once in a while to keep her power under control.
All she had to do was hold out for tonight and tomorrow, if she could get past the ball then the summit then she was home free to pretend to be too busy to play hostess for the other kingdoms. Tonight was almost over, with the band going through their last couple songs and the hour becoming late, she wouldn't have to wait too long until she could retire. She would speak with her southern allies tomorrow to see where the large amount of soldiers stopped at to eliminate the fear of invasion from her mind.
She considered asking another prince from the Southern Isles who actually attended the Gathering to see if he had heard anything but according to Kai, Prince Albert hasn't been seen yet. Their ship was still sitting in the harbor, and their guards remained on the ship but so far there hadn't been any sign of royalty. It didn't really matter to her, while she didn't hold a grudge against the entire kingdom for one Prince, she wasn't eager to see if that one bad apple didn't fall too far from the other twelve.
Elsa scanned her eyes around the room, hoping to see any sign of Anna or Edward in the crowd. She told her sister she would join her after speaking with the two dignitaries but with the news of the Weselton troops on the move, she was ready for tonight to end. Unfortunately she couldn't pick out either of them but she could see the crowd parting for an older man who was making his way toward the dais. She couldn't see his face in the sea of people but could pick out the short blond hair on his head as he was of average height. When he broke through the masses and stood before her, did her breath hitch.
King Alrick of Blackdust, bowed to her at the waist before flashing her an easy smile.
"Good evening Queen Elsa of Arendelle, I've really been looking forward to meeting you for some time. I can't thank you enough for your help in saving my kingdom, as well as inviting us to help you celebrate the Winter Solstice."
His words and gestures were impeccable compared to Ahimoth, Elsa couldn't see any cracks in his facade whatsoever. His eyes were unblinking and focused but remained relaxed to probably put her at ease. She had heard the stories as well as heard from Edward about the man in front of her, she was standing not ten feet away from the strongest man in Blackdust. She looked him over and couldn't help but expect him to be as large of a man as Ahimoth was and look a little more dangerous. However the only thing that stood out that suggested he was a warrior was the faint scars on his face, his build was completely average. Roughly the same height as Edward with a smaller build, it was hard to see him as someone who was better than the famed soldiers of Blackdust.
"No thanks is required Your Majesty, your son had done me a great service in his short time here and I couldn't thank him enough. As for your kingdom, who would I be if I allowed people to starve and die after a horrific civil war that lasted for five long years. Even if they aren't my own people, its common decency to show mercy to others in a less favorable position than you."
"You speak with wisdom that exceed your early years Your Majesty, if only more people could think like you, the loss of life around the world will significantly diminish. However this is hardly the place to talk about such grim matters, I just wanted to express my gratitude as well as my respect for you. In your short time on the throne, you've vastly improved the lives of your people in almost every way. That's inspiring to me as I am a new monarch, and I can easily confess that there have been times where both myself and my council feel I am not up to the task. In all honesty, I wish to model my kingdom after yours, peaceful and abundant with trade partners so we won't have to see any more unnecessary war."
"I thank you for the compliment and applaud your honesty as well as your intentions. Turning from war to peace is a hard yet rewarding endeavor, many should join you in your journey of embracing peace. I'm sure with time you will become a wonderful King for your people, after all, transitioning from the Commander of the Mystic Guard to King can't be that difficult."
Elsa's eyes focused on the man in front of her looking for any crack in his persona. She had seen a small sliver on Hans when Anna asked him if his brothers would stay with them that put more doubt in her mind. If she could see that small grimace on the perfect Prince's face she'd be able to see anything on the man in front of her. She expected that his mask would slip if she mentioned the Mystic Guard that had been wiped out by a man who was currently here and she knew he spoke with Edward. Depending on what kind of reaction she could get from him, she could see if this was his real persona or just a mask.
Surprisingly, nothing changed, his face didn't change at all, not in surprise or anger. His fingers didn't curl into his hand, the easy smile on his face didn't recede, not one wrinkle was added to his face, it was like her comment didn't register to him in the slightest.
"That's what I thought but alas, my council believe me to be more of a soldier than a King, which I can agree with. However, the fact that I've fought and bled for my kingdom shows that I love it and will do anything to protect it. The loss of my many comrades has given me a fresh perspective, you can never know what one is capable of. I am willing to step down from my throne if someone else is more fit to be King and loves Blackdust as much as I. Sometimes I wish that could be my son who has unfortunately lived in an environment where strength equated success. He's grown to be a fine man with room for improvement, he has brushed death too many times then I would like. I would like for him to live in a world where he can have happiness without having to fight for it, I would like my kingdom to live like that as well. That's why I've come here and wish to ask you a personal favor, I wish to speak to all the kingdoms you have gathered here, to present to them my dream as well as apologize for my kingdom's actions in the past. Hopefully they will see that I am sincere and are willing to welcome my home into this new era of peace. Would you please allow me this?"
The King bowed his head low with the request that to her sounded heartfelt. She could certainly see where he was coming from, Edward had given her brief recounts of the battles he's been in and she knew the man before her had seen more than the young man. She knew the burden war had put on her rescuer she could only imagine what war had done to this man in front of her. From the outside he looked unphased but she knew better than most it was the inside that really counted.
"Of course, everyone in attendance to the Gathering has a voice. I do hope you are successful in your endeavors."
"As do I Your Majesty."
Alrick raised his head and turned to walk back to the masses but stopped like something just occurred to him and he turned back around.
"I would also like to thank you for taking care of Edward. It was a sad day when I learned the young boy who was my son's best friend was no longer with us but it's nice to know he's alive and well here. He was such a grim man when I met first met him and it only worsened as time went on, I don't think I ever remember him smiling so much before seeing him here. I wonder why he's so happy here, do you happen to know?"
Elsa couldn't help the slight crack in her regal mask as her widened marginally at his words and tried to restore it before the man noticed. Unfortunately his eyes narrowed so very slightly that she almost thought she imagined it. She had thought she had mastered being able to put up a regal mask and could keep others from seeing any cracks her mask but it turned out the man in front of her had an extremely keen eye for detail.
"I wouldn't know, I would think asking Edward himself would give you that answer."
"You're right, perhaps before I leave, I can talk to him once again and we can reconnect just like the old days. I had hoped you could give me the answer and maybe I could convince him to come with me."
The blonde's response was quicker than it should have been but she couldn't stop herself.
"You can't expect me to let Edward voluntarily walk to his own execution after your banished him from your kingdom and said that if he took one step on your land he'd be killed."
"You're right, if he were to go to Blackdust, he would be executed on the spot. However, I don't plan on returning to my kingdom after leaving Arendelle, there are a few things that I would like to investigate and Edward would be a welcomed addition to my force should he come with."
"I already know you've spoken to him earlier and clearly you see the toll the last few years of his life has taken on him. Surely you can see that he is done with fighting and should be allowed to live his life peacefully."
"I can admit that, however, I can offer him something that you and Arendelle can't. He is burdened and guilty for his crimes that has taken a heavy toll on him. Sure he could live peacefully here, hoping to learn to live with the guilt, maybe one day he finally will but that takes time. Time he may not have…"
He knows.
Edward must've told him about Wrath. The woman's eyes slid over to Hector who was standing next to her watching the King for any sign of aggressive action toward his monarch. She wanted to keep the young man's inner battle a secret but here was someone else who knew about it and could tell her personal guard who already didn't hold Edward in the highest regards. She couldn't help but curse herself as she briefly remembered that she was the one who first revealed that the young man was banished and was originally from Blackdust. She also alluded to the fact he committed grievous enough crimes to warrant his execution in front of Hector.
She needed to send him away and make sure he didn't speak a word of this to anyone.
Before she could however, Alrick continued but she could tell he saw her eyes go over to her guard because slid over to the noble's way as well.
"I can offer him atonement and revoke his status so he may return home. Even though I wish for peace, there are those who do not and continue to threaten my kingdom, Edward can help me stop them. He's already agreed to tell me likely places on where they could be, I just asked him if he wished to join me in ensuring my kingdom's safety. You've done a lot for him and he feels that he needs to repay that debt first but I would like to ask you. What do you think he needs more; peace around him or peace in his mind?"
With that the King took his leave but not before giving Hector a brief look that Elsa wished she hadn't caught. His green eyes hardened for an instant and the blonde's mouth suddenly went dry. The look he gave was downright murderous, and it disappeared as soon as Hector registered it. It seems Alrick only wanted to give the guard a quick scare but Elsa knew better.
It was a warning.
It looked like he could tell from her expression that Edward's affairs weren't public knowledge so he wanted to warn Hector. She supposed he could've glared at her to intimidate her but he went back to an easy smile before leaving to return to the ball. She turned to her guard who she could see had some sweat going down the side of his head and she couldn't blame him. The blonde thought Zavis and Greed sent a shiver down her back, but that brief look made her whole body go ice cold.
She now understood how he was the King, she wasn't keen on seeing how skillful he was as a warrior if his eyes had that much bloodlust in them.
"Your Majesty?"
Elsa shook herself out of stupor as she turned to Kai who just arrived on the dais. He gave her a short bow before leaning over to whisper something in her ear. Apparently the band was about to play the last song of the night and as a Queen she was expected to lead it. The blonde wanted to say no that she didn't want to but was too late to stop him as the band finished off their song with a flourish and the room suddenly became silent with all of them looking toward her. Knowing it would be awkward if she didn't say anything, Elsa cleared her throat before speaking and offhandedly wished she could freeze Kai's trousers.
"I do hope you all have enjoyed the ball tonight and would like to thank you all for attending. Before we bring the night to a close, I invite everyone to enjoy one last dance before retiring."
As expected she could see quite a few young faces grow excited and tried making their way to the dais to ask for her hand to dance. It was their final chance to get a dance with the Queen and generally the ruling monarch always led the last dance. In her mind she was mentally preparing herself to just say yes to the first Prince who asked her so she could get it over with.
As the floodgates of young men seemed to have open, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening her eyes again…
...only to be staring at Edward who had his hand out to her with a small smile on his face.
"May I have this dance Your Majesty?"
She had looked past him to see that there were a few Princes rubbing their arms and a clear path of where the young man had come from. It seemed that Edward had simply pushed through all of them to make a beeline for her.
The Queen of Arendelle felt that that was uncalled for.
Elsa on the other hand couldn't help the flutter in her heart as she took his hand.
"You may."
Edward and Anna had made their way into the ballroom where the ball was beginning to wind down. The redhead could tell from the song that the last dance of the night was about to begin. She had to get the young man in position before the song ended. Anna remembered last year during the last dance Elsa was paired with an obnoxious Prince who wouldn't shut up about how beneficial it would be if they were to get married. He treated her like she was a prize to be won and didn't care to get to know her on a personal level.
Sure enough she could see Princes already attempting to push their way to the dais to get ready for the mad rush for the Queen's hand. As the Princess was about to join them, the young man she was pulling grabbed her arm then gently yet firmly pulled on it to make her stop.
"Alright Anna you've been dragging me and pushing around people like someone is dying, what's up?"
"You need to get to Elsa."
"Why, I'm meeting her later tonight anyway, what's the point of rushing?"
The redhead huffed and clenched her fingers like she wanted to wring his neck which honestly made him take a small step back when he looked into her frustrated blue eyes. She breathes through her nose for a few moments before addressing him.
"Every year at the end of the Winter Solstice Gathering ball, the Queen is expected to lead the last dance of the night. This song is the second to last song of the night and all the Princes here are trying to get as close as they can to ask her for the final dance. You need to get to her before any of them do because knowing Elsa, she'll accept the very first dance that is offered to her to get it over with."
"Ahh, well I still don't see why I should rush over to her. I'm not royalty or a noble, I doubt it would convey a good image if Elsa was caught dancing with…"
Edward's voice died in his throat when Anna's face began to turn beet red like she was holding in an explosion. Knowing the feisty redhead, she was and he seemed to be the target. Knowing it was better to do what she said instead of staying here and digging an even deeper grave, the young man made his way through the sea of men. At first he thought about just getting away from Anna and letting all the Princes just rush past him but when he heard an odd comment here or there were some of the men wondered how her cold skin would feel against theirs, the young man couldn't help but put more force into the light push he gave as he moved forward.
When the song ended and all the Princes seemed to surge forward, Edward decided he was done playing games. He easily made a path through all of them and was already up the dais before anyone could question how he got there so fast. The problem was when he got there and Elsa was still in the middle of taking a deep breath, he began to panic.
Wait a minute, Elsa said she that she wanted to remain friends and I haven't talked to her about my feelings yet. She could very easily not have any desire to get closer to me anymore. Anna didn't exactly specify if she was upset because she still had feelings for me when I danced with another girl. I should just leave before Elsa opens her eyes, we can talk later tonight privately, last thing I need is people committing my face to memory because I danced with the Queen.
Before the young man could chicken out, a very odd jerk from inside of him kept him rooted in his spot.
Don't back out from what you want.
Wrath had been quiet since their last meeting with Grand Pabbie, and Edward was very surprised to hear the demon more or less tell him to go for it with the woman that haunted his thoughts. Time seemed to slow down as the blonde's eyes began to open and the young man had no choice but to commit to what he was about to do and raised a hand before forcing out a small smile.
"May I have this dance Your Majesty?"
He watched her eyes flicker to the sea of men behind him and could tell that she knew he had been a little aggressive with the Princes. For a moment he expected her to scold him but to his great pleasure, a smile blossomed on her beautiful face and she took his hand.
"You may."
Turning around with her hand in his and facing the ballroom full of people that envious looks on their faces was one of the most gratifying feelings Edward had ever felt in his entire life. The masses parted as they approached until they reached the middle of the ballroom where the band started to play a slow song. The young man couldn't help but look around for Anna and give her a look that plainly said. 'Really?'
Turning back to Elsa who looked up at him with a small blush on her cheeks that were covered thanks to her light makeup, he hesitantly placed a hand on the small of her back where he could still feel the waves of stimuli through her dress that ran down his arm and through the rest of his body. The blonde likewise placed her hand on him and sent another ripple of feeling into his body that he couldn't help but shudder for a moment as the band began to play.
He planned on having his thoughts focused on making sure he did the dance correctly but he soon found himself completely lost in the woman's eyes. They made his mind go blank as everything around him fell into complete and utter darkness. There was no sound, no one else around, and no distractions from the woman in front of him.
She was all that was there in front of him and he didn't mind at all.
He melted into her touch as his feet carried him without thought. All he could think about was how Elsa's bare hand felt in his gloved hands and how it felt to trail his thumb down her spine. When she made a sound from the base of her throat due to his ministrations, it was thunderous to him. The sound sent a jolt of ripples throughout his body that he was ashamed to admit that it aroused him. Fortunately he was able to control his body to not let it show how much he enjoyed hearing that sound.
Unfortunately he longed to hear it more than a dehydrated man craved water.
Elsa on the other hand couldn't explain why his hands had so much heat to them while they danced. Even through his gloves she could feel it seep into her and made her head spin. She wanted nothing more than to curl up into this unnatural warmth and revel in it but was conscious enough to know people were around her.
It was when she felt his thumb trail down her spine, that her mind went blank and she had to focus on stopping the moan from leaving her lips.
The warmth before turned into a scalding inferno that coursed through her veins at his touch. Deciding to take her earlier advice about feeling more and thinking less, Elsa pressed into him more until her chest was flush with his. The contact did not go unnoticed as she felt the arm around her back tighten as he put his head against hers. Her senses were hyper aware of the breath that brushed her ear as they continued to dance ignorant to the world around them.
The moment lasted for an eternity, no one but them mattered for the duration of that final song. He reveled in her slender frame and her scent that drove him crazy as she could feel all his hard muscles against her with his shallow breath making goosebumps appear on her skin. Edward finally pulled his head away from the side of hers and pressed his forehead against Elsa's so he could look into her sapphire gems she had for eyes.
"You look divine Elsa."
She was sure the blush on her cheeks was visible even with the makeup on her face as she lost herself in his eyes.
"Thank you, you clean up quite well."
"Had to look my best if I was going to be dancing with an angel."
Elsa had heard many compliments on her beauty and brushed them off because all of them came from men who were only physically attracted to her. Hearing it from Edward in the sincere way he spoke felt more than flattering. Everything felt right in this moment, she was content to stay like this with the man that began to take over most of her thoughts.
Unfortunately worries about King Alrick, Weselton, and Hector all came into mind and she hated herself for what she was about to say.
"Edward listen, there are some important things we need to talk about. King…"
A finger against her lips stopped her from speaking. The young man had a knowing smile on his face as he returned his hand to the small of her back.
"I know, we can talk later but for right now enjoy this moment. Nothing else in the world matters to me except you right now. I'm not going to let fear or anything else keep me away from enjoying this time with you. I can worry about everything later, for now, you're my entire world."
Elsa's urge to spoke vanished as she considered his words and with very little resistance surrendered to them. For this short song, she wouldn't let anything weigh her down. She let her mind and the world around her go blank as she focused entirely on the man in front of her. Her brain tried to reason that the song would end soon but she didn't care, she was going to stay in this state of mind as long as she possibly could.
Fortunately for the two of them, Anna had snuck off to the band and asked them to extend the song as long as possible. She was sure they wouldn't have noticed the song ended if did but she wanted to give them more time before they were forced to stop. Giving them one last smile, the redhead bounded off to meet back up with Kristoff, the man had missed the entire ball setting up Elsa's surprise party. When she opened the doors to the room, he was waiting there with a candlelit dinner and his hand offering her to dance which she happily agreed.
The council watched their Queen dance with the mysterious stranger with pensive stares while Hector had his arms crossed with his eyes narrowed.
Alrick stood off to the side with a knowing grin on his face, he recognized the look when he saw his wife. He recognized it when he watched his son with Lilian, and he definitely recognized it when he saw Edward look at Elsa. It was nice to see the young man so happy and made him wish he could remain so but as a King as well as a warrior, he knew that Rakat's army and this Father person wouldn't let it be that simple.
There was also the matter of telling Edward that his father was killed, he knew they weren't close but a son should know his father is no longer on the mortal plane.
Talib couldn't help but sigh at the condition of his son in front of him. Pride had bruises and dislocated bones all across his body, if he wasn't a Sin, the internal bleeding he sure to have would've likely killed him. Asger hadn't pulled any punches and was off to the side breathing quite heavily as well. His armor was completely wrecked with his bones clearly looking broken but he was still standing.
The alchemist had decided to stand and watch the fight between the two of them and only interfered when Pride had an opportunity to knock the Crusher's head clean off his shoulders. The Sin was powerful and could ignore commands given by Asger but Talib made sure to always have a failsafe. At the last moment, he used it and gave the old warrior an opportunity to end the fight right then right there.
Pride would be out for some time which gave the alchemist plenty of time for what he needed to do. He would alter Pride's soul to become more compliant and be a dutiful son. The process took time and effort with a substantial chance of failure but the Sin couldn't be left alone. If he failed, then Pride would have to be put in with Envy and used for the last resort should their plans fail. If he succeeded then they would regain one of the world's most powerful forces. The Sin had so much more potential than he realized and his little rebellion halted his progression.
Talib had two soldiers move Pride to his workshop that was in this cave as he went over to tend to the Crusher.
"You underestimated him."
"No, I overestimated my abilities. I thought even with my age I could strengthen my body to overcome it but my body is becoming slower and weaker over time."
"I can still augment your body."
"No, I'm to remain human for the plan. We still need the two other pillars, I know you can create the second at any time but what about the third, how is your experiments progressing."
"They were on time until those assassins killed me in Blackdust, I have to at some point return for my research materials to continue my work."
"Let Pride do that when he awakens, when the snowstorm wears down I will join Gluttony and Lust with our troops. You in the meantime need to keep an eye out for Sloth, I know you've noticed her change. Just because she's the laziest of the bunch doesn't mean she can't screw us over later."
"Your concerns are duly noted, which is why I implanted another failsafe inside of her in case she became too much trouble. After all, out of all the Sins, she was the only one who actually knew about the procedure before anyone else. I'm quite certain she already had a way to remove the generic failsafe I implanted in the Sins already but is not aware of hers. Besides management of all the Sins is my responsibility, after all, they all came from me."
"You mean us."
"No I mean me as in singular because Father is one being. Even though we are both him, Father is still one being, the plan was to educate the human race first but if things went too far out of hand, we bring Father back and discipline them one kingdom at a time."
"Like I said in the beginning, I don't care about all that, I wasn't even supposed to be Father in the first place but Alrick killed Rakat so you used me as a spare. Currently I'm the only one fit to be Father since you aren't in the correct state to play your part so if anything the Sins came from me, when you succeed in your experiments then you can claim to be Father, until then you are under my say."
Talib said nothing but gave the old man a calm stare before looking back to his book.
"As you say Father, Pride should be ready by tomorrow. You on the other hand need to heal, I can accelerate your healing again but you will likely need to instruct Greed to act on his plan without you. He's already in the Southern Isle with that insignificant Prince, after he finishes up there, he'll be in a position to make a move on the Ice Queen."
"He will wait until I can get there, that Elemental's head will be my trophy."
"You're letting your human emotions getting the better of you, as long as she's dead what does it matter to you. Besides Greed said we could use her to help expedite our plans."
Asger's remaining eye turned red as he grabbed the alchemist harshly by the shoulder to make him face the old man.
"She is the last ice Elemental in the world and is the only one capable of freezing my heart again. I will not suffer her interference in my plans and will take great joy in ending her pathetic life, if there's anyone to blame, blame that ice Elemental so many years ago who stopped me and was able to die peacefully before I could have my revenge."
Talib found himself bowing to Father as the old man walked away oblivious to his injuries as he left the room. When the alchemist was sure he was gone, he looked back up and his eyes narrowed. It's been a long time since he's actually heard Father's voice in person and he could still feel the shivers that ran down his spine. He guessed that Father was still upset about him not being able to control all of the other Sins.
So far only Greed, Gluttony, and Lust were completely on track. Sloth needed to be confirmed to still be in their control, Envy was being used as material for the backup plan, Pride required altering, and Wrath was unaccounted for. He was three out of seven and that already got him killed once, he hypothesized that getting Pride under control would spare his life in the meantime but he was still very much in danger.
He needed to track down Wrath, the furious Sin was out there with the knowledge of every encampment of Rakat's army in its brain. While he doubted the Sin would voluntarily share that information with anyone, he couldn't take the chance of his other son's memories coming back and compromising Wrath. Those memories already compromised Pride and he was supposed to be Father's greatest weapon. Talib guessed he still had a lot to learn about the power of the human heart.
The alchemist shook the thought out of his head before running back to his workshop, he had to get started on Pride. As he worked on the Sin's soul, his mind couldn't help remembering the last time he saw Wrath.
He was infusing the demon's soul into his dead son's corpse and waited for the Sin to take over. It didn't take too long and the body rose. What really surprised the alchemist was that Wrath had actually spoke and acted like it had came to possess the gift of being able to think. Talib had known the Sin for many years and all he's come to hear from it was snarling and predatory roars whenever it found its target.
To hear the demon speak in the same voice as his dead son was quite something. What made it even more interesting was seeing Wrath's eyes flash to the sky blue color of his son's eyes as he tried to resist Father's commands. The alchemist had said his spiel that Rahim was dead he was Wrath because Father was in the room watching but he didn't have to. His son was dead and there shouldn't be any soul for Wrath to devour so it should've just been a simple change but it wasn't.
Some part of Rahim was still inside Wrath, perhaps just his memories remained but it was worth investigating. Unfortunately, Talib was quite confident that Father would sooner have him alter Wrath's soul rather than find out why Rahim's soul still has an influence over the Sin.
A day past before the alchemist was done and Pride's red eyes opened as he looked at the man standing over him. For a moment neither of them said a word as the man sat up and got off the table before bowing his head.
"What does Father command of me?"
Hey guys hoped you enjoyed the update. I hope you guys aren't confused about this chapter and Father, don't worry it will all be explained in great detail if you all don't understand. As much as I would love to write a fight chapter between Asger and Pride, I wanted to keep Pride's ability a secret :D. Don't worry, I hope I'll be able to get to the point in the story where Pride can show you his stuff before Christmas. Also about Talib, well he's a mad scientist and I know he doesn't have a big impact on the story yet but he will in time, his death does have a purpose. Anyway, stay tuned for the next chapter drop a review or pm me if you want to contact me, and enjoy Frozen 2 in 5 days!