Elsa couldn't help the dreamy sigh that escaped her lips as she sat down behind her desk. The dance shared between her and Edward lasted forever in her opinion and she enjoyed every minute of it. All of her thoughts melted in his embrace and she honestly couldn't remember her worries in those moments, even now her mind was still in a haze. She had to admit, if this was how it felt to just feel more and think less, then she could understand why Anna did it so often.
Elsa tried to focus her mind and remember what happened after the ending of the dance. She knew that they were forced to separate when the song ended and that Anna had appeared and thanked everyone for coming before shooing all of them away. Before anyone could get to her, her sister had swooped up Elsa and said that they would be spending the night together so there was no need for either Kai or Hector to follow them.
The blonde remembered the redhead pulling her along until they arrived in her study and when she was deposited inside the hyperactive girl said she'd send Edward here and that she should wait here. Elsa didn't have the mind to comment as her sister was already gone before she could say anything. She then decided to plop behind her desk and wait for the happy feeling in her brain to clear up so she could think clearly again.
However the more it cleared, the more details of the dance came back into mind. Even with all her focus on the man in front of her, Elsa had noticed all the envious looks on the Princes faces that watched her dance with the one man she didn't deny. Her smiling like an idiot probably didn't help either or the way how they kept getting closer and closer until they looked like they were melded together. Edward didn't take his eyes off her for a moment, it was like he truly meant that she was his whole world right now and it felt good to be treated that way.
She also couldn't help but think of how his fingers felt against her. At first they were clasped in her hand and on the small of her back before the hand entwined with hers joined the one at the small of her back. With her hand now free, the blonde made a bold move by wrapping them around his neck and bringing his face even closer to hers. It was a miracle they didn't trip over each other's feet, but somehow they were in complete sync. Even their heartbeats were the same because when she laid her cheek against his chest, his heartbeat matched the one pumping in her ears.
His hands more or less made up the length of her back and when he dragged his fingers along her spine, there was no stopping the quiet moan that escaped her lips. She looked up at his face expecting a smirk of some kind but the serene facial expression he had did not change whatsoever. It was a wonder she didn't kiss him right then right there in front of everyone in the ball so she could stop turning down courting requests from Princes.
She knew it wouldn't be a good idea with all of her allies as well as the council standing by right there. They may be limited in what they could do to her but there was so much they could do to Edward if he compromised the Queen.
Not that I would mind being compromised…
Elsa couldn't help the blush that crossed her face when that thought crossed her mind. She really didn't know what came over her in that moment. She also had to remind herself who she was thinking about, Edward was too much of a gentleman to do what was in her mind. She couldn't deny that his toned forearms he used to show with his rolled up sleeves and rough hands made her shudder when she was wrapped in them. She felt tiny in his embrace yet she also felt safe, like nothing could reach her and he wouldn't let anything reach her.
She knew he wouldn't let anything hurt her, despite his hesitancy to fight, he was fiercely protective. He was like a knight in shining armor that stood in between the forces of evil and the damsel in distress. While she disliked the idea of her being a damsel and needed saving by a big strong man, she couldn't help but appreciate that he didn't view her as a prize to be one won. It irritated her that he would try to shoulder everything by himself but in hindsight she was guilty of the same thing, which was why she started taking breaks.
She felt better and had more energy throughout the day whenever she'd take breaks which what Edward must've been aiming for when he ate her stash of chocolate. Elsa opened up her drawer and smiled at the box that was still unopened. The blonde had eaten plenty of chocolate lately but kept this single box hidden away and untouched. It always brought back memories of her first kiss that was a bittersweet moment. For once she felt like one of the girls in the romantic books she read and could honestly say the books didn't do the feelings justice. On the other hand she remembered when Edward said that they couldn't do this and it made her think about all the times she let fear stop her from going after what she wanted.
At first it was him letting fear get in the way, then it was her doing it again, now it seemed the two of them were overcoming that fear. At least, she hoped that was the case when she listened to him and Anna speak through the balcony door. She wanted to tell him that they could work things out that together they could overcome anything but that sounded like her sister. Elsa knew that what worked for the redhead wouldn't work for her, that she needed to find her own answers. Usually the blonde would've thought through whatever problem that was presented to her but that wasn't helping in this case. Her feelings were a bit touchy for her and Elsa didn't like letting them out as much as she did on the North Mountain in case of hurting anyone but Edward made her feel like she could let it all out whenever he was around.
When she froze her study with him in the room, he wasn't bothered in the slightest, hell he goaded her into doing it. He wasn't afraid of her powers at all and probably knew more about them than she did. Maybe it was his time in the military or Wrath's powers but he acted like she could blast him with all of her powers and he wouldn't mind it at all. She remembered when they were on that clocktower and he admitted that to him she wasn't special because of her magic, to him she helped him remember how happy life could be.
What he said that night was one of the most sweetest things she's ever heard and they were to her of all people. She wished she said something to him, she wished she told him how she felt around him. Elsa knew it wasn't her strong suit but damnit tonight was going to be the night she told him how she felt. She didn't care if she fell on her face or made a fool out of herself, he was going to know exactly where he stood with her when he walked through those doors. The blonde began to pump herself up and as the doors creaked, she hopped to her feet ready to speak to Edward.
Only to be disappointed to see Hector walking through with a serious expression.
"Your Majesty, please forgive the intrusion but I felt it would be pertinent to my post of your bodyguard to discuss the circumstances regarding Edward."
Edward had watched Anna tug Elsa away as the guests started leaving, making him one of the last ones in the ballroom. Truth be told, the young man's mind was currently preoccupied with the aroma that Elsa's body left in his arms. Right now he could freely admit that he was intoxicated as well as thoroughly aroused. He was fortunate his tucked in shirt, belt, and vest had obscured his...arousal...so no one noticed.
The young man could count the number of times he's been intimate with a woman on one hand and even those times weren't intimate in the slightest. Four of them were times when he was home in Blackdust where women in taverns view young teens in the military as men. He couldn't remember their faces no matter how hard he tried, not that he cared. It was just a bodily exercise to him, no feeling at all, just movement and stimuli that couldn't relieve his mind of the burden his life had on him.
The fifth and final time however, was after he became Wrath and escaped Rakat's army. This one he could easily picture the woman's face. Her name was Irina and she was a cute brunette that was a waitress in one of the towns he passed by. She was nice, made him laugh a bit, almost got his mind of the demon inside him. One thing led to another and she was in his bed, he remembered his mind actually beginning to wander and for a moment he thought he had found some peace.
He couldn't have been more wrong.
Wrath had gotten a really good grip on him in the moment and the soft touches he gave her turned into ravenous and furious ones. He thanked God that he didn't kill her but he knew he scared her. His clawed hands easily ripped off the headboard while his thrusts left bruises on her thighs. He remembered her asking if he was alright but all she got were snarls and heavy breathing which made her turn around and see two demon arms holding her waist and his teeth beginning to grow into that fearsome fanged smile.
She was too stunned to say anything but let the monster have his way with her. As it turned out, his body had a lot of energy to burn that he used her far longer than he would've like to admit. His claws left small scratches on her and there was actually a small bite mark on her right shoulder that bled a little. He had a pretty good hunch she just stayed still and took it hoping he wouldn't seriously hurt her. By the time Edward finally got a grip on himself, she was curled in a ball in the sheets, bruises from where he had his hands on her were forming and she was visibly shaking. When he tried to apologize she jumped away from him while pulling the sheets with her and trying to put as much distance between the two of them.
Her face reflected all the fear she felt at having been violated by a monster. Too ashamed to speak, he skipped town that moment he put his clothes on. Ever since then, Edward tried to ignore any feeling that was remotely like what he felt for Irina. It wasn't until he met Elsa, the woman slipped his mind completely because the blonde was a far more powerful thought in his mind than she was.
Right now in this moment, his body ached for Elsa's and he couldn't help himself but imagine how her bare skin would feel against his.
Edward walked over to a wall and lightly smashed his head into it, he couldn't think like that about Elsa. Even though he was willing to try and have a relationship with her, he didn't want to chance hurting her the same way he did Irina. When he kissed the blonde, everything felt so right in the world and he felt the most alive he's ever felt. When he had her in his arms, nothing else mattered, not a single thing besides her. He wanted to make sure that he was feeling these feelings and not Wrath, he wouldn't let the demon lay one finger on Elsa.
His thoughts then went to his left arm and couldn't help but laugh at the cruel irony. The demon had already laid a finger on the blonde, in fact it trailed a hand up her back not even ten minutes ago. He was happy Elsa didn't notice the difference in his hands when he placed them on her back, perhaps her mind wasn't all there as much as his was. He still needed to find a time to tell her about his left arm, he wouldn't keep secrets from her and this one was already a big one. He was absentmindedly fiddling with it as he paced the halls next to the ballroom until he happened to look up at a certain painting.
In the painting was a brunette man wearing a royal jacket with Arendelle's colors with a crown on his head. Next to him was...if Edward's eyes were right, Elsa. She looked a bit older with some very faint wrinkles on her face but the woman was an identical copy of the blonde except she had brown hair. She was dressed in a conservative dress that bore a resemblance to the gown that Elsa wore earlier tonight. Edward meant what he said that Elsa looked divine tonight but she always looked that way to him, she could cut all her hair, be covered in horrific burns, lose all her teeth and still look like an angel to him. Her kind soul was more than enough for him to see her that way.
It's just seeing her in that dress tonight didn't feel like he was looking at Elsa.
Now that he saw this painting, he realized that he was looking at this woman tonight.
Elsa's choice of clothing was quite daring and was a sight to behold. She showed off her curves and porcelain skin that made her look like an exquisite dish that he would die for to get a taste of. Seeing her tonight in a conservative dress like that made it seem like she was hiding herself behind a facade and that left a weird taste in his mouth. He would prefer that Elsa be true to herself all the time and anyone who disagreed with that could get acquainted with himself and Wrath when they were both mutually angry.
The young man was deep in thought staring at the painting that he didn't notice Anna running up to him until she slid in front of him with an exasperated smile on her face. "It's about time I found you, come on Elsa is waiting on you!" The redhead tried to pull the man but he remained rooted to his spot.
"Hey Anna, who are these two?"
The redhead looked up at the painting and her smile was slowly wiped off her face as she took on a more wistful expression.
"Those are my parents."
Edward had heard that they had died in a storm years ago and could've likely figured it out but he couldn't help but ask. Anna's hair was a clear link to the man while Elsa was a spitting image of the woman. He never actually seen them before or had a reason to ask about them but now that he had, he couldn't help but think they were watching him. Edward was a believer however not religious, his time in the military made it difficult to appreciate the value of church and the Bible. Especially when his Father placed no value on either and felt that they were trivial distractions that humans created to explain things that they didn't understand.
He believed though, when his mother died and he was sent to live with his father, Shahbaz had told him about the concept that when good people died they were welcomed into heaven by God. That in that place they could look out for their children and people that they loved. It was a comforting thought and helped him to think that his mother was watching over him throughout the earlier years of his life. As he grew older, thoughts of her waned from his mind as the thirst for revenge consumed it. He wanted Wrath to pay and he didn't care if he would spend an eternity in Hell as long as he got his revenge.
Ironically when he died he was put in his own variation of Hell. He had hurt people that he cared for and trusted while becoming the monster he hated for so long. Even when he tried to rid the world of the demon, he found out he couldn't kill himself because of its desire to live. So he lived day to day thinking about what would happen if Wrath came out and was hungry for innocent lives.
He mildly wondered what Elsa's parents thought of him trying to be with their daughter. If he had a child and someone like him came along, he'd kill the guy on the spot, or at least attempt to. He was dangerous and had already shed blood in front of their daughter, even if it was in her defense. Anna must've seen the man staring at the painting with an intense expression and put a hand on his shoulder guessing what he was likely thinking.
"Hey, Mama and Papa would of liked you."
"How can you be so sure, I have a very challenging personality."
"You care for Elsa and see her just for her and not as the Queen or someone with powers. My parents separated us and kept her hidden away hoping that it would be best for her but it wasn't. She needed to be allowed to let herself be as free as she could possibly be without having people fear what she could do. You haven't shown an ounce of fear to her and always treat her like a treasure, I'm sure they would've wanted that for their daughter."
Edward nodded his head but couldn't help but feel that the painting was watching him like a hawk even though he knew their eyes were straight ahead. He had his doubts but he wanted to be with Elsa and as much as he second guessed himself, he needed to keep moving forward.
"Thanks Anna, I really appreciated hearing that. I hope I can live up to what they would've wanted for her."
The redhead nodded before she began tugging him away so that they could go see Elsa in her study. When they got to the doors and were about to knock on them a voice made it past the wood that made them both freeze.
"Your Majesty, I don't believe it is safe for you to be around Edward."
The two of them recognized the voice as Hector and Anna's face actually got red as she was about to burst through the doors but the man next to her kept her from doing so. He wanted to know why the noble would think that he was a threat to Elsa, sure they had their differences and he was basically a stranger but so far he hadn't done anything the guard should know that would suggest him to be a threat. He gave the redhead in his arms a quick look to calm down and just listen as he hoped to understand what was going through Hector's mind.
Elsa kept a regal gaze on her personal guard at the rather blunt statement he just made. She could guess he had come to this conclusion based on what Alrick said and normally she would have agreed with him if it wasn't someone she knew on a personal level. Hector knew that Edward was now banished from a kingdom shrouded in mystery, the ramifications of that were numerous. If he were to tell the council, they would likely try and investigate Edward until they found the existence of Wrath and that would be disastrous considering he couldn't control that other side of him yet.
Regardless of that, Elsa needed to know exactly what was going on through the guard's mind. Perhaps she could turn his attention away from some suspicious factors she could play off that Edward wasn't dangerous. Even if she failed, she was prepared to defend the man once again and order Hector to not speak a word of this to the council or be charged with treason if things escalated.
"What would make you think I am not safe when I'm around him?"
"Your Majesty, as we are both aware, banishment is a heavy punishment, especially from a militaristic standpoint. Generally if someone commits a grievous crime that in the military, a loss of rank is usually handed out, if not imprisonment or execution. The fact that he was banished meant that a whole kingdom felt that he was a threat to them as long as he stayed inside. What does that say when you have him here in this kingdom training your guards."
"What makes you think he was military?"
"King Alrick is one of the very few known men from Blackdust thanks to his moniker, Alrick the Mystic. The former Commander of the Mystic Guard. My father's expeditionary force has seen as well as heard tales of their effectiveness when it came to fighting wars. He called Edward a 'welcomed addition to my force' that suggests he was a special type of soldier. With the way he spoke about him, I would guess that Edward was likely part of the Mystic Guard. Which backs my claim that he could be dangerous around you given that he could be an elite soldier that was banished now having access to your security."
"King Alrick seemed quite willing to overlook his crimes and grant him a pardon, should he assist the King. If Edward was such a danger as you hypothesized then why would he be offered such an olive branch?"
"Tell me Your Majesty, have you heard of the kingdom of Ashfeld?"
Elsa's mind went to the letter she received months ago. It was the kingdom that was attacked Rosenburg with the help of the Blackdust military that was close to taking over but got overconfident and attacked the small force but was slaughtered by Pride. Their kingdom was then burned to the ground from village to capitol, no one was safe from their path of destruction. What could Edward possibly have to do with that?
"Yes, they were once at war with Rosenburg before being completely burned to the ground. I don't see how this as anything to do with Edward."
"It's to answer your earlier question. Why would he be offered a chance to return home after helping with the King? There is the possibility that he would be of use and in exchange for that use, he would win his freedom. However there is also the chance that Alrick plans on using him the terminating him in the hopes of keeping whatever threat he presents as a minimum. And the final possibility is that now that Edward knows about your security, he can report back to his King and they could effectively take advantage of you and your kingdom."
"I've already ruled out this possibility, both myself and Anna were in dangerous positions that would have ended with Hans taking over Arendelle had it not been for Edward and Prince Ahimoth. If they were really trying to take over the kingdom then their best chance would've been right then and there, what would be the point of saving us if to take us over later?"
"You don't find it mildly curious that both the perpetrator of your kidnapping as well as your rescuer hail from the same kingdom? With them both possessing the knowledge of how your magic works and only the Prince and Edward were able to capture a man who could kill a squad of guards while making off with you. Then the only prisoner we had to gain information from was killed after you denying that he be turned over to the Prince who left that same day, leaving us with no new information?"
Elsa couldn't help but wince, he was right. The whole thing sounded suspicious when said like that, she had answers to all the gaps but she couldn't serve Edward on a platter for the council. They would demand he'd be removed from Arendelle if not worse used as a potential weapon against any they deem a threat, maybe even her. She tried to rack her brain on what she could say to alleviate the concerns but for the moment her mind came up with nothing. Hector looked ready to press his advantage but a knock on the door stopped whatever was about to come out of his mouth.
"Elsa are you in there? I thought you and me were supposed to spend the night together, you weren't in your room when I came back with chocolate."
The blonde couldn't help the confused look that crossed her face. Anna never knocked on her study door, she usually just barged in. After a moment, the redhead slowly opened the door and poked her head in looking quite surprised to see Hector and Elsa alone.
"Am I interrupting something?"
Hector looked ready to say something but Elsa beat him to it.
"No, Hector here was just going over some security measures for tomorrow with it being the summit. However it is getting quite late and we could continue this conversation tomorrow. Now come on, you need to get out of that dress and cleaned, I'm not sharing a bed with someone who stinks."
The redhead stuck her tongue out at the blonde and opened the door wide enough for them to step through. "You're still in your dress, I'm sure you stink more than I do, you actually danced tonight while I had to talk to people."
Elsa stopped at the door before winking.
"Perhaps but its my bed."
She then turned back to Hector to address him with a 'tired' smile.
"We will discuss this in more detail tomorrow. You raise some valid points that I need to consider, I hope you have a good evening. I will be in my room so there is no need for you to escort me."
She watched him narrow his eyes for a moment before bowing his head then closed the door to her study and walked toward her room. When she was sure they were down the hall and not being followed, Elsa let out the breath she was holding before flashing her sister with a grateful smile.
"You seem to have a knack for appearing whenever I need you."
"Yeah well Ed wanted to bust in but we thought it better that I grab you instead considering you two were talking about him."
Elsa stopped and looked bewildered for a moment at her sister who couldn't help the smirk on her face. It was then that everything became clear, Edward and Anna must've been listening through the door and chose that time to interfere when she couldn't answer. She didn't see Edward and wondered where he was but remembered how fast he was and that the redhead had actually knocked and took her time to open the door. It was likely he ran off so Hector wouldn't see him, which begged the question…
"So where is Edward? Don't tell me he's waiting for me in my room."
"Yup he's waiting there right now with candles and rose petals on your bed."
The bright pink blush that covered Elsa's cheeks really stood out which made Anna laugh.
"I'm kidding, he said he'd run down back to the ballroom so the guards would see him leaving so no one will know he went to see you. He said he'd find a way to sneak into your room but I don't see how that's possible considering your room is overlooking the harbor and there aren't any balconies to climb on."
The blonde thought back to the clocktower where he climbed the outside to beat her to the top and chuckled a bit.
"Somehow I don't think that'll be much of a problem for him."
Edward told the truth when he said he'd head back down to the ballroom so the guards would see him leave. He just waited until Hector came down before he started making his way toward the entrance. When they bumped into one another, he didn't even attempt to look sorry or surprised to see the guard. He was of course greeted with a narrowed eye stare that he now knew was suspicion. To be completely honest, he didn't mind it. It was good that Elsa's guard was observant enough to figure so much out and worry about his Queen, that wasn't the issue.
What the issue was that Edward wasn't sure that he trusted the guard to be loyal to Elsa or the council.
Usually it would be smart to side with the reigning monarch due to most kingdoms having more power than their council but in Arendelle they were an even split. The people may love Elsa and she was very intelligent, however her council had been doing this a lot longer than her. If they really wanted, they could make the blonde's life hell with their connections as well the knowledge they had of Arendelle's inner workings. Could they just kick her off the throne, no that wasn't a likely scenario given her achievements in the short amount of time she's held the throne, the main threat was what they could say or do to other kingdoms that didn't always agree with Elsa.
Edward could think of at least three ways he could use the information of her having him train her guards to discredit her. He wanted to know where Hector's loyalties lie, which was why he chose now to face the guard and get an idea of who he was up against.
"You've been given me that stink eye since I met you and I don't remember doing anything to you to deserve it, so what's up?"
Hector said nothing as he turned on his heel and started walking away. Edward frowned as he watched the man retreat, he was bold enough to speak to the Queen but not him? He couldn't accept that so he decided to take a page out of Stonewell's book.
"Running away like a dog with his tail between his legs, what did Elsa do, castrate you because she saw through your routine of getting girls. I mean no offense but how do you walk straight, that big head of yours on that tiny neck must make it difficult to keep yourself balanced, and just so we're clear, I'm talking about the one in your pants but your head on your shoulders is a close second."
Hector stopped walking before whirling around to face the man and stomped until they were face to face.
"You looking for a fight, the Queen isn't around so you can hide under her skirt."
What I'd do to get under her skirt.
Edward inwardly choked himself, he needed to stop thinking like that. Just because he got to hold her for a few minutes doesn't mean he should have her totally dominating his hormones like this. Damnit sometimes it sucked to be based off a human, his hormones were quite difficult to control and right now, he'd go to war if it meant she was waiting for him in her bed.
"No just trying to figure out why you hate me so much, I didn't do anything to you. Hell when you take cracks at me during training, I ignore you, what have I done to make you want to go out of your way to piss on my day?"
"You really want to know?"
"Yes I really really do."
"You're a threat to Arendelle."
Edward already knew that, he knew that since day one. The reason itself was one from a patriot which would likely side with the Queen rather than the council which in a small way relieved him.
"How so?"
"Ever since you got here, strange things have been happening. Never before has someone completely outclassed the guards here so completely that they made off with the Queen. Then this mysterious stranger comes out of nowhere and saves said Queen that same night and manages to capture the man who outclasses are men. Who ended up dead before anyone could question him. What's to say you didn't plan this to carry favor with the Her Majesty, it's not hard to figure out she values you. She defends you without reason and whenever she's caught off guard, her sister flies in for the rescue. Can you stand there and tell me that nothing is going on and that I'm being paranoid?"
"No I can't, you've made some very valid points. However trust me when I say that rescuing the Queen was a challenge for me, I only fought two guys and had to run after I grabbed her. If it weren't for her abilities, we wouldn't have made it, plus when we captured Zavis, there were two others with me. Kristoff and Ahimoth, without those two, I would've most certainly died and not be barely hanging on to life like I was when they dragged me back here. There are strange things happening but I can honestly say that I have nothing to do with them."
"Really, then why do you leave the village everyday?"
Edward kept his face in a neutral expression as he cursed himself in his head. He should've been more observant when he left, he would think that when he was testing Wrath's arm that he would be more conscious of checking to make sure no one noticed him.
"Not only that but when you first came here and were ambushed by those bandits, you told Stonewell that wolves got to them. However I was able to see the bodies and there wasn't any fur or teeth marks. In fact they were all torn apart by something went blunt objects. That stupid oaf said that you were being chased by the bandits in question then he lost track of you, so he can't account for the time you were gone.
Edward's hand grabbed the front of Hector's jacket before bringing them closer. He was surprised to learn that his bluff when he first got here was called but at the moment he didn't care because the man in front of him just insulted a good friend of his.
"You will not speak of Kristoff in that way got it?"
"Or what, you'll tear me apart as well? Face it, I know you aren't who you say you are. The King of Blackdust basically confirmed you hail from there as well as the fact you were banished from there meaning you must've done something horrific. I wonder what it could be, the Mystic Guard were quite accomplished mercenaries a few years ago. If I remember correctly the last battle they fought in was the invasion of Elysion."
The word Elysion made Edward let go of Hector's jacket as he stared at the noble with an awestruck expression. How could he have possibly known where the Mystic Guard last fought?
"Surprised? Well maybe you should learn who is influential in Arendelle before nesting here. My father, Cornelius Bowman, is currently the head of Bowman Expeditionary forces that have branches around other kingdoms. They were hired to be mercenaries to protect travelers who went on adventures as well as supported other kingdoms on the off chance they needed muscle. When Blackdust invaded Elysion, who do you think the kingdom called? A cheap force that could counter the militaristic might of a kingdom who made profit off war. The battle between them went on for a while but then Blackdust finally pulled out with no reason. The troops looked for anything that could have given them a clue of what they could be possibly after but all they found were the remains of the over two hundred Mystic Guard bodies littering the battlefield. It was then during that time Blackdust shut off all contact with the outside world to host their little civil war of theirs. You don't look old enough to have been in the military force for more than a few years, so what are you doing banished after a civil war?"
His logic was sound and quite dangerous. He had asked the right questions and connected the dots quite well that Edward didn't know what to say. He didn't want to reveal the existence of Wrath at least until he had control but at the rate this guard was thinking, he might know soon enough. The young man still kept his mouth shut, Hector sounded like he already got a lot of dirt on him but so far none of it was too bad that it wouldn't impact Elsa's image. The only thing he could conclusively prove was that he was banished from Blackdust and he acted suspiciously, nothing that would call into question Elsa's ability to take care of Arendelle.
"Not so talkative now aren't you? You're hiding something and her Majesty is still defending you despite these claims. It goes into question if she really has the wellbeing of the kingdom on her mind even when she abandoned it like a scared little girl during her coronation."
Edward was amazed that he didn't lose his cool when that not so subtle jibe left Hector's mouth. There was no denying that he wanted to tear out the noble's tongue so he wouldn't be able to speak anymore. However they were close to the guards watching the ballroom and as he told himself repeatedly, acting pissed off wouldn't help Elsa at all.
"You do realize what you said was treasonous right?"
"It may be but I think the council would be more interested to hear that we've had a special Blackdust soldier in our midst, especially given that your kingdom isn't well known for being nice."
Well at least Edward knew what side Hector was on. Underneath that arrogant charm and noble standing, he was a sharp witted man that didn't have much faith in the Queen.
"Looks like we're in a stalemate I guess. You don't have as much evidence as you need to prove I'm a credible threat and it's not like I can ask Elsa to just remove you so that you can't cause her any harm without getting proof for the council."
"For now we are, but I'll be sure to break that stalemate. Someone somewhere has to know something about you, when I get that information than I'm coming for you."
"I have one final question before calling it a night then."
"What is it?"
"In the short time Elsa's been on the throne, she has improved the lives of the entire kingdom by diligently working for it. Why would you risk endangering that, especially when she's your Queen and completely devoted to Arendelle? Where's your sense of loyalty?"
Hector took a step so that they were almost nose to nose and whispered with an intense expression on his face.
"My loyalty is to Arendelle only, while her Majesty has been hiding from the kingdom, the council had been keeping us alive. Then on her coronation day when she froze our kingdom, I've watched friends freeze to death and she remains unpunished. She may have done good things while on the throne but she could still be a threat, I'm to make sure she isn't."
With that Hector backed off and began to walk away toward the courtyard and didn't stop when he heard Edward talk behind him.
"So you're just the council's watchdog aren't you?"
"Better that then a soldier who can't protect his home."
Edward didn't miss the subtle jab at him being banished. It made him consider Alrick's proposal and that maybe he should accept but recent events made up his mind. He needed to see Elsa, now.
He left the castle and made sure to wave to the guards as he headed down the stone bridge that connected the castle to the rest of the village. When he made it to the mainland, he looked up along the mountainous ridge that had a wall going through it with guard towers. He wished he could've taken the secret passage Elsa led him down but he was sure he'd get lost, so he had to do this the hard way. If he went down by the docks and ambled his way all the way along the wall he would be in a position to get behind the castle and he'd just have to scale the wall before climbing his way to Elsa's room. He was sure there would be guards patrolling but he knew he was skilled enough to sneak past them plus if any caught him, he could simply say that he was looking for one of his students and that he attended the ball for Stonewell hence his clothes.
I really need to learn the secret passageways one day.
Elsa was currently sitting in her room on the small cushion that was next to her window where she stood looking out to Arendelle when she was a little girl. Anna had left her to go to bed after joking that Edward was likely looking for some rose petals right now. The blonde responded with a blush that maybe Kristoff would cover her bed in mushrooms like he did that troll last year on Christmas. The small joke made the two of them laugh and shudders when they remembered that he gave the troll model a really good lick.
When the door closed, Elsa thought about waiting for Edward in her dress but was sure she would head off to bed right after so she took the fastest bath she ever had to make sure he wouldn't catch her and put on a magenta nightgown with a baby blue robe and tied the sash effectively concealing herself.
After the rush and him still not being here she decided to wait by the window and look toward the moon. It was a pretty night tonight and she couldn't help but think about the last time she really noticed the moon. It was when Zavis had taken her, it was that night she remembered what it was like to be a scared little girl again. She was completely at his mercy, despite being able to subdue the two imposters that came after her. That night for a moment she thought it would be the end for her, but it was also that night she got Edward to open up to her about what was going on inside him.
It was like when she went up on the mountain to let go of her hold on her powers and she embraced who she really was. For a time it was freeing and exhilarating for her but for him it was the opposite. She knew that when he kicked the door down, he let go of any restraint he had and he was completely focused. She actually didn't see him impale her kidnapper with his sword, she blinked and he was already facing the two bandits. It was then she watched him take his time like he was holding himself back which she knew sounded contradictory but it was true. He let go of the fear of being the monster he saw himself as for that brief moment but still kept himself in check to make sure he didn't unleash all of it at once.
It was after that night that control of his abilities waned, just like hers did when she returned to Arendelle and awoke in that horrid cell. It took her sister's love and acceptance of herself to regain control but she didn't know if that would work for him. Edward kept himself on a very tight leash whenever he could and worried endlessly day by day. That was no way to live, she wanted to change that, she wanted him to live and be happy.
It warmed her heart that he said that she made his life brighter but she still didn't know if he actually loved her. Sure he had strong feelings but love was the strongest one of all, she didn't want to push him but she wanted to know.
She was broken out of her thoughts when she heard a series of taps just below her outside the window. Looking through the class she couldn't see anything but slightly jumped when a hand slapped the glass where her face was and she glared at Edward who was hanging along the castle window ledge. He had that smirk on his face that made her insides melt as he tapped on the window asking she open it.
It was her turn to smirk before she placed a finger on the window and began to drag it along writing something.
'This window doesn't open, you have to go around.'
The man's face scrunched up in confusion for a moment before he fully read what she had said and his eyebrows shot up his face. He gave her a 'Really?' look as she rested her head on her cheek before raising her other hand waving at him. They stood there for a few moments before she got up and with that mischievous smile on her face she closed the curtains to the window blocking his view of her.
She pressed her ear against the wall before she started hearing the sounds of something shuffling outside and she giggled. Leaving her room, she looked down both ends of the hall making sure they were clear before she unlocked the latch and opened the window across from her bedroom. Normally most kingdoms would've felt this be a security threat but the wall along where the window was completely flat making it nearly impossible to climb. The nearest ledge was forty feet below her. She was actually curious how Edward planned to climb through the window.
She got her answer when a body fell from above and grasped the window sill she had just opened. She had to cover her mouth to muffle the shriek that escaped her lips as Edward heaved himself inside and closing the two windows behind him. After doing so he turned to face her and put his hands on his waist before speaking to her.
"Really?"
Elsa laughed as she grabbed him and quickly pulled him into her room before locking the door. She turned around to see him looking at her with his arms crossed while tapping his foot still having that disbelieved expression on his face. She tried to mimic Anna's innocent expression but it seemed to have no effect on the man in front of her.
"What?"
"You couldn't have told me your window doesn't open, had I known that, I would've snuck through the halls."
"I'm not the one who told you to climb the castle wall, that was all you."
Edward raised his arms in the air in exasperation before letting them down and taking a long around the woman's room. To be honest, he wasn't surprised to see bookshelves filled to the brim inside, she did like to read. What did catch his eyes was that he could've sworn that one bookshelf was filled with romance novels. He couldn't help but send the woman a teasing smile as he picked up one and flipped through it's pages.
"And here I was thinking Anna was the hopeless romantic."
The book was soon plucked out of his hands and put back to where it belonged.
"A growing woman can only read policies and familiarize herself with other kingdoms for so long."
"I'm sure."
The two descended into comfortable silence that neither didn't seem to be in a rush to break. The woman took noticed that he was still wearing his coat and gloves on top of his vest and shirt. She was sure he was hot even though it was her room, she was about to ask if he wanted to remove it when he beat her to it.
"So what did Alrick say to you?"
Elsa frowned, she hoped that he wouldn't bring that up so soon, she wanted to talk about them first before the unpleasant business but wasn't surprised. Edward most likely viewed this to be more important than the feelings between them. Which objectively it was, Alrick planned on taking the fight to Father and Edward would be a great help to him if he went along. The problem was that she didn't want him to go, yes it may have been selfish but he's already done enough in her opinion. He wasn't some weapon, he was a person who's been through a traumatic experience and deserved to have the opportunity to make peace with his life.
Yes, she would've liked it if the two of them could be more than friends but even if they didn't, she would like to see him stay. He was basically a brother to Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven. A reluctant son to Captain Stonewell who would probably deny it to his dying breath. He was apart of their family and she was tired of family leaving her but kept quiet, it was his choice and she would support him.
"He wanted to ask if he could speak to all the other kingdoms that were gathered here tomorrow at the summit. Apparently he would like to get on more friendly terms with all of them so he could bring his kingdom into this new era of peace."
"That's good, Blackdust has been in a constant state of war for so long, it deserves to find a little peace after so much bloodshed."
"Yes, after so much pain, one should be allowed to find his own peace without being forced to sacrifice his for the sake of others."
Edward turned toward the woman and wasn't surprised to see the meaningful expression cross the woman's face. He expected that Alrick told her about his offer for him to return to the service and hunt down Rakat's army and regain his status to return home. His old Commander didn't like politics or hiding anything from people without reason, it was courtesy that he told her in case Edward did decide to accept the proposal. He already guessed that she wasn't happy about the offer given the look on her face, especially with what was between them.
With the chance that if he left now, she might never see him again due to the danger of him losing himself to Wrath.
She wanted him to find peace here in Arendelle, which he had, but it wasn't because of the place. It was because of her, she brought peace to his mind, but he knew that he could help bring peace to his homeland and as a soldier he was duty bound to do so.
"Looks like he also told you about his offer to me."
"He did."
"And you don't like it."
Elsa sighed before walking to the foot of her bed and sat on it. She kept her gaze toward the ground as if the words she wanted to say were printed there and would be easier if she could just read it.
"The idea of you leaving to be used as a weapon, no I don't like that. I feel you've already done enough and should just learn to live like a human being and not a soldier. You told me that your life has been filled with tragedy and darkness for so long and now that you've finally had a little bit of light in your life, why would you go back to the darkness?"
Edward wringed his fingers together as he walked over to her and kneeled down so she was looking at him and took her hands in his gloved ones.
"Because part of me feels like it's the least I can do to atone for all the things Wrath made me do. You may be able to look past my sins but I find it hard to do so, they haunt my dreams and are constantly on my mind. Even with the happiness I've found here, don't you think I should use whatever time I have left to help my kingdom find peace?"
Elsa was torn, part of her wanted to slap him over and over until he got it through his head that his actions in the past wasn't his fault while another part of her wanted to kiss him senseless because he was willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of others which was a noble quality. She settled on nodding her head while letting a few tears leak out when she realized he made up his mind.
"I don't want to say that you should focus on your own happiness before others because that's my job on a daily basis. I understand that you feel that you need to do this, you're the type of person who helps people without thinking. You put yourself in harm's way for others even when you want to stay out of conflict, that's one of the things I've come to love about you…"
Elsa tightened her grip on his hands when she said the word love. It took her a while but the heart wanted what it wanted and she was tired of trying to make it see logic. If tonight was going to be her last night with him, she was going to feel and not think.
"Your hardworking, kind, considerate, loyal, and accepting of everything and everyone around you. You take on too much so others wouldn't have to and take responsibility for your actions and mistakes. You may feel that you don't have a heart anymore and that you're a monster but that couldn't be farther from the truth. A monster wouldn't agonize over something that he was forced to do for so long nor would he rush into action to save someone he barely met. A monster wouldn't even consider Alrick's offer but here you are, I wish you could see what I see when I see you."
Edward couldn't help but chuckle a bit as he felt his heart swell, this woman really knew how to cut deep into his feelings. It's what made it easy to say what he wanted.
"The other part of me on the other hand, can't seem to bring myself to leave this place. The peace and happiness I have here has done me well. I've been able to enjoy life a bit more since coming here and it's been really nice. I also have been able to get a couple of ideas on how to control Wrath as well as get answers to questions I would've never been able to answer on my own. Most of all…"
Edward brought the woman's hands to his lips before kissing each knuckle and looking at her with a sincere expression.
"I was able to meet you, the one person who has seen me what I have hidden inside and haven't ran away. Instead you stayed and want to help me heal, I was able to share with you my pain that I've held in for so long. You've given me strength when I had none and made me hopeful for the future. You mean so much to me and when I think of the possibility that you could be in danger, I want to be right there standing in between you and it. Elsa, I can't leave you, I want to stay with you, not because of the dangers or because I feel serene around you. I want to stay because I don't want to deny the world one of its brightest lights that without a doubt touched many people's lives. The same way it shined on mine and chased away all the darkness."
The woman couldn't help the happy cascade of tears that began to come down her face at his words. She was so sure he had decided to leave like he always planned to but hearing that he wanted to stay for her made her heart fly to cloud nine.
"Don't think you're the only one who gets to protect someone, next time, I'm going to save you."
Edward stood up before raising his right hand to her cheek and wiped some of tears away before leaning down.
"You already did."
It was when he pressed his lips against hers that the right feeling they both craved returned and it was much stronger now than it was before.
READ THIS!
I'm watching Frozen 2 TOMORROW XD. I'm going to try and knock out a short chapter before I watch the movie, I want to cement the relationship between these two before the movie pairs her with somebody. I REALLY REALLY hope they keep her single because then all these wonderous fanfictions we have would just be mute you know. Anyway I'm just going to say it right here because ya'll know what's coming.
NEXT CHAPTER IS A LEMON
Its finally happening and that's why its going to be a shorter chapter. I would put in little caption marks where its actually going to be in the chapter but it wouldn't work because I'm putting in some revelant stuff inside the lemon portion. So I'm sorry but I suggest you take it with a grain of salt and read it, I'm going to try and be descriptive but not SUPER descriptive you know, I'm going for a lovey feel which I hope is what you got from this chapter. Anyway drop a review or pm me if you need to contact me i'll catch ya'll later.