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As much as it pained him to admit it, Edward did not stay with Elsa after delivering her present. He stayed long enough for her to talk out a situation that she was dealing with concerning the Southern Isles and how she felt sending an ambassador to a potential warzone instead of herself. He immediately wanted to argue saying that she shouldn't go but she already addressed his concerns with how dangerous her going might be. She accurately pointed out her lack in experience when it came to violent confrontation that could be a danger to herself and her allies as well as her enemies.
She was right, as much as he treasured Elsa's hesitance to abuse her abilities, it gave her opponents much better means to injure her. He thought about suggesting that she learn self defense to ensure her safety but there were a few things getting in the way. One being that she was a Queen and thus her time was a premium which she would need to devote a lot to so she could learn effectively. Another was that he didn't know how much use it would be since she had Elemental powers.
Sure they could be taken away, but only by the special cuffs that Blackdust made and there was a very limited number of those seeing as Talib's storage of material for them were vastly depleted. The fact that Greed had two pairs was startling yet at the end of the day, Elsa had more power than any of them. She just needed someone to teach her how to use her abilities in combat.
Even though Edward had fought an Elemental before, he had no idea how to train one. In his mind, there was so much to teach Elsa who could literally make anything that came up in her mind and pretty much control a situation however she saw fit. Even Maurice who killed over two hundred Mystic Guard soldiers in a single night, didn't have power like she had. Truly, the only thing that limited the blonde's awe inspiring power was her kindness. She needed someone who understood that concept but the list of people who fit the bill was small, especially when there weren't many Elementals who were open with their abilities.
Lilian's father was on a farm far away from anyone else and he was still captured and killed by soldiers. He likely would've been a good candidate to help teach Elsa but that ship sailed. Edward supposed he could ask Lilian herself to teach the blonde but that would require him getting permission from Ahimoth who was currently still hating his guts. Maybe he could ask Alrick about it, if Blackdust really wanted to join in the era of peace that Arendelle offered then sending someone to help train the Queen wouldn't be too far out of the realm of possibility.
The young man filed that line of thought for a later date and helped convince the woman that sending an ambassador was the best option. He also pointed out that the ambassador would be briefed of course and have security with them. There was also Alrick's offer to send Blackdust soldier's to accompany the ambassador. Edward could easily guess why the King offered to send his soldiers, he wanted to put the alliance in his debt. He could also demonstrate that his men weren't bloodthirsty killers anymore and that they could be used just for protection instead of war. It was a noble and smart reason but the young man also knew better.
If things really went south, he had no doubt that Alrick would order his men to cripple the enemy making war a foolish course of action.
The King had seen his share of blood and death in the fires of war but would fight a hundred more to keep his kingdom safe. For now, he was trying to peacefully provide his kingdom and cultivate a new livelihood for the next generation could grow in. Besides, he already had his hands full with Rakat's army being in the wind. If they ever decided to march on Blackdust, Alrick wanted to make sure he had other kingdoms backing him up, considering all the bloodthirsty and savage soldiers in their army left with Wrath.
In conclusion, he suggested that Elsa agree to Alrick's proposal to send additional support and when the ambassador met with the Southern Isles leadership, they could go from there. The blonde remained a little unsure but satisfied enough to think on it later.
It was then she asked him if he was going to stay the night again.
He wanted to say yes, God knew he wanted to but unfortunately, with the summit ending and winter beginning again, his instructor duties would start up once. There was even talk going around that Stonewell was planning a winter field exercise for the guards. Usually the old man would join the guards and leave a good amount of them behind in case something happened but for some reason, he actually told Edward that only the two of them would be going for three days. Luckily it would be after Anna's wedding but the young man needed to prepare and get the next week or two ready quickly.
That meant that he would need to be up in training yard early tomorrow for his training session with the Captain as well as plan out the next step of training and drills for his classes. So he gave the woman another kiss while making an effort to not look in her eyes as he knew he wouldn't be able to tell her no if she asked again before leaving the room. He was able to sneak back into his room before sleeping for a few hours then getting up again to get ready.
When he arrived at the training yard, the morning rounds between the two men were done quickly and they were able to go to his office and get through some more planning. Edward couldn't help but hold his breath every time the old man managed to get a grip on his left arm whenever they fought one another. Ever since getting his new arm, he made sure to take extra care in keeping his left arm out of the old man's reach at all times. The problem with that was it made his form slip up a bit when they sparred which had gotten him beaten a few times. Stonewell never said anything about it, only giving the young man time to get back on his feet so that they could continue.
They worked in the Captain's office until noon getting some things finalized before the old man told Edward that he had to attend to some duties for the rest of the day so the young man would have to finish up by himself. Before he could argue, Stonewell was already out the door and slammed it with a loud bang leaving him alone in the office staring at the hill of paperwork in front of him.
It took the rest of the day for Edward to finish all the paper work as well as checking up on guard positions throughout Arendelle and consulting with the investigation on the murder of Prince Albert. When he looked over the report, nothing in particular stood out to him. It was a messy murder which might suggest amatuers yet with the way the bodies were found suggested that someone knew what they were doing.
The Prince's body was found skinned, cut all over, and torn apart. Highly messy and unnecessary given that the victim would most assuredly die after being skinned alive. Not to mention the cuts all over then being torn into little pieces, whoever did this was either very angry or wanted to send a message. When he read the note, Edward couldn't help but shudder a bit. This was a message to Alrick, who like him, has made a lot of enemies after becoming King.
There weren't many people who could sneak into a kingdom and assassinate a Prince as well as his guards without anyone finding out after they were long gone. It took a depraved mind to come up with something like this, one name that came to mind was Asger the Crusher, the only human that Edward believed to be a bigger monster than himself. He had heard many things about the man that made his skin crawl, any and all rumors that suggested that Blackdust soldiers were mindless monsters began with him. Burning kingdoms, killing civilians, and all manner of horrors were right up the Crusher's alley.
If he was here in Arendelle…
Edward shook his head, he really didn't want to consider that particular scenario. It already made him post extra guards in security positions in the castle as well as around the village all with instructions to report in every so often. Despite all the crap he got from not being an official part of the Arendellian guard, the guards listened to his orders.
Even Hector seemed willing to work with him after seeing the Prince's body. The asshole stayed next to Elsa every moment of her day and the very few times he left, he had the same four guards replace him to avoid the imposters fiasco.
After dealing with that, Edward then met with all the visiting kingdoms' security face to face to follow up with the investigation as well as have an idea on who was here. For obvious reasons, he avoided the Blackdust ship which probably only housed a few soldiers who were told to remain on the ship to avoid any panic. While Rahim was reported to have been killed in action during the civil war, there were still people alive who had seen his face and knew of his crimes. Even if Alrick said he could have him reinstated, the blood was still there and even a King saying that it was all to save the kingdom, there would still be those who felt that someone like Rahim shouldn't be allowed to continue to live and serve.
So he sent another guard to follow up with the Blackdust envoy who as expected responded that they didn't see anything as they haven't left the ship due to the King's orders. When he finally compiled all the reports and eyewitness statements he was able to draw up a rough estimate of when the Prince was murdered.
The day was nearing its end when Stonewell finally returned from his errands where he received a briefing from Edward about the changes he implemented while the old man was gone. The Captain listened and agreed with them before saying that their evening training would have to be canceled to continue the investigation. When the young man shared his findings there was one thing that stood out to both of them.
During the time that the Prince was confirmed to have been alive and on the ship, there were only a handful of dockworkers that loaded supplies onto the ship before and after the ball. Mr. Claudius was the one who called the guard when he found that the deck was empty after seeing it being patrolled by men last night. Another kingdom's guard confirmed this and said that when they were rotated for security of the ship, they could see that deck was empty. There was no sound of struggle or weapons, just complete and utter silence a few hours after Mr. Claudius left earlier that night. When he returned thirty minutes later after they noticed that the deck was empty, he called the guards.
That would mean the killer would only have thirty minutes to do the deed as well as get away, assuming that all the men on the ship were actually Southern Isles soldiers. With the amount of bodies found below decks, there were a total of at least forty men as well as leave the Prince's body in that state. Such a feat would require either a lot of men, or a highly skilled one. Edward personally hoped it was the former, in that case, that many people would leave a trail somewhere. However if it was just one person…
The last thing we need is another one of me in Arendelle.
The only thing they could do is continue investigating but the day was coming to an end and Stonewell decided to call it. The two of them left it for tomorrow and went their separate ways to rest. On his way out the castle, Edward considered sneaking into Elsa's room to wish her goodnight. He knew he could do it without getting caught as he himself seen the guard routes and times and already devised a way to get past them. At the same time though, he admitted that she needed her sleep. He knew the phrase was beauty sleep but he also knew she didn't need that seeing as she was the most beautiful angel he's ever seen.
In the end, he decided to just go back to his room, with him sitting with Stonewell all day, he never got to test his left arm. At first, the sight of it repulsed and angered him yet as he left the village and used it repeatedly it was quickly becoming more a part of him. He learned that his arm was more or less as strong as Wrath would be in all his demonic glory. Punching trees began to get redundant as he completely shattered them with ease. He moved onto mountain faces and began making quite an impact on the hard surfaces. His claws were strong enough to cling to the stone walls and he was able to support his weight with his one arm.
If someone asked he'd deny it but his left arm was becoming very useful.
There was also the mental aspect that he began to dabble in on the Captain's advice. After the amazing night he spent with Elsa who helped him honestly and completely relax, he was able to peer inside Wrath's soul. He felt lighter after getting past the Sin's obstacles. It felt like he was being pulled down deeper and deeper into a dark ocean and her voice helped pull him out and he was able to take a full breath of fresh air.
Tonight he wanted to try again, he wanted to be able to see if he could get to that place by himself.
When Edward made it to his room, he locked the door and sat on his bed before taking a deep breath and opened the channel on his side. Unlike the last time there was no sudden pull of rage, only a small inkling becoming him forward. His consciousness wandered in the direction not feeling anything until finally the world around him became visible.
The first thing he noticed was that he was standing on a reflective surface of some kind. As he looked down, he saw the moon in the sky. When he looked up at the moon, he noticed something was off about it, he could tell it was a full moon but there was a very large shadow on it. The young man racked his mind for a moment trying to think of what it could be until he remembered one of his tutors explaining to him what a lunar eclipse was. It was a time when the Earth would be in between the Sun and the Moon. Back then, it really didn't mean much to him seeing it now, he couldn't help but think it was something important.
As he continued to stare at the image in the sky he noticed how dark the sky was. It was completely blacked out yet everything was still visible, just like in Wrath's soul. Thinking he made it back, Edward looked around and could see a large structure in the distance. Assuming that it was the courtyard that housed all of Wrath's relics, he sprinted toward the structure.
As he ran and ran, the structure got no closer whatsoever, Edward increased his speed hoping that it would begin to get closer but time went on and it was still the same distance away. He finally came to a halt and expected his lungs to burn but to his surprise, they didn't. In fact he couldn't feel anything, he was in a void like space that had nothing in it.
There was only the courtyard, the reflective ground, and the moon.
Edward stood there for a moment trying to decide his next course of action. He was somewhere, maybe not Wrath's soul but he was somewhere. He could go back, he proved he could get here but there just had to be something more than just this...void. Running wouldn't help, perhaps the courtyard in the distance would stay at that distance, no matter how much effort he put into closing it. He looked back at the lunar eclipse, there must be some reason why it is visible in the sky now and not the last time he came here.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized he didn't know anything at all. After a while, he even considered asking Wrath for help. The demon didn't seem to be angry or hostile the last two times they talked and he said that he'd give him a fair shot.
"Hey Wrath you out there, mind explaining why I'm out here and not your lovely castle?"
He waited for a response or in the Sin's case, a footstep of some kind to signal he wasn't alone. Yet none came. He waited and waited but still nothing. It was odd, usually Wrath would just show himself to talk but now it was like he was far away. Edward closed his eyes and tried to focus and maybe get a feeling where the demon was but all he got was a faint feedback in the direction of the far off structure.
Maybe Wrath was trying to keep him out of his soul, but if that were the case where were the obstacles. Surely the Sin could come up with more than just memory flashes to keep the young man out of his soul. Whatever it was, no one was here and it was starting to get irritating just standing out in the middle of nowhere. The young man decided to just call it and go back to his room and rest up for tomorrow.
Wrath was sitting on the ruined battlements and felt Edward disappear from beyond the walls of his soul. Even though he knew exactly where his host was, he couldn't see him when he tried running over here. The demon couldn't see anything past the walls, all that was there was complete and utter darkness that warned him to stay away from. There have been times he tried to walk out the courtyard only to find himself falling and feel everything around him go dark. He would always hurry back to the safety of his walls and let everything become visible again.
It was always so dark, always so quiet.
Any human would have lost their mind ages ago but for Wrath, this had always been home. So many years just sitting here, gathering relics of past warriors to alleviate the loneliness that hung around the courtyard like a plague. These human emotions angered him so much yet he never had a name for them until he looked through Rahim's mind. He was always a caged animal, only let out to kill before being reined in.
For once in his life, he had the freedom to do whatever he wished and he chose to stay in his courtyard.
Most would call it sad that he chose to imprison himself in his own soul and allow his weaker half to walk in the light.
Despite all his power, Wrath was still a caged animal, he just happened to switch jailers for the moment. Edward was a much better option than that alchemist or Father for that matter. He could overpower Edward at any time, yet with those two he couldn't or perhaps more accurately, wouldn't. It never occured to the demon to attempt to rebel against those two, only to follow their orders to the letter.
When they told him to evacuate Rakat's army and oversee them as they traveled around he was intent on doing just that. Watching the soldiers indulge in their base instincts as they destroyed innocent lives only proved what the demon thought of humans in the first place. That they were pathetic creatures that needed Father's hand to guide them.
It wasn't until one of the women that had a resemblance to Rahim's mother made Edward fight so hard to wrestle control of their body. Wrath fought equally hard to carry out Father's wishes but was completely overwhelmed and watched his body run from the jailer that always controlled him. It was truly an odd feeling, every step they took away from Father, the more freedom the demon felt.
However it wouldn't last, Father would find them, and when he did, there would be no stopping resisting him.
Truthfully, Wrath wouldn't interfere with Edward unless absolutely necessary. The timeline of when the demon would test Edward could be years from now or tomorrow, all it depended on was when Father found out where they were. Wrath enjoyed the freedom he had right now but was completely subservient to Father, if he ordered it then Wrath would carry it out.
The murderous persona inside him was eager to taste more anger and more blood but the demon kept it at bay. There would be a time and place for that later, for now all he would do was continue to wait.
Today was the day, the foreign dignitaries would be leaving after one quick summit meeting. Elsa had explained to the other kingdoms that she would be sending an ambassador today to report on the situation of the Southern Isles. She also accepted King Alrick's offer to send a few of his men to accompany the ambassador for extra security. It was at this time that he asked the summit if Blackdust would be allowed to join their alliance.
There were some deliberations until finally they came to the agreement that if his men could guarantee the safe return of the Arendellian ambassador then they would allow his kingdom to join. That wrapped up the meeting where Alrick left to bring forth the men who would be joining the ambassador.
Which left Elsa to find an ambassador who was willing to walk into a potential warzone. As she looked through a list of people capable of being able to do it, Captain Stonewell brought up a file on a particular woman who was an assistant to Duke Eren. Her name was Grace Stillwater. According to this, she was taken in by the castle staff when she was a little girl. She had no memory of her parents and was mostly a servant girl until the Duke took a personal interest in her. He taught her how about politics and after years of study, she was made his assistant.
Elsa thought back to the few times she would see a young woman likely in her late twenties, hanging around the Duke and discussing matters with him before a council meeting. She remembered the woman being taller than herself and usually had her ash blonde hair up in a clip behind her head. Her eyes were usually so focused on the documents in front of her and Elsa couldn't remember a time she actually seen the woman smile.
Her file was quite impressive at a glance more so than the other candidates and she had the Duke's complete endorsement in anything she set out to do. Before Elsa could ask the Captain why he would recommend her, the man was already out her study. Filing that conversation for a later date, the Queen asked the Duke if he would speak to her about the matter. When they convened in her study, the blonde showed the man the file.
"You are well aware of our current situation and that we need to send an ambassador to the Southern Isles. While looking through potential candidates, your assistant was suggested that she would be perfect for the task. I read through her file and she seems to be quite adept when it comes to analyzing and adapting to complex situations. It also says here that she has also received military training which is usually odd for a Duke assistant. Since you know her best, I wanted to hear your thoughts on the matter."
The man looked down at the report in thought for a moment before looking back at the Queen. "Grace is quite accomplished and I agree with everything said in the report. She has a knack for noticing the little things and can think on the fly whenever it calls for it. I truly couldn't have a better assistant, if I were to die tomorrow, she'd be the one I'd recommend take my place on the council."
Elsa could tell he meant what he said about the woman but something told her there was a 'but' coming.
"However, her negotiation skills might need some work. If you've met her, you can tell that she is a very cold woman, one that would take any little advantage she could get. Don't misunderstand, she has no bad intentions but if she were to go to the Southern Isles and is expected to negotiate a cease of hostility, I'm not sure if she could."
There it was, the 'but' in the conversation. The more Elsa thought about it, she could see how it wouldn't be a good idea to send her to other kingdoms as an ambassador yet this was a special situation. All Grace would have to do is go there and report on the situation of the Southern Isles. While it would be nice if she could talk down any sort of hostility, her main objective was to see whoever was in control of the Southern Isles and learn of the situation.
"I understand your concerns but I would like to know is do you think she would do this given the potential danger? She needn't negotiate, just learn about the situation and return so that we may respond appropriately."
"Grace would take any assignment given to her despite any danger. If there was one thing her parents left her, it's the ability to remain focused no matter the situation."
Sounds kind of like Captain Stonewell.
"Do you mind sending for her then? I would like to explain the situation to her personally."
Stonewell had left the Queen's study to go back to his office to see Edward still looking through some documents. With the young man here, the workload that the Captain had to attend to really went down. It was nice having someone to help out in the office, not that the old man would admit it out loud.
The guards were getting better and better as seen in the tournament. Still, they had a long way to go until they were at the level that he would like them at. With the Gathering coming to an end, he could now focus his men and continue their training instead of having them out in force for security.
There was one problem to that plan though. His eyes slid over to Edward as he reached for a cigar and prepared to smoke it. The young man had been somewhat distracted recently, it definitely showed during their morning training. He didn't say anything, expecting that the new instructor would fix it on his own. For the most part he did, however, it was still there.
At first the Captain thought it might've been a wound on his left arm and just needed time to heal. Yet as he watched Edward go about his duties, there were no hindrance in movement when it came to his left arm. There was also the fact that he wore a great coat as well as gloves to their training rounds. Such clothing would get in the way of fighting and with them moving at the pace they set, the young man must be overheating under his clothes.
There was just something off about Edward. He told himself he didn't care as long as the new instructor did his job but...perhaps Agnarr's desire to help others began to rub off on him. Walter Stonewell was a genuine asshole, and proud of it too. The only reason that Princess Anna liked him as a 'grumpy grandpa' was because he generally liked to indulge in her unladylike behavior and teach her more about the real world. When he met Edward, he played being polite for the sake of Elsa standing right there but he could instantly tell there was something about the young man. When they fought, the young man reminded Stonewell of when he was a kid.
Now if the Stonewell as old man was an asshole, him as a young one was a straight up shithead.
He was always so angry as a lad, got into so many bar fights back in his home kingdom that he was banned from drinking. That left him even angrier and he took it out on the battlefield, those who crossed his path were mauled by a little monster. As he got older and wiser, that anger turned to power instead of blind intentions. His skills kept his attacks precise while his anger made them effective as well as devastating.
And as he got even older, he learned to mellow out to be just an asshole, as much as he tried to fight it, age did take a toll on the body. His scars humbled him that he couldn't be out of control on the battlefield or he'd end up dead one day. His history was one battle right after another until he finally found a peaceful place to live the rest of his days out in. He didn't expect he could do this forever, no one could, sooner or later he'd need a replacement. At first he considered Hector, it pained him to admit it but the man was quite skilled. Knew how to command others, made smart decisions in battles, and had Arendelle's safety at the forefront of his mind.
He would've been a suitable replacement, had Stonewell not fought Edward one on one.
The young man certainly had past issues weighing him down and had trouble controlling his temper. At first he was doing just fine but when he returned with the Queen after saving her from those bandits, it was like something changed. When they first started to train together and Edward finally had the katana made for him, the skill the young man exhibited was astounding. Stonewell had to actually try when they fought one another, however there were always moments he could see the young man debate on his next action.
Once when they were first starting out, the Captain overcommitted to a dual slash at the young man's midsection and watched him begin to lean just out of reach. When he was sure that he avoided the blades, Edward's forearms flexed in anticipation of bringing the katana down on his opponent. For an extremely brief moment, Stonewell saw his blue eyes flash red for a moment before he his body started moving toward ending the match right then right there. Knowing such an attack would leave him heavily injured if not killed, the Captain started taking a step forward to get in close and tackle the young man to cease the attack.
He watched Edward's red eyes narrow before his body jerked then dived out of the way of his opponent's charge. Stonewell quickly faced his opponent and expected a brutal attack but was confused to see the young man standing far out of his reach taking a knee. His blue eyes were wide and unfocused but remained on the old man prepared to continue fighting. The Captain decided to call it and allow the young man to rest as he went back to his office and sat in his chair.
He remained still for a few moments before he looked to his hand and noticed it was shaking. Stonewell knew why he was shaking, in that brief instant where Edward's eyes turned red, the new instructor was about to kill him. When the young man dodged his attack and prepared to deliver his own, he saw what the Captain planned to do. When those eyes narrowed, it was like he was irritated that his opponent thought they could avoid the outcome of the battle.
Edward's body moved much faster than Stonewell was ready for, when it suddenly stopped, it seemed like a jerk to anyone else but to the old man, it was Edward stopping his own body and deciding to roll away from his opponent. The Captain could feel the murderous aura that came off the young man in that brief moment before it evaporated. His interest was continuously stoked by the new instructor so he observed him, it wasn't until the young man opened up did Stonewell make his decision.
Edward was truly a tortured young man who had a protective heart yet also had an extremely honed killer instinct. He'd rather stay out of conflict but he would rush in to protect people whenever he was needed. Someone like that was what Stonewell felt could take his place when the day came when he couldn't do this anymore. To that end, he compiled his own research on the young man and began to plan things out.
Yesterday when he left Edward in charge, he completed his research. Everything made so much sense now and posed a new set of problems he needed to work out. For now however, he needed to wait until they were on their winter field excerise.
The two of them worked through some documents until Stonewell glanced up at the clock in his office. "Alright get going. I need you to go see our guests out of the castle. I have to work out a security detail for a trip to the Southern Isles. When you're done, you should check in with Princess Anna, I'm told that she needs some help that will likely take you away from duties as being an instructor as well as my little helper."
Edward considered throwing a comeback for the little helper comment but decided to just follow the old man's orders and left the office. As he made his way to the castle, he noticed that most of the guests had already left, except for King Alrick who was talking with Elsa and had six men standing behind him. As he got closer and noticed what they were wearing, he stopped in his tracks.
Black frock coats, thick pants, boots, and different sets of armor for each of them.
For a moment, he wasn't in Arendelle anymore, he was in Blackdust facing the last few members of the Mystic Guard. They all charged with rage in their hearts and he danced in between all of their strikes with no effort. One after another they fell to his blade, try as they might they were no match for Wrath. Each of their families flashed in his mind as he killed them, the reason why they continued to throw their lives away attacking him even when they watched their comrades amount to nothing but cannon fodder.
Edward continued to stand there, blankly staring at them as they stood at attention behind Alrick as he spoke to Elsa. Part of him wanted to run, to run far away from the memory in front of him but he didn't. He remembered what the blonde had told him that night, he took a deep breath and was able to dissolve the nightmare and return to Arendelle.
These men couldn't have been from that night, all of the Mystic Guard were dead except for Ahimoth and Alrick. If the Prince really told his father that Wrath was in Arendelle and the King offered to have him reinstated, there was no way they'd risk bringing men that could recognize Rahim. With that in mind, he took a deep breath to calm himself and began walking over.
"These men will accompany your envoy to the Southern Isles, I guarantee they will do their utmost to ensure the integrity and safety of your ambassador."
"Thank you, Your Majesty Arendelle is grateful."
Alrick nodded before turning to Edward who was just now coming into view. The young man stood off to the side from the Queen and bowed his head before speaking.
"I would also like to thank you Your Majesty for everything you've done for me. The information we discussed has been sent back to your ship and hopefully will be useful in the future."
"I'm sure it will be, even if its not completely accurate, it will still narrow down possibilities and we can cross reference with other sources of information. Judging by the way you're speaking, it seems you decided against my proposal, is there any way I can persuade you to change your mind?"
Edward chanced a brief glance at Elsa that only her and Alrick caught before clearing his throat and shaking his head.
"I'm afraid not Your Majesty, I feel that I'm finally somewhere I belong. I haven't been in as much peace anywhere else but here and I'm starting to move forward with my life and not be as fixed on the past as I used to be. If you really need me however, I'll be more than willing to come running to help, it's the least I can do for all the trouble I've caused."
Alrick listened to the young man in front of him and couldn't help but be a little taken aback. He remembered Rahim always focused on the task at hand and barely allowing human emotion to fall through the cracks. They were there but few and far between moments that made him seem like he was more soldier than human. Hearing his voice talking about peace and the future was quite surprising and really drove home that this wasn't Rahim anymore.
This was someone else who knows they've done bad things and trying to make up for them while staying in a place they can improve themselves.
If only Rahim could've had the same opportunity…
"I will keep that in mind. In any case, I must depart, I've left Blackdust to my son for quite some time and the sooner I leave her and attend to another matter, the sooner I can return home. But before I leave…"
Alrick reached into his coat pocket and produced a box before handing it to Edward. The young man looked confused for a moment and opened it to see what was inside. Several cigars were inside the box and all of them looked quite expensive compared to the ones he'd seen the Captain smoke so often. Looking back up with a raised eyebrow, the King chuckled at the obvious question.
"Those aren't for you. I was hoping you could pass them off to Old Stone whenever you get the chance."
Edward frowned and looked up sharply when he heard the Captain's nickname that mentioned. He himself hadn't got the chance to say it to the old man but in the weeks he's been here, he's never heard anyone say it to the Captain so it couldn't have been a common name. Even Elsa had a confused look on her face at who the King was talking about.
"You know Walter Stonewell?"
"Who do you think gave the guy his nickname? I haven't seen him in thirty odd years, thought he was dead for the longest time until I saw him the other day. We didn't get the chance to talk about the old days but there wasn't much that needed saying. I'm sure he'll get a kick out of those Figurado cigars, they were his favorite back then. Well as I said before, I must be leaving."
With that Alrick left the courtyard leaving the men that would be accompanying the Arendellian ambassador. As he left, Edward couldn't help but look down at the box in his hands before a whirlwind of thoughts raced around in his head.
They know each other? What if Alrick told him everything about me? Wait he said they really didn't get a chance to talk. That doesn't mean Stonewell definitely doesn't know anything.
Edward really wanted to ask but with everyone standing right there, he kept his mouth shut. One way or another, he'd find out just how much the Captain knew and how he would react to the information.
In Blackdust, Ahimoth was staring intently at the empty armor rack in front of him. He had spent most of his day going over logistics and policies while taking some time to help plan his wedding. Lilian had taken the bulk of planning and came by every so often to check up on him as well as ask his opinion on some of the details. Most of the time he'd agree with whatever she'd say but others he added in his preferences to show he really was listening and thinking.
Since the King had left for Arendelle, the Prince had to step up in a big way to fill in the unfulfilled duties left by the reigning monarch. There were some days he wanted to rip his hair off his head and others he thought about jumping off the tallest point of the castle. Today was a new experience, it was mostly easy with the council not breathing down his neck in the morning. He honestly thought today would be his one good day until he noticed something in his office.
During the last throes of the civil war when Rakat's army decided to cut their losses and escape the kingdom, he was lying in a bed injured from Wrath's betrayal. Upon waking up days later, he was told that Rakat was dead and Alrick was the King now. The following weeks he helped rebuild Blackdust and smooth over the animosity left by the previous ruler. Since his father was the King and he was the highest ranking person under him and his son, Ahimoth was made Prince when the new government was established.
It took time and with Arendelle's help, they were able to stabilize the kingdom. One day when Ahimoth was helping with recovery operations of dead bodies as well as weapons, he was brought familiar set of armor and a sheathed katana that belonged to his best friend. Officially Rahim was killed in the Dark Forest and his body was never recovered. However during the slaughter of innocent people, several soldiers had seen a man matching Rahim's description running from the site.
Most of the soldiers that had seen Rahim were appalled when they found out that Rakat ordered the execution of civilians and gave the order to one man who was considered his 'Wrath'. When they rebelled and sided with Alrick, they spread the story of this Wrath character and that he was directly under the King. After the defeat of Rakat, someone had to take over for his army. With the Crusher not present, Wrath had to personally scour the kingdom for the field commanders and order they retreat.
When the Blackdust forces tried to stop them, Wrath killed a good portion of them but ultimately left survivors since he was more interested in ensuring the army escaped. When all was said and done, the newly formed council conducted a threat analysis to figure out who was in charge of Rakat's army. As they scoured reports and collected eye witness statements, they came to the result that the man in charge of the evacuation was in the Mystic Guard.
Alrick had wrote in a report that upon returning to Blackdust from Elysion, he only had twenty-four members remaining. With Rahim's death in the Dark Forest that number dropped one then it once again dropped to two when they went after Rakat. The bodies of all twenty-two were recovered, leaving one unaccounted for and ordered an investigation. That led to Talib saying that he had seen the body but had disappeared from the lab. When asked if the body was dead, the alchemist answered that he didn't get the chance as he had other pressing matters to attend to.
That brought up a very exhaustive debate on if Rahim was alive or not. When they questioned Ahimoth, he said that he was stabbed in the chest by someone who looked like Rahim but was unsure as he fainted from blood loss quickly after. There was also the fact that they recovered the man's armor and weapon which a soldier would not leave unattended. The armor was found in the Dark Forest while the katana was found among the bodies.
At first the council issued that Rahim was a traitor and should be announced but before doing so, one more report came in. It was from the soldier who had brought the body to the alchemist's lab. The man had said that there was a gaping hole in the sternum and a massive amount of blood, too much blood for one to survive without. He also went on to say the body did not move an inch and the breathing ceased an hour before making it to the Talib's workshop. When the council asked to meet this soldier, they found out he was killed during the evacuation.
There was no definitive way to decide if he was still alive given the state of the body in the report. It would've almost been like Rahim came back to life after being killed which was a ridiculous notion. The council decided to keep the original record that he had been killed in the Dark Forest, however stated the matter was not closed. When Pride returned, he was sent off with orders to find and eliminate the remnants of Rakat's army as well as look for any sign that this brother was alive.
That left what to do with the armor and weapon of Rahim. Originally, the council was going to destroy as it might've been a symbol of a traitor, Ahimoth took it claiming that he knew Rahim best and deserved to keep it. So he had the armored repaired and had it moved into his office as a reminder that even close friends could be the most terrible enemies. He would look at it from time to time remembering the good times they shared on the battlefield where life used to be simple.
Only to find that one day, the armor and katana were missing.
He looked over every surface in his office for some kind of marking to indicate that someone had been there to take it. There was no trace whatsoever. He ordered the guards to scour the castle then branch out into the kingdom, he even contacted the docks and had them search every ship that was in the harbor.
There was nothing.
Eventually the council found out and asked if he had any idea who would've stolen a dead man's armor and weapon. When Ahimoth couldn't answer, they then asked why he had returned from Arendelle so early? He was very excited to go there and for him to leave for no reason was suspicious. There was also the fact that his traitorous old friend's items were stolen from his office. Ahimoth knew what they were looking for and didn't have to wait long until they asked.
Did he see Rahim while he was in Arendelle.
For a brief moment, he thought about saying yes out of spite for everything that happened but remembered one thing. Rahim was dead, he died in the Dark Forest, the thing that betrayed them wasn't his best friend. As much as he hated Wrath, the demon had already been given a punishment and the King agreed with it. As long as the Prince stayed in Blackdust, he would never see Wrath again.
He answered no and stated that Rahim was truly dead and would never come back. Of course the council didn't buy this and told him they would be opening up a new investigation. Which if it was discovered the Prince was hiding the truth about Rahim and if the King was aware of the information and doesn't share it with the kingdom, there would be dire consequences.
Ahimoth said nothing and returned to his office where he sat now looking at the empty armor rack. He couldn't see Wrath returning to Blackdust for a simple set of armor and weapon with killing anyone. The Prince had a feeling something else was at play here and knew that he had to consult with the King as soon as he returned.
There was still so much to do inside the kingdom, but personally his mind kept wandering to the outside. Particularly to that Greed character, there were a very short number of people who knew he went to Elysion. With the way the man described him, Ahimoth must've known him before they even went. That meant that Greed was in the Mystic Guard as well and now that the Prince knew that coming back from death was possible, he scoured through the reports of all the members of the Guard looking for any that he didn't know.
Took some time but he was able to narrow it down to twenty people and in those reports he compared he looked for older members given that Greed said 'boy' to him meaning that he was at the very least older than him. That narrowed it down four members all of which were killed the night Wrath wiped them out.
Getting out of his seat, he walked over to his desk and grabbed the four reports and walked out of the castle. He dismissed his guards and proceeded alone to a cemetery where he found the first of the four graves. He hesitated in what he was about to do but he needed to be certain. Grabbing the shovel he brought with him, Ahimoth started digging, sending a prayer and apology to the fallen comrades who were about to have their grave defiled.
I am still not feeling these chapters, I really wish I could just skip to the later chapters that I'm really excited to write about. Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter and I apologize for the late updates, I've been really busy. Please read and review and pm me if you need to contact me. Have a nice one.