Hey guys new chapter after three days, I'm still working but since the Coronavirus is mucking things up I have some more downtime and I was able to knock out this chapter. There's no promises that I will have a faster update like this one and personally I feel the quality of this chapter was not that great but I'll see what ya'll think.
Also to the guest review who reviewed today, thank you for that I really apprecieated it. I was trying to get Elsa's kindess down after watching both movies as well as Once Upon a Time. I also appreciate your opinion on Edward being well written and hope you come to enjoy future chapters.
Hans was led by quiet armed guards before he was told to wait in a nicely furnished room. He noticed the looks the guards had given him and smirked when they said nothing and remained still like dogs kept on a leash. His personal guards had been surveying each and every aspect of the castle as well as their route getting here with great intensity that pulled at his mind. He didn't want the Snow Queen to have any idea of what they were planning and his men continuing to note all the exits and entry points along their route was not helping. However when he thought about it, he wasn't too surprised.
These particular men had been handpicked by Greed to act as his guards. The two of them wore identical uniforms fitting of the Southern Isles. Dark grey coats that were buttoned up with thick grey pants tucked into their boots. The Arendellian guards had confiscated their weapons upon entry of the castle but the King knew better, these men were quite dangerous without them. Their movements were all purposeful and with calculated precision. What was quite unnerving about them was the look in their eyes. They were a dull red with their pupils being the size of pinpricks. They weren't as bright and had the same amount of power behind them that Greed's did but they were still off putting.
The taller of the two had his very short blond hair cut close to his skull but had enough to cover his head and have a small amount jutting out from his forehead. His face was free of any age lines or scars and was cleanly shaven. The shorter one had his spiky black jutting out in a myriad of directions and had a scar on the left corner of his mouth that stopped just under his lips and ran down his chin.
They hadn't given any names or even spoke for that matter, Greed just called them by number. The blonde one was #41 while the other was #27. When the King asked why they had numbers instead of names, the bandit leader said that it was more efficient to give them numbers and these men gave up their names to be a part of something bigger. That was an ominous thing to say but Hans chose not to comment on it and let the two of them flank him as he waited for the Snow Queen to see him.
He was surprised to see the ship from Blackdust pulling into port next to him but ultimately was happy they came. It made what he planned to do easier and would no doubt give him an opportunity that he could exploit in the future. Especially with the little gift that he had stashed back on his ship, if he gave it to the right person, he might gain another ally.
A knock on the door announced someone's presence as a servant walked in and bowed to the King. Hans knew he'd seen this fat man during his first trip to Arendelle and struggled to remember his name. He knew that the servant was a close friend to the royal sisters and mostly directed all the other servants throughout the castle but the man's name escaped the royal. The man's face didn't betray a hint of emotion but his eyes told a different story, his eyes flashed with the same fury that all the guard's had in their eyes.
"Her Majesty has sent me to collect you, your guards are to remain here why you speak with her." Hans held back a smirk, Elsa likely wanted to have him alone so he couldn't make a move on her in her throne room. Even though he was not stupid enough to do so, he had to play up appearances.
"I think not, with the recent attempts on my life, I cannot in good conscious entrust my wellbeing to a kingdom that has already failed my brother." The servant didn't even bat an eye.
"Then you will not see her Majesty, your safety concerns have been addressed and you are quite safe. The recent additions to the royal guard as well as the Queen's presence is enough to repel any foolish enough to challenge her." The thinly veiled threat had his guards take a step forward which had four other guards enter the room looking for any excuse to escalate the situation. All the while, Hans and the servant hadn't taken their eyes off one another, both were seeing who would back down first.
The King raised a hand and had his guards back down as he stepped forward with an easy smile. "Your confidence has inspired me to take you at your word, after all there must always be trust between allies." The servant said nothing as he stepped aside and let the royal pass him into the hallway which was occupied by even more guards. The fat man led the way as four more guards encircled them while the first four remained in the waiting room, likely to keep an eye on his guards.
On the way to the throne room, it seemed that the servant had no intention of talking and would rather continue in silence but Hans had different ideas. "Arendelle sure is looking better than the last time I was here, it's a blessing that the Queen managed to put an end to the winter during her coronation. When I was left in charge by the Princess, I couldn't help but notice that you all were approaching a lack of crops given that they mostly died. Now after returning after so much time has passed, you all are looking quite fine with the food situation, I'm sure you could give me a more experience recollection of how matters on that front has been going."
Hans could see the guards around them tighten their hold on their weapons and bit the lips but remained silent. Him acting like this was his first time being in Arendelle after Elsa was crowned Queen really grated on all the men's nerves and they looked ready to skewer him. The King didn't care about their reactions; he was focused solely on the fat man in front of him who still remained the picture of decorum.
"You are correct, however as Her Majesty continued her rein, the kingdom has flourished in many ways. The people adore her and would defend her should the need arise. Her care and devotion sets her apart from past rulers as well as current ones. In my humble opinion, I currently cannot think of any who would measure up to even half the ruler she is, save her sister. Any others would likely fail when they become arrogant and greedy for power." The servant's answer was delivered with the same monotone voice he took when speaking with the King. With his back to him, Hans could not see whatever emotion flashed in the man's eyes but his concealed message was plain to the royal.
When they arrived at the doors to the throne room, the servant turned and bowed his head before gesturing to them. "Her Majesty waits inside." Hans gave him a side look as he stayed rooted in his spot before the large oak doors.
"I appreciate your escort, can I have a name to properly thank you?"
"Its Kai, sir."
"I see, thank you Kai for your escort as well as the talk on the way here." Hans then chose that moment to enter through the door while a new thought formed in the back of his head.
Kai my friend, you will come to regret those words when you're kneeling before me begging for mercy and I deny you a swift death.
Elsa had sent Hans off to a waiting room when she learned that Prince Ahimoth was here and wished to speak with him first. Hopefully he could stay when Hans came to the throne room so they could have a united front against the King since he had put both their loved ones in danger. While the circumstances last time that caused him to leave were not ideal, the fact that he returned here gave her hope. Alrick didn't seem to be one who would order his son to do something unless it was absolutely important given that he gave Edward a choice, so if the Prince returned of his own volition, then perhaps he's learned to forgive his friend.
When he walked in the throne room, she was about to welcome when she noticed two things that didn't bode well. There was an older man and not Lilian at his side, and the Prince had a grim scowl on his face. She watched him take a quick look over the room as if he was searching for it and judging that his eyes never stayed too long in one direction, he didn't seem to find what he was searching for. Oddly enough, his scowl lessened somewhat like he was glad he didn't find what he was looking for.
The older man who came in with him bowed his head in an exuberant fashion before speaking. "Your Majesty, Queen Elsa, it's an honor to finally be in your radiant presence. We cannot begin to thank you enough for allowing us to trade with you and with the arrangement for support during your mission to the Southern Isles concluded, we cannot repay you enough for allowing us to join in your alliance of kingdoms."
The woman's mask shifted into an easy smile that expressed she was quite pleased to hear such praise and gratitude. However on the inside, she could feel something was off about this man. She gave him a quick once over and couldn't find anything that physically telling about him. He was a stout man, mid forties, slicked back black hair, perfectly groomed mustache. He seemed nice enough and with the position she knew he was in, it wasn't a stretch to believe he was genuine but when the man spoke, Ahimoth's eyes slid over to him and stayed on him the entire time with a unpleased expression. Elsa may have had some misgivings about the Prince but he had proved with words and actions that his heart was in the right place.
So if he looked unhappy about returning to her kingdom and was focusing all of his attention on the man he came with, then something said that she should too.
"Think nothing of it, I am always happy to have another ally to Arendelle, hopefully this will continue and we can invite even more kingdoms to come together and trade so the world can enjoy a much needed peace." The man couldn't help but agree as he straightened himself out while taking a look around the room himself, seemingly searching for something.
"As you know, we were sending a ship to retrieve the men that were left behind for a mission but we received a letter concerning the situation in the Southern Isles. Someone wearing the uniform of one of the soldiers who turned out to be a traitor was spotted there and is the main suspect in the murders of the royal family. The last surviving member Hans Westergard happened to be a witness to the suspect killing one of his brothers. He asked that we come here to discuss the details of it since he would be arriving here. We saw his ship pull into port before us yet have not seen him, would it be possible for us to speak with him?"
Elsa's mask remained in place without a crack in it but she couldn't help but inwardly widen her eyes at what the man just said. Someone wearing a Mystic Guard uniform murder the royal family? She was under the impression that Hans likely assassinated his brothers to get the throne. While this was all hearsay, she couldn't dismiss that it might be true. There was also the fact that Hans asked for Blackdust to come here as well, so he likely had something planned. She could refuse the audience between them but that would raise suspicions all on their own so unfortunately she had to let them speak.
"Yes you may, since we are on friendlier terms than the Southern Isles, I wished to speak with you first. He should be arriving here shortly to speak with me, after that, then you may see him at your leisure." The council member nodded as he moved to leave and motioned the Prince to follow after him. Ahimoth did not look excited to do so nevertheless, he began to follow when the Queen stopped him.
"Prince Ahimoth, before you leave, there was something I wanted to speak to you concerning your wedding. It won't take long if you could spare a minute right now?" The large man turned around and looked confused for a moment before his eyes widened in understanding.
"Yes I believe I can spare a short moment." Ahimoth turned to the council member who looked ready to stay, likely to keep an eye on the Prince. "This won't take long, she'll probably ask about when I plan to host the ceremony or some questions about Lilian given they are both Elementals. While I do this, you should debrief the men who went on the mission and hear their reports on the situation of the Southern Isles."
The stout man narrowed his eyes as he tried to see if there were any thoughts that could be gleaned from the Prince's seemingly innocent expression. A moment passed before he nodded and made his way out the room and turned to give one last look at the Prince before the doors closed blocking him from view. When Ahimoth was sure that the council member was gone, he let out a breath of either frustration or relief before turning back to the Queen.
"We'll have to keep this short, I'm already in a bind with Rahim's armor and weapon being stolen. With them both being sighted in the Southern Isles killing one of the Princes while another one died with the King of Blackdust in the same kingdom, the council is ready to rip me a new asshole, so let's get down to the point." Ahimoth took a step forward with a grim expression on his face.
"Was Wrath the one who killed them?"
On any other occasion, Elsa would've been peeved that he would suggest that Edward would do such a thing but she had to see it from his perspective. His friend's personal effects were stolen and seen committing regicide after he had banished the man who took over his friend's body. Given Wrath's past actions, regicide was completely in his set of skills so it was logical to assume he would do it with weapons he was partial to. Oddly when the council member told her that they had a suspect that committed those crimes, it suggested they didn't know much about the culprit. While she was sure that they suspected Rahim, Ahimoth knew Edward was here and if he told them all that he knew then she could see them bringing a large force to detain the young man.
"No, he's been here the entire time. My guards had seen him when the Prince was alive and after, plus I can personally vouch for him that he didn't murder the man in the dead of night."
"Well I might buy that, but the council won't. You need to understand the importance of that sword being seen killing a royal. Throughout the history of Blackdust, there isn't another weapon like it, it's one of a kind that has made a name for itself in our kingdom. It was stolen from my office along with the armor without leaving a trace. While anyone could use that sword, not many would be able to sneak past all our guards and take it without touching anything else. The council believes that it was Rahim since a body was not found and have deemed him a top priority target. If he is found here then they will take action."
"I understand the situation, currently Edward is not here, he went on a training exercise with the Captain of the Royal Guard." The Prince's face took a thoughtful expression for a moment before he scowled when he remembered the Captain.
"Oh he's with that asshole, better him than me. We'd probably kill each other in the first few minutes." Elsa couldn't help the chuckle that left her lips as she remembered hearing some of her guards have bets going on when the two would do that very thing. As Queen, she was above betting over conflict but the young woman couldn't help pulling Klein aside and asking that he make a bet that the two of them would return with high spirits. The young guard expressed his doubt that would come to pass given how much the two argued but did as she asked.
"He is expected to return later today or tomorrow so he will be able to answer your questions." The Prince shook his head.
"There's no need. In fact it's better that he's not here, if it discovered that Rahim was here and we lied about it, the council would have a field day finding reasons we shouldn't be one the throne." That made Elsa sympathetic to the man's plight. Ahimoth knew the truth and did what was best for his kingdom as well as gave Edward another chance at life. Initially, she disagreed with him banishing the young man but after considering his position as a monarch as well as the situation, she was grateful that he didn't have the young man eternally imprisoned.
"I will send one of my men to meet with them and tell them the situation. Do you know Hans' intentions for returning here? Or why he asked you to be here?" The large man shook his head as he took a calming breath as he cracked his knuckles.
"No, but he's got some balls asking me to come here after trying to kill Lilian, if that council member wasn't here and no one knew I was…" Elsa could tell that the man was still upset at the last time he saw the King and was unhappy to be called by him. She herself wasn't happy that he had decided to return to Arendelle after threatening her sister twice. She was beginning to lose patience with the King and felt the temptation of just freezing him in a solid block of ice so the whole world would know she didn't tolerate threats against her family. Elsa shook her head, those thoughts were too dark for her nature.
She would not use her powers like that, peace of mind gained by terrible measures did not mean anything to her.
"I understand how you feel. The sole fact he's here in this castle has me nervous, I feel like I'm playing into whatever plan he has set for me like a puppet. I know that him by himself isn't a formidable adversary but I feel that this isn't one of his plans. He's a snake but he wouldn't risk his life regardless of what he could achieve unless he was completely safe. Coming here with only three ships and being escorted by only two guards is something that strikes me as odd. If it were any other kingdom, they would likely have him removed from port if not killed on sight, even if they were in the same alliance. Yet he chose to return here, knowing full well of what I am capable of."
Ahimoth shrugged as he crossed his arms. "That's just it, he does know what you're capable of. The problem is, he also knows how far you are actually willing to go." The way he essentially verbally expressed her worries made her flinch. She knew they were true and even admitted to herself that she wasn't one to actually go far enough to hurt someone.
"He knows that you won't strike him down in anger and is playing off that. No offense to you but that is just how you are. I'm sure that if it really came down to it that you would do what is necessary but it hasn't come to that yet and you're doing your best to keep it from escalating that far. It's an admirable trait, personally, I've rarely seen people in power exercise that line of thought to the extent you do but I can't deny that you have a loyal following of people so it must have its merits."
Elsa actually appreciate the small compliment from the man even though he just admitted that he really didn't seem to put much stock in it but was open minded enough to believe it. "I, on the other hand, am not so lenient. If he makes so much as a comment about Lilian that isn't a profound apology on why he tried to murder her, he will die. I don't care how it will be received with the other kingdoms but I will take that gamble. The King would agree and my only concern is how she'll take it. She wants me to look for more diplomatic resolutions to problems and I'm trying but there are some things that diplomacy will have no effect on."
Elsa personally wanted to disagree that with the right amount of time and effort, diplomacy would always prevail but the Queen in her agreed with the sentiment. Some people are just too far gone. Edward was a case that made her hopeful that it was never too late but the more she thought about Rahim though as well as the psychological reports that she's received about him, she had little hope that he would be the same.
"I have a mixed stance on that but will not begrudge you of your opinions. I find it very admirable that you wish to protect your loved ones and no matter what the fallout will be from your actions, know that Arendelle will stand you with you. It's the least I can do for your invaluable service to us." The woman was surprised to see the Prince groan and let out a frustrated breath as he looked at her with a frown. She thought he would be happy to know that he would have their support.
"You just take the fun out of everything don't you? I was so ready to waste this guy but knowing you would side your kingdom with mine makes me not want to. I can't have you supporting my decision to commit regicide. Damnit, I guess we can try it your way and do this diplomatically. But let me tell you, one step, one step out of line and he's going down. Him and his kingdom's gonna get it, I'll go myself and whoop all their asses with one arm, no both arms tied behind my back. I'll knock his teeth down his throat, bend him over, put my foot up his ass and make him spit them back out." The Prince began to leave while still muttering to himself about the things he would do. Some of them had her raise a fine eyebrow in surprise with the sheer viciousness that she imagined him to have to do such a thing. He didn't even wait for the guards to open the doors for him, he just wrenched them open himself and continued muttering out the room.
Elsa let herself smile at his antics and conceded that she was beginning to like the large man. But her smile ended quickly when she thought about what was about to happen. She called for Kai and asked him to go and collect Hans so she could hear out what the man wanted to say. As she sat back on her throne, Hector walked in after likely another council meeting and stood off to her side and relieved the four guards that were protecting her in his absence. He leaned down to whisper in her ear while the two of them waited.
"I've just been informed that King Hans as well as Prince Ahimoth arrived here with the former about to walk through those doors. Is that true?" The blonde nodded her head as her eyes remained glued to the doors.
"Forgive me if I'm overstepping my bounds, but is it wise to have him here in the castle? After his attempts to take this kingdom, twice, I believe it would be safer to exchange letters rather than have him physically here."
"I understand your concerns and agree with them, however he arrived here unannounced and I couldn't force him to leave. He is still part of the alliance of kingdoms until I can file a motion to have him removed." The man stayed quiet for a moment before bringing something else to her attention.
"You are aware that Princess Anna is scheduled to return today from her honeymoon. If she were to see that he was here then who knows the type of reaction she could have which could be more damaging to the kingdom's reputation than you refusing them an audience." He was right. Anna would likely react quite hostilly especially after the last time the two of them saw one another. It would be completely within her rights to say whatever she wanted to say but the political game sometimes was very flawed.
"Unfortunately, I believe you might be right. Which is why I need you to quietly have her and Kristoff intercepted before she comes to the castle. Explain to her the situation and assure her that I will be fine, she will likely insist on coming anyway, but tell her that she is to remain as far out of his reach as possible. In addition to that, I also need Edward and Captain Stonewell to be intercepted and appraised of the situation as well. Have the Captain return as soon as possible but have Edward remain with Anna. I cannot worry and stay on my toes for whatever plan His Majesty might have." Hector nodded as he left the room.
He caught up to the four men and had them return to the Queen's side while he carried out her orders. As he left the castle, he started to consider the implications of what she had ordered. It completely made sense for the Princess to be kept out of the castle while Hans was here but what nagged at him was his second set of orders. She wanted the Captain and Edward to be intercepted and told of the situation as well. She may not have said the word 'before' for them like she did for the Princess, the word intercepted meant to obstruct someone so as to prevent them from continuing to a destination. She wanted Stonewell to return yet have Edward remain with Anna who was to stay as far out of his reach as possible.
He supposed that she could be worried about his safety and that she didn't want him to be taken hostage because of the fact he was screwing her, but the young man could take care of himself. He's more than proved to be a formidable opponent that can overcome multiple enemies. It would make sense to have someone of his skill close by in case something terrible happened. There was the possibility that the Queen wanted him to protect her sister and ensure her safety but Hector didn't buy that that was the only reason.
He then remembered the conversation he had with the young man the night of the ball. Edward more or less admitted that he was from Blackdust and he was banished after a civil war. Hans didn't come alone here, he invited the Blackdust to attend as well. While it did make sense given that the entire royal line of the Southern Isles was assassinated by someone who was suspected to be part of the Blackdust military, the cynic in the Queen's Personal Guard, felt there was something more. It was likely that the Queen would have both kingdom's closer to the castle to discuss whatever they came for and keeping both Anna and Edward away from the castle would keep them away from the two royals.
He could admit that the theory had flaws to it but he did have a way to solidify it. He gathered some men that he could trust and told them to wait at the docks for the Princess's return and to inform her of the situation while asking her to remain at the docks. After doing so, he went to the village gate where the Captain and Edward were more likely to enter from. He waited for about an hour before he could see them walking down the path. The Captain seemed to be trying his hardest to disagree with something but the young man next to him had a full blown smile on his face as he pestered the old man. Hector cursed under his breath as he just lost the bet that was going around about their trip.
Looks like Klein is going to be very happy this evening.
The two men broke from their conversation as they noticed him waiting for them with a serious expression on his face. The Captain stepped forward first and received a salute before asking why Queen's Personal Guard was meeting them out here. "Sir, Her Majesty wanted me to inform you that King Hans of the Southern Isles has arrived in Arendelle and that you are needed to return to the castle as soon as possible."
Stonewell's face bunched up in annoyance as he gripped the bridge of his nose as if to fight off a headache. He knew, knew, something was off. For once, he wished he was wrong, he wished he was going senile and that he was just paranoid. Hell, he'd take becoming a victim of post traumatic stress attacks rather than just be right when something was wrong. So much for a nice relaxing break when he got back.
"Understood, there must be more than that, tell us on the way."
When him and Edward moved to enter Arendelle, Hector stopped the young man by placing a hand against his chest. The Captain turned and was not that surprised to see the man whirl on the personal guard with a fierce expression.
"You're right, there is more. I also received another set of orders from Her Majesty to keep Edward away from the castle." Edward's face was confused for a moment before becoming absolutely enraged as he shoved the hand off his chest and got into the noble's face.
"And why is it that Elsa would want me away from her when someone who tried to assassinate her twice is under the same roof as her?" Stonewell shook his head at the lapse of control. He was aware of the connection that the young man shared with his Queen but he also knew that it would be smarter to not let others know. By him just saying her name and acting aggressively, it all but screamed that there was something between them. The noble didn't bat an eye at the aggressive action as if he expected it.
"It is not my place to question her orders. Perhaps it is because a delegation from Blackdust has also arrived, Prince Ahimoth seems to be among them." Just like that, Edward's anger evaporated as a look of bewilderment crossed his features. Ahimoth was back in Arendelle, the young man didn't really expect the Prince to return after what happened last time. While thoughts whirled around his head, he didn't notice Hector narrowing his eyes as if something just fell into place and he had to focus on more detail to get the whole picture. The Captain raised an eyebrow at the new information but filed it away for another time, right now the Queen was top priority.
"Ok, Her Majesty wanted him to remain away from the castle. Were there any additional orders for him?" Hector turned back around to answer the Captain as Edward snapped out of his trance to listen.
"Yes, he's to see to Princess Anna's and her husband's security while we see to Her Majesty's. The Princess is not to come anywhere near King Hans' position, the Queen fears that he may have something up his sleeve or the possibility that she might cause an incident." The young man winced a bit as he put his hands on his waist while shaking his head. As much as he hated to admit it, the noble was right. The redhead would probably give the King a black eye, even if he deserved it and she was in the right, if he was King now, then she just assaulted a monarch of another kingdom. One in its own kingdom's alliance, the political backlash could be disastrous.
There was also the fact that Ahimoth was here. If Elsa didn't want him near the castle while she knew that the Prince was here, then there must've been something that he didn't know. It would probably be pretty bad if he arrived at the castle and the Blackdust delegation caused an incident because of him. So it was smart to have him sent away while protecting her sister and keeping her out of the snake's clutches. "Alright I understand, has the Princess arrived yet?"
Hector turned back to Edward with his eye raised at the rather calm and accepting tone. It was like he expected the young man to argue some more. "I had men stationed at the docks and ordered them to keep her there until you arrived to assume her security. That was an hour ago, if she still hasn't arrived then you are to wait there. If she has though, I suggest you hurry. We both know how powerful Her Highness is when the Queen's in danger." Edward nodded as he dropped his pack while taking out his katana then handed the pack to Hector who placed it on his back.
"There any place that the Queen wants me to take the Princess and her husband?"
"All she said was 'as far out of his reach as possible.'"
When Hans walked through the door of the throne room, he was instantly met with a very brisk wind. When he looked around the room, he couldn't help but smirk a little. The entire room had a thin layer of ice all over. There were ice chandeliers hanging off the ceiling as well as sculptures that took on the image of suits of armor. The actual throne was grander than he remembered. It was higher and decorated with finely cut and detailed designs that raised the chair so the woman sitting in it would be looking down at whoever entered the room.
Speaking of the woman sitting on the throne, she was wearing a different ice dress than usual. She added a high collar with the top of her shoulders covered. The top of her chest was still visible which showed a small black necklace around her neck as well as beautiful gems made of ice around it. Her hair was done up in a bun with her crown on her head with crystal ice earrings that sparkled in the light.
She had her back set against her extravagant throne with her arms resting on the arm rests. Her face was masked in an icy cold mask that radiates superiority and that she found whatever she was looking at beneath her. Which was him at the moment.
If he hadn't known her before, he would've been quite intimidated but he knew who he was dealing with. Also what she didn't know was that he had a few tricks of his sleeve to force her cooperation and as an insurance, he was quite sure that if he gave the signal, his guards would quickly come to retrieve him. Greed had told him that his guards had powerful senses and would be able to hear a specific pitch in a whistle even over a distance. The pitch was so unusual that Hans had never heard never heard a whistle quite like it. The bandit leader had him practice it until he could do it perfectly and told him to only use this if his life was in danger because the men he brought with him would not stop until he was safely away on his ship.
"Greetings Queen Elsa it is so good to see you. I wanted to take this time to speak with you about my membership in your alliance, my advisers have told me that you might file a motion to have my kingdom removed when Weselton sailed on my kingdom."
"They were right, I am filing a motion to have your kingdom removed, not because of a possible invasion, because of you ascending the throne. Lets not pretend the crimes you have commited here are of no consequence. You are quite fortunate that I did not have you executed the moment you stepped foot in my kingdom."
Hans chuckled a bit at the woman trying to make him fear her. It was a valiant attempt but he had plenty of assurances that she didn't know about and he was sure he was safe. "You are right, I am fortunate that you did not have me executed. However, one could argue that you are also fortunate for not killing me. Consider this, a Prince of the Southern Isles was killed while under your protection and an invasion from an unknown force occurred right after in which the result had the other members of royalty killed. The man suspected of committing these crimes has a record being a soldier in the Blackdust military, one in which Arendelle is allied with."
The way he drawled on with this information made Elsa narrow her eyes but she remained silent. She wanted to see where he was going with this. Surely he wasn't foolish enough to suggest that Arendelle plotted with Blackdust to have the Southern Isles conquered as well as have his brothers assassinated. It was a foolish theory given that she hadn't pursued war with them or cut off trade either after almost having her throne usurped once. If he was foolish enough to go for this tactic then she was confident that the other alliance members would side with her.
"It makes me wonder if Arendelle may have had a hand in the death of my brothers."
Elsa felt a triumphant smile pull at her mask but she held it in as she let the temperature in the room drop as she spoke. "You would dare accuse my kingdom for attempting regicide when we have multiple witnesses that have all seen you have tried the same crime twice?! Even if we were to stoop as low as you, it is well known that you were the one to strike first and because of my mercy, your kingdom has not suffered. We both know the real reason you are here. You are here to try and bluff your way into remaining in an alliance in which I have worked hard to expand and maintain. You know if I file a motion to have you removed and provide them with the evidence we have against you, they would throw you out like the little worm you are."
The blonde raised a finger and a harsh wind blindsided the King and had him fighting to remain upright as she continued to speak with a regal mask on her face. "We both know who holds the power here, so I suggest you take care to remember that."
Hans could feel the frost building up around his clothes as the harsh wind blew at him for another moment until it stopped and he was allowed a reprieve. He certainly wasn't expecting that but wasn't deterred, he still had a few tricks up his sleeve.
"You are right on all accounts. Except one Your Majesty. When I suggested that Arendelle might have had a hand in it, I wasn't talking about the ruling monarchy ordering my assassination. I was referring to someone hiding here who is quite known for his skill with a blade as well as his unrelenting drive to see a mission through. The council that advises the King has been in contact with me and has just informed me that the weapon of the very same soldier I speak of has gone missing without a trace. When I was fighting for my home, I happened to cross blades with a soldier matching the description of the armor that was gone…"
Hans reached up and unbuttoned the top of his jacket to reveal an undershirt and he pulled it down enough to reveal a scar that Elsa could see went down his chest as to his right arm. "...his blade is what gave me this wound and killed my brother right in front of me. Before he could finish me off, my men found us and watched him disappear into thin air. Such a feat would be impossible but so is controlling ice and snow. When I came to, the battle was over and the soldier had disappeared but we had a trail of where he might be going and I happened to bring something to illustrate my point more."
The blonde was about to respond when hard knocks reverbated on the throne doors. The guards instantly prepared for battle as Hans calmly replaced his jacket. The Queen rose to her feet and took a step forward and instantly encased the King in a prison of ice before she whipped a hand forcing a wind to open the doors. In came the council member from Blackdust who looked quite furious as he waved something in his hand.
"Queen Elsa, what is the meaning of this?!"
The sheer amount of rage that followed the man's words made her inwardly flinch but she kept her mask on and squared herself to meet him. She spoke purposefully and calmly to avoid escalating the situation.
"Sir, if you mean why have I imprisoned the King of the Southern Isles, it is because he is a high security risk who has more than once tried to commit regicide against mine as well as your kingdom."
The man stopped and sweeped his hand out dismissing her words. "I don't care about him! I am asking why are you harboring a murderous fugitive."
"Sir, Arendelle does not harbor murderers, surely whatever Hans has told you is likely a lie to divide us."
"Is that so? Then why is Rahim's blade in his possession with a report of his progress of erasing the Southern Isles royal line addressed to a man called Garret Sobel who was a confidant of the Arendelle monarchy?!"
To be honest, I'm trying to find a way to acurately illustrate the gravity of the situation of why Rahim's katana is so important as well as to why Hans having it is a big problem. I'll reveal more next chapter but to be honest I'm not looking forward to the next few chapters but they need to be written. Please leave a comment or review if you wish to speak with me.