To the guest who asked about Wrath not being able to heal, chapter 14 where Kristoff, Edward, and Ahimoth fought Envy should have your answer. The trade off for completely becoming Envy was that he couldn't heal but his resorvoir of black dust and abilities were exponentially increased. The same applies to Wrath.
As for the rest of your questions, they will be answered in later chapters, likely before Christmas for all of them. Work should be winding down since we have more manpower and I should be getting weekends again, so if there are any more questions feel free to contact me and I will answer them.
Morning finally after the attack on Arendelle, the brave and valiant men who fought to defend their monarch were all being treated in the infirmary. The castle staff had already begun repairing the structural damage that had been sustained in the attack and the bodies of the dead had been gathered up and all identified. The Queen had ordered that they would be holding a service for every single one of the guards who died last night and their families would be compensated for their loss.
She also called for a council meeting early to inform them of events as well as discuss a few matters. As they had all filled into the room and took their seats, Elsa with Hector by her side, regaled them with the events that transpired last night. She had left out Edward's final details but did not hold anything back when describing the intruder which had them in shock that someone like that existed.
Earl Edward was the first one to get over his shock and speak. He as well as the rest of the council had received a report of yesterday's meeting with King Hans, Prince Ahimoth, Garret Sobel, and a woman named Mary Lawson. The report detailed the work that Mr. Sobel was known for and with the recent attack, it didn't take a genius to see a connection.
"Your Majesty, this is unacceptable. Once again, our guards have proved useless when it comes to combating serious threats to Arendelle. We cannot continue to rely on fleeting luck for protection, we should bolster our might and have this Sobel man make us weapons."
Elsa snapped her head to the man and narrowed her eyes while keeping her mouth in a thin line. She still had no idea who in the council had covered up the deaths of the people she killed and while she wanted to confront them right now, she needed to address Arendelle's more pressing issues, not her personal ones.
"If you remember, in the report Mr. Sobel admitted that he is unable to replicate the results of his research. Also under no circumstances will I condone the continuation of such research, that particular line of work goes against human decency and violates the sanctity of life. Having soldiers whose only line of thought is to kill anyone we point them at is unacceptable. Our guards have done their job and defended their home, they aren't useless."
She hissed the last word but kept a tight rein on her magic as she hoped she could get that point across and show them that she had control over her abilities. The Earl held her gaze before huffing and slumping back into his seat as he dropped the matter. With that little victory, the blonde faced the rest of the council to address them.
"Before the attack, Blackdust came here looking for a traitor that matched the description of the assailant from last night. The Southern Isles invited them under the pretense that we were hiding the alleged traitor but Prince Ahimoth who has been injured, has seen the intruder and can testify that we had no hand in hiding the killer of the royalty of the Southern Isles. That does not mean we are out of the clear however as His Majesty might have another objective for coming here and sending two of his own men through the secret passage that leads directly to my study. Cameron Klein said that they had been sent to help and that they were both killed by the intruder but the fact remains, they knew how to navigate the secret passageways."
Earl Alphonse spoke up next. "That represents a very large security risk. How could they have possibly known the location of them, not to mention navigate them? Is it possible that we have a traitor among us?" That made murmurs erupt around the council at the idea there might be a traitor but Elsa raised a hand to calm them.
"There is no evidence of that, we should be careful before jumping to that particular conclusion. For now, our priority should be ascertaining why sent those men to the castle. If he was hoping that they could assassinate me in the confusion then he would be a much bigger fool than I believe he is. In which case, I believe their main objective was not me or they wouldn't have tried to fight the intruder who was trying to kill me."
"Speaking of the intruder, it is quite impressive for him to be able to run through so many of our men especially Blackdust's men as well yet you're saying that Edward on his own, was able to subdue them? I find such an achievement to be quite impressive." Elsa turned to Duke Eren who had a suspicious look on his face as he kept his back against his chair and his fingers interlaced. It didn't take a genius to see what he was insinuating. Before she could come up with an answer that would not give away the young man's special talents, Hector spoke up.
"Well he was part of Blackdust's military at one point and from the high opinion that King Alrick had of him, it would stand to reason he was a cut above the rest of their soldiers. I witnessed the battle between the intruder and Edward, he struggled but was able to overcome his opponent thanks to their arrogance in overcommitting to a strike." Elsa quickly flashed a look of gratitude towards the guard who promptly ignored it. What Hector was the truth, Edward did die and when he came back as Wrath managed to score a victory when Rahim tried to remove Wrath's head.
"So you're saying that there is no way Edward could've had a hand in the recent attack?" Hector looked at the Duke for a long moment before he answered.
"My assessment of him is that while he could be useful there are many things that are unknown about him and he could constitute a very real threat to Arendelle. However, he has proven himself to not be aligned with both the intruder or the Queen's kidnapper, so for the time being, I believe he is no threat."
Elsa wasn't aware that she was holding her breath until the Duke nodded and dropped the issue of the young man. After what she had learned last night, she didn't know what to think about her personal guard. He had so much reason to undermine her given what she had done to him. Yet here he was sticking up for Edward and keeping him out of the council's crosshairs. It made her wonder what Stonewell meant when he mentioned Grace. She would likely ask later but for now she moved on with the meeting.
"The compromise of the secret passageways is a problem and I plan on barring the way with ice so no one is able to get through unless I am personally there." The council all nodded in agreement as she continued.
"Concerning King Hans, I doubt that if we ask him how his men had known about the secret passageway, he'll give us a straight answer. Which is why I propose we say nothing and only ask why his personal guards entered the castle. If he thinks that we overlooked the secret passageway being compromised, he might use it later when he reveals his hand."
Again, the council agreed as that issue had been discussed. Now it was time to move on to Prince Ahimoth's condition as well as the matter of the intruder's missing body.
"Doctor Steward has said that the Prince will need some rest but he is not in any danger. It seemed that the intruder just wanted to cause him pain but did not wish to kill him. When His Highness awakens, I plan on asking him what he would like to do with the intruder's effects as they were likely the same ones that killed the royalty of the Southern Isles."
Earl Alphonse once again spoke up. "With Edward saving his life and dealing with the intruder, it is very likely that the Prince will absolve us of the accusations that we were in league with the assassin and with the past actions of His Majesty, we will have an ace up our sleeve if he tries to involve the alliance into this matter."
"Which brings me to my next order of business. I wanted to petition the alliance to excommunicate the Southern Isles so that we can finally cut ties with them." The council members all looked up with surprise at the blonde. While they could see where she was coming from, they doubted that the alliance would be as accommodating.
"Your Majesty do you think that would be wise?" The blonde gave the Marquess the look to continue. "While he may have committed crimes here, we extradited him to the Southern Isles and let them punish him which they did. Hsi recent attempt at the throne has never been answered by the previous King and we could not pursue charges. Essentially, we cannot prove he has committed any more crimes if all we have for witnesses are you and your immediate family. Even the Prince of Blackdust's testimony could not be counted on since he could've been coerced by us to lie since we are his only allies. The other members of the alliance know of your dislike for his Majesty and while you have kept positive relations with all of them, we cannot expect them to go out on a limb to remove a major member on your word alone."
The way he explained it made Elsa bite her lip as she agreed with him. They needed more concrete evidence against Hans if they were to remove the Southern Isles from the alliance. While she believed that the King had an assassin kill his family, there was no way of proving it without finding the assassin. That soul echo of Rahim that wore the armor couldn't have done so since his only desire was to kill Wrath. The murder of Prince Albert was some time ago so it would stand to reason the previous holder of Rahim's effects was the culprit. Fortunately that trail led to Hans who had the weapon, unfortunately though, he had witnesses of him being attacked by the wielder of the katana. Which meant unless there was another way to find evidence, all she could do was put the motion on the floor but couldn't expect it to pass soon or at all.
"Arendelle has remained in high standing with our fellow members and we have shown that we are willing to forgive. We did not cut trade with the Southern Isles which the previous King had publicly thanked us for. We were also the first to send forces to the kingdom when we believed Weselton had invaded them. With their ships still in the Southern Isles' territory, it stands to reason that something has happened to the leadership that requires the alliance to respond. I will put the notion on the floor and allow the other members to draw up their own investigations as to why Weselton forces are still in the Southern Isles and if it is discovered that Hans used those forces to conquer his home, then he will be removed from the alliance."
The resolute way she spoke had the council members once again agreeing to her which wrapped up the official meeting. As they gathered their reports and were about to ask if they could be dismissed, Elsa held up a hand.
"There is one more thing I would like to discuss. It concerns the previous damage report of our kingdom after my coronation."
Elsa finally could confront her council about this and judging from the way a few of them exchanged subtle glances at one another, they knew what was coming. She was ready to speak her mind when a firm hand landed on her shoulder. Looking up in surprise, she saw Hector leaning down so he could whisper in her ear.
"Please, before you go through with this, allow me to talk to you privately."
She could've said no, the topic was very important to her and she wanted to get to the bottom of it now but the way he asked her had the blonde calling for a quick recess as she left the room with her guard. They went down the hall into one of the side rooms and closed it so the two of them were alone.
Elsa had walked in first and watched as Hector remained at the door with his back to her before taking a deep breath and facing her. "Your Majesty, I don't think it would be wise for you to bring up the four casualties as a result of your coronation."
The woman's mind stopped for a moment as she considered what Hector just said. From what Rahim had said, he watched them die in front of him and he was blamed for it. She wanted to rectify that fact and have his name cleared, to do that, she needed to know the names of the people who died. As well as make sure her council knew that sugarcoating a report to keep her blissfully unaware and condemning another man for deaths he's not responsible for was unacceptable.
Why on earth would he want her to let the state of the matter remain the same?
"Hector...I haven't had the chance to tell you how sorry I am for causing the death of your friends. I truly wish to do right by you, I can't do that if I don't know their names. I also can't condone my own council hiding things like this from me, to resort to these measures is just wrong."
Hector had a thoughtful expression on his face as he took a seat in one of the chairs in the room. "Your Majesty, when you took the throne after revealing your abilities to all your allies, there was a sudden urge to understand you. Many kingdoms secretly corresponded with your council to gauge whether or not you would be a threat while you tried to be the ruler you are today. The council made sure that you were viewed as a nonaggressive party that would only attack if provoked. Thanks to their experience and methods, you have been able to make more allies and improve the kingdom's economy thanks to their hidden deals."
The next words he spoke made him sick but he said them anyway.
"Four lives is an insignificant price to pay for an entire kingdom."
Elsa was horrified to hear that come from the man's mouth. She could easily tell that they weren't his own words but for him to repeat it was shocking to say the least.
"Y-you can't just write off four lives just like that! Just pretend they were nothing! Every life has value! They were your friends, how could you say something like that?!"
Hector faced her with a tired expression, one that he had only shown one another person. He never would've imagined that he would show it to the woman who he had resented in the beginning but now he was beginning to see why so many guards were loyal to her. She was an idealist, most of the time he would've called her a fool but he could see that she would not budge on her position.
"I say that because they would agree that their lives are a small price to pay. If it became known that people died thanks to you, then your enemies would use that against you and slander your reputation. We also considered the effect it would have on you. It's easy to see how much this is bothering you now. Imagine how you would've felt if you were told that people did die when you asked back when you first took office."
Elsa was taken aback when she thought back on her first few weeks of being Queen. She was so nervous and tiptoed everywhere she went trying to get used to being out of her room and having her powers out in the open. She constantly apologized to her people and did her best to stay away from them out of fear of hurting someone. Anna was more than enough guilt for her, she would've died if someone else had been killed thanks to her.
She had people who helped her along the way and helped turn her into the person she was today. If she had known that she killed four people back then, then she would've been so consumed by grief she would never move on.
Elsa didn't want to see why her council would do this.
She wanted to stick to her ideals that what they did was wrong, but the Queen of Arendelle saw the logic in their plan and agreed with them. Her face became downcast as she realized that the logical part of her mind agreed with them. The look was easily caught by Hector who continued to speak.
"Arendelle would've suffered if you were too wracked with guilt that you couldn't become the Queen you are today. You were not ready to hear it back then, and now that you have today, you can't allow it to compromise your ability to lead Arendelle."
"What does that have to do with confronting my council today and righting the lie that has been going on since I've ruled?"
Hector gave her an almost bored expression, like she knew better than to ask that question. "Think for a moment. Let's say you did confront them, what would you do? You've given them half your power and they have deep ties within Arendelle. Should you wish to remove them or punish them, I can guarantee that they have more assets besides me that they can use. They could easily reveal to the people that you've killed with your abilities and make you seem that you aren't safe to be around. That would undermine your rule and would eventually give them even more power over the throne. The lie in place has kept the people blissfully unaware and kept you focused on bettering Arendelle for all, why mess with that?"
Everything he said appealed to the logic that was in the Queen of Arendelle's head but it refused to compute to Elsa. She could not accept doing nothing and pretending everything was the same as it always was. She would not let those four people who were forgotten remain forgotten.
Hector watched her head dip for a moment as she whispered her next words.
"That may be…"
Then her blue eyes snapped up with a strength very few have seen from her.
"...but I will not write off the value of any of my people's lives."
The resolute way she said that told Hector all that he needed to know. Despite what she had been told and how much it made sense, she was going to march out of the room and confront her council. She didn't care of the consequences and how much it would hurt her position, she wanted to do right by her people and nothing would stop her.
It made him admire her for a brief moment.
Hector could finally see why people like Stonewell, Grace, and even Edward see so much in the blonde woman. If he were blissfully unaware of the lie, he'd probably admire her just as proudly as all her other subjects. She was truly devoted to her people and her kingdom. She didn't care for the money or status, all that mattered to her was the happiness of her people and to live up to the trust they had in her.
Which was why he found himself on one knee with his head bowed.
Such an action from him would likely cause confusion from the woman as she likely thought that he couldn't stand her. At first that was the truth but as he spent time with her, he could see that she was no danger to Arendelle. Instead, she would be the person who would allow it to bloom. To that end, he would do his job and protect that future.
"Queen Elsa, I am moved by your conviction to do what is right for your people. I have betrayed your trust and for that I am truly sorry. I ask not that you forgive me, only that you reconsider your plan to confront your council. You are the future of Arendelle and if you have to take time to worry about your position being undermined by those who are supposed to advise you, it hurts the people. I have made my peace with being the scapegoat for their deaths, for the longest time, I blamed you but truly it wasn't your fault. I know that you would never intentionally cause the death of another person, however should you confront them, I fear they will make you out to be something that you are not. Please, think not of the lie that has been told. Think of the people who depend on you to continue to look after them."
The woman was absolutely stunned by the heartfelt words that Hector had given her. Ever since finding out that he reported to the council behind her back, she thought that he wanted her removed from power but right now it seemed he truly wanted her to remain where she was. Taking a step forward, she bent down and laid a gentle hand on the man's shoulder so he would look at her.
"Hector…I truly appreciate your words, but how can you expect me to move on and be the ruler my people need me to be if I allow even one of them to remain forgotten?"
"So there is no changing your mind?"
"I have to do right by my people, none of them will ever be forgotten as long as I'm Queen."
"Then I have a proposal for you."
Hans was pacing in the room that led to the throne room. He had been called by the Queen and asked to wait out here until she had completed her council meeting. The King was a bit antsy when he was informed that his guards had been killed. They were supposed to be unstoppable killing weapons and they were defeated by one man. Greed had told him that he was to leave as soon as possible since they lost a key piece to their strategy to blackmail Elsa.
The council member from Blackdust was dead, the intruder from last night had little impulse control and killed the only person who could convey the threat of Wrath being in Arendelle. They had also lost Rahim's armor and katana who were both now in the Queen's possession, she could offer them as gifts to Blackdust to solidify their relations and push out any attempts the Southern Isles might have to ally with them.
That woman Mary had been an unwelcome variable as she seemed to know way too much and after a couple of hours of reading the journal, Hans knew why. She was Sloth and also Talib's assistant. The knowledge she had was insurmountable. There was no way they would be able to use her, she'd likely had her own plans that they shouldn't get involved with.
A year ago, Hans would've tried to press his luck but after the fiasco of his last trip in Arendelle, he took Greed's words to heart and decided it was time to fall back. That insufferable lard of a man, Kai walked out of the throne room with his customary blank expression as he gestured for the royal to go inside.
Hans walked in expecting to see that extravagant ice display from earlier but to his surprise, he was back in the normal throne room with Elsa standing in the center of the room with her personal guard. She was wearing her normal ice dress with the small necklace around her neck. She didn't appear to be trying to intimidate him this time but he couldn't always be sure with her.
"King Hans, I wish I could say it was nice to see you but that would be a lie. You've worn out your welcome far too many times and I've grown tired of seeing you. Your earlier accusation that Arendelle had a hand in the assassination of your family is now baseless since the real culprit has been dealt with. Fortunately for you, when we seized his belongings there was nothing tying you to hiring him and so you've managed to stay clean in this matter. Which is why I shall offer you some advice you'd be very wise to heed."
Elsa took one step forward and a patch of ice shot out from her feet and wrapped around Hans in a cylinder ice prison with see through ice. The King wasn't too surprised and remained calm as he could perfectly hear the blonde speak.
"For your crimes during your last trip here, I hereby banish you from Arendelle as well as cut off all trade from the Southern Isles. You may visit and trade with other members of the alliance but Arendelle is off limits for you, returning here will bring about dire consequences."
Hans should've just nodded and left but he couldn't help poking at the woman to see the cracks in her bluff.
"And what if I decide to return?"
An intense blizzard was the answer to his question as his prison raged with snow and ice that seemed to materialize out of nowhere. Hans began to shiver as he continued to listen as Elsa's voice very clearly breached the ice of his prison.
"Any ship that has your colors will be frozen on sight and your men will have to figure out how to sail a ship with frozen sails as well as a frozen rudder. As I understand, your kingdom is not too far away so your men will not be in any real danger of starving as you will be able to find them. While I will not intentionally cause any mortal harm to men just following orders, I can promise you that they will not take one step in my kingdom without needing to thawed out at least once."
Elsa snapped her fingers and his prison broke into tiny pieces releasing him but by the time it did, frost covered his hair and his skin. He was shivering and could barely stand. Hans looked up at her and met her eyes that watched him like a hawk waiting for its prey to make the wrong move.
She was allowing him to get away today but would not be so kind the next time.
Hans took what little dignity he had left and straightened himself out before leaving the throne room and the castle. All the while, he secretly vowed to get it back when he would return with Weselton at his back.
Edward woke a loud groan as he stretched then opened his eyes to see he was in an unfamiliar room. Judging by the room, he guessed that he was in one of the castle guest rooms. The events of last night were still fresh in his mind as he threw his legs off the bed and stared at the floor for a moment.
He still had so many questions of what happened with Wrath, how Rahim came to be, Hector, and why Mr. Jorgen appeared in that Hell. he doubted that he would get many answers but he at least knew where to start. He hopped out of bed and just now noticed that he was wearing only a pair of ice pants that were actually quite comfortable. It was like wearing plush fluffy snow on his legs but his waistband was comfortable secured to him. The chill they gave off might've bothered other people but it was nice to him, so much so he decided to keep it.
Looking to the nightstand, he saw an extra change of clothes, they consisted of a simple dark blue shirt, some beige pants, boots on the floor. When he noticed that the shirt was short sleeve, Edward inwardly began to panic as he thought his left arm would be on display but when he looked over to it, he finally noticed that it was normal again.
In a daze, he flexed his fingers and was stunned that actually worked as they were supposed to. He felt around his arm with his other hand was met with the sensation of familiar skin. He could still feel the lingering strength of the blackdust that now flowed through his body and with a little focus, he turned his arm back into Wrath's. He scraped his claws against one another absentmindedly as he once again focused and his arm returned to normal.
Edward guessed that thanks to their near death experience and the replenishment of black dust, control of the demon's abilities became easier. He thought about asking Wrath about it but decided to do so later. The predator was still somewhat quiet after what he went through and the young man could understand if he needed some time and space. So he decided that it was time that he started his day.
Rising to his feet, he quickly changed into his clothes and exited the room then walked toward the infirmary. As he walked, he could see the staff bustling past him to help repair the damage that last night's attack brought upon the castle. Some of them waved at him while others bowed. He awkwardly waved back until he got to the main section of the castle and spotted a familiar plump man.
"Good morning Kai."
The attendant turned from directing the staff to see Edward and bowed his head lowly. "Master Edward, a good morning to you too sir."
Once again the young man looked awkward as he scratched the back of his head. "Kai, please don't call me that, it's just Edward. I'm not a noble or have any titles so you shouldn't feel the need to address me as such."
The attendant straightened himself out and showed off an amused smile. "While that may be true, your exploits have made you more than worthy of the rank. You've already saved the Queen and now it's being said that you defeated the intruder last night who took down quite a few of our guards. The men in the infirmary are singing your praises to the staff and they really paint you out to be legendary hero."
"It really wasn't that big of a deal, I was barely able to defeat the intruder on my own, plus Queen Elsa and Hector were there too."
"The two of them said that you were doing well on your own and didn't need their help." Edward inwardly sighed. As much as it flattered him for them to think so highly of him, in the back of his mind, he felt guilty that most of the damage was his fault. That soul echo may have belonged to Rahim, but the lengths it went to hurt the young man came from him killing the warrior's mother. In Edward's head, every death and injury that Rahim's soul echo did was because of him. A comforting hand laid upon his shoulder.
"Are you alright?"
His face must've betrayed his thoughts as Edward snapped his gaze up to Kai who had a patient expression. The young man wanted to tell him what was really on his mind since he knew Kai was more than trustworthy enough to know but he didn't want to put too much on the attendant's plate.
"Yeah...I'm just sorry that so many people were hurt before I could do anything. It feels like every injury or death last night is my fault."
The plump man shook his head before giving a reassuring smile. "Edward, you cannot blame yourself for the actions of others. Regardless of what you do to another, it is still ultimately their decision as to what they do. The guards last night who fought and lost their lives did so because they wanted to protect their home. They made the decision to lay down their lives to keep their families safe from those who wish to harm them. Even if they fall, they believe that their comrades will rise and make their sacrifice mean something…"
Kai's other hand poked the young man where his heart was. "You, made their sacrifice worth it. You rose to the challenge for all those who have fallen and protected their home. They're hopes and dreams are a part of you and will push you forward because they believe in you. I don't think they would've wanted you to be blaming yourself for their deaths, I would be so bold to think that they would want you to keep doing what you've been doing. Making sure their home is safe and helping their comrades do the same."
Edward felt his spirits rise as he gave the attendant a very grateful smile. He could now see where Anna and Elsa got their encouraging speeches from. "Thanks Kai, I needed to hear that."
"It was my pleasure Master Edward."
The young man sighed and ultimately gave up on trying to make the plump man call him something else, he guessed that he would just have to learn to live with it.
"Alright, I'm going to head for the infirmary. I want to check on Stonewell and the rest of the guards who are still in there." As he moved past the man, he took a few steps before he heard Kai speak up one more time.
"Their Majesties King Agnar and Queen Iduna would've very much liked to meet you. I'm sure they would've adored you Edward."
The young man froze in his tracks before slowly turning to face the plump man who was now leaving the room to continue conducting his duties. Edward still remembered when he looked upon the late King and Queen's portrait and wondered what they would've thought of him. It made him happy to think that their attendant thought that they would've liked him, it made him feel warm inside to know he might've had their approval.
Remembering what he was about to do, the young man jogged to the section of the castle where the infirmary was and as he turned the corner to the hallway of the room, he noticed someone leaning against the door. The first thing he noticed were her eyes, she may have seemed to be lost in thought but the way her eyes focused on some spot on the floor seemed vaguely familiar to him. Her mouth was a thin line as had her arms crossed and just continued to stand there, like she was waiting on something. Walking to the door, he waited to see if she would notice his presence but as he put a hand on the door, she hadn't even spared him a glance. He never met the woman and probably didn't have a reason to engage in conversation with her if she didn't want to do so. With that in mind, he put her out of his mind as he walked into the room.
He could recognize the men on the beds all with varying wounds that didn't look too grievous. As he walked in, one of them noticed him and instantly the room's dreary mood was lifted.
"Hey, it's Ed!"
"There he is! Eddy, you strong son of a bitch!"
"Sir, can you teach us how you won against that guy?"
The guards rose out of bed and slowly limped to the young man who looked very bashful at all the praise he was receiving. He could see Doctor Steward looking a little peeved that his patients were all out of bed but he kept his displeasure to himself as he shot the young man an approving nod. Edward took a few moments to answer the men as well as promise that they would get to training soon but for now they needed rest. A few guards went back to their beds while the others continued to crowd around him, still in awe over his exploits. It might've gone on for quite a bit if a familiar bark filled the room.
"If you idiots don't stop getting on your knees and worshipping him like a gold digging harlot, I will get out of this bed and kick all your asses even with my fucked up legs!"
The guards all immediately went back to their beds to not incur the wrath of their Captain who seemed to be doing alright. He was propped up in his bed with his customary frown. Hector was sitting next to him with a slightly amused expression on his face. Edward could tell that from the old man's face, he was not happy to be in the infirmary. He remembered that the Captain had his legs cut by Rahim's katana and wasn't even able to walk afterwards. For someone who was so angry and a very accomplished warrior, it must've been infuriating to be laid up in a sick bed.
"Come on old man, be nice. They had a rough night."
Stonewell fixed the young man with an indignant stare. "I don't give a shit if they had a rough night. For one man to go through all these men is a disgrace, they better enjoy this brief rest bit because they're going to be training like crazy as soon as possible."
The collective gulp around the room was loud enough to be heard as Edward raised his hands in a calming gesture. "You need to take it easy, that one guy was a special case-"
"If it wasn't God then I don't care."
The Captain then leveled a stern finger at the young man's direction. "Don't think just because you're some kind of hero now that you're exempt. I'm more pissed off at you then them. I told you not to hesitate or fall but once again, you get your ass kicked. Damn it runt, I thought we figured this shit out back in the mountains. I don't feel like climbing up there again and freezing my ass off, so you better get it together."
To anyone who didn't know Stonewell, he would just be a criticizing old asshole who would never be impressed and had unreasonable standards. To the young man, he could tell the Captain really believed his men could do better and was happy that they survived to have the chance to become better. Edward wouldn't say it out loud, if he did, Stonewell might make good on his earlier threat, but all the same he smiled.
"Alright, message received loud and clear."
The old man dropped his finger before crossing his arms with a huff as he seemingly accepted the young man's words. With all the excitement finally over, Edward could now notice Hector and with the events of what happened last night fresh in his mind, he wanted to talk to the noble.
"Hector, you mind if we speak privately for a moment?"
The man in question fixed him with a neutral stare while Stonewell's eyes slid over to the two of them briefly before making a loud groaning noise. "Ahh if you two are going to argue, take it outside. I'm going to take a nap, if you two wake me up then I'll tear out your tongues." The two of them looked at the old man who placed his hand behind his head and leaned back against his pillow with his eyes closed.
"Sure, let's go outside."
Hector led the way out of the infirmary and once the two of them were in the hallway, the noble turned to the woman that was still outside the doors. "Grace, you coming or are you staying here?"
"I'm going to stay here for a little while longer."
The noble nodded his head as he led the way down the hallway. As Edward followed, he filed away the name Grace in the back of his mind as he watched the woman slightly open the door to stare inside the infirmary. He was becoming more and more curious about her but eventually dropped it when Hector opened the door to an empty parlor and closed the door behind the two of them so now they were alone.
"What did you want to talk about?"
Edward noted the absence of the usual glare that was generally aimed at him from the guard and would have said something about it any other time but for now he had other things on his mind.
"I just wanted to apologize for last night."
The noble said nothing and it prompted the young man to continue. "I know what Rahim's soul echo said to you about your friends and now it finally makes sense why you feel the way you do toward Queen Elsa. You've been told who I really am and I can understand the pain you feel when you're blamed for someone's death. Especially when you weren't the one who did it and you have to spend close time with the one who was."
Hector took on a thoughtful expression before he snorted. "You know, I really don't like you. Since the first moment I've known you, you just had this wounded puppy look to you, yet Stonewell puts you in charge of training his guards. Sure you're a competent fighter when it counts, but all you do is tiptoe everywhere you go and that sickens me. If you're strong than act strong, you're more than capable than most men will be if they trained their entire lives. I called you a threat because only someone who acts weak but is very strong is either a hidden threat or a coward. You're obviously no coward so I think you're a threat, not because of what you are. You're a threat because at the end of the day, you fight with kid gloves. Last night, you actually took a full step, you with murderous, unwavering, and focused on winning. That is what we'll need if another freak comes calling."
The noble took a step forward and got in the young man's face. "So you can shove that sorry up your ass. As far as I'm concerned, Rahim was the one who said and did all that shit last night, you killed him, end of story. You kept saying you aren't him, well then don't apologize for his actions. He chose to kill our men when he was perfectly capable of rendering them unconcious, he acted like he was their teacher then mercilessly used their deficiencies against them. He's gone and I will not spend one second crying about it. Next time you do, I will literally shove my mace down your throat, now that I know you can walk it off."
Hector moved to leave after that aggressive speech that stunned Edward for a moment who looked at the retreating back of the guard. While he honestly wasn't too surprised by the threat as well as the harsh words, he read in between the lines and was taken aback by the slight compliment he was just given. If he asked about it then the guard would probably try to make good on his threat so he kept his mouth shut.
When Edward first met Hector, he had a very low opinion of the arrogant noble who seemed to think everything was beneath him. Even now, his opinion of Bowman was still quite low, but after learning about the layers of his personality, the young man felt a small amount of respect for the guard. To be able to swallow his hurt feelings and pride for the sake of their kingdom was admirable. Even when it would be easier to let the person you blame for your pain to die, Hector upholded his role and truly felt that Elsa was good for Arendelle and laid down his life for her.
Guess you aren't that big of an asshat, Bowman…
The young man would've let the guard go but something just occurred to him that made him speak up. "Hector?"
The mentioned man turned with an annoyed expression. "Yes?"
"Where's Elsa?"
The annoyed expression turned into a thoughtful one as the guard debated on if he should answer that question. He knew where she was and remembered the proposal that he made. The conditions of the proposal kept him from being with the Queen but never said anything about the young man in front of him who started to look worried with the lack of response. The noble could see he obviously cared about the blonde fervently which had him talking with a meaningful expression.
"I'll tell you where she is, only if you listen to what I say and really take a moment to think about it."
The sun was beginning to set on Arendelle as people were beginning to return to their homes to rest for the night. The waning sunlight made the more rural areas of the village glow with an autumn shade of color as a person was walking down a winding path back toward the castle. Her simple beige blouse that reached her ankles and covered her arms with a white apron had some wrinkles and dirt smudges here and there. On her head concealing her face was a white bonnet that was kept low to hide her face.
She seemed to have the weight of the world on her shoulders as she walked with her head down and didn't acknowledge anyone that walked past her. Recent memories of what caused her current mood bounced around in her head as she continued to walk back to the castle.
Y-you're saying they froze…
Who cares if he's dead, just give me my money!
The first two houses were relatively close to one another so she was able to see them first. The first house was around the village circle, the family there was close knit and were honored she had come to personally see them. Before they spoke, she had told them she had only come as a simple woman with no title and that there would be no consequence for what they did or say during her time there.
The family was confused at why she would say such things as they seemed to have a great deal of respect and love for her. That made her feel more guilty as she finally confessed the reason why she was here and why two of their boys truly did not return home during her coronation.
When she described to them the real way they died, the family was in shock and could barely think or consider what she had just told them. She apologized but it felt hollow to her as the mother of those boys started to cry as the father comforted her. It took awhile but the older woman calmed down and told their visitor that she didn't blame her. She said that she was content to see that their two sons would not be forgotten and that someone as powerful as their visitor cared about them.
The father told their visitor stories about them and how they lived. His face was greatly pained but he wore it well and asked that she apologized to Hector for him. The father confessed that he had hated the guard after he told them that they just died and left. The noble gave no explanation, only that it was his fault and walked away. The father remembered how furious he was when the guard had no emotion on his face when he said it, like they didn't matter at all one bit.
When their visitor told him that Hector truly agonized over their deaths and who was really responsible, the father had a deep sense of regret for saying all those mean things to the guard.
Their visitor stayed for a while and then left after promising the family compensation for their loss but was denied when they said that her coming here was payment enough.
The woman left the house surprised they forgave her but still had a heavy sense of guilt on her shoulders as she continued on to the next house. The next house was on the edge of town that she never visited. It was here she could finally see the less fortunate of citizens that she fought to try and better their lives. When she knocked on the door of the house she was looking for, a middle aged man answered.
His face was thin and his hair was caked with grime. His eyes were wild and unfocused as he seemed to be coming down from something. When he barked for her to tell him who she was, the woman answered and the man laughed because he didn't believe her. Nevertheless, she told him the same she told the first family and when she finished, she was horrified to see that the man didn't care one bit that his brother had died.
He was more concerned with the money that was promised him as compensation for his brother's death. The woman was floored by the blatant disregard for the lack of feeling towards the man's own sibling. She was tempted to rescind her offer as compensation but the man grabbed and yelled at her that it was still her fault that he was dead. The woman was shaken and wanted to fight to break free from the grip that was on her arms but she remained calm and told him that she would regret that for the rest of her life but she at least cared about him, more than his own brother did.
She then left the house after dropping her promised compensation in his hands. He eyed the coins inside with glee as he began to mutter to himself before walking back into his broken shack of a home. As the woman walked away, it began to dawn on her what was wrong with the man she just met and what he intended to do with that money.
Arendelle was a great place to live and she strived to make the lives of her people prosperous with low crime rates and clean streets. That however didn't mean that a small amount of drugs couldn't sneak into her home and from what she read of the recent demand of opium and its misuse, that man had been a frequent user.
With the money she gave him, she could see that he would likely buy more and while it saddened her to know that she had enabled his addiction and likely worsened his state of life, she had said that no consequence would come from her and as she is now learning, she can't control everything. She would make medical care a higher priority for those who would wish to better themselves and hoped that she would one day see that man again trying to better himself.
That left one last house to go to and when she arrived, a woman answered with a small boy next to her. Not used to visitors the woman asked who she was and was surprised when her visitor introduced herself.
She remembered talking with the mother and confessing what happened. The look on the mother's face stabbed in the heart as she began yelling at her visitor despite her son being in the room.
That last house was the most painful place she had been in for a long time, and after she left, all the woman wanted to do was return to the castle.
She continued to walk in a daze until she bumped into someone. Keeping her head down, she tried to step past them but a soft hand on her side kept her in place. She should've recognized the smell of the person in front of her but her feelings on pain and guilt clouded her senses. It was the comforting hand that was holding her that made it obvious who she had bumped into. She wanted to keep her head down, she didn't want to see her face but another hand gently tipped up her chin until the bonnet couldn't hide her face from him.
Edward was staring down with a patient expression at Elsa whose eyes were still red from crying and her cheek had a harsh red mark on it.
The woman waited for the young man's eyes to harden and demand who had laid a hand on her. She wasn't going to tell him but she also didn't want to fight him on this. Nevertheless she prepared for the shoe to drop as his protective instincts would surely kick in.
To her surprise, all he did was just wrap his arms around her and pull her into his chest.
As she stood there in his comforting grasp, she just kept still. She was so close to breaking down again and she didn't want that. She didn't want to break down in front of him and show him her pain which would make him try to get back at the person who made her feel this way. Little did he know that the person who hurt her, was her. So she kept telling herself one phrase that she used to hate but still live by.
Conceal, don't feel.
Conceal, don't feel.
Conceal, don't feel…
"...It's ok, Elsa."
What little strength she had that kept the dam from coming down broke with those three words. She wanted to scream and beat his chest for bringing down her walls when she wanted to hold it in until she was alone and safely in her room in the castle. She didn't want anyone to see her break down but she found herself sobbing into his chest and grasping onto him like he was the only lifeline she had.
Edward said nothing as she continued to cry in his arms. He knew the proposal that Hector made with Elsa. In exchange for not confronting the council with them covering up those four deaths, Hector would tell her who they were and where their families were.
Elsa had reluctantly agreed and left the castle to see the families of the people she killed. Part of the deal was that no one but her could go because she wanted to go before them as Elsa and not the Queen of Arendelle. She understood that they may say or act in a way that would force her guards to act in kind. She wanted them to have no fear or retaliation and for them to speak as freely as possible.
Edward understood but didn't like it. So he shadowed her, far enough she wouldn't see him but close enough to be aware of what was happening.
When that man in the shack grabbed her, Edward wanted to rip his arms off but he stayed where he was, he had complete faith in Elsa and didn't want to undermine her noble intentions. When that mother at the final house wailed and screamed at the blonde before rising up with fury and slapping Elsa across the face with the pent up hurt that came from losing her husband, Edward wanted to hold Elsa right then when he saw that she began to cry but stayed where he was. He watched her apologize and offer compensation before being kicked out of the woman's home.
Edward debated on if he should just allow her to continue on her own back to the castle since she decided to do this on her own but remembered that she was always there for him, even if he wished she wasn't. At times it was irritating and downright worrying when she was in danger for being around him but he loved her company as she allowed him to be just him and no one else.
Right now, she was just Elsa, and he wanted to be there just for her.
So he appeared right in front of her and cradled her in her arms. He could guess that she would try to keep all her pain in but just like she had done for him, he had her letting it all out with just him and no one else.
He said nothing as she cried into his chest, only making his grip even firmer so that she knew that he was there and that he wasn't going anywhere.
Hey guys, another update. To be honest I've been sitting on this for a minute and maybe could've gotten this out sooner but work has been hard. On the 2nd, we had a block party because we finally got a break off work so I went drinking and having fun. The 3rd was a moving day and I'm finally knocking out the 4th for this story. I hope you all enjoyed it and I'm actually surprised that this was a chapter worthy. I expected it not to be this long but somehow i hit 7k words but good news is that I already have a plan for the next two chapters so hopefully I'll get them out before work cause I have like 2 more free days. Anyway please pm me if you wish to contact me and don't forget to review, have a lovely 4th of July.