AUTHOR'S NOTE: Dark dark dark dark DARK. But hold on, it'll get lighter again soon!
CONTENT WARNING: King Edvin is a sexual predator. Proceed with caution.
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19: THE FIRST SUITOR
"King Edvin of Hordalunde is a widower, mourning the recent death of his second wife," Rolf was saying. "She died in childbirth two months ago. He is 44 years old, and was originally a prince from further into the mainland. It should interest you to know that his last two marriages have been to ruling young women, as well. Very strategic and wise. The kingdoms all benefitted from the mutual bond. Because of this, we felt that he would be an extremely good prospect for Arendelle."
The Snow Queen was hardly listening, turned away from him in the throne room and struggling to control herself. The pit in her stomach was not going away, but was instead growing, with fear. That look on Jack's face…
He doesn't exist, she told herself, biting down hard on her lip. It was all—it was all a dream. A very pleasant, and very fleeting, dream.
In her peripheral vision, Elsa suddenly realized that the air above her was sparkling. Looking up, her eyes widened with horror as she realized that the sparkling was the glistening of dozens and dozens of snow flurries, beginning to materialize all around the place where she was standing.
Conceal! she thought desperately, Conceal, don't feel, conceal, don't fee—
"Queen Elsa!"
She abruptly spun around, her eyes snapping back into focus. Rolf was sitting in the chair, holding open the file and looking at her expectantly.
"Um—yes," Elsa stammered, "I'm sorry—could you—?"
He drew himself up, raising his eyebrows. "I said that King Edvin has specifically requested a private audience with you," he stated emotionlessly, "But we need your consent before such an audience is permitted. Is that alright?"
"Oh. Yes. Fine," Elsa said.
She had done the right thing, Elsa told herself desperately, cutting herself off from Jack. Arendelle needed her full focus, and despite the fact that she knew the fiasco with the necklace was a complete accident, she was well aware of its implications. She'd allowed herself to become silly—distracted. And happiness was simply not part of the deal, when it came to ruling a kingdom. Jack Frost was simply a crazy, beautiful dream she'd had. And, if she was going to honor her responsibilities, that was all he could ever be to her.
He's a myth, she thought determinately. He's a myth, he's a myth, he's a myth. I must believe he's a myth. For the good of Arendelle…
"QUEEN ELSA!"
She jolted out of the stupor again, to find Rolf standing from his seat, holding the papers. He cleared his throat, starting again.
"Queen Elsa, are you ready for him to come in?"
Elsa's stomach twisted.
Trying to hide it, she drew herself up regally, clasping her hands in front of her skirt. "I suppose I'm as ready as I'll ever be," she shook.
Rolf nodded and reached into his bag, pulling out a piece of fabric. Elsa watched as it fell open, her breath catching as she realized what it was.
Her head Councilman was holding a pair of gloves.
"Wha—wait," Elsa stammered, "Those—you aren't saying—!"
Her voice trailed off, and Rolf raised his eyebrows. Then, visibly restraining from rolling his eyes, he started again.
"Like I was saying before," he enunciated condescendingly, "You cannot use your powers in front of this man, under any circumstances. He has only agreed to see you on the condition that you have them under control."
"But what if—"
"—If you feel threatened, then you may call the guards. We were very lucky with Weaseltown's understanding," he continued, slightly louder, "When there wasn't a war. We lost a great amount of money when you jumped to cutting off trade with them, however, and we cannot afford to have that happen again."
Elsa's heart froze. "B-But," she choked, "Trade has since increased by almost three hundred percent! I—we made up for it!"
"The Council thought the gloves might help," he said again, holding them out.
Fighting back the pit in her stomach, Elsa felt a cold rush of dark memories rush over her as her eyes fell onto the thicken, woolen gloves in his hand. But there was no time to argue now. Not with the suitor right outside the door. She just had to get through this.
It would be over soon.
She watched herself hesitantly reach forward and take them.
"A very wise decision, my queen," Rolf said slowly.
Elsa shakily pulled the gloves on as the door opened. Rolf cleared his throat.
"King Edvin of Hordalunde," he announced.
Elsa drew herself up, pressing her lips together as a richly attired middle-aged man strode confidently into the room. He was wearing an army uniform, covered in medals, his lapels fresh, pressed, and perfect, like the sculpted wave in his slightly-thinning gray-brown hair. On top of his head was a heavy crown, encrusted with jewels. Even Elsa's original tiara hadn't been so ostentatious.
The young queen suddenly felt her legs turning to jelly.
Hiding it, Elsa quickly curtsied as he bowed, forcing a smile as the enormous doors closed with a heavy thump.
"Queen Elsa," the king began, getting up, "If I may say so, it appears that the rumors of your exquisite beauty are true… although they have not done you justice."
Elsa swallowed hard, fighting the blood rushing to her face. "Thank you," she said emotionlessly, drawing herself up.
He took a step forward, reaching for Elsa's gloved hand. She froze as he took it, bringing it to his lips.
"Your face is like that of an angel's," he murmured, "If I could only—"
"—You have expressed interest in forming a political alliance," Elsa interrupted.
The king paused, raising his eyebrows slightly. Then, he straightened up again, releasing her hand with a hint of an approving smile on the edge of his lips.
"Ah, yes. Right to the point, then," he said, "I am glad that you have a firm grasp on reality, my Queen. Such—pleasantries—can wait, I suppose. In light of weightier matters."
"Indeed they can." Elsa gestured to two large chairs on the side of the room. "Would you care to sit down?"
"I prefer to stand." He drew himself up, puffing out his chest slightly as he gazed down his nose at her. "One should always be on one's feet, m'lady. Always ready to strike!"
"Strike?" she asked in confusion, "Whatever do you mean, strike? Strike against what?"
"Attacks! Attacks from enemies!" he proclaimed, "Outsiders! Threats against the kingdom!"
Elsa arched an eyebrow, sizing up the man. Ah.
One of those.
"I'm sure that I don't know what you mean," the young queen responded, relaxing slightly as she felt herself settling into Automatic Political Debate Mode. "Arendelle has indeed had a few unusual attacks in its history, but our military was perfectly capable of protecting the kingdom without—striking against anyone. And, when Arendelle has jumped to attack when unprovoked, the kingdom always suffered for it in the end."
He said nothing for a moment, looking down to his feet and chuckling to himself. Shaking his head, Elsa watched as King Edvin placed his hand on the hilt of the sword sheathed at his side, beginning to drum his fingers on it.
"It appears that you are not familiar with warfare," he stated, drumming his fingers on the sword. "But, I suppose it shouldn't surprise me. The art of war is really more of a masculine pursuit."
"Bloodshed, a masculine pursuit?" Elsa laughed bitterly. "As if fundamentally male characteristic to value violence over diplomacy? I'm sure that I have more faith in the male gender than that!"
King Edvin paused, opening his mouth to say something, and then closing it again. Raising his eyebrows, he looked at the young queen in amusement.
"Your naivete is showing, my queen," he chuckled. "Quite the motherly little thing, aren't you?"
Elsa jolted.
As the young queen's mouth hung open in shock at the comment, her eyes bulging, the king smirked, smugly rocking back onto his heels. The muscles in Elsa's back tightened with indignation, she glanced upwards to realize that snowflakes were beginning to materialize out of the air over her once again.
She closed her eyes.
"If valuing the lives and well-being of my subjects makes me motherly, then yes," Queen Elsa enunciated, measuring her words carefully as she looked back at the suitor, "I suppose I am. And I am not a thing, I will inform you."
She drew in her breath, staring down the man with the iciest, most threatening Royal Glare she could muster. He shrugged, giving his head a little shake as she turned away from him, walking to the nearest chair.
"So… King Edvin," Elsa started again, her lip curling as she said his name. "Do tell me. What, exactly, does Hordalunde have to offer Arendelle?"
Her blood boiling, she gracefully swept into the chair, her long capelet whisking past her feet as she sat down and crossed her right leg over her left. The long slit in her skirt fell open over her knee, and the king glanced downwards, his eyebrows lifting as he eyed the young queen's now-exposed bit of skin.
Elsa was too angry to notice.
"Well," King Edvin started smugly, glancing back down to her legs again before beginning to pace back and forth across the carpet in front of her, "For one thing, our kingdom's size greatly exceeds that of your own. We have incredible trade, and our agriculture is the envy of many other kingdoms. And then, there's our military, as I just mentioned. Also much greater than yours, as evident in the—"
"—I must warn you that that isn't necessarily true," Elsa interjected. "Our trade is currently the third-greatest in all the surrounding kingdoms, and as for our military, I can build dozens of snow monsters in seconds as guards for a defensive front. It would be very difficult to get through our lines, and Arendelle's outer walls would be well fortified long before any soldiers' lives were taken."
"Is that a challenge?" King Edvin countered, spinning around as grasping the hilt of his sword. "If it is, Hordalunde will gladly oblige!"
"With all due respect, King Edvin," Elsa sputtered, "Once again, we are discussing war! I would never joke about such things, and surely, you—"
"—Politics is war!" he scoffed, cutting her off, "In this day and age, one must attack before being attacked, which—"
"—Which is exactly why Arendelle," Queen Elsa gritted, rising from the chair as her voice grew louder, "For as long as it is under my rule, or my sister's, will only engage in battle if it's DEFENSIVE! War is to be avoided at all costs, and frankly, good sir, I am horrified that you would have the audacity to discuss senseless violence so casually!"
"But—"
"And I assure you," Elsa continued, her fists clenching in the gloves, "With the credibility I have to speak for them as their reinstated QUEEN, the people of Arendelle have NO INTEREST IN WAGING A POINTLESS WAR WITH HORDALUNDE!"
Her chest heaving as she gasped for breath, the Queen Elsa was now on her feet, her entire body trembling with fury as she glared into his eyes. The king stared at her in disbelief, his mouth hanging open in shock.
Holding her ground, Elsa winced as the king gathered his senses, slowly turning around to face her as his eyes narrowed with fury.
"Then be more careful when you speak," he enunciated.
Elsa's blood ran cold.
"Excuse me?" she breathed.
He looked condescendingly into her face as Elsa felt her fingers tingling within the gloves.
Conceal! She thought desperately.
"You are very beautiful, Queen Elsa," he said carefully, "And you are also very young. I am aware that, in making you this offer of marriage, I am doing so less as a suitor, and more as a teacher. I know that I could help you learn how to rule Arendelle, despite your age, and—" He paused, glancing down at her dress, "Well—femininity."
Elsa felt blood rushing to her face. The pit in her stomach returned, and she fought it, drawing herself up. "With all due respect, King Edvin," she replied icily, "I believe that Anna and I have been ruling this kingdom perfectly well as it is."
The man chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh, yes, I'm certain you've been doing your best," he laughed, "But, that is what you would think. Our marriage would be mutually beneficial."
Her eyes narrowed. "How is that, exactly?"
"I could better protect and rule Arendelle, with you," he said knowingly, "And when you needed help, I would be right there by your side to teach you, and to fix things when you—made mistakes."
Elsa felt her teeth clench together in fury.
CONCEAL!
"And for me, of course," he continued, taking her gloved hand in his own and looking longingly into her eyes, "There would be your—lovely—companionship."
He knelt down onto one knee before Elsa on the carpet. She froze, paralyzed with horror as he felt her hand and continued.
"My bed has gotten so cold at nights," he said dramatically, "And I have felt, after all this time, that this hole in my heart can only be filled by the companionship of a fair young woman such as yourself. It would do me a great—honor—and delight to have such a youthful spirit like yours to brighten the halls of my castle once again. Far and wide, I have searched for a beauty such as—"
Elsa suddenly withdrew her hand. He abruptly stopped talking, snapping his head up in shock.
"I was so sorry to hear of the recent passing of your wife," she enunciated, stepping back and glaring into his eyes with disgust. "You must be devastated."
For a long, painful moment, King Edvin froze, gazing into her face with disbelief. From her icy expression, the young queen's message was clear.
Not. Interested.
His face flushed.
Standing up, King Edvin brushed himself off, clearing his throat and straightening his jacket.
"So," he said carefully, "You are—rejecting—my generous offer?"
"I'm afraid so."
He set his jaw, his eyes narrowing. Elsa gestured to the door and began to walk towards it, her capelet billowing behind her as he followed.
"Queen Elsa," he stammered, "I—surely, you see what you are losing, when—"
"—Thank you for your consideration," Elsa snapped, not looking back to him, "But I believe that this audience is finished."
They finally reached the large, wooden doors at the end of the room. The king began to reach for the handle, and then stopped, staring at it.
"So," he said slowly, "I came all this way—three hundred and seventy miles—for nothing, then."
"I'm sorry that you're disappointed," Elsa replied coldly.
Just before he took the handle, Elsa watched as the man paused again. He then absent-mindedly kicked the door.
"Actually…" King Edvin muttered, slowly turning back to her. "I didn't come three hundred and seventy miles for nothing."
He drew himself up and began to walk towards her again, a strange, terrifying glint in his eyes as he approached. Her eyes widening, Elsa stumbled back a step, staring at him in confusion as a loud commotion started up from the outside hallway.
King Edvin raised his eyebrows tauntingly, and took another step towards her, as if daring her to hold her ground. Elsa's heart leapt into her throat as she stumbled back from him. What was he doing? Why—why was he—!
"What are you talking about? What are—stop!" Elsa stammered, "Don't—don't come any closer to me!"
She threateningly reached for one of her gloves, ready to pull it off.
He chuckled darkly, shaking his head. "Oh, Queen Elsa," he murmured, ignoring her as he took another step forward, "Use your powers on me? With my kingdom's military might? Now, we both know that that would be a very bad idea… wouldn't it?"
Elsa, taking another step back away from him, bumped into a chair. She quickly righted herself, strategically darting behind it. "My people would stand behind me," she shook, "Stay—away!"
"Your people?" he scoffed, raising his eyebrows as he sidestepped the chair, "It's your word against mine! And my people, I promise you, remember the effects of the Snow Queen's last little emotional outburst. How do you think they would respond if they found out she attacked their king? For all that talk of yours, do you really want to start a war, Queen Elsa?"
Elsa's breath caught.
He would use her powers as an excuse to go to war.
As he took another step forward, hardly two feet away from her, she stumbled another step back, leaving the chair. Suddenly realizing that she was almost completely backed into the wall, Elsa's heart started pounding, her blood running cold with the realization.
He was trying to corner her.
"I'll—I'll call the guards!" Elsa threatened, her voice growing louder as she inched towards one of the chairs, "Get back!"
"You guards are—otherwise engaged," he informed her smugly, cutting her off. "I arranged it so that everything that happens in here in the next minute or so can be—well, it can be our little secret."
"How dare you!"
"I'm a king," he chuckled, raising his eyebrows. "I must be daring."
"Why, YOU—"
"—And who are YOU, young lady," he interrupted, slightly louder, "To expect that I would permit you to show such blatant disrespect for my position?"
"Disrespect?!" Elsa sputtered, "I AM THE QUEEN!"
"And I am a KING."
Now almost completely backed up against the wall, trapped between an end table and the mantle of the throne room's fireplace, Elsa's mind raced, her eyes flickering to the doors. There was a small space, beside the king, leading to the open part of the room. If she could just bolt past him, she could probably…
"I gave you my time, in traveling so far to offer you this chance in person," he said sternly, making her jump, "Even as you are foolish enough to refuse it, you are still obligated to give me something in return."
"I'm not obligated to give you anything!" Elsa felt her heart start pounding even harder, her eyes wide. Shaking her head vigorously, she took another step back. "Wha—what do you want?"
"Oh, not much of anything at all," he said carefully, "Just a—pleasant—memory—to take home with me."
"What are you saying?"
She felt a wave of fear run through her body as he glanced down, his eyes lingering on the neckline of her dress. He then looked back up into her gaze, taking a step towards her.
"That dress you're wearing," he said slowly. "It's made of ice…"
"Yes," Elsa shook, taking another step back, "What about it? Get away from me!"
He ignored her, stepping towards her again. "Does that mean," he breathed, raising his eyebrows, "That it will melt off of you—under the warmth of a man's touch?"
"DON'T TOUCH ME!"
The king suddenly leapt forward, catching Elsa's arm and yanking her towards him as she dove for the space beside him. "GUARDS!" she shrieked, struggling desperately to wrench it out of his grip as he jerked her back, "GUAAAARDS!"
CLONK.
All of a sudden, the man's eyes went glassy. Elsa watched in shock as his body went limp and crumpled onto the ground at her feet, releasing her arm. Jumping a step back, she then looked up.
A large, glass vase was floating independently in the air.
Elsa's breath caught. She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head vigorously, and then opened them again.
Jack Frost, holding up the enormous vase, was standing directly behind the man's body, his eyes narrowed with fury. Noticing her staring at him, Jack set his jaw, blushing furiously.
"Yeah, I know," he gritted, looking up into her eyes, "You told me to leave, and I was going to, but—well, that—that scumbag—!"
"J-Jack?" Elsa quavered.
He shook his head, putting down the vase and snatching up his staff again. "So, I hope you're not expecting me to apologize," he said quickly, turning to leave, "Because I'm not going to."
"Jack!"
Elsa leapt over the man's limp body, running forward and embracing Jack as he started to walk away. He froze, looking down to her in shock. His body stiffened for a moment, but then he gingerly put his own arms around her as well, pulling her closer as she gasped for breath, burying her face in his chest. As she squeezed him, the ice crown slipped off her hair, falling and shattering on the wood floor.
"Elsa," he stammered, "I—your crown—"
"—It doesn't matter," Elsa choked. "I—I don't need it. Not with you."
As Jack's eyes widened, she then pulled herself up, threw her arms around his neck, and kissed him.