The phrase "seeing red" depicted someone losing themselves to their rage so completely that they couldn't think straight.

Edward was not one of those people.

When in the throes of his rage, he thought more clearly, reacted much faster, and was so much stronger than usual. His first targets in the room should've been the two men holding the beautiful woman because he was most enraged at them. However, he knew that the man sitting against the wall was a much larger threat than the two of them combined, so he would start with Záviš.

Edward had his sword drawn before the man could even get out of his seat. Normally, one would charge their opponent with a sword to slash them. In this case the young man cocked his arm back before throwing it as hard as he could at the Záviš's body. The blade sailed through the air before embedding itself deep into the man's body forcing him to sit back down into his seat while looking at the sword handle sticking out of his chest. Before he could even think of pulling it out, Edward had closed the distance and with no little amount of force, kicked the hilt even deeper into Záviš's chest forcing the blade to come out his back and into the cave wall.

Essentially pinned and impaled by the sword, the man went limp after attempting to pull the sword out with no avail. Edward took a brief second to notice the red light illuminating his wounds and knew the man would not stay down for long but he knew that he bought himself plenty of time to deal with the other two men in the room. They had already released Elsa who had backed up against a wall while trying to cover herself with her arms and legs. As they began to pick up their pants and weapons, Edward allowed himself a quick glance at the beautiful woman's body.

On the surface he saw no marks whatsoever but when he looked into her eyes he actually got angrier. There was shock and surprise from his arrival, however he could all see the soul shattering fear in her eyes as well as the hurt that dwelled in those blue gems. The young man decided that not one drop of their putrid blood would get on her skin.

Mine on the other hand…

The first bandit attempted to swing a sword at him but was surprised to see that his wrist was caught midswing. A second later, his knee caved in backwards as Edward kicked it forcing him on the ground. The young man maintained his grip on the man's wrist as he ducked under a behind the second bandit's attack and kicked him away. The next thing that happened made everyone in the room save Edward freeze in terror.

The young man put his foot under the pit of the bandits arm and proceeded to pull on his arm while pushing with his foot. First came the sound of his shoulder popping out of place, next was all the bones in the arm coming out of place, then his skin tearing, before finally the blood splatter when his arm came off. Elsa and the other bandit could not comprehend the limp in the young man's arm as the bandit on the ground wailed in pain as his blood kept squirting out.

Edward ignored his screams and turned toward the other bandit who actually looked towards the door and considered making a break for it. He didn't get far as an amputated arm smacked him in the face and knocked him off his feet. The bandit hit the ground and slowly turned to look up at the young man who stood over him with his red eyes promising death for him. He let go of his sword and put his hands up hoping to beg for his life, however Edward didn't seem to want to listen because he lifted his makeshift weapon in his hands and proceeded to bring it down on the bandit's head.

The sound the arm made as it hit the man's face made Elsa flinch as she closed her eyes and covered her ears. It did little good as she could still hear the sounds of the arm hitting flesh over the bandit in front of her hyperventilating over the loss of his arm. Finally the impact sounds ceased and the blonde chanced a look to see Edward with his back to her standing over the bandit's body. The arm was carelessly tossed aside as he moved away from his victim who she could tell was no longer breathing. The young man's face was away from her as she saw him look down at the bandit with only one arm. This bandit actually held up his only hand and was able to push out a few words.

"Please...let me go...you already took my arm...I'll never do this again. I-I'll quit being a bandit and will get an honest life, hell I'll turn myself into the guards...JUST PLEASE LET ME GO!"

Elsa watched the young man not move a muscle as he stared at the man down who was begging for his life. Even after everything, she still felt that killing was never the answer. She'd seen enough and was about to raise her voice and ask Edward to spare the man, but she never got the chance.

Edward lifted his leg and aimed his boot at the man's head and before Elsa could say anything to stop him, he slammed it down and crushed it like an egg. Blood splattered everywhere from the ground, walls, and even Edward himself. Everywhere except Elsa who was in the young man's shadow, her skin was free of blood that stained the room.

The blonde woman shuddered as she looked back and forth between the bodies in the room before she settled on the young man. There was no heavy breathing or any sign of exhaustion from him, his breath was even and perfectly normal like he was resting. He just stood there with his back to her facing the carnage he created. Elsa barely noticed a small key tossed over his shoulder and landing in her lap, she looked down at it for a moment, her mind hoping it was what she thought it was.

"It's the key to your shackles, you should free yourself and go."

The blonde barely heard him whisper as he still didn't face her to see if she heard him. Perhaps he didn't want to look at her while she was in such a state of undress but it was the voice in which he spoke that made her look up at him. His voice was resigned and sad, as if he regretted what just transpired. There was no hesitation in his actions and she could honestly say the display frightened her but she couldn't help the next words that came out of her mouth.

"W-what about you?"

Edward was quiet for a moment as he walked toward the barrel of water that was still in the room and began to wash his hands.

"Your concern for me is unnecessary, just leave and return to Arendelle."

Elsa had already released herself from her shackles and was happy to feel her magic at her beck and call again as she created an ice gown with a flick of her hand. She stood up to her full height and continued to stare at the back of her rescuer as he continued to scrub wash his hands in the water. Part of her now did fear the young man in front of her, someone capable of such brutality should be feared. However another part of her remembered how he sounded and with the way he aggressively washed his hands it seemed like he himself was shaken for what he did. That part of her made her take a few timid steps toward him and place a hand on his back which made him visibly flinch.

"I'm not leaving without you, Edward."

The young man took a deep breath before exhaling before turning around to face the blonde who couldn't help but retract her hand when she saw the blood splatter on his face. His blue eyes were hollow and empty as he could see that she had fear in her eyes as she looked at him, like he was a monster.

"You should, I can see it in your eyes. You're afraid of me now, and you have every right to be, I'm a monster and someone you shouldn't be around."

Elsa watched him turn away from her again and as she dipped her head for a moment. He was right, she was afraid. He saved her yet she was afraid of him. That wasn't right, yes he may have done something frightening but he did it to protect her and she could see he regretted doing it. She also couldn't help but think of the time she spent with him, those few times when Kristoff would go into the castle to find Anna in the morning leaving the two of them to talk. He had so much in common with her and she finally felt she wasn't alone. Anna was always there but she never had something torment her from the inside that left her wanting isolation, she always wanted a connection where as Elsa wanted to remain hidden away. Edward understood that and wanted to be isolated, which she knew from experience wouldn't make the pain inside go away. She knew it wasn't her business if he wanted to be alone but she couldn't help desiring to get him to see that he didn't have to be the way Anna made her see. She wanted to see the light in his eyes whenever they'd discuss a book or just talk about mundane things instead of the closed off guarded look he usually had in his eyes.

Slowly, she raised her hand and touched his cheek that once again made him flinch, before turning his head back in her direction. She could feel the wet blood on her fingers but she didn't care as she met him eye to eye before speaking with a strong resolve.

"You aren't a monster. You came after me when I was taken by dangerous men, you snuck into a cave of bandits just to find me, and you came to my aid when I needed you most. I'm not going to leave without you, we're both getting out of here together."

As she talked her thumb moved against his face in a calming fashion that she could see affected him. He looked like he wanted to move out of her touch but he couldn't help closing his eyes and leaned into her hand. His hand reached up and gently encased hers as he began to caress her knuckles with his thumb. For a moment she could feel the warmth from him seep into her hand before running down her arm into her body. It was calming and nice to feel, her brain told her that they needed to get moving because someone might've heard the screaming from before but she couldn't bring herself to end the moment. Edward was in a similar predicament as his soul reminded him that he was in enemy territory and time was definitely not on their side. However he himself wouldn't end feeling her hand against his face, it was an intoxicating touch that erased his anger and brought him peace, actual peace of mind that he craves so much.

"Well isn't that cute."

The two were shaken out of their trance as they turned toward Záviš who was now beginning to pull the sword out of his chest with a little bit of effort. It finally came out free as he tossed it to the side and turned his head toward the two with a dangerous smile. Elsa put her hands out in front of her getting ready for a fight but Edward had put his hand on her arm and pushed it down. Záviš ignored this as he took a look at the young man before him and the carnage he created.

"I did not see you coming, you bursting in here completely took me by surprise. I gotta say that you are very impressive, I'm envious of your ferocity. It'll make it even more satisfying when I cut that head of yours off."

The young man didn't bat an eye as he put an arm around Elsa's shoulders and lead her to the door.

"Why don't you get up and try it?"

Elsa widened her eyes at the young man while Záviš raised an eyebrow before shrugging and decided to oblige him…

...only to find out he couldn't move his legs.

The man looked down to see the wound in his chest was still healing but he now realized he couldn't feel anything from his abdomen down to his feet. He looked back up at Edward who was now at the door with a knowing expression on his face.

"When I threw my sword at you, I made sure to pierce your spine and then I completely severed it when I kicked the sword in. I'm well aware of your regenerative abilities but I didn't expect you to be killed when I impaled you. I knew you'd come back to life and pull the sword out, what you didn't realize was that your spine was still severed since the sword blocked your ability to repair it. It might take you a few more moments to get back on your feet but a few moments is all I needed…"

It was then that Záviš realized there was a small black ball rolling under his chair, only when he heard the sound of the fuze burning did he look up and already see the door closing. His face scrunched in anger as he yelled at the top of his lungs before the fuze ran out.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"

Elsa heard the explosion behind the door and shuddered a bit but followed Edward as he urged her forward. As they were about to exit the tunnel the young man pushed the blonde against the wall while keeping a lookout.

"Elsa listen, outside this tunnel is the main cavern where all the bandits are, about ten minutes ago I planted a trap at their armory. When it goes off we are going to make a break for the exit as the bandits see what happened. As soon as we're outside I'm gonna lite the second bomb and close the entrance behind us. So do not stop for anything once the armory goes off."

The blonde nodded and the two waited for a few minutes until they felt the entire cave shake and heard yells from the bandits. They watched most of them run past them toward the armory and when Edward felt they had a clear enough path he grabbed Elsa's hand and took off. A few bandits noticed them running and began to give chase until a wall of ice cut them off. With their flanks covered by an ice wall, the two almost made it to the exit when a crossbow bolt struck Edward in the arm. The two turned around to see Záviš standing there with his eyes screaming bloody murder.

Elsa attempted to make an ice wall to cut his way off from them but he jumped over any attempts before they formed as he made a beeline for the two of them. Edward quickly grabbed the blonde's hand and took off toward the exit. He could feel the anger coming off Záviš in waves, the bloodthirsty wrath the man behind possessed was palpable. However they had a great lead on the man and was able to get to the exit just as he got to the end of the tunnel behind them. Edward quickly tossed the explosive behind him as he pushed Elsa onto the sleigh and looked back to see the cave entrance collapse. Elsa even decided to add a layer of ice over the sealed in entrance to buy more time for them to get away. The young man spurred the horses and the two were off into the night.

Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Lilian were all running through the courtyard as they passed up unconscious guards. Lilian said she felt better and would join them as they went to find Captain Stonewell. As they reached the front gates to the courtyard they saw Ahimoth was fighting two more guards and defeated them both with some quick punches to the temple. The four rushed up to him as he turned to face them with an upset expression on his face. Kristoff could easily guess why he looked like that but decided to ask anyway just for confirmation.

"They got away didn't they?"

Ahimoth took a deep breath and exhaled as he nodded. "Yeah I was right behind Hans when these two guys cut me off, that Greed guy was nowhere to be seen." The four weren't happy to hear that but couldn't do anything about it. Right now they needed to get the imposter guard situation under control, even though Greed said to order a retreat they needed to make sure no imposters stayed.

It didn't take long for the five to get to the barracks, the guards instantly saluted Princess Anna and opened the door for them. "Princess is there anything we can do for you today?" The redhead eyed the young guard with a bit of suspicion that actually made him nervous. After a moment of staring at him, Anna felt he was genuine and spoke in a hurried tone.

"Yes do you know where Captain Stonewell is?"

"I'm right here." Everyone turned around to see the older man with a very large frown on his face as well as a cigar in his mouth. He was dressed in his uniform and had his weapons on his belt. Anna was happy to see the man and rushed up to him and began to speak excitedly.

"Captain, I'm so happy to see you, we're in big trouble! The guards there are…"

"Imposters, I know."

"...imposters yeah they're in the castle and tried to get me…" She stopped when she realized that he already knew and raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Wait how did you know?"

The Captain took a puff out of his cigar before answering. "I check every post nightly to ensure everyone's doing their job, I'm missing six men as around the village and when I walked to the front entrance to Arendelle, there were men there I didn't recognize. They didn't even wear the damn uniform correctly, obviously I was about to ask them if they hadn't seen anything odd to see if they were just new recruits or imposters but when they let that runt Prince Hans through without any fuss I knew they didn't belong to my guard." The redhead watched him take a puff out of his cigar.

"So what do we do?"

The older man finished his smoke before carelessly flicking it away before turning to the young

guard with an angry expression.

"Private Hastings! Go to the armory and grab the emergency signal flares and bring them back here." He then pointed to the other guard who stood at attention. "Run inside and wake everyone up and get them ready, I want them down here in uniform in ten minutes." The other guard nodded and took off in the other direction. The Captain turned back to the group with a determined expression on his face.

"We'll call back the guards and get rid of all the imposters, the Queen isn't with you, is she secure in the castle?" Anna looked away for a moment at his question which made him turn beat red in anger.

"Princess. Where. Is. Queen. Elsa?"

"She's not in the castle. Hans said that she was already dealt with so but there's no body so I doubt she's dead." Stonewell turned to Ahimoth who had a neutral expression on his face. The intense look the older man had on his face would've intimidated any lesser man but for the Prince it was refreshing to see someone who could be overwhelming with just a look.

"Forgive me for my skepticism but I find quite odd that my guards had been infiltrated as well as our Queen kidnapped the day you arrive in Arendelle. Is there anyway you can prove that you didn't have a hand in this? If you can't and I find out you did then there will be dire consequences." Ahimoth barely looked threatened after the man's words. He himself couldn't blame the man, he would think the same if the roles were reversed in fact, if Lilian had been kidnapped the same day someone visited him, he'd probably have his hands around their throat in an instant.

"I honestly can't prove to you I'm not apart of this."

Lilian couldn't help but sigh in her hand as Kristoff and Anna exchanged looks as Ahimoth kept speaking.

"However IF I were to be apart of this then I wouldn't have done things this way. If it were me, I'd personally go after the Princess first. It's foolish to charge an Elemental with no strategy, however the fact she is missing means someone knows what they're doing. In Blackdust very few of us are actually taught how to fight an Elemental, and it's tedious teaching someone else how to do so since it requires real experience to learn how and not many Elementals are lining up to be practice dummies."

That got everyone's attention. There were actually soldiers who could fight someone like Elsa? The redhead's first instinct was to rule it out as being impossible but remembered that he himself said he had almost been killed by two plus his fiancee was an Elemental herself. How could she stay with someone who trained to fight people like her?

Anna looked over to Lilian who actually looked a bit uncomfortable with the conversation but chose to say nothing as her fiance kept speaking.

"That bumbling buffoon Hans couldn't possibly be the mastermind behind this, he's too shortsighted to plan this out. There was one man who looked like he could be a key player. He called himself Greed, he had tan skin and no hair and I can almost guarantee he has red eyes."

Anna remembered Hans calling that man Greed, she thought it was an odd name but with the way he spoke about not risking what he owns made her think that maybe his name had a reason behind it. She got a chill when she laid eyes on him and Ahimoth didn't seem to know him but Greed definitely knew the young man.

Captain Stonewell began to calm down as he absorbed all the information, his face was attentive he could see that Ahimoth met him head on expressing he had nothing to hide. This could either be a trick or the guy could just be telling the truth, the woman behind him seemed a bit uncomfortable ever since he started talking about Elementals. He filed away that tidbit of information for a later date but he kept observing the group. The Princess and her consort didn't seem to be nervous around the two foreigners so they weren't being held hostage or were being forced to remain calm. The ice master wouldn't stop staring at the Prince while being well within arms length of the Princess.

It seems he doesn't trust this Prince either.

The Captain had actually taken a liking to the mountain man, they were both commoners so the high class they were generally around looked down on the two of them. Stonewell didn't care in the slightest what they thought, he could almost get away with anything he said simply because he was considered the most loyal soldier in Arendelle. Kristoff seemed to have some trouble with the comments yet the older man saw the harvester shrugs his shoulders and kept moving forward. The man was absolutely smitten with his Princess and wanted to protect her from anything and everything.

He remembered the blonde asking for lessons on weapons to protect himself, at first the lessons went slow but Kristoff hit any blocks with the determination of a mountain and he succeeded when he put in enough effort. He was also sharp in his own unique way, he thought outside the box and had good instincts, sometimes the older man wished he'd enlist. The sole fact that Kristoff hadn't taken his eyes off the Prince proved that there was something up with the man and he wouldn't let his guard down around him.

"How is he likely to be the leader?"

"Hans was completely subservient to the guy, he ran when he was told and Greed ordered all of his men to retreat. Plus he said that they already had the Queen and it was time to cut their losses. He also knew me, I don't know where but I do know that he's from Blackdust."

Captain Stonewell raised an eyebrow in surprise as Anna gasped and Kristoff's eyes narrowed. Ahimoth admitting that the guy who took Elsa was from Blackdust actually made him so much more suspicious but he kept talking.

"He mention Elysion, there are only a handful of people who know about that particular campaign. Most of them are dead, but for the few who are alive are all from Blackdust, if this guy knew about it then he was there."

The captain absorbed this information for a moment before coming with a question. "And what happened with Elysion?" Lilian eyes grew somber for a moment as Ahimoth took a deep breath and answered simply.

"It was a place where we found out that our lives meant nothing to our King and decided to do something about it. It's a long story and one I don't feel like discussing or reliving at the moment. Either way if Greed was in our military and had the balls to go after an Elemental then he knew exactly what he was doing. Something like this can't be pulled off in a single night, they'd have to prepare for his day for weeks to get the Queen out of her castle. Are there any groups in Arendelle who could've pulled this off?"

Stonewell mulled over all the information in his head for a moment considering how much he should trust the Prince. So far his analysis was spot on, it would've been smarter to go after the Princess versus the Queen. The redhead had no magic and she was very adventurous leaving her guards at any whim of hers, for a kidnapper she'd be ideal prey. However ever since the bandit attacks intensified she was forced to remain in Arendelle, watching as Bjorgman left to do his ice harvest.

The older man's eyes widened when he just remembered something. Kristoff was attacked by a group of bandits on one of his runs. From what he remembered the incident they attacked with a group of six and chased him quite a distance. Perhaps the bandits were aiming for the Princess just not physically. Fortunately Edward helped dissuade them. The young man was another thought in the older man's mind, since being in Arendelle, he kept an eye on him. So far he'd done nothing wrong, working hard at whatever he did and keeping to himself.

He was so incredibly docile in Arendelle that he couldn't see the young man capable of such carnage Stonewall thought he committed weeks ago. However, the handshake in the stables came back to mind, Edward completely overpowered his grip and was completely in the position to crush his hand if he wanted to. The young man was very strong that was obvious, such strength in someone of his size was odd plus with what the doctor of his numerous scars suggested many things. The captain felt he was hiding something but had no idea if it did pose a security risk.

The pessimist inside of him wondered if the bandits were in league with the young man and attacked Kristoff hoping to get Edward closer to the Queen.

He shot that idea down due to the fact that the young man was barely at the castle save the stables where he waited for Bjorgman. He also couldn't see the young man being in league with bandits who he attacked and killed. However that didn't mean he wasn't hiding anything and as long as he didn't pose a threat to Arendelle, Stonewell didn't care if his ass shot fire.

"We've been having bandit problems but they didn't seem organized enough to do this."

Before the Prince could speak Private Hastings rushed back in the room carrying a box of flares. The captain peered into the box and took a quick inventory of what was inside. There were seventeen stick like objects in the box, it would generally take three flares to signal that all guards return to Arendelle. The only problem is that they were in the mountains, that meant they had to send someone up the mountain to signal the guards.

He would do it himself if it wasn't for the fact that there were bandits masquerading as guards already here. He wanted the Princess in his sight as he examined every guard in Arendelle. After he could verify which guards were real he could send them out to signal all the guards to return. With luck, they could verify all the guards by morning, but that left one massive problem.

What to do about Queen Elsa?

He knew that she would want him to ensure Arendelle's safety first then hers but he couldn't just leave her in the bandits' hands. He remembered the first time he ever met the Queen, she was a tiny little thing that seemed to scare easy. He stared her down and made her squeak and hide behind her father, at first he thought there was no way this timid little girl could ever be Queen. Her father disagreed and said Elsa was smart and cunning for her age and would grow to be a wonderful Queen, she would just need someone to guide her.

The King asked he look after her should anything befall him and his wife, when the gates closed the King told him about her magic. His first thought was how dangerous she could be but then remembered she was only a child and had an equal opportunity to lead Arendelle to prosperity. So when the fatal storm took away his King and Queen, he took on the task of protecting Arendelle until Queen Elsa was ready. During the events of her coronation, he was put in a difficult position. His duty was to protect Arendelle even if it was from Elsa but he was a loyal friend to the King so he wanted to continue looking after her. Unfortunately he was useless, all he could do was organize the guards to help relieve them during the winter and he couldn't stop Hans's attempt to assassinate her.

If it wasn't for Princess Anna, I would've failed my King.

However thanks to the Princess the worst came to pass and the Queen returned. When she did, he swore to himself that he would never be useless to her again. When she met him after assuming her role as Queen he pledged his loyalty to her and worked with her to ensure Arendelle's safety and hers. To know that she could be kidnapped right under his nose made him beyond furious. The only thing that kept him from gathering his men and rushing up the mountain and tear it upside down searching for her was the promise he made her when they first met.

Winter began to rear its head in Arendelle as the people bundled up and slowed their jobs to endure the cold winter. The guards of Arendelle however lived for the cold, Captain Stonewell ensured that with the multiple field exercises they'd go on. Some even said he was impervious to the cold due to him going on every exercise and endured it without a shiver. He was currently sitting in between exercises at the moment, going over some paperwork when a knock on his door interrupted his train of thought.

"Enter."

He looked up expecting one of his soldiers but was surprised to see the Queen herself in her traditional ice dress. He was out of his seat with a bow before she could even speak. "Your Majesty, how may I assist you?"

Elsa motioned for him to have a seat as she took one in front of his desk. "Greetings Captain, I was hoping to ask you something in full confidence that you will not let it leave this room." The large man raised an eyebrow before nodding his head wondering what she could possibly wish to keep secret. The young woman took a deep calming breath before she said what was on her mind.

"As you are aware, during my coronation I unleashed a winter in the middle of summer then fled to the North mountain leaving the people fend for themselves against my storm. As such my sister went out alone to bring me back while leaving a foreign Prince in charge of Arendelle who nearly succeeded in usurping the throne."

Elsa said those words with a straight face but her eyes were something else entirely, the older man could tell it killed her to say those words. Part of him hoped that she wouldn't go on to ask where was he during this time and blame him for the lack of security. Another part of him hoped she would so he could beg for her forgiveness.

"Luckily things turned out for the best, however there's one matter that all of this brought to my attention. Captain, did excellent looking after the people of Arendelle in my absence but they also let Anna leave alone unprotected. I know that she can be troublesome to keep up with but she shouldn't ever be on her own. When I was gone she was in charge of Arendelle, she is the Princess and with the Queen gone she is the reigning sovereign. I can't have her jumping head first into danger even if it's to save me, which brings me to why I've come here. Captain Stonewell, I want you to promise me, that if I am ever to be absent from Arendelle; you will see to Anna's and Arendelle protection ahead of my own."

The older man's eyes widened and he got to his feet and planned to argue against it but Elsa raised a single hand stopping him.

"I know that your duty is to protect me, I also know that my father asked you to do the same. However, you are the Captain of the guard of Arendelle. You are bound by your position to protect them and Arendelle. I am not ordering you as Queen of Arendelle, I am begging you as a citizen of Arendelle who cares for her kingdom, please do not jeopardize my home over one woman. I know if it were Anna who was in the line of danger I would go out to protect her, on my own if need be. I know I can do that because you are here to protect my kingdom in my absence. The council would vehemently disagree with what I'm asking you, which is why I want this to stay between us. I don't even want Anna to know about this because she would argue even more, I want her to remain safe even if I must sacrifice myself to do so. Please Captain Stonewell of Arendelle will you promise me this?"

The large man slowly sat back into his chair and mulled over her words. She was right, Arendelle came first before anything else, his oath even said so. Her argument was compelling and honestly inspiring, when she returned and he pledged himself to her, he still had doubts she'd be a wonderful Queen. She had completely shattered his expectations, she worked harder than anyone he's met, the old King and Queen were amazing but their daughter quickly lived up to their ideals. She had improved almost every aspect of Arendelle in a few short months and had gone out of her way to connect with the people. He could say that many of his guards would die for her not out of duty but out of the loyalty she inspired in them. He himself would do the same in a heartbeat, but to now hear her willing to sacrifice herself to keep Arendelle safe, he couldn't help but be proud of her.

After hearing all of this he wanted to say no, that he would ensure their safety no matter what and do everything humanly possible to keep her from having to make that choice. It was on the tip of his tongue when he made the mistake of looking at her eyes and seeing the cold resolve the raged in those blue depths. He was a soldier, he was no stranger to war, things happened that you can't stop no matter how hard you tried. He may do everything in his power to protect them but someday it won't be enough, saying that they will never be in danger was childish. He could only mitigate the danger but it would always be there, Elsa knew that and decided to lessen the danger for her sister and Arendelle before herself. Denying such a request would be an insult to her resolve, it killed him to do it but he nodded then stood up and bowed.

"You have my word my Queen, I will ensure the Princess and Arendelle's safety if we find ourselves in such dire times."

His promise to her kept him grounded, with her gone, he would protect Arendelle and the Princess. He turned to Private Hastings and began giving orders. "When the other guards return I want you to take two of them to the clocktower and launch the flares. The rest of us will search Arendelle for all these imposters and confirm none of them remain in our ranks, we will then lockdown the village, no one gets in or out."

Anna was about to argue about Elsa but Stonewell turned to her with a fierce expression that stopped the redhead in her tracks.

"Not one word Princess Anna, Arendelle comes first before anything else, if the Queen was here she'd agree with me. You are to remain in my sight at all times, I don't care if I have to tie you to my back and carry you everywhere I go, I will do so without hesitation as we deal with his mess."

The older man turned to the sound of boots coming from the halls of the barracks to see guards lined up ready for their orders. He took a step toward them before looking at each of them with a critical expression, he stopped in front of one man before leaning in close. He examined his pale face with grey eyes his short brown hair stuck out from under his guard hat, he was quite young barely old enough to join. "Excuse me Private, do you mind telling me the whereabouts of Prince Hans?"

The young man looked confused for a moment as did everyone else. "I don't have the slightest idea sir." Stonewell had a blank expression his face before leaning back and turning around.

"You have no idea you say?" He then whirled around with his pistol pointing at the young man's face. He heard a gasp around the room but no one made a move fearing he might pull the trigger. Anna however, would not stand by as he threatened a young man who began to hyperventilate in fear.

"Captain that's enough, I'm ordering you to stand down!"

The older gentleman ignored her before raising his voice. "Men there are imposters within our midsts, they have already infiltrated the castle and kidnapped the Queen. Hell there might be some traitors as well who knows, all I do know is that these sons of bitches will not harm Arendelle! If that means I have to go through interrogating every single one of you to ensure you are who you say you and that you are loyal to Arendelle then I will. Since all you just woke up from bed, I can safely assume none of you are apart of this attack on our village, all except one of you who ran ahead from the gate. Someone among you is in league with the bandits, the same who let Hans waltz through the gates not even ten minutes ago. Private I think that man was you, have you anything to say in your defense?"

The young man was still hyperventilating however he did manage to open his eyes and try to remain standing tall as he spoke as loud as he can with fear in his voice. "C-c-captain S-sir, I would never b-betray my brothers in arm, Arendelle, o-or my Queen. Her Majesty fought to improve the lives of all of our citizens, s-she even got my little sister medical care. I-I will forever be in her dept, I am not a traitor and I will die for Arendelle if it ensures the people I love's s-safety!" The older man raised an eyebrow before pulling the flintlock mechanism back and hardened his eyes.

"Great speech."

The sound of the gunshot made everyone jump as the young man closed his eyes not wishing to see his end...only he didn't feel anything. He did hear the sound of the guy next to him screaming in pain, he opened his eyes to see the Captain pointing his pistol at the guard next to him's leg. "You didn't think I would see your face when you killed the guard manning the gate and let Hans through? Trust me when I say I wanted to kill you right then and there but it's more strategic to make you tell me all you know. You two get this maggot out of my sight, search him to see if he has anything of importance." The older man pointed at two guards who he had known for several years and they nodded their heads and carried out his orders trusting his judgement.

Stonewell turned back to the young man who looked to be seconds from being shot in the face, he put his pistol away before putting one hand on his shoulder. "What's your name Private?" The young man could barely control his breathing before he answered. "C-Cameron Klein sir." The older man clapped the young man on his shoulder.

"You're young, barely old enough to be a guard but you already have what it takes to be a true guardian of Arendelle. That's why I'm assigning you to protect Princess Anna. Its ok to be scared, but as long as it doesn't stop you from planting your feet and taking a stand then I pity the poor bastards who stand in your way."

The Captain then turned to address the rest of the men gathered. "That goes for all of you, tonight we face an enemy who has broken our trust of one another and have taken our Queen. Some of you may feel we need to rescue her first but you're wrong, we protect Arendelle first as our Queen wishes it. But make no mistake, we will sort out friend and foe and we will secure our home. The instant we do, we will rain down an unholy amount of ass kicking that will send the message that no one fucks with our QUEEN!"

Cheers came from the men as they all brought up a salute to the Captain as they all yelled at the top of their lungs.

"Sir yes sir!"

Elsa and Edward had made it halfway down the mountain before finding a cave and decided to call it a night. As the young man led the horses in side, the Elsa waved her hands and made their tracks disappear before creating fakes ones that led in a different direction. She then sealed the cave entrance behind her before twinkling her fingers and dropping snow on the ice wall concealing it.

The cave became pitch black until Edward lit a match in a lantern that was in the sleigh they took. He laid it down before sitting against a cave wall and putting his head back before letting out a heavy sigh. Elsa could see the day had taken a toll on him, she eyed his arm where the crossbow bolt was still in his flesh but he didn't seem to mind. He hadn't said a word since they escaped the bandit hideout, his eyes grew far away as he drove the sleigh. She wanted to know what was on his mind but felt that she shouldn't pry. She slowly took a seat next to him and folded her hands on top of her legs as she looked into the lantern trying to sort out her own thoughts.

"...Did they do it?"

Elsa turned to see Edward with his eyes still closed but there was no mistake he was talking to her. She was about to ask what he meant but she stopped when he saw the hands, he was squeezing them so tightly that she was surprised he didn't break his fingers. It then occurred to her what he meant by "did they do it?" For a moment she was quiet, thinking back to when those men took off her clothes. Her anger at Zavis disappointed and transformed into fear when she saw them begin to take their pants off. She felt violated that they touched her where no other human being as ever touched her save Gerda when she bathe her as a child.

When she felt prominent stiff object against her jewel she couldn't hold it in any longer. She begged; she begged them, she begged Zavis, she begged her parents, she begged God, she begged anyone to not let them take what could never be taken back. As if someone had heard her cries the door was kicked in and her savior burst in the room with fury in his eyes. Immense relief flooded her as she felt the bandits let go of her, she then felt immense shame for being seen so vulnerable, finally there was shocked fear at the actions her savior took. It still chilled her to the bone to think back to what he did, regardless however she was incredibly grateful to the young man.

"No they didn't...if you were a second later then they would've but you arrived just in time." Edward took a deep breath then exhaled as he extended his fingers and tried to relax. Unknownest to Elsa, he kept his eyes closed so she wouldn't see the red irises blossom as he thought back to those beasts laying a hand on the blonde. Part of him wanted to go back and kill every bandit in that cave but the part of him that mainly ruled his mind, said getting Elsa back to Arendelle was more important.

It was in the middle of the night and bandits were probably roaming the mountain, plus he knew Elsa must've been tired. She had a long day and needed to rest, she'd never admit it but he could tell by the way she breathes that she was close to dropping. Edward couldn't believe where he was right now, he traveled to Arendelle to simply get on a ship and return to his kingdom but ended up staying and getting to know the royals of Arendelle.

He honestly began to enjoy them, Princess Anna was like the little sister he never had. She brought back the fun memories he used to have with his brother before everything tore them apart. Kristoff was like Ahimoth in his opinion. They were both direct and comforting in their own unique way, plus they both had Princesses they loved more than anything.

Then there was Elsa.

If there were such things as angels she would be one. Her beauty would attract anyone to her but it was her intelligence and kindness that had the young man antsy when he waited in the stables for Kristoff hoping he'd see her. Part of him wondered what this feeling was, that arose when around the blonde. The other part knew exactly what it was and choked that feeling down, his path involved no one else but him, he wouldn't let Arendelle suffer just for knowing him. The only problem was that both sides of him didn't want to leave her.

Her eyes conveyed the exact same look his did and he wanted to know what else was in those depths. However he was just a soldier and she was a Queen there'd be no reason for them to see each other again after this mess. When he told himself that he kept himself away from her but she still found a way to always be there. They didn't have to say much, her words to him were enough for a day's worth of talking. She'd always talk to him as a person as she tried to find out why he wanted to be alone, surely he could find something to take his mind off his past and start new here.

She asked him several times about a position in Arendelle but now he found himself in the exact same position as she wanted him in. He managed to rescue both her as well as track down the bandit's hideout. Such a set of skills would be put to good use as a guard but as always he declined and kept his eye on leaving. But now being able to sit here alone with her was almost too much to bear as he kept his head back and refused to show his eyes.

When Edward didn't say anything Elsa thought he needed a moment so she said nothing as she eyed the bolt in his arm. When she reached over to touch his arm he pulled it out of her reach while turning his back to her.

"You shouldn't touch a monster your Majesty."

There it was again, his belief that he was a monster reared its ugly head again, but this time Elsa wasn't having it. With no small amount of force she grabbed his arm and pulled him back to face her and wasn't surprised to see hollow blue eyes again.

"Now look here, you aren't a monster, a monster wouldn't go so far for me. You've done more for me than most people have in my entire lifetime, I will not allow you to call yourself a monster. Yes what you did frightened me but you know what else frightened me, the fact that I was tortured and almost raped…" A few tears began to cascade down her cheeks as she continued speaking but her eyes were strong and pierce right through forcing the light to come back to his.

"...I was so scared and powerless, I was completely at their mercy. I wanted to be the woman my parents wanted me to be and I tried so hard to show I wasn't afraid but when I felt them touch me my resolve broke. I was prepared to beg them to not do it, knowing they would've done it anyway, if they continued to have their way with me I'd have no doubt Arendelle would legally be Hans's right now. You stopped that, you came when I needed you most and I can't ever forget that. I don't care what you've done in the past, all I know is you saved me and my kingdom and I honestly can't thank you enough…"

Throughout her speech, more tears began to leak out of her eyes until she finally broke down and started to cry as she let go of his arm. Seeing her cry like this for some reason didn't make him furious, he felt sad that she had been hurt so much in such a little time. He had arrived before things could have been really bad but she had almost gone through her worst nightmare. When she realized that the horrible event wouldn't happen she regained hope and it was thanks to him. Before he could talk himself out of it, Edward had put an arm around Elsa and pulled her into his side where she wrapped her arms around his torso and cried and cried knowing that once again she'd been saved by someone who meant a lot to her.

Hey guys new chapter hope ya'll like it, it was a bit rushed honestly as well as not my proudest works in the middle of the chapter due to my poor writing. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and drop a review while staying tuned for the next chapter.