Word traveled quickly through Arendelle about the tournament that would decide the Queen's personal guard. It was quite the turnout that arrived to the courtyard where it was to be held. The guards had cleared an area for a ring to be built for the battles while the citizens gathered around. Elsa and Anna were on the balcony with their throne chairs moved outside for such an occasion. On the ground was Kristoff and the Captain discussing the contenders while Edward was using some guards to ferry some last minute equipment for the tournament.
"Alright come on, I know you guys are salty you can't enter to beat the snot out of each other like you usually do in front of everyone but we need to hurry up. If we don't get this armor ready then the contenders will be fighting each other with no protection which could result in injury." Edward then paused as he thought about a certain prick who was a noble's son.
"However if Bowman's armor happens to go missing then I'll say we did our best and no one can ask anymore of us." That caused the guards to chuckle as they had noticed the animosity between the instructor and noble. Some had even asked the young man why didn't he just challenge the guy in the safety of the training yard where call out fights happened all the time. He'd answer that since he was still new here, it'd be frowned upon if he started handing out beatings to the people he's supposed to be teaching.
...And that he could take Hector any time any day.
It didn't take long before all the armor sets were staged on the outside of the ring with a weapons rack lined up at each entrance. Going over some last minute checks, Edward confirmed everything was ready and moved to join Kristoff and Stonewell overseeing the tournament.
Since receiving his new arm, the young man had changed his outfit from a collared shirt with a vest and tie to a black buttoned up greatcoat and white gloves. Luckily with it getting colder, no one noticed the change in his appearance. Kristoff had stood by his word and never said a word to anyone, leaving it up to Edward to come clean whenever he chose. It wasn't that he was afraid to, he just didn't want to burden anyone with the information with so much going on.
Now with everything prepared, the Captain gave Kai a signal who spoke to the Queen and everyone quieted as she stood up to speak. "People of Arenelle, thank you for coming out today to witness the guardians of the kingdom who are pledge to defend you." The crowd clapped as Elsa waited for a moment before continuing.
"This tournament today is being held to decide who will be the defender of the royal family, the last and best line of defense should anything unfortunate happen. I ask that you please enjoy the event and cheer our brave defenders on. For the contenders, I ask you respect one another and remember that you are all on the same side. Now without further ado, let the tournament begin."
Claps and cheers erupted throughout the courtyard as Stonewell stepped into the ring. "Alright, today we have sixteen contenders, these are the best of the best our guards have to offer. They will be assigned a random number between one and sixteen then fight the one guard in their bracket. There will be no rest in between battles and ten minutes of rest between rounds. The final round will have a thirty minute rest time so the final two contenders should have adequate time to rest. Weapons will be blunted and protective chainmail will be worn at all times. I will be referring over each fight, there will be no cheap shots, or cheating of any kind. The match will end when one admits defeat or is knocked unconscious, I can also call a match at any time if I feel it is necessary. My word is final, any disputes will be punished harshly at my discretion."
With that not so subtle threat, the tournament began. As the battles went by Edward had to admit that the guards had actually improved quite well. So much in fact they could probably give the King's Spearhead a run for their money, if they kept progressing at this rate then breaking off to teach the rest then Arendelle would have a fine military. He recognized some of the guards that Stonewell gave to him from the advanced class had taken his advice and helped better their combat styles.
Unfortunately they were all getting beaten by that asshat Hector.
Edward hated to admit it, he really really did, but the guy was going through the guards like they were teenagers. Some had gotten a few hits here and there but the noble shrugged off most hits and swung his mace with both hands that knocked his opponent off their feet. His mace wasn't very large, just slightly longer than a sword with a weight ball at the end to avoid injuries. The problem was that Hector knew how to use his body's momentum to put a lot of force into his swings.
One guard had a sword and shield and tried to keep their shield up to block the mace while using his blunted sword to stab at the noble. Hector at first tried to see if he could just knock the shield out of his way but it held firm so he switched tactics. When the guard went for another stab, the noble spun out the way using his momentum to slam his mace into his opponent's side. The blow left the guard winded who tried to back off while keeping his shield up but Hector changed directions and hit the shield on the edge forcing it out of the way. When his opponent tried to whirl his shield back around to defend himself, he was met with a vicious two handed swing that knocked both him and his helmet into the air.
Needless to say, his opponent was down for the count.
It continued like this for a while, the crowd was of course eating it up, a noble's son, rising through the ranks to protect their Queen, it was like a fairy tale. However, up in the balcony Elsa was a little disturbed by the violence of the guard while Anna had a frown on her face. Surprisingly, Anna had decided against telling Elsa what Hector had said about her. She hoped that someone would put him in his place but so far that didn't seem to be the case. Besides, she was sure that the Captain would say something if the noble had won. She knew that he heard what Hector said and didn't say anything because he was focused on stopping Edward from giving, in her opinion, a much needed talking to.
As all the last battles came to a close and the final round was all that was left, the thirty men rest bit began as the guards tended to one another and sent any of them that sustained injuries to the infirmary. During this time Edward and Kristoff watched as some guards were carried into the infirmary, about half of them being Hector's opponents.
"Looks like that Bowman guy is really good, don't you think?"
"Yeah typically the worst assholes are the best fighters."
Kristoff had heard about the dislike between the young man and the noble. After hearing what Anna said, the ice harvester was surprised to see the guard still walking on two feet. He knew about the kiss between him and Elsa and knew that Edward was fiercely protective of the blonde. If anyone had insulted her or talked about her in a less than lady like way, the mountain man could see the young man taking his anger it very personally. Normally he'd say go for it and teach the guy a lesson but with the addition of Edward's new arm, he wasn't sure that his friend could control himself enough to not kill someone.
He trusted Edward completely, the problem was he also knew that the young man had a mean temper and had seen how strong Wrath was. If Edward threw a punch that had enough force to bodily throw a man across a room and create cracks in rocks, the person on the receiving end of that punch wasn't likely to get back up. So for now, until the young man could completely and totally rein in his anger like he had when they first met, the ice harvester tried to keep him calm.
"Who knows maybe the other finalist will beat him so you won't have to."
"I don't care if he wins or not, I can't touch him anyway, trust me if I could, I would."
"Touch who?"
The two men turned around to see that Anna and Elsa had come down from the balcony during the break. Edward's mind froze when he realized that the last time he spoke to Elsa was when they separated after their night together. Her face still had that beautiful smile it always had but this time there was a twinkle in her eye that he couldn't place. Seeing that Edward was likely not going to say anything the ice harvester took over and answer his fiancee's question.
"Oh just some guy who was being rude earlier."
"This guy wouldn't happen to be Hector Bowman now would it?"
Kristoff was happy Anna wasn't born with fire powers since she always liked playing with it. Everyone here but Elsa was aware of how much the young man disliked the noble and Anna like dancing around that fact. The ice harvester shrugged, not giving the redhead an answer. The Princess not accepting that began to prod in different ways to get the mountain man to say it was Hector but Kristoff remained firm. The two of them began to go back and forth losing interest in the other two people next to them.
Edward shook his head with a smile thinking that these two already acted like a married couple which they would be soon. He then turned back to Elsa who was patiently waiting for him to notice that she wanted to talk to him privately. When she nudged her head toward the garden that was a short walk away, he looked back at the couple in front of him and debated announcing he and Elsa were leaving. After a moment of seeing them continue, he shrugged his shoulders and followed the blonde.
The two of them walked side by side not saying anything as they made it to the garden. In the young man's mind he was running through all the things he could say in his head. After realizing that when he focused on Elsa control of Wrath came easier, he couldn't help but think that maybe they could…
Yet the pessimist inside him said it was a pipe dream since she was a Queen and he was just a lowly commoner. Even if Elsa still wanted to pursue such a dream, her council would not allow it. Despite all the power she possessed, he knew the platinum blonde had agreed to share half the power of the throne with those withered old bastards as an olive branch after the fiasco of her coronation. If she made a move that was too outlandish or jeopardized Arendelle, all of them could unite and force her to abdicate her throne. While it would be a long and irritating legal matter, that would likely end in the blonde's favor, it would still undermine the unity of Arendelle's ruling monarchy.
He really couldn't get over how big of heart the woman next to him possessed. Such a regal figure would likely be portrayed as cold and calculating which Elsa was when she needed to be but she was also the warmest person he'd ever met. He knew how contradictory that sounded in his head, but he didn't care. To him, she was as warm and comforting as all the stars in the sky and shined brighter than any of them.
That was probably one of the reasons he…
Edward stopped, he still didn't know if he understood how one should feel if they actually loved someone. He still hadn't known Elsa long however he shared with her more than he ever did with Ahimoth. Perhaps it was because both of them were so similar in the sense that they both wanted to get far away from their problems. Only difference was, she tried and realized she had to face them, he tried and was still having trouble facing them. The support she gave him meant the world to him, without it, he was sure to have broken down and be even easier pickings for Wrath.
He honestly didn't know if it'd be possible but he wanted a chance to know if what he felt for the woman was actually love. He could see that Anna and Kristoff loved each other but he just didn't understand it, he wanted to have what they had with Elsa. And he knew she wanted the same for herself since that night after dinner where they watched the couple sleep in the parlor.
"Edward?"
Her melodious voice brought him out of his thoughts as he brought his attention back on her. She still had that soft smile with her hands folded in at the waist. Clearing his throat he showed her that she had his full attention.
"I just wanted to apologize for the last week, I'm sure you've noticed but I've been avoiding you this whole time." It wasn't like she was the only one, he tried avoiding her life the plague. There were many times he talked himself out of going to see her instead of diving into his job and acting like nothing was wrong.
"I didn't know what I would say if I actually had to speak to you so I dove into work but remembered to take breaks like you said I should."
That brought a smile to his face, he was happy that the bags under her eyes had disappeared and she looked more rested than she did a week ago.
"Recently I realized that you must be feeling a lot of pressure over being and instructor as well as keeping Wrath in check. You having to worry about me is probably adding to your plate and for that I apologize."
"It's no trouble, I'll always worry about you Elsa."
Her smile got a bit wider but in the back of her mind she was pacing. She had come out here for a specific reason, she was determined to help Edward gain control over Wrath but as she thought about how one thing came to mind. The young man's control was ruled by his emotions like hers. She had seen him lose it completely when her safety was in jeopardy and last time when Wrath almost killed him, she felt it was because of her.
The demon was more like Edward then he'd care to admit, the way he spoke, walked, and even shrugged reminded her of the young man. That is why she referred to Wrath as a he rather than it as Edward does. It's also why she felt there was truth in what Grand Pabbie said that the two of them were the same person just with different aspects of the same personality.
She then considered how establishing a relationship with Edward would factor in his mental state. Love was messy, she knew that now more than ever. Even if what wasn't between them wasn't love, the feeling was strong enough for her ice to move on its own and for him to let Wrath out. As Queen, the relationship would have to be kept secret due to it being improper for a ruling monarch to frolic with a commoner. Especially during a time where suitors from other allied kingdoms would be flocking here to win her favor.
She didn't want to see Edward getting upset or angry at men who attempt to woo her when she was already taken by him. So that's when she came to a decision that came from her mind and not her heart.
"Be that as it may, I feel it was wrong of me to put you in a compromising position when I kissed you. I do hope we can move past that and you allow me to assist you in helping you gain control of your abilities as friends and I'll ensure I won't lose my head like that again."
The words were out there but they still stabbed her heart when she heard herself say them. She maintained her polite smile but her eyes were pained when she saw for a quick moment that the young man's face fell it. It was quick, if she blinked she'd miss it but engraved the look on his face before he molded his into a friendly smile.
He understood why she was doing this, he didn't know how but her eyes somehow told him what was on her mind. She was worried that being in a relationship with her would be detrimental to his progress of controlling Wrath. He felt differently and wanted to argue but her eyes also told that any relationship they could have would be secret and he'd have to watch her entertain courting proposals from other royals at the Gathering. Her eyes asked him if he could watch and do nothing.
He wanted to say yes that he could suck it up but he wasn't sure. When he heard Hector speak about her in a lewd way he wanted to kill the guy. He only wanted to because he actually felt that with that kiss, Elsa wanted him and only him. It was childish and stupid but he couldn't help but feel that way. If he pursued a relationship with her and he watched someone do the same, he'd likely kill them on the spot. If he kept his mouth shut and agreed to Elsa's proposal of just remaining friends then he'd have no ground to get upset over Princes courting her. It would hurt to watch but he was more likely to be able to tolerate it.
It pained him, so much more than the unfamiliar pain he felt recently, but he nodded. He looked into her beautiful sapphires that were eyes and hoped she knew that he understood what was going through her head.
"I would like nothing more, Your Majesty."
Your Majesty…
Never before had it hurt so much to be called by her title. Nevertheless the two kept fake smiles on their faces and walked back to the courtyard.
The final round would begin soon and everyone had to get back to their previous positions. The soon to be wed couple noticed Edward and Elsa approaching them and were about to ask where they had gone but Stonewell began to roar that the final match would begin in five minutes. Anna asked if the two of them wanted to join them on the balcony but Edward declined saying he needed to stay down here in case the Captain needed him. Kristoff decided to stay down with him as the royal sisters headed back up to the balcony.
"So what did you and Elsa talk about?"
"Ahh so you two actually noticed that we left, I thought your earlier conversation with your bride to be had you lost to the world."
"Of course we noticed but never mind that is everything ok between you two?"
Ok was the right word to describe him and Elsa, they weren't in a bad place yet they could be so much more. Even though he understood why they should remain friends, his heart was still hurting but he would deal with it the same way he dealt with everything. One step at a time.
"Yeah we're ok, we both admitted we've been avoiding each other and we apologized. She said that she would help me learn control and make sure that I don't lose it in the near future."
"That sounds like good news but why do you look so sad?"
Edward cursed himself, he had held it together in front of Elsa but couldn't hide it from the mountain man. He needed to work on that, now that they were strictly friends he had to push out all unnecessary feelings he had toward her. That included the raging irritation he felt when he thought of her with another man. Dragging his hand across his face, the young man turned to the ice harvester with a small smile.
"I'm ok, just have a lot on my mind but I'm sure it'll all work out." Kristoff could tell something was off but chose to let it lie, he wasn't like Anna in the way of having to know everything. He respected that sometimes people needed to think on things before sharing them out loud. They both turned their attention to the ring where Stonewell was announcing the final round.
Hector had the crowd eating of his hands as he showboated to them when the Captain presented him. His opponent was an average height man that had a blunted spear ready to begin. The two shook hands before going off into their corners waiting for the start of the match. On the old man's signal the two rushed at one another. The spear wielder's plan was to use his reach to stay out of the noble's range which was a good strategy. He gave ground when he needed to so he could stay just out of his opponent's reach while using both the spear head as well as the shaft to bat away the mace coming his way.
The noble of course was getting irritated that his opponent was fine with prolonging the battle by fighting out of his reach. He longed to just rush the guard and overpower him but he wasn't stupid. There were too many things that could go wrong if he decided to lose his cool like that. He needed to stay calm and look for a weakness.
After the two traded attacks with neither getting any significant hits in, Hector began to notice something. Every time the guard thrust his spear at him, he'd step forward with his right foot to get an extra few feet in the attack before stepping back with the same foot to get out of danger. However, he always kept his left foot planted, it wasn't much but it was something. The guard wasn't that fast, his footwork was excellent and that was what kept him just out of the noble's range. Hector tried to keep in step with him but the guard would just take a longer step back with his left foot before countering with his spear.
The root of the noble's problem lay with his opponent's footwork, he'd have to compromise it if he wanted the win.
Hector doubted he could land a hit on the guard's leg without opening himself up to a counterattack that could lose him the match, so he decided to explore other options. He took a quick look at the ground around them hoping to find some crack or edge on the ground to take advantage of but found nothing. He then looked at their battlefield around them which was just an open ring with nothing but the two of them inside. That's when it hit him, Hector looked at the wooden fence that was built to separate the crowd from the contenders. It was tall enough to meet his chest and was secured by stone stakes to keep it from falling. He had a plan forming in his mind and was eager to see if it would work.
The noble kept advancing forcing the guard to keep giving ground all the while getting closer to that fence. When Hector judged that his opponent was one step away from hitting the barrier, he made an obvious swing at the guard's right leg who took a step back. Pressing his attack the noble took a step forward and tried another swing that the guard tried to dodge but had his back against the fence. In a hasty move he managed to sidestep the attack and launched a counterattack, hoping to catch the noble in the side. Unfortunately, Hector spun out the way while grabbing the spear shaft and sending a blow to his forearm causing him to let go of his weapon in pain.
Had they not been wearing armor, the guard's arm would've likely been broken but the effects were the same. The guard dropped to a knee holding his arm and was about to roll away to get out of the noble's reach but was met with a spear shaft smacking him across his helmet. The sound the impact made had people wincing and him disoriented as he hit the ground. The guard felt a foot step on his shoulder before a heavy object was pushed up against his helmet. Hector had won and stood over his opponent with both his and his opponent's weapon in hand ready to continue if the man didn't yield.
Captain Stonewell, on the other hand, had seen enough and decided to call the battle in favor of the noble. The crowd cheered as their new champion raised his hands in victory. Edward wasn't surprised at all but still was disappointed that the man had won. He felt a heavy hand pat him on the shoulder as the crowd gathered around to congratulate the man. Before long Elsa had raised a hand to quiet the people as she addressed them.
"There you have it, our champion today is Hector Bowman. I do hope you all enjoyed the tournament and don't forget to congratulate the other contenders who participated as well. Mr. Bowman, I congratulate you on your victory and expect you later for the ceremony of naming you the Royal Guard." The noble made a correct bow before speaking.
"It would be my honor, Your Majesty."
The people in the courtyard stayed to excited converse with one another about the tournament while meeting with the participants who stayed to watch. The Captain had a few guards who were standing by removing all the equipment and take it back to the barracks. Edward was in no mood to help but started gathering equipment with Kristoff who wanted to keep the young man company. By the time all the weapons, armor, and the fence were taken out of the courtyard, the people started to disperse.
Hector was sent to the Captain's office to receive a briefing about his new post while Edward and Kristoff headed to the stables to visit the reindeer. When the two men walked inside, they were greeted by Sven and Olaf who was animatedly talking to the reindeer.
"You should come too Sven, Marshmallow is always saying he misses having people visit him. Especially with all of our little brothers running around the palace."
Edward looked over to the ice harvester before whispering in his ear so he wouldn't interrupt the little snowman. "Who's Marshmallow?" The mountain man debated for a moment on what to say before he answered.
"Go to Elsa's ice palace and you'll meet him."
The young man wasn't sure how to take that but quickly forgot when the other two occupants of the stables noticed them. "Look is Kristoff and Edward! I missed you two so much!" The snowman bounded off his small perch that was a haystack before waddling up and hugging the two men by their legs. The ice harvester patted the little guy on the head while the young man picked up the snowman and setting him on his usual spot on his shoulder. Now that he thought about it, Edward hadn't seen Olaf since he lost to the Captain three weeks ago. With so much going on the little guy slipped his mind but now that he saw the snowman again, he was probably in for unmatched joy when the pile of snow learns he was staying in Arendelle for a longer time.
"It's nice to see you too Olaf, where have you been?"
"Oh I've been staying in Elsa's ice palace visiting Marshmallow."
Ice palace? Edward thought back a few weeks ago the day he met Kristoff, just before he passed out in the snow he remembered seeing a palace made of ice on the North Mountain. It was obviously created by Elsa but he wondered why the blonde never mentioned it. Her story about running away and coming back to Arendelle was still largely unknown to him, he knew that she set off an eternal winter and whatnot but an ice palace somehow slipped her mind.
"That sounds very nice Olaf, so what else have you been doing today?"
"I just got back and heard around town that Elsa was going to get a bodyguard to protect her. I wonder why she needed another one when she already had a great one protecting her."
"What do you mean, she didn't have a bodyguard until today."
"Then what are you? I mean you care about her and protect her, why can't you be her bodyguard?"
Edward stopped to consider what he should say. He remembered that Olaf was essentially a child but was created from Elsa's consciousness so he should have a basic understanding of what he was about to say.
"I can't be her bodyguard because I'm not part of Arendelle, only someone who is a guard can guard royalty, do you understand?"
"Yeah I get that but why don't you become one, don't you want to protect Elsa?"
More than anything.
"I do little buddy but there are people who are more suited for the job than me. My job is to help get more people ready to protect Elsa so she can be even more safe."
The snowman seemed to understand that and let the matter die. Kristoff was feeding Sven while watching the two like a big brother would his little kid brother. With the way the young man treated the snowman, it was like he was already part of their little family despite his attempts to stay distant. A thought then just occurred to him, tonight was another family dinner, with all that's been going on it slipped his mind.
"Hey Ed, you coming to dinner tonight?"
The young man's instinctual answer was to say no but when he realized that there was no point in him staying away from all of them he nodded. Besides, he still needed to talk to Gerda and have her teach him how to survive the ball portion of the Winter Solstice Gathering. In the back of his head though he wondered what Elsa would think when she found out that he was going in the Captain's place.
"That's good you haven't been around for one in a while and thought it was time to change that, I'm sure Anna and Elsa will enjoy you coming."
The snowman chose that time to hop in happiness at the news. "Yeah! Maybe you can show me how to like you do without making a mess!" The young man chuckled but realized that when Olaf hopped half his body was anchored to his shoulder since he kept a hand on his legs so he wouldn't fall. The other half flew into Kristoff's hands as he dove forward to catch the head and torso of the little guy who still had a smile on his face.
"I can hardly keep myself in one piece because I'm so excited."
The council looked pleased as they lined the throne room where the nobles of Arendelle filled the room to witness Hector's ascension to the Queen's personal guard. Elsa and Anna were standing on the raised dais waiting for the man to approach. The blonde had molded her face into her signature regal mask with an easy smile while Anna made an effort to not fidget from standing still too long. Kai cleared his throat and spoke from his diaphragm to make sure his voice carried through the throne room.
"Presenting, Hector Bowman, the Champion of the tournament." The large doors opened and Hector strode in with a regal expression for once. There wasn't an ounce of arrogance on his face as he marched through the throne room and kneeled before the Queen. Elsa recited the oaths she had learned as a child that a personal guard should take before being inducted in. Their main duty was to protect the monarch as well as be only under her command. That meant that no one but her could order him and he had the power to deal with matters as he saw fit in times of crisis.
When she finished and he agreed, she raised a ceremonial sword before knighting him as Sir Hector Bowman. The noble class in the throne room cheered as the personal guard took his place behind the Queen. Multiple nobles came to congratulate the man while the council had approving looks on their faces. Now that the Queen had a protector, it was time they moved on to the next order of business.
Finding her a suitor.
While they were aware that the Queen hadn't made much headway in finding a spouse her willingness to allow them to act for the sake of the kingdom made things a lot easier. They had invited multiple Princes to the Gathering all the while making their monarch out to be a lonely woman desperate for attention. They did this silently of course so the Queen wouldn't feel threatened but was pleased with the replies they had gotten. There was however one matter that could be beneficial or disastrous.
Blackdust had sent a letter stating the Prince was adamant with not returning to Arendelle so the King himself had decided to fill the void left by his son. While the majority of Blackdust was still shrouded in mystery, there were a few names that were mentioned from time to time from kingdoms who had seen the secretive military in action.
One of those names were Alrick the Mystic, the founder and commander of the Mystic Guard. As far as rumors go, they painted him as a brilliant tactician as well as vicious warrior who led his men on the frontlines and had quite a few victories under his belt. He was also the one to spark a civil war that took Blackdust away from anyone trying to hire their army. Now he stood as King of his kingdom, there were some concerns the newly appointed King would attempt to exploit them during the Gathering. Another concern was a rumor that the man was responsible for combating mystic threats and surviving them, thus getting his title.
Their Queen was a mystic entity.
The council didn't think it'd be wise to have a man who had taught his own personal army had to combat mystic threats, attend the Gathering without having extra security. That was were Hector came in, they planned on meeting with him privately and discussing their concerns and make sure he kept his eye on the King at all times and would not hesitate to defend the Queen.
They had brought up this matter with the Captain but the old buffoon waved off their concerns. The council was beginning to grow tired of the man's antics and longed to see him removed however the Captain had an outstanding service record. Not to mention, he was still fit enough to perform his duties as well as defend the kingdom if need be. So the council settled on reminding the old man where his place was and that he served them. The old man had surprisingly left without a word after they drove that point home.
That left the new instructor Edward.
The young man was still a mystery to them, they had each talked with multiple guards who trained under the man but they all knew just as much as everyone else did. He was a soldier from a foreign land who was skilled enough to combat the Queen's kidnapper. Elsa had come to the man's defense when they questioned if he was a threat but they couldn't be sure that she wasn't being biased due to him saving her. They had also noticed that the Queen had been off for a week, she acted the same as usual but her focus would become shaky every so often and the pace at which she worked declined.
While they were still ahead of most matters, due to her previous work ethic of the last year, they feared she was beginning to become distracted. This change had become apparent after Edward had appeared. Earl Edward had also recounted seeing the young man in the Queen's personal study. Surely the Queen hadn't been charmed by this mystery man. The council began to keep an eye on the young man and found that he had little opportunities to meet with the Queen since he'd be either training the guards or going off with that ice harvester.
Until today when he and the Queen had left the courtyard together during the wait period of the final round. They didn't want to jump to conclusions but the council felt that the young man was having an effect on the Queen. As such if things continued in this direction, they would be forced to ensure that Edward leave Arendelle.
It seems there was one more thing that they needed to speak to Hector about.
Hiking through the snow-covered mountains to the north, Lust and Gluttony were heading to a camp of some sort. Greed had given them directions to one of the last camps that housed Rakat's army. According to him, Father had decided that the two Sins were to stay with the army to prepare for the first stage of his plan while Greed continued with his side project that could make up the time Alrick took from them.
The hike was long and the wind blew viciously which would've forced normal people to not even attempt the trek. Fortunately for the two Sins, their bodies allowed them to at least get started. Gluttony had decided to take Lust's pack and travel ahead of her to stomp down the snow as well as block her from the strong winds. The woman said nothing as she stared at the man's back who continued forward and every so often he'd turn to make sure she was still behind him.
With the sound of the wind howling and them focusing on their march, Lust began to let her mind wander. She began to remember when Gluttony didn't have red eyes, back when his name was James. She had known him as a simple soldier trying to do the best he could in times of war. He was nice, polite, caring, and selfless. Rare qualities for someone under the command of Asger the Crusher. Back in those days, he was the only man she ever trusted.
The only man who had never hurt her.
She was weak back then and swore to herself she would never return to that state. She embraced what she was now but couldn't help but see the irony that she was named after the Sin Lust. Father's cruel humor knew no bounds, however the power she received made up for it. She now could make any man bend to her whims, she was quite excited to test them on the men who hurt her.
Only to find out that sweet little James had killed them all.
The men who hurt her were monsters in human form and she wouldn't miss them. What bothered her was how someone as nice as James hunted them down and devoured them like they were food. She couldn't believe that the best man she ever knew had lost his mind and become a cannibal, until Father took her to meet the other Sins. There were two of them there with Pride and Wrath being unaccounted for and Greed and Envy leaving on orders. Father went through introduced Sloth who didn't even bother looking up to acknowledge their existence but when she locked eyes with Gluttony she couldn't help but see James.
There were so many things she wanted to ask him but she remembered the first words that alchemist said to her when she became Lust.
Rin is dead and now you will be called Lust.
She wasn't the same girl that James knew and he wasn't the same soldier she knew before he became Gluttony. Father had told the three of them they were to remain hidden and leave when he told them to and left them alone. The two of them didn't speak to one another, even when the Sins left they would not talk about the past. However it was the little gestures here and there that showed Lust that James was still inside Gluttony.
Unfortunately she was Lust now and even if she had Rin's memories, she wasn't going to go back to that pitiful state she used to be in. Rin wouldn't have toyed with men the way Lust did, she also wouldn't be able to watch Gluttony devour his victims whenever he found himself deathly hungry.
Rin also wouldn't be able to enjoy the feel of a man's skin that wasn't James's against her own. The arousal she'd feel when she controlled the man that was under her like a puppet and cut his strings when she was done with him. The heat in her stomach would burn at the thought and her body stood at attention as she searched out her next victim all the while aware of the disapproving eyes aimed at her.
Gluttony never strayed too far from her whenever she'd engage in these activities, he's probably be in the next room. Part of her hated that he looked at her with disappointment as she flaunted in his face over and over that she wasn't Rin and she'd fuck as many men as she'd have to to get it through his thick skull.
Another part of her remembered how his skin felt against hers and how loving his kisses and caresses were that made her shout his names to the heavens. Try as she might, no man has ever been able to surpass the amount of pleasure she received from James. She knew why and hated to think about it, the one thing that set every man apart from James was that he loved Rin.
Lust was a strong emotion but had nothing on love.
Rin was his whole world and to see her body sleeping with multiple men must've killed him but he always kept his eye on her. She didn't know why, he wasn't James, he was Gluttony, he shouldn't care about her but he did. She offered that they fuck to get it out of the way but he responded in a way only James would've responded.
"I would never fuck you, I only desire to make love with you."
She hated the way her heart fluttered when he said that, she wasn't Rin, but in that moment she wished like hell she was. After that her main goal with him was to convince him that she wasn't Rin and remind him that he was Gluttony now. He didn't say much but she he'd always look out for her and she didn't know if she like that or not.
"We should stop in that cave over there and wait this storm out. Rakat's men wouldn't be stupid enough to travel during this so we can rest. Father also said that the first stage of the plan would take time so we don't have to hurry."
Lust was brought out of her thoughts as Gluttony pointed to a cave not too far ahead of them. She squinted her eyes past him and saw that they still had quite a ways to go before reaching the camp. She nodded her head and followed him into the cave where he set down their bags before announcing he would look for some firewood. She honestly doubted he'd find any but made no move to stop him as he left and she began pulling out their supplies. Even though they were Sins, Gluttony had demanded they gathered supplies before making the trek.
Lust had unrolled her fur blankets he bought for her to keep her warm and debated setting his up as well. After a moment of thinking she found herself digging through his pack only to find he didn't pack anything to sleep on. She shook her head, they both could survive sleeping in the winter storm without too much trouble but he went out of his way to make sure she was warm and made sure his bag was full of tools and food they really didn't need. Repacking his bag, she took off her heavy winter coat and boots leaving her in a simple blue shirt and fur trousers.
The cave had blocked out all the cold air and with a fire likely going to be inside it, Lust shed her fur trousers leaving her in only her shirt and small clothes. After doing so she sat on her blankets and waited for her companion to return. He came back about ten minutes later with a tree trunk about as thick as her body slung over his shoulder. The wood was frozen covered in snow and likely wet but she didn't question him as he sat it down in front of him while propping himself against a wall.
She watched him raise his hand and black dust swirled into it before he grabbed a side of the trunk and ran his hand down it. The wet wood gave way to the dryer wood inside as he kept running his hand down the sides to make sure only the dry wood remained. To most people, they would think he was somehow melting or making the wood disappear as he touched it but not to her. She had seen his trick plenty of times and knew how dangerous it was.
He was eating the wood.
On his hands were small mouths that to her knowledge could eat anything they came in contact with. She had seen him swipe people's heads off with his hands and their whole head would be covered in bite marks from that one slap. Since they were so small, it was horrible to watch them eat a grown person, it was like watching a person turn into pink mist one limb at a time. Surprisingly Gluttony rarely ate people, he'd have to get really worked up to do it but generally he settled on just eating food instead.
After a while, the man finished and had set up a small fireplace out of rocks and wood before lighting a match and creating a fire next to Lust's fur blankets. With that done, the man took his place against the wall and closed his eyes, leaned his head back with his arms crossed.
For a while she stared at him, when the storm let up they were going to Rakat's men as Lust and Gluttony. Father's plan didn't need the interference of Rin or James's memories causing the two Sins to hesitate. Before Greed had left them, he told them that Envy was killed because he was becoming a liability to Father. That couldn't happen to the two of them, Lust wouldn't allow that.
With that thought in her mind, the woman got to her feet and took long strides to close the distance between her and the man before swinging a leg over his and straddling him. His red eyes opened with an annoyed look and before he could tell her to get off, she grabbed him by the collar and smashed her lips against his. The surprised gasp from him gave her the opportunity to shove her tongue into his mouth and keep it open.
Lust wasn't sure this would work, Father may have explained how all their abilities worked against humans but he didn't explain how it would work against other Sins. However she was desperate and didn't want to see the man in front of her become a liability. Black dust came from her mouth and rushed into his, her hands came up to his cheeks and held him there while more dust flew from her hands into his skin.
Lust's unique ability allowed her to influence men with just a look from her red eyes, she could also strengthen that influence with her hands. Finally, if neither of those worked she could kiss them and she had total control of their minds for a limited time.
She mostly used this to get men to do her bidding or sleep with her but right now she was trying very hard to bury any thoughts or feelings James had for her. The effects weren't permanent but she hoped they'd last long enough to keep the Sin out of trouble.
She felt that familiar feeling of something stiffening under her that made her want to laugh. Gluttony was still a male and his body still responded to stimulation. She was actually surprised he hadn't pushed her off yet and hoped that her ability was working but continued pouring dust into the male to make sure. After a few moments, Lust finally backed out of the kiss for air and stared into the man's eyes. He had lost his annoyed look he had when she first started and stared at her with a blank expression. Lust held her breath as she waited for him to say something. After what seemed like an eternity to her he finally spoke.
"Did you really think that you could alter my mind like the others?"
Her heart froze as he lightly pushed her away from him before swinging her leg off of him. She couldn't believe that didn't work, she put so much effort into trying to sway his mind but he not only was he unaffected, he was aware of what she attempted. Shock was soon replaced with anger as she got to her feet and stared down at him with taut rage.
"It was worth a try since you clearly have a death wish."
"What do you mean by that?"
"You know damn well what I mean! Envy is dead because he couldn't follow Father's orders. We are going to Rakat's men as Gluttony and Lust, not Rin or James! You need to accept that we aren't those people anymore! You have no reason to always look out for me, I'm one of the Seven Deadly Sins like you are and can pull my own weight. I don't need to worry about you putting me ahead of Father's orders because you have mistaken me for James's little sweetheart who died!"
Lust's outburst reverberated throughout the cave but the man had a patient look on his face. This was a long time coming and the storm wasn't letting up soon so they had plenty of time to air this out.
"I will do what Father commands me to do, he plans to better the human race and I will do all I can because humans cannot be trusted. They are weak and impulsive, that's why I decided to become one of the seven to bring about their change. The human race produced men who raped the woman I loved and I killed them for it but there will no doubt be others who will take their place, I cannot allow that. You say you're worried about me becoming a liability, that won't happen, its my old emotions as James that drive me to do what Father bids. When we arrive I will embrace my role as Gluttony and ensure the plan succeeds." The man then got to his feet and walked forward before he towered over her and leaned down into her personal space.
"So far the only liability is you, you tell me that Rin is dead but only Rin would worry about me being killed. We are Sins, we died getting these abilities and will die once again when Father bids it, there is no need to worry about one another as long as we do what we are tasked. I worry about you because James was fully aware of what would entail becoming Gluttony, so I ask you Lust, why are you worried?"
She stood her ground and looked at him with a frown and her shoulders shaking in anger. He knew why she was worried, Rin's damn feelings persisted and she didn't want to see him go. He was right though, she was doing what she accused him of, they had both joined to improve humanity. She couldn't let her human feelings get the best of her. As she squared her shoulders and prepared a retort she was cut off by him placing his lips against her.
Her eyes widened as she felt two arms wrap themselves around her waist to pull her closer as held her there with the kiss. She stood frozen for the duration of the kiss that ended when he pulled back and smiled like the man she used to love. "Rin's feelings drive your actions and that is fine, trying to suppress them will only lead to you not realizing your strength. Remember what humans did to Rin and why you're Lust now, remember your reason for fighting. That's the only way we'll succeed."
He let her go and moved to return to his seat against the wall but was stopped by two arms wrapping around his neck. He looked back to see her eyes staring at him with an intense expression.
"Then help me remember why every human besides James needs to be educated." With that she pulled him toward her while jumping to wrap her legs around him and attacked his mouth. For once he obliged her and the two let their old feelings reconfirm why they became Sins.
Lust did it because Rin was used as a sexual toy by humanity and she wanted revenge.
Gluttony did it because a human race that allowed the woman he loved to be hurt like that needed to be corrected.
And they both knew that their goals could only be completed by spilling an ocean of blood.
Elsa had finally returned to her room after the long day she had had. After getting through the tournament as well as naming her personal guard, she honestly wasn't looking forward to the usual family dinner and just wanted to go to bed. However, she put aside her feelings and attended with her personal guard standing close by. She still didn't know what to make of the Hector, she'd seen how violent he could be and heard he was antagonistic with other guards but so far he'd yet to show that around her.
Until Edward showed up at the dinner and the two met one another.
The tension was palpable as the two stared one another down. Hector said nothing to the young man but the frown on his face showed there was much he wanted to say. Edward stiffly congratulated the guard and ignored the eyes that followed him to his seat. Dinner went slowly after that, the new instructor took measure bites out his meal and made a point to avoid looking in Elsa's direction that would also be looking in Hector's direction.
Anna and Olaf tried lightening the mood but had very limited success. It got even more awkward when Edward had asked Gerda if she could assist him in getting ready for the Gathering since he was taking the Captain's place. The older woman had agreed to help while taking a glance at the platinum beauty who couldn't help but stare at the young man.
He's going to the Gathering?
That was the last place she wanted him to go, after their talk earlier today, she didn't want to him to have any reason to get upset. She knew how angry Stonewell got after attending one last year, and found the idea of Edward going to be a bad idea. When they all separated from dinner she had asked the young man if he could speak with her before he left. He agreed of course and they went to her personal study with Hector following behind them.
When they arrived, Elsa asked that the guard remain outside so they had some privacy. He looked ready to refuse but said nothing as he fixed the young man with a look that lasted a moment before leaving the room. After he was gone, she had immediately asked why he was attending the Gathering. He explained to her it was a favor to the Captain and nothing more. Elsa could understand that but couldn't help pointing out how bad things could get if he lost control at the ball. He responded with one sentence that made her mind go blank for a moment.
"And what reason could I possibly have for becoming upset?"
She knew what he was alluding to and couldn't help but look away from him. They agreed to remain strictly friends, so any attempts the Princes made to court her had no reason to make him upset. Despite it being her idea she couldn't stop the small stab of pain in her heart when he said it so simply with a natural expression.
She instantly lost the desire to continue the conversation and felt that they both should retire for the night which he agreed. He wished her goodnight and was on his way while she made a beeline for her room. Now that she was the confines of her room where she could be alone with her thoughts, she put her head in her hands and couldn't help but think of everything that happened today.
She had a new guard who would follow her wherever she went. It would please the council and offer additional protection to the throne as well as get her used to other people being around her.
And weighing heavily on her mind was the fact she had essentially destroyed any chance at being more than friends with the one man who lit a fire under her skin. The Queen of Arendelle knew it was the more logical choice but Elsa couldn't help but wish she could take back what she said. Now he would be attending a ball where multiple men would be trying to win her hand. She was worried that despite his assurances he'd get upset but a small part of her feared that he felt nothing when he watched her entertain her suitors.
That he honestly and truly had no reason to feel anything for her anymore.
She couldn't think about this tonight, guests would be arriving soon and she had to play hostess. The blonde laid her head back and closed her eyes to rest for tomorrow. But in her dreams, she couldn't help but smile at the thought of her and Edward dancing in the ballroom together, nothing in the world able to stop them.
Ahh I'm not feeling it, this chapter was kind of a disappointment to me I'm so sorry guys. I think I rushed this chapter. I hope y'all enjoyed it but idk it wasn't doing it for me. Hopefully I can drop a new update soon, it'll likely be on a Saturday since I got a big workload ahead of me for the next week. Please drop a review or PM me if you feel the need to. Have a nice one and stay tuned.