Shoutouts to :GamingPro and ShadowWolve for the follow/favorites.
In response to guest review: regarding Edward and Wrath's character, their character growth is not yet finished yet the line between them is beginning to blur as the fanfic progresses. As for Hector, I hated him too and actually wanted him to get beat up but thought that it was a waste of potential so I gave him some backstory as well as some importance later on. Finally, Elsa's penance was somewhat difficult to write because I wanted to keep it somewhat vague yet descriptive enough to be meaningful. Edward has his own share of guilt that he's had to face alone and it would be hypocritical of him if he tried to hold her hand throughout the entire trial. I truly appreciate you thinking this is better than a first time in forever even though personally I don't feel like its on that level yet. Hopefully with the later chapters it'll get there as I do have a rough roadmap of how its going to go and really the only thing stopping me is me having time to write it all out. Hopefully in seven months when I return to the states I'll be on chapter 80 and on which then I'll hopefully get a lot of time off and will maybe finish this fanfic off at chapter 100. Idk I don't feel that this is the halfway point but after the climax, things will be moving pretty quickly so we'll just see how it goes.
Ever since Ahimoth had gone to appraise the situation in Arendelle and Alrick was late from his trek to Corona, there wasn't anyone on the throne who could deal with royal matters. Unofficially anyway. As she was about to be married to Ahimoth, Lilian was able to fill in for the two men and the council reluctantly accepted that she would have to get familiar with dealing with such matters.
As a welcome surprise for them, Lilian was quite sharp and was able to deal with most matters and topics much faster than the two warriors the council was familiar with. She had to put her wedding planning on hold of course as she had too much work but as it turned out, running a kingdom was easier than planning your own wedding. The woman was currently on some paperwork when the doors to the office opened up and a messenger strode inside.
"My lady, we have just received word that Pride has returned."
Lilian's quill burned a bit at the mention of the man that scared her more than any other. Usually, such news would not be announced as the man would come and go as he pleased. He'd stop by to speak with the King before doing whatever he fancied. With both Alrick and Ahimoth gone, the person with the most rank would be her and so he would likely be on his way to speak with her.
As she considered that she was alone with the warrior, her mind was abuzz with slight panic as she imagined all the things that could happen. Pride had already demonstrated that he had no qualms with killing her and that he already had a desire to do so even if she didn't provoke him. Her attack on his father might've exacerbated that sentiment but with the alchemist dead, she thought that he would have less reason to kill her.
Well, I guess we'll see.
She waited a few more minutes with baited breath before Alrick's office door opened and Pride walked through it. The first thing she noticed was that his usual strong and determined expression was gone and replaced with a completely neutral one. There was no sign of distaste or arrogance in his eyes as he looked in her direction before speaking
"Where is His Majesty?"
The woman was surprised at his nonaggressive tone that was directed at her and it stalled her answer. As she studied the man for a moment, there were several things that were off about him. One of them was he was missing his large weapon that he generally carried on his person. Another thing was the fact he was wearing a buttoned up collared shirt with a blue double button vest and slacks with black dress shoes. As far as she remembered, Pride always wore clothing that he could fight in, she'd never seen him dress nicely. His long hair that was generally unkempt as it usually flowed down the sides of his face was now neatly pulled back to a ponytail that reminded her of a late alchemist.
"H-he is currently on a trip to Corona to verify some new information about the remnant's whereabouts."
"And Ahimoth?"
"He went to Arendelle to look in on a situation there."
Pride nodded his head before turning around and took steps toward the door. Personally Lilian would've preferred that he just leave without speaking with her but she knew that the warrior went on missions from the King to verify the remnants' whereabouts. She needed to know what had happened on his last trip so that she could inform the King when he returned in case Pride left before then.
"Whatever you have to report to his Majesty, you can just tell me. I am filling in for the two of them and will be able to relay any information to them when they return if you aren't here."
The man turned to face her with a pensive expression as he looked dead into her eyes which made her flinch a bit. While she was still weary of his intentions toward her, she knew he was loyal to the throne and would put that before his personal feelings.
"Very well. I only wished to report that during my latest trip, I was unable to find any trace of the enemy. However, I've heard some rumors of a large amount of bandits moving throughout the regions as well as Weselton forces moving as well. After some digging, it's come to my attention that the Southern Isles was invaded by a large unknown force. Weselton sent some of its own forces in that direction and have stabilized the kingdom. I tried to learn what flag that the invasion force was flying but had no success on that front."
The woman nodded as she remembered Ahimoth telling her that the Southern Isles had asked that they accompany them to Arendelle after they were invaded and that they had information about the missing armor and weapon of one of their most notorious traitors. It still bothered Lilian to think that Rahim was a traitor when he had shown her kindness long ago and was her financee's most trusted friend. Sure, he was quiet and vengeful but there was so much underneath all the pain that defined him.
If he moved on from the pain of his past, he could truly be a bright and loving person.
At least, that's what she believed. Given the way she felt, Lilian kept her opinions to herself when the council brought up the topic of the traitor. When Ahimoth told her that someone wearing Rahim's armor killed off a royal line, she argued that Rahim wouldn't do that. The Prince reminded her that their friend was dead and was replaced with the monster that killed him so it wasn't too far outside the realm of possibility. Nevertheless, she was convinced with the small time she had with 'Edward' that Rahim was alive inside him and still acted as he would've.
The way he agonized over hurting his best friend, offering an apology to the crimes he's committed, surrendering himself to any punishment, and finally bowing his head to the current Prince of Blackdust were all traits that she knew Rahim possessed. His guilt just made him change his name. Regardless of how she felt, the Prince would still have to go to confirm the information they received. That was a few days ago and Lilian fervently waited for Ahimoth's return.
"I see, I'll put that in a report for His Majesty to look over, are you planning on leaving soon?"
"Not immediately, I've come back for some effects that Talib left in his lab." Lilian was already writing the report when she heard his answer and her eyes briefly rose to see the man's expression. She remembered that he really didn't show much sorrow in learning his father died and back then she thought it was a wall he put up to not seem weak in front of everyone in the room. With this new attitude and wardrobe change, she thought that maybe she'd see what he truly felt. As her eyes took in his face, she stilled at the newest emotion on the man's expression.
Unadulterated rage was present on his face at the mention of the late alchemist. He was so much angrier than he had been at her when she tried to incinerate the man. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to be out of the room and as far away from the warrior as possible. Fortunately, it wasn't aimed at her. His eyes were burning a hole into his hand that he had lifted in front of him. His fist was tightly closed as she could see a drop of blood fall from him gripping his hand too hard.
She felt that she should say something, anything to calm him down but she was too afraid of him focusing his anger on her. As if the heavens heard her plight, an urgent banging on the door drew both of their attention. Pride pulled it open to see a messenger out of breath with a panicked expression.
"My lady, my lord, please excuse my actions! There is an emergency! The council has asked that you two come to the throne room immediately!"
The tone of urgency in the messenger's voice had the three of them briskly making their way to the throne room where they found the council as well as many military leaders crowding something. Lilian had tripped for a second seeing all these people in the throne room as she recognized a few Generals as well as some Captains that led their military. Why were they here, was Blackdust under attack?
When the sounds of their footsteps indicated to everyone in the room that Lilian and Pride had arrived, the crowd wordlessly opened up for them. In the center of the group lied a box with its lid off to the side. Judging from everyone's expressions, whatever was inside the box was the cause of the room's distress. Taking a few steps to reach the center of the crowd, the two of them looked into the box and gazed upon the amputated arm as well as their King's double bladed sword inside.
Lilian's hands went up to her mouth in shock as Pride's eyes narrowed in annoyance. The two of them had known the King for a long time and could recognize the scars that adorned his left arm. The warrior was the first to speak as he turned toward the highest ranking General in the room.
"Who brought this here?"
General Tulius, the new Commander of the King's Spearhead was slightly insulted at the tone the young man took with him. Rank wise, only the Prince and the King were above him, he had considerable skill for a man his age and climbed the ranks quickly. To have someone half his age speak to him in such a manner irritated him especially when that person had no official position in the military anymore.
Thanks to Alrick's new class structure, Rakat's old system of having the King's power be absolute and only their second was able to challenge them was now gone. Asger had fled the kingdom so he couldn't be King when Rakat died and that left Alrick who was the strongest at the time, the only one able to take the throne. Since the new monarch's change in government, Tulius has been elevated to power in exchange for serving faithfully.
Pride on the other hand, had been unofficially stripped of his rank. As he was Asger's lieutenant and was absent from the civil war, all the positions that were available thanks to the restructure were already filled before he returned. While the King held him in high regard and still treated him as if he was his second, the rest of the government had a hard time accepting the warrior. While the tales of his exploits were great and he had been completely loyal to Alrick, there was always the fear that he was in fact a spy for Asger as none of them had any idea where he went off to when he left the kingdom.
The numerous times they've sent men to accompany Pride, almost every time the men would return without the warrior or not at all. The reports that the few survivors that accompany the warrior told of them fighting Rakat's remnants with the young man yet he would continue to move without a care for the men who followed him. During the battles, he would disappear completely while they fought and when they finally pulled out, he would then engage the enemy alone.
The amount of men he would fight on his own was impossible for any normal human. Scores upon scores of bodies would litter the battlefield after he was done and when he returned, he didn't have one wound on his body. His clothes were generally reduced to tatters but underneath, his skin didn't have one mark on it. No one knew what to make of it, some thought that Pride was aligned with Rakat and they would stage his impossible victory to make him seem legendary. General Tulius was a believer of this rumor since he'd never seen the young man fight once.
There was also the manner of his upbringing.
He was born from that detestable wretch of a man Talib who had no respect for anything. Status, lives, or even human decency was a foreign concept to the late alchemist. The depravity of his research projects made even the most hardened warriors sick to their stomachs whenever they would learn of the man's true interests. The two sons that he had were both special in their own way.
Rahim, a traitor who mercilessly slaughtered three hundred families and the remainder of the Mystic Guard. Then there was Shahbaz, the pride of Blackdust's army, the man who had never been defeated as well as taken in by the King's second. Asger the Crusher was also a depraved human being who committed multiple atrocities.
With these three influences around him since he was a child, how could anyone trust a man like Shahbaz who changed his name to Pride?
Tulius just snorted and looked away with obvious disdain on his expression. He had no intention of answering the young man and missed the momentary dark look he got before a soldier answered instead.
"My lord, it was me and the surviving soldiers from Corona. While we were there, His Majesty ordered us to return to the capitol to send a message here that we found a massive holdout of Rakat's forces. As we waited for our King's return, the scouts from Corona brought this back. His Majesty King Frederick thought it would be prudent if we returned with this as soon as possible. We didn't have the manpower to search for the King so we returned here hoping to get more men."
"So what you're saying is the enemy sent this and you didn't see the King's body?"
"Uhh..n-no sir."
Pride nodded as he left the room without a word. The crowd looked at him while Lilian told the soldiers to seal the box and put it in his Majesty's study. They nodded and left to carry out her orders as she took a deep breath and lightly jogged out of the room.
She really didn't want to, she wouldn't have done so if it were anyone else but Alrick. Yet because it was Alrick, her soon to be father-in-law, she was trying to catch up to Pride to see what was on his mind. She could tell that something occurred to him in that brief exchange and if it was what she thought then it would be beneficial to speak with him.
Since he wasn't in too much of a hurry when he left the room, Lilian was able to catch up to him quite quickly. The young man still had his neutral expression on his face as he was heading towards the bottom of the castle.
"Wait, Pride!"
The young man's steps halted for a moment before he looked over his shoulder to see the woman that he wanted to kill not too long ago standing there. He could easily tell that she was apprehensive about being alone with him yet he could see that she wasn't here for herself. Before, it would've made him angry that she would speak to him but after what had happened recently, he found himself more tolerant.
Well that isn't entirely true.
While he was more tolerant of the women in front of him, he had a very short fuse for certain people. It was almost amusing if it wasn't downright infuriating.
"Yes?"
Seemingly emboldened by the lack of murderous intent that he usually radiated, the woman spoke. "You and I both know that if Rakat or Asger killed Alrick, they would parade his body around and let everyone know that he was dead. If he really found remnants of Rakat's army and was captured, it wouldn't be too farfetched to think that they might keep him alive."
"...yes you're right. Asger would want to prolong His Majesty's pain as much as possible. Sending his arm and weapon would definitely hurt the kingdom's morale and make a convincing case that he's dead but to me, it means that they have no desire of killing him for some time. "
Lilian agreed but couldn't keep the shiver that went down her back when Pride said that they would likely prolong his Majesty's pain. She had heard the cruel tales of Asger and wouldn't be surprised with the things he would do. When she considered all of that, she wanted to go out to Corona to find Alrick and bring him back as soon as possible, yet she couldn't just leave Blackdust. If their King was captured then it was paramount that their Prince return as soon as possible.
Pride examined her face and could see the myriad of expressions that crossed it and allowed him to gain some insight on what she was thinking. He could easily tell that she wanted to go out and find the King or perhaps find the Prince so they could go together looking for the missing monarch. He knew better though, if Alrick was really captured by the remnants of Rakat's forces, then they would surely be smart and move to a different location.
From what that messenger said, there were a lot of enemy combatants, such a force would be difficult to transport without being noticed. So if no large scale movement was reported in Corona then it would be safe to assume that they were still in the region but in a different part of it. The warrior quickly racked his brain for any history between Blackdust and Corona, any past invasion or trek across the terrain where Rakat would've made note of a good staging area for his army. If such a place existed then it would stand to reason that his remnants would use the area as a base. Nothing came to mind, but there were ways to find out.
In the meantime, he actually came back to Blackdust for a reason.
One that infuriated him but all the same…
His eyes slid over to Lilian who was still deep in thought.
Perhaps it'll improve my current situation.
"Lilian, come with me."
The woman looked up in shock as the warrior turned around and walked in his original direction. She was stunned to hear her name come from his lips, as far back as she could remember, Pride never called her by her name. He always just gestured to her or formed his sentences in a way that she would no doubt he was speaking to her. That was assuming of course he didn't outright ignore her as he generally did. To have him ask her to come with him was a surprise and had her feet moving behind him, on guard for anything.
The pair walked silently down into the depths of the castle until they ended up in the lowest level of the castle. The young man pushed open the door and walked through it leaving Lilian in the hallway. The woman knew where they were and felt a chill go up her spine.
She was in front of Talib's laboratory.
When she found out that her father had died at the hands of the alchemist, she made it her personal goal to never come down here. She didn't want to see a strung up corpse of her father on one of the mad man's gurneys. She wanted to turn around so badly and forget that Pride had asked her to come down here but the man's voice carried out the door.
"Lilian if you wish to find out some information on Rakat as well as his remnants then you will have to come inside and help me sort through these reports."
Her eyes widened as she found her feet moving her into the room. Her mind was already racing with the possibility that if she found some clue in the alchemist's lab then she could find her King. As she walked through the doors, she reluctantly looked around and was surprised to find the lab was immaculate and well organized. There were shelves upon shelves of books that referenced many topics as well as several strung up skeletons that she didn't want to think who they belonged to.
Pride was sitting at one of the tables that had a large assortment of books and hand written reports all over. On the other side of the table was a stool that was across from him but thanks to a stack of books one could not see him if they sat on the stool. Taking a few timid steps, Lilian slowly and cautiously sat on the stool and peeked at the few reports that she could see from her position. Some referenced the human bodily functions in minute detail while others talked about the abilities that Elementals possessed. She even found a few detailed reports about specific subjects such as Maurice Raith, the one Elemental who attacked the Mystic Guard in Elysion.
She remembered his power well and thought he was a dangerous individual but Talib classified him as insignificant. The word made another chill go down her back as she imagined the myriad of methods that Talib would use to find out if someone was worth his time or not. Pushing the report away in disgust, she actively avoided any other reports that looked remotely the same as the one she just read.
"I need you to look over any letters addressed to Talib. If it's possible I want to find out if he had any contact with Corona. If someone corresponded with him then there is a chance that they could lead us to Alrick."
"How can you be so sure?"
Because Talib is in league with Father!
He wanted to say that outloud but his voice wouldn't respond to his command. He knew why, he figured it out on his way back to Blackdust. When he fought Father and Talib used that at the last moment that resulted in his defeat, it left him at the hands of the alchemist. His mind was muddled with foggy thoughts after he awakened, the only clear thought he could think of was obeying Father and a faint one that tried and failed to pierce the fog.
Would've continued to stay that way if he wasn't attacked by one of Rakat's remnants.
They cornered him in a forest and before he could tell them he was on their side, they attacked. At first, he tried to dodge their attacks while trying to get to them to stop which disgusted him. They attacked him and thus should be prepared to be killed, yet here he was trying to spare them. Fortunately, they never listened until one of them got a lucky shot and smashed him in the back of the head with a mace. The result was instantaneous and had him on the ground.
His mind was instantly brought into focus with that blow. He didn't know why but the faint thought in his head was his own voice telling him what had happened before his mind became cloudy. Talib and Father thought that he wasn't aware of what they were planning to do to his soul but they were wrong. When he got back to his feet, he slaughtered all of his opponents and wanted to return to face Father again while killing the alchemist but he couldn't force his body to fulfill his intentions.
All he had was a strong desire to return to Blackdust and retrieve the research materials that Talib had left behind. It infuriated him to no end that no matter how hard he fought, his body and soul would fight just as hard. So he found himself back home looking through these reports. As he traveled through, he found out that he could make small detours as long as he planned to do Father's bidding, which was why he asked Lilian to come with him.
He knew that Talib was always in contact with other kingdoms and if Lilian found out who then she could begin to squeeze them for the whereabouts of the missing King. If things really went his way, then she would kill the alchemist's contacts and would inconvenience the alchemist.
Maybe she'll finally have a shot at getting her revenge.
With his blatant lack of care for the alchemist and his not so hostile attitude towards her, Pride hoped that she might feel that she could get away with killing the alchemist if she saw him again.
"I found something, it looks like he was asking about a metal with someone in Corona named Victor Zoloman."
Pride smiled behind the stacks of books that blocked him from view.
"Perhaps this Zoloman will have some insight on where Rakat's forces might be. After all he seems to be a local and should notice the movement of a large force. Plus if he was consorting with Talib, then I can guarantee then there is more than meets the eye with him."
After many tests, Zoloman and Varian finally had a working prototype for the metal that they were trying to create. They had smelted it and used it to create a broadsword that cut through the combination of steel and iron. The boy was quite excited as he began to come up with new designs for inventions for new metals while the older alchemist had already smelt the metal to create another weapon.
He held the completed product in his hand and was satisfied with it. The hilt was a foot and a half long, wrapped in a black cloth and had a spiked pommel with a crossguard that was a foot long. The blade was roughly five feet long and it made the whole weapon have considerable weight. The edge of the rectangle shaped blade was thinner than the trunk of the blade which made it possible to actually cut someone with it if they used enough force.
He had sent Varian home and told them that they would continue with their experiments tomorrow. After the boy had left, Victor went deeper into the underground cavern via a hidden entrance that was behind a fake wall of rock. Taking it down a long flight of stairs, he arrived at his destination which was a thick door that had iron bars on it.
Opening the door, he was instantly assaulted with the stench of blood and decayed human flesh. As he was used to the stench, he didn't recoil at the smell nor the sight of the badly beaten and barely conscious one armed man that was against the wall.
Alrick looked like hell, he had been stripped of all but his pants and was severely beaten. There were cuts all over his body as well as broken bones that stuck out yet didn't break the skin. His finger and toenails were all pulled out and his left ear was missing. Asger had his fun with the King then dropped him off with Zoloman to keep while he attended to other matters.
The alchemist barely came down here, he would leave a small water skin every other day and some bread every once in a while then would leave to carry out his duties. The isolation in addition to the beatings and starving had turned the King into a very docile prisoner. Victor expected him to die sooner but the man had held on to his life somehow.
He wasn't restrained in any way, hell the door wasn't even locked. Zoloman didn't care at all if the prisoner escaped. Father had dropped him off to babysit him but Victor had bigger things to worry about. He would've left the King in the middle of the street but the men that Asger left in case Alrick tried to escape would report that to Father and Victor didn't want another setback.
"You really stepped in it didn't you Alrick? All the planning that Father had was a setback years because you had to grow a conscience. Your little rebellion was amusing to be sure but unfortunately it has made Father act illogically and made life harder for me…"
The alchemist walked over and grabbed the King by the head and turned him so that he could look him in the eye. "...How easy it would be for me to just kill you now and put an end to all of this idiocy. Unfortunately with the way things are going, it would make more sense to keep you alive. The other versions of me are now under more scrutiny than ever before. When Father sent those men to kill the me in Blackdust, that proved what we all thought. He's almost ready to carry out his plan. Which means that we need to be ready for our plan yet thanks to you we were delayed."
Victor was disgusted to see the blank expression on the King's face as he dropped his head and raised the sword he had in hand. "Asger took your arm out of a misguided attempt to have fun, I'll take your leg to ensure that you will no longer be a threat anymore."
With that, Zoloman swung with every intention of cutting off Alrick's right leg, yet an impossible reaction from the King had him on the ground with a sharp bone embedded in his neck. The King was on his feet, the broken legs that were covered in pants were off to the side which revealed that his real legs were just fine. He was heavily breathing but the fierce look in his eye was strong as he stalked over to the alchemist who was grasping his throat and gurgling the blood that filled his mouth.
"...I buried you the first time, I'm not doing it twice…"
Alrick left the man to die while picking up the executioner's sword that laid next to the dying man. The King knew that he weak from his torture but he knew how to fight through the pain. As for hunger…the surrounding body parts were not too old so he wouldn't be too sick to move.
He already guessed that there would be men waiting for him when he went up the stairs. His jailer shouldn't let it slip that he wasn't to be killed, which meant he could really let loose. With a pained groan, Alrick hefted the sword on his remaining shoulder and made his way out of his prison.
Elsa wanted to go home but Edward had stubbornly refused and kept stringing her along behind him as he walked through the village. After she had calmed down from sobbing earlier, she told him that she wanted to return to the castle to get to work but the young man refused to let her do so. She wanted to argue but all the strength she had for the day had been sucked out of her and left her just wanting to die in her bed.
So she allowed herself to be pulled to wherever the young man had planned to lead her.
After a while of walking, Elsa began to notice that they were around the docks and could hear the sound of music playing. The sound continued to grow louder before, the two of them turned the corner and saw that along the harbor were people dancing and partying. The blonde was stunned to see the people and was about to ask what was going on but Edward was already pulling her through the crowd.
Thanks to her disguise, no one noticed the Queen brushing elbows with them as the young man pushed through the crowd. His firm grip on her hand was the only thing that kept them together as Elsa would've been lost by the sea of people. It was jarring to see so many smiling faces when just earlier today, she had been met with negative ones. To be honest, she was really down and upset with what happened earlier which made her want to be alone.
Yet it seemed Edward had vastly different plans than hers.
"Why if it isn't Young Edward! How are you doing, my boy?!"
The blonde was surprised by the loud voice that was just ahead of them as she squeeze past a couple to stand next to the young man who was greeting the harbormaster, Mr. Jorgen.
"I'm doing fine, just wanted to take you up on your offer to come out and have fun during your celebration."
The old man laughed as he walked up to Edward and heartedly patted him on the shoulder. It was then that Elsa could smell the rum that lightly hung off the man. It wrinkled her nose with its strong stench that repulsed her. She looked up to her companion and could see no signs of discomfort despite her knowing that his senses were far sharper than hers.
"Well you are always welcomed to do so, you were a model worker and I will always wish I had another like you. Just keep in mind that if you need a job, all you have to do is ask! My door will always be open for you, my boy."
"Thank you sir but I found a very compelling reason to continue training the Royal Guard. If Her Majesty will have me, I can't see myself ever leaving even when the guards are up to snuff." Elsa's eyes shot up to Edward who kept an easy smile on his face as he faced the harbormaster and made no attempt to bring any attention toward her. While she had known that they had taken their relationship to the next level, recent events made her unsure of the good things in her life.
Hector's concern earlier was right on the money. She began to question every decision she made and wondered if she really has been a good Queen or have the council just hid more secrets from her. She wondered if the people really did like her or were they just paid to smile and wave back at her. Being surrounded by so many of her subjects who may have hated after being kicked out by one that definitely did, made her want to run away to her ice palace which represented her desire to run from her problems.
"Defending Queen Elsa is a noble calling. You continue to make me prouder and prouder, if only more young men had your sense then the world would be a much better place. Our Queen has definitely made a difference in all our lives and has earned the love of Arendelle. I pity the fool who decides they want to mess with our Queen!"
Elsa had a small smile on her face as she listened to the harbormaster, it was nice to hear that someone had a high opinion of her.
"Well I don't. If anyone tries to get to her, they'll have to go through me. But that's a conversation for another day. Anyway, I wanted to introduce you to my friend here." Edward put an arm around Elsa's shoulders and brought him close to him as he spoke.
"This is Crystal, she's new to Arendelle and she's been down in the dumps lately so I thought i would bring her out here to have some fun." Mr. Jorgen leaned in to see under the bonnet that hid the woman's face but the closer he got, the more she would dip her head as she tried to hide. He finally gave up and brought his eyes back to Edward.
"She's a shy little thing."
"You can say that again. Hopefully I'll be able to loosen her up during this party tonight. "
The harbormaster beamed as he clapped the couple on the shoulders. "Then I wish you luck my young friend! Now if you'll excuse me, I need to check on our stocks. Can't be running out of alcohol when the night's just started!"
The old man waved them goodbye as he stalked off into the crowd. Elsa was about to ask if they could leave when Edward once again pulled her in another direction. As they moved through the crowds once again, the young man led them to the source of the music where there were people playing instruments in the streets. Around them were other people dancing along with the lively music that was playing.
Before she could object, Edward whisked her off her feet and put her head into the middle of the people dancing then started to whirl her around keeping rhythm with the music. Elsa had no choice but to dance with him as the song began to get even more lively as more people joined. As she got caught up in all the people around her with smiling faces, she kept thinking of the woman with her child that lost a husband due to the Queen's lack of control.
The dour look on her face made the young man frown as he abruptly disengaged from the dance and whisked Elsa away once again. The blonde was starting to lose her patience at being dragged off behind the man and when she saw an alleyway, she gave him a harsh tug as they both went down it. The space between the two buildings made it somewhat a tight fit but the two of them were able to look at one another in the eyes with some space between them.
Elsa's face mirrored annoyance while Edward's was the picture of patience.
"Edward, I appreciate you coming after me but I just want to go back to my room."
"So you can blame yourself and try to hide again? No, I don't think so."
"It's already been a long day, I just want to rest."
The man's face took on a disbelieving look as she stared at him. When he didn't change his expression, the woman huffed before attempting to leave him behind. Yet as soon as she turned around he was right there with his arms crossed. She mentally cursed his newfound speed as she crossed her arms and looked away in annoyance.
Edward could easily tell what was on the blonde's mind. With what she learned today, she didn't want to be around people who potentially hated her. She wanted to be alone for a while and get her head on straight which didn't bother him. What bothered him was that he could tell that she had serious doubts that her people liked her and it would continue to haunt her unless something was done. He thought that he could take her out for a night of fun but was already failing miserably.
It's time to change tactics.
"Alright, we can go back to the castle."
Elsa still faced away from him but her eyes slid over to him with a disbelieving look of her own. Any other time, he would've found the expression to be adorable but for now, he had other more pressing thoughts in his head.
"I mean it, if you really want to go back to the castle then I won't stop you. But...there is one place that I want to take you, you go with me there and we'll do whatever you want."
The blonde considered his offer and took a moment to see the earnest look in his eyes that made it really hard to say no. She would've held out longer if he hadn't held her while she put herself back together.
"Fine, one more place then back to the castle."
Edward nodded and led her out the alleyway and away from the loud music. The two of them passed by a few people that were on their way to the party. It didn't take too long before they were in front of a local hospital. The blonde had a confused expression as to why they were here but the young man was already leading her through the doors and down the hallways.
After navigating a few hallways, they came upon a closed door, Edward stood to the side and gestured to it. Elsa looked at him for a moment before placing her hand on the door handle and walking inside. As she entered the room, the sound seemed to alert the patient inside who was reading a book by candlelight.
It was a little girl, probably ten years old. Her brown hair was in small pigtails on the sides of her head. Her grey eyes were a little dull but she had some life in them as she looked up to see a woman in her room.
"Hello, is it time for my medicine again?"
Her voice sounded somewhat weak but the smile on her face showed that she was in good spirits. Elsa didn't know what to say, she had no idea why Edward wanted to bring her here. From the signs in the hospital, the patients in this wing didn't have any contagious illnesses so it was fine to approach them, yet with recent events, the blonde stayed where she was.
"Um...no, I'm not here to give you medicine."
"Oh, then are you a friend of my big brother?"
"Who's your big brother?"
The little girl's face lit up as she seemed to be excited about talking about him. "His name is Cameron and he's a member of the Royal Guard!"
Memories of the young guard blurred in her mind as she instantly remembered all the times he spoke about his sick little sister. Cameron had said that she had a weak constitution and that with the medical care Elsa had implemented she was getting better. He was always thankful to the monarch for helping his little sister and the blonde felt really good that she was making a difference in someone's life.
Seeing the little girl's smile had the blonde sitting in the stool next to her.
"Oh he is, is he? Does he visit and tell you about what he does?"
"All the time! He tells me that he is learning to protect Queen Elsa! He also said that it was thanks to her that I'll get better!" The little girl began to talk excitedly before a coughing fit had her stop. The blonde looked to the side and saw a pitcher of water and a cup which she filled then gave it to the patient. The little girl gratefully accepted it and gulped it down.
"Thank you, the doctor said that I shouldn't get too excited but I can't help it."
Elsa could definitely relate. Anna was always so excitable and would only continue to ramp herself up unless something stopped her.
"It's ok, we're talking about your brother. It's only natural you're really happy to talk about him."
"Do you know him?"
"I do, he's a really nice man and a very good guard."
"Then can you tell me where he is? He visits me everyday but it's almost time for bed and I haven't seen him yet."
Elsa froze as she remembered last night's attack. Cameron was in no danger but he needed to be confined to the infirmary for the time being. The blonde didn't want to worry the little girl but from the look on her face, she already seemed to think that something was wrong. Fortunately, Edward chose that time to walk in.
"Eddy! You're here!"
The young man walked over before giving the little girl a hug before sitting down next to Elsa. "How are you doing today Lina?"
"I'm doing ok, the doctor said I'll be able to go outside for walks tomorrow."
"Is that so, then maybe when you do, I'll show you around the castle."
"Will I be able to meet Queen Elsa?" The woman noticed the twinkle in the little girl's eyes as she asked the question. Edward of course noticed and got up before walking around the room with a faux deep thinking expression on his face.
"hmm...I don't know, the Queen is awfully busy all the time. You know with all the good she does for the people of Arendelle, she might not have any time for a break. I'm sure she would love to meet you but I don't know…"
Elsa wanted to deny that statement and say she would always make time for her people but Lina cut her off. "That's ok, if the Queen is really that busy then I know it's for a good reason. Before the doctors said that I would never be able to get better but thanks to her, I can actually walk around the hospital. She also helped my friends in the orphanage go to school and gave many people jobs! I also heard that she is the most beautiful woman in the world and that she can make it snow whenever she wants!"
Edward sat back down with a knowing expression as he noticed Elsa's taken aback look on her face. "Seems like you really idolize her. But you know she's only one person right, she may be able to do all those amazing things but even she has limits."
"That's why she has you and Cameron to help her! Whenever she feels like everything is too much, she can rely on the two of you to help her. Even if she isn't sure what she's doing, she has people right there to help her make her decisions so she can never be alone."
Elsa watched the young man laugh before poking her head saying that she was so smart. The blonde lowered her head as she listened to the little girl speak. Earlier today, all she could think about were the lives that she had hurt and thought that maybe she wasn't right to be Queen. Meeting Lina and seeing that this little girl had faith in her was comforting, to know that she made a difference in this little girl's life made a tear fall down her cheek.
"Hey lady, what's wrong, why are you crying?"
The blonde looked up with a smile as another tear ran down her cheek. "It's nothing Lina, you're brother is in the castle right now. Last night there was a bad person and your brother helped stop them, he's ok but the doctors want him to stay the night. You should be proud, Cameron was a real hero last night."
Edward joined in next to Elsa. "It's true, I was there and saw what he did. Things would've been really bad if it wasn't for him, I saw this morning and he was still sleeping but he was ok."
Lina's eyes beamed even more to hear her brother was a hero but her smile waned as she imagined him being hurt. "That's why he didn't visit, because a bad guy hurt him. At least he's ok but I wish I could see him…"
"You can."
Edward and Lina both turned to Elsa who had a determined look on her face. "Tomorrow morning, we'll pick you up and take you to the castle where you can see your brother."
The little girl's eyes lit up as she looked at the woman. "Really?!"
"Mmhm, and that's not all...you'll also get to meet Queen Elsa."
The way her mouth opened really wide reminded the blonde of Olaf whenever he got really happy. It looked like someone had just promised the little girl she could have any wish she wanted granted. Lina turned to Edward and pointed at him.
"In your face, Eddy! You said that she would be busy but tomorrow I'll get to meet her!"
The young man held up his hands in surrender as a nurse called out down the hallway that it was bedtime. The couple thought it would be a challenge to convince the little girl to go to bed but she was already under the covers, ready for it to be morning. Edward walked over and told her that he would be back here tomorrow morning after breakfast to pick her up. Lina nodded excitedly as the two adults prepared to leave the room, before they could leave the little girl spoke up.
"Um, excuse me lady. I don't know your name."
Elsa looked back at the little girl and walked over to her side of the bed. She placed a hand on the night table next to her before leaning down to whisper in the little girl's ear. "Close your eyes and when you hear the door close look next to you."
Lina looked confused for a moment but after an encouraging look from the blonde, she closed her eyes. The little girl strained her ears for a moment waiting for the sound of the door closing.
"Remember, no peeking."
Lina giggled but kept her eyes closed and when she finally heard the door close, she opened her eyes and looked on the night table. On the table was a small ice sculpture that was an exact replica of her big brother in his guard uniform. He was saluting with his sword on his waist and a smile on his face.
The little girl gasped excitedly as she took in the sculpture before hurrying back under the covers trying to go to sleep as fast as possible.
Outside the hospital, Edward placed his hands in his pockets and sighed. He had left Elsa alone with Lina when she asked what the woman's name was. He was hopeful that meeting the little girl would lift the woman's spirits but all the same he was worried that she would still be down and he had promised to do what she wanted after.
When he heard the sound of her footsteps, he turned and was happy to see that she had a smile on her face. After the day she had, he was glad to see the beautiful sight once again.
"Alright, a deal's a deal. I'll take you back to the castle."
Elsa sauntered up to him and poked him in the chest with an impish grin.
"That wasn't the deal, the deal was, we do whatever I want. And...I want to go back to the harbor, Mr. Jorgen did say the party was only starting. We'll stay for a while but we will be up early tomorrow morning to pick up Lina, got it."
Edward chuckled as he made an exaggerated bow. "Your wish is my command Your Majesty."
"I'm not the Queen tonight Edward, so just call my Crystal, I'll show you how shy I am tonight."
What up guys, another chapter finished and we finally get to meet Lina. I hope you all enjoyed that, I was debating on when to introduce her and she just came to me like an hour before I finished this chapter. Anyway, also hope ya'll enjoyed the other point of views in Blackdust and Corona. Either the next chapter or chapter 54 will be a lemon, trying to space them out and make them pivotal for the fanfic instead of just plain smut you know. The first one was on ch 27 so i thought why not make it another 27 and the last one be on chapter like 71. We'll see anyway leave a review or pm me if you wish to contact me. I'll try to have another chapter up next week so stay tuned.