Chapter Eighty
The Truth
ANNA
Thank heavens the deck was empty now. It gave her time to be alone and think, which wasn't something she'd ever had the habit of doing. She'd always been a people person, but right now she really needed the space to think hard about what came next.
The sun had already dipped below the horizon and the sky was beginning to grow dark. One of the many times she would see it happening over the next two or three months, given their schedule. Too much time wasted, but it really couldn't be helped. Vice Admiral Zayan and Ambassador Hassan had told her that it'd taken almost that long just to get to Fort Steinfall, so it stood to reason that the return trip would be roughly the same.
The cold evening wind stung her face and she squinted, looking out at the direction from where they'd sailed from. Somewhere out there, Hans was gloating. Gloating that he'd won in the end. Despite not crushing the Coalition decisively once and for all, he'd still sent them sailing away in retreat. And that gave him all the time he needed to wreak whatever chaos he intended on the rest of the continent - and quite probably the world too. Without the Coalition or the League of Sorcerers to oppose him, he was unstoppable now.
Anna clenched her jaw. She still couldn't believe it. After the entire season of campaigning they'd all suffered and endured, it'd all been for naught. All the people that perished in the war, people whose families would never see them again…She closed her eyes. The thought of returning to Arendelle and explaining to their families that in spite of their sacrifice, it'd all been futile in the end…
"Hey."
Anna glanced over her shoulder to see Horatio standing a couple of steps behind her. "What are you doing here?"
"Uh," Horatio scratched the back of his head. "I might've been an ass this afternoon. You know, at the meeting."
Turning fully to face him, Anna leaned against the side of the ship and crossed her arms. "Wonder what tipped you off."
"You don't need to rub it in. I came to say I'm…sorry," he said gruffly.
"Apology accepted," she forced a smile even though she didn't feel any joy. "How's your arm?"
"Perfectly fine," Horatio rotated his shoulder for her to see. "Your witch doctor fixed me up pretty good."
"And there was a time you and the others wanted to hunt them down."
He looked away.
She shook her head. "What's past is past. We have bigger things to worry about anyway."
"Damn right we do," He joined her as she returned to looking out at the vast ocean. "So what exactly did I miss after I left?"
"Well after you stormed off, we agreed you had a point," Anna admitted. "We did lose, and frankly I don't know what to do."
"It's alright to admit when you lose," Horatio said with great difficulty. "Took me a long time to learn that bit."
"I don't know if I told you before, but you're not the ass you make people think you are."
"Hah," he snorted. "Well, don't tell anyone or they won't take me seriously."
She chuckled, then lapsed back into solemnity. "I guess we'll have to wait and see what comes next after we meet the Agrabanian King."
"Do you really think he'll commit to a war that's none of his business?"
"The way I figure, he probably knows that the Empire is going to come down south sooner or later, so it'd be better to join forces sooner to stop them before it can happen."
Horatio sneered. "Well, I'd say it's already too late."
"Maybe. Maybe not." Anna said, feeling nausea suddenly rise within her. Not again. "Oh, for-" she managed before she threw up overboard and into the ocean.
"Shit," Horatio hesitated before lightly patting her on the back. "You good?"
"Peachy," she said dryly, feeling weak at the knees. "Probably just seasickness. I should probably head back to my cabin."
"You want any help getting back?"
"I'll be fine," she flashed him a weak grin. "But thanks."
"You take care, Your Majesty," Horatio grinned back at her.
When she returned to her shared cabin with Kristoff, she was surprised to find her husband already inside, staring out the small window into the growing darkness.
"Surprised you're back this early," Anna closed the door behind her. "Thought you'd still be out sorting through reports with Frederick."
"Told my staff to take care of it for tonight," He turned to face her, stubble already overgrown and his hair more haggard than usual. "I think we need to talk."
"That we do," she dragged out her words as she watched her husband walk across the small cabin towards her. "But I'm not really in the mood for another argument."
Kristoff raised both hands. "No argument, I swear it."
"Alright," she said cautiously. They'd broached this subject before and she wasn't particularly eager to see where it led this time.
"Things have been pretty tense between us the past few days," he began. "And I think we both know why."
She put on a neutral expression as best as she could. "Yeah."
"Frankly, I've been thinking about it quite a lot but I sure as hell didn't know what to do. So I decided to talk to Frederick about it and pick his brains."
"Oh?" Anna raised an eyebrow. "And what did he have to say?"
"Probably what you'd expect. That its my responsibility as the Prince Consort and your husband to keep you safe and on the throne."
"You're right," she deadpanned. "That's exactly what I expected."
"And I guess I agree. To an extent," he added the last bit in a hurry. "And I've been thinking a lot about what you said too. About being strong enough to take care of yourself. And the truth is, this was about you almost as much as it was about me."
"What do you mean?"
"The idea of you not needing me to protect you…it hurts my pride and makes me feel insecure," Kristoff admitted as he shifted his eyes to the wall. "Where does that leave me as your husband? What would the people think of me as the prince if I just stand by and let you run into danger?"
"Oh, Kristoff," her heart softened as she watched his face turning a shade of red. "I…I never thought of that."
"And of course I'm worried about you too, more than anything else," he continued in a low voice. "I love you, Anna. I don't want to see anything happen to you. The world we live in now isn't like the one we used to know, one full of fun, reindeer and talking snowmen. The world's at war and we're caught in the middle of it. I…I can't bear the thought of losing you."
She strode to cover the few steps between them and placed her hands on the sides of his face. "I'm sorry I made you feel that way. But I have my own confession to make."
Finally, he met her eyes. "What is it?"
"I've been feeling insecure too," she said. "When Elsa, Melody and the rest of our friends were gone and presumed dead, I felt so…powerless. Helpless to do anything. I just wanted to make a real difference instead of watching the battles from behind a damn spyglass. I guess in a way I wanted to prove to myself that I was still capable of being a Warrior in spite of everything we'd been through and lost," She paused to inhale deeply. "I was so caught up with the idea of doing something important again that I didn't care about anything else."
Wrapping his thick arms around her, Kristoff pulled her into a warm embrace. "You've been making a difference every damn day. We wouldn't have made it out alive if it weren't for your leadership. You don't need to charge into danger to prove yourself as a Warrior. You are a Warrior, whether you're behind a spyglass or skulking in the shadows with the rest of our friends. Nothing can change that, and I was wrong to tell you otherwise."
She put her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest. "Well, I promise to sit back and relax now that the campaign is over."
"You should," he tenderly ran a hand through her hair. "How's your stomach today?"
"I just vomitted, actually."
"Damn it," he grimaced. "Right. No more running about till we can figure out how to cure whatever this is."
"Deal," she said. It was just as well that she didn't feel like having any more adventures after everything they'd been through this winter. Not at the moment, anyway. "I'm sorry that I made you feel insecure."
"It's alright," he whispered as he kissed the top of her head. "I love you for who you are, no matter how pissed you make me feel sometimes."
"Likewise," she giggled as Kristoff placed his hands under her thighs and lifted her to eye level. She pressed her lips against his, a wave of relief and warmth tingling through her. It felt good to make up with him, and now everything was going to go back to normal between them. Optimism began to bloom within her again. Things were going to work out alright, one step at a time.
A series of controlled knocks came at their door, ruining their tender moment. They untangled themselves, Kristoff with a slight frown etched across his face.
"Damn it," Kristoff muttered as he let go of her.
"It's fine. We have all the time in the world tonight," she winked at him and crossed their small cabin to answer the door. Opening the door a fraction, her eyes widened when she saw who it was being flanked by the Queen's Guard.
"Good evening Your Majesty," one of the sergeants posted outside her door greeted her with a salute, Talya standing behind him with two armed corporals on either side of her.
Anna put on a smile. "Ah, yes. Talya. Let her in."
The two guardsmen escorted Talya into the cabin, the girl going through the motions of curtseying to her and Kristoff.
"Your Majesty. Your Royal Highness."
Anna stared at her for a long moment, then looked to her soldiers. "We could do with some privacy. Matters to discuss and all that."
"Understood, Ma'am." The sergeant said. "We'll be outside if you need us."
"Take the night off." Anna glanced at him firmly, then at the other two corporals. "All of you."
It was a good thing the Queen's Guardsmen knew better than to argue with their headstrong queen. Not like it would do them any good anyway.
"We'll be fine," Kristoff nodded at the soldiers. "Go."
"Your Majesty. Your Royal Highness," The sergeant saluted in unison with the two corporals before the three briskly marched off to relay the orders to the other guardsmen posted outside her door.
Anna, Kristoff and Talya stayed silent till they could no longer hear the synchronised marching of the guardsmen's boots. And finally, Anna turned her ire to her guest.
"You have a lot of explaining to do."
Talya looked sheepish. "I guess so."
"Damn right you do," Kristoff joined Anna's side. "You lied to everyone about who you were, and then it turns out you're an Elemental Sorceress just like Elsa?"
"And you've been avoiding me since we escaped yesterday," Anna added.
"Look, I stayed away because I figured you all needed time to get things settled," Talya raised both hands defensively. "I didn't want to intrude and throw more confusion into the mix."
"Confusion, huh?" Anna narrowed her eyes as she stopped in front of Talya. "So you're finally going to tell us what the hell's going on?" Without warning, her stomach lurched again and she gagged, forced to stagger to a knee.
Swiftly, Kristoff dashed for a bucket that he'd likely requested for in the event of a such an emergency. Thank heavens for her husband. She ducked her head into the bucket and threw up acid, feeling the burning sensation in the back of her throat. Groaning irritably, she wiped her mouth with Kristoff's proffered handkerchief, feeling incredibly weary all of a sudden as beads of cold sweat formed on her brow.
Looking concerned, Talya put a hand on her back. "Are you alright?"
"No. Don't touch me," Anna coughed as she stood up straight again, glowering at the girl. "I don't even know who you really are."
"Whatever this is, it's getting worse," Kristoff looked worried as he stared into the bucket.
"Never mind that, I'm fine now," Anna nearly snapped back, glaring at Talya. "Talk."
Another series of knocks came outside their door, this time a lot more erratic and less formal than before.
"Damn it," Kristoff trailed off as he set down the bucket and marched towards the door. "What-" his demeanour changed instantly. "Elsa?"
"Can we come in?" Elsa asked. She stood outside, holding the arm of the other mysterious girl she'd called Peggy. "We need to talk," She shifted a neutral gaze to Anna. "All of us."
"Come in," Anna called out across the cabin. "You're right. It's about time we get to the bottom of this damn mystery."
"I agree," Elsa let go of Peggy's arm as soon as Kristoff closed the door behind them. "Just when I thought I knew what was really going on, it seems I never did at all."
"Welcome to the club," Anna said dryly. She stared between Talya and Peggy. "I assume this is Peggy? She too has secrets of her own?"
The two mystery girls exchanged glances, drawing out a long moment of silence, tension and befuddlement.
"Well, I guess it had to happen sooner or later," Talya shrugged.
"It was always part of the plan," Peggy insisted as she grimaced at Talya. "Or did you forget what Val said?"
"Well, I've been stuck in this century for months. Can you really blame me if I forgot some parts of the plan?"
"Plan?" Kristoff repeated.
"So you two know each other?" Anna demanded.
Elsa crossed her arms. "Just as I thought."
"The hell are they talking about?" Kristoff looked bewildered.
"And who's Val?" Anna added. "And what did you mean by 'this era'?"
"It's a very, very long story," Talya said slowly.
"Then get started," Elsa said firmly. "We want to hear everything."
Talya turned her attention to Elsa, staring at her long and hard.
"What-what are you doing?" Elsa looked uncomfortably at her.
"I'm sorry," Talya looked sheepish all of a sudden. "It's just that it's so weird. I never thought I'd see you again, let alone in your prime. You look so young."
Elsa blinked. "Excuse me?"
"What do you mean 'in her prime'?" Kristoff turned to Elsa. "You've met her before?"
"No, I haven't," Elsa stared at Talya. "What do you mean 'see me again'?"
"Here we go." Peggy muttered.
"Now everyone just hang on a goddamn minute!" Anna raised her voice.
Silence fell upon the room at long last. Everyone except Talya and Peggy stared at one another with equal befuddlement.
Talya sighed, breaking the silence. "Alright, let me explain. First off, we come from the year 2021. We're your descendants from the future."
"Descendants?" Anna repeated, eyes wide. The concept of the future wasn't something new to her. She'd seen it with her own eyes, back when Eleanor had banished them to another dimension far flung in the future where she'd seen all sorts of fascinating yet unsettling technology. But descendants?
"That's right," Peggy glanced at Talya. "And we're distant cousins."
"Peggy's from Elsa and Janus' line," Talya met Anna's eyes. "Val and I are from yours and Kristoff's."
"This is insane," Kristoff said indignantly after a long pause. "I don't believe this."
"You're saying we're related? And you have a brother too?" Anna fixed her eyes on Talya, her mind swirling wildly as everything she knew seemed to crumble and reconstruct itself all at once. "I…I don't know what to say."
"It took me a while to believe too," Elsa said grimly. "But I've seen evidence."
"I can prove it," Peggy said confidently.
"Wait," Anna froze, something clicking in her mind. She looked at Talya again, her eyes growing even wider than before. "If you're my descendant-"
"I am the Queen of Arendelle," Talya nodded solemnly. "Daughter of King Olaf the Sixth."
Anna found a hundred questions all trying to make their way to the forefront of her mind, and quelled them with great difficulty. One at a time. "But why-" Nausea came upon her like a blanket again and bile rose to her throat quicker than she could react.
But Kristoff was quicker, snatching up the bucket again and sliding it below her mouth. She emptied the remaining contents of her stomach, retching in the most unsightly manner. Her head pounded as her stomach slowly settled, and she sank into a chair with Elsa's help.
Talya winced. "And…I know why that's been happening to you."
"Talya!" Peggy exclaimed.
"What?" Through her rising fatigue, Anna shot an annoyed look at Talya as she tried to get up, but was gently pushed back down by Kristoff. "And you didn't think to say anything at all since you first met me?"
"She's not supposed to know! They're not supposed to know!" Peggy hissed at her cousin. "Val said-"
"Screw him. He himself admitted that he doesn't know how all of this works," Talya rebutted. "They deserve to know the truth."
"What truth?" Elsa and Kristoff demanded in unison.
Talya swallowed and looked straight at Anna. "You're pregnant."
Anna blinked. "What?"
Author's Commentary:
Hope you enjoyed Book 5, let me know what you thought of it! I'll see you over in Book 6 :)