Mirum
Anna fell hard on the ground, panting for air. The wooden sword fell from her hands as she wiped the sweat from her drenched face.
It hurts. It hurts so much. I didn't think it would hurt this much. Why does it hurt so much?
"Thi...This is waaaay harder than...than it looks," she huffed, sweeping her arms through the air in front of her to emphasize her point.
Einar bent forward and gingerly picked up the practice weapon from the ground. "It is, Ma'am. The art of swordsmanship is not something anyone would grasp in a single session." He took a few steps towards the still untouched dummy that stood against the wall behind Anna. "Now that you are used to the sword's weight, we will try that combination on an actual target. Please, start with the standard stab and then follow it up with a horizontal swing to the abdomen."
"In a…In a minute."
"Very well, Your Highness." Einar lifted his gaze to the side, where some recruits were observing their princess's training session while ignoring their own. "As you were, cadets. I don't want to have to tell you again," he said with authority, prompting the trainees to hurriedly stumble back to where they were trading blows.
Kristoff, sitting in the corner on a crate, smiled smugly at Anna with his arms crossed above his chest. "In no time, was it?"
"Hush. I'm dying," Anna said with difficulty as she tried to raise an accusatory finger before it fell limply with a thud at her side. "Have som-some respect."
"Oh, I'm having respect. Poor little thing."
He's probably smiling like an idiot.
Anna mustered an incredible effort to lift her head off the ground and towards Kristoff.
And he's smiling like an idiot.
She tried to scowl in her boyfriend's direction but exhaustion took her and she fell back. "I don't have enough sugar in me to be mad at you right now."
"We'll get you some chocolate when you're done."
The corners of her mouth quirked up into a smile. "Oh, you know how to talk to me."
Kristoff amusedly shrugged with his eyes closed. "Force of habit."
Anna snorted loudly. "All right. Let's do this thing," she said with a determined nod. Her muscles were screaming and begging for mercy, but she still pushed hard against the ground and managed to stand upright – not without a little swaying. "Those morons are still out there while I'm here gathering dust."
"The scouting parties are still sweeping our surroundings," Einar said. "But they haven't noticed anything in eight days, Ma'am."
"Can I have the sword, Einar, please?"
She took the wooden blade from the captain's extended hand and prepared to fall into the stance he had shown her a few moments before.
Okay. Left foot back. Right foot upfront and facing straight. Then right elbow down, left one up. Shoulders loose, back straight.
She saw Einar nodding approvingly as she lifted the sword to her left cheek, facing forward in an aggressive posture. She must have nailed it down.
Glancing back ahead, she singled the dummy in front of her from the others around it.
As unmoving as a dummy will ever be.
While she concentrated, its face morphed, transforming into a faceless goon like the ones who tried to kidnap her or the ones who attacked the ice castle, who she somehow knew was bellicose. Anger rose from her stomach, burning like a flame lusting for action.
If they wanted her sister, they'd have to get through her first.
Anna sharply inhaled and propelled herself, driving her entire body with the power of her legs. She swung as far as she could and closed her eyes, bracing herself for the impact. The vibrations of the first strike traveled up her arm and shook her to her core. She kept her eyelids shut and bent down, channeling all her force in her hips as Einar had explained. She pivoted, keeping her weapon at her side until she was rocked when its dull blade met the scruffy and padded left side of the dummy. She opened her eyes after taking a step back, her heart racing inside her chest as if she had just run all around Arendelle.
Kristoff audibly whistled and clapped while Einar looked at her thoughtfully and advanced.
"Very good, highness," the latter complimented. "I must say I am honestly impressed. Few people can execute it properly on their first trial." Anna couldn't contain a cocky smile at the praise. "However," he continued after he visibly noticed it. "There are still a lot of things to correct. First and most important, you have to keep your-"
"Eyes up and sharp, boys," one of the older trainees shouted up from the other side of the barracks. Einar huffed in annoyance at the interruption and was about to berate the cadets again when they suddenly stood at attention. "Her Majesty the Queen."
"Anna?" she heard her sister's voice call behind her in that 'I can't believe it' voice she never liked the sound of.
The princess winced through exhaustion and forced an upbeat expression on her face before turning around. "Heeeeey, sis'! How's ya doin'?"
Elsa crossed the last couple steps of stairs and slowly approached Anna with her hands clasped together, her eyes tight and her lips pursed in worry. "What are you doing?" She stopped a few feet away from Anna and took a long look at the practice sword she was still holding. "You're learning how to fight?"
No sense in trying to get me out of this.
"Okay, yes, I am," Anna said. "I…I'm learning how to handle a sword."
Elsa's eyes were disbelievingly wide. "Why?" she whispered.
"Because they wouldn't teach me boxing. They said a punch doesn't reach far enough," she half-joked. Understanding that it may not have been the best moment to crack a jest, Anna stepped a bit closer and cleared her throat while firmly gripping her mock weapon. "Because you never know. What we…talked about last week… It made me realize how unprepared I would be. And I made a promise to stand with you-"
"You didn't promise me anything," Elsa said with a vigorous shake of her head.
"I promised it to myself," Anna explained. "Listen. We don't know what might happen." Elsa opened her mouth to speak again. Anna was faster, however. "I know what you're going to say. I'm not doing this because I'm looking for a fight. I'm not doing this because I want to go out there and chop whoever's coming after you in little, small, minuscule star-shaped pieces-"
"That's' a bit too specific…"
"- and I'm not doing this for an obscure reason, Elsa. I'm just starting out for pity's sake!"
"If I may, Your Majesty?" Einar intervened with a slight bow. He continued when he received an inviting nod. "I wholeheartedly endorse Her Highness's initiative. It never hurts one to be able to defend themselves. Especially in such times."
Elsa intently scanned Anna's face, her gaze jumping up from her to a nodding Kristoff, then to a visibly content Einar.
"You too, Einar? You're supposed to be the voice of reason…"
"Of course, Milady. I believe I still am."
"And I swear I'll try not walk into any wolf's den," Anna added with a roll of her eyes.
Elsa stayed silent for a minute. She then released a resigned sigh. "Lion."
She had spoken in such a small voice that Anna hadn't heard her. "Whassdat?"
"Lion," Elsa repeated with a timid smile. "It's 'walk into the lion's den'."
She's agreeing! I would have thought she'd try to fight this a bit more…
"Bah, you got the idea," Anna said with a flick of her wrist. She smiled in turn. "And little bonus, I don't have to do that routine Kai made for us anymore! I have my daily exercise!"
Elsa seemed confused for a moment about what she was referring to. "Wait…You still do that?" she eventually asked in bewilderment.
"Yes, she does," Kristoff answered in Anna's stead.
"But-That was more than a decade ago!"
Anna stood tall. "Yes, it was."
"And it involves hoops!"
"Yup, it does."
"And hopscotch…"
"That too. So yeah, Imma stop that and focus on this instead!" Anna said with pride. "And don't worry sis'. This time I promise to you that I'll never put myself in danger if I can help it."
Elsa kept her gaze locked on her sister's eyes. "Do you swear it?"
Anna straightened her back and lifted her right hand. "On whoever invented chocolate. Bless their soul."
"O-Okay then," Elsa assented with a sigh.
"Aww you're the best!" Anna exclaimed as she launched herself forward to bring Elsa into a quick hug. However, her sister instinctively flinched away, and Anna felt the color drain from her face.
"You're a bit… too sweaty right now," Elsa abashedly said, pointing at her shirt and making her realize just how wet it was. "I promise to give you back that hug as soon as you are clean," she hurriedly added, obviously fearing that she could have hurt her sister's feelings. "I'd just rather you showered first."
The color returned to Anna's face and a devilish smile appeared on her lips. "What if I decide to cash it in now?"
"Please, no."
"I'm feeling veeeeery weak," the princess continued while exaggeratedly lifting a hand to her forehead.
"No more snowgies if you hug me in that state," Elsa warned while clearly repressing a grin, instantly getting Anna to reevaluate her priorities. "But I came here for something else, actually."
Oh, yeah. What is she doing here?
"Can we talk a bit privately?" Elsa continued.
"Sure. Einar? I'll be back in a few."
The captain bowed respectfully. "Of course, Ma'am."
"Do you want Kristoff, too?" Anna asked with a quick nod toward him.
"No, actually. Just you and me this time. Sorry, Kristoff…"
"Understood. I was just leaving anyway," the young man answered with a shrug. "Might go see Sven or Garret."
Elsa's eyes widened slightly as if she had just realized something. "If you go to see Garret…" she said in haste. "Please, be mindful."
Kristoff looked confused for a moment, but he nodded firmly after a few seconds. "I know just the thing." He then disappeared up the stairs.
"Wait. Garret's not okay?" Anna asked.
"That is actually why I'm here," Elsa responded. "I was training with him on his magic this morning…"
"You were training with him? And you didn't call me?"
Elsa looked surprised. "Wha-Why would I?"
"You know I love to see you do your…things!" Anna tentatively explained with a few weird movements of her hands. "Don't you dare forget me, next time!"
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind. But let's get back to the topic," she resumed. "So, in the middle of it, he starts having an anxiety attack."
Anna felt her heart fall.
An…An anxiety attack?!
"Is he okay?" she worriedly asked.
Elsa timidly nodded with a smile. "He is now. And that's what I wanted to speak to you about. We…I was going to say that we talked…But really it-it was something else… Do you remember what I told you back at the ice castle?"
"Yeah…" Anna answered.
"Well, it turns out I can read his memories! And then we actually talked for a bit and it felt…it felt good. Like I'd been there for someone. He thanked me after that, and it looked sincere!"
Anna couldn't believe her eyes. She would have never guessed she'd one day see what she would earnestly qualify as a 'big goofy grin' on Elsa's face.
"I can imagine!" she sincerely said, still analyzing every inch of her sibling's expression. However, right at that moment, her sister's features darkened slightly.
"But…"
"But what…?"
Elsa shook her head as if eliminating a thought from her mind. "When we talked…I forgot about…now. About all that's happening," she continued while hugging herself tightly. She always did that whenever she was fazed by something. Anna's best guess was that she instinctively copied the gesture of wrapping their mother's scarf around her even when the piece of red and brown cloth wasn't circling her shoulders.
She's just realizing how she properly copes.
"It's normal, Elsa."
"Is it?"
"Yeah! You spent a good moment with someone whose company you seem to enjoy! It honestly just sounds like you made a friend."
"But, if I forgot about everything this time, it means I can do it again…"
"Hey. Let's think this through together, okay?" Anna said. "You do feel that with me, right?" Her sister stayed silent. Anna feigned a shocked expression. "If you answer 'no' to this question, I think I'm going to lose it. We just had a duffel battle yesterday!"
Elsa lightly laughed. "Yes. Yes, I did."
"Good save. Now, did it change anything? Except make you feel good on the spot?"
"I guess not…"
"And there you have it!" Anna excitedly concluded.
I think you're just used to doing it with me.
"You're sure it's okay?" Elsa's shy glance up almost made Anna's heart explode on the spot.
"You are too precious for this world. I'm trying very hard not to squeeze you to death right now."
"Pre-Precious? Squeeze? Death?!"
Anna ignored her sister's yelp. "You can allow yourself some leeway, Elsa. I'm not saying to stop worrying altogether, but you don't have to feel mortified every single second, do you?"
"I-I guess it wouldn't be very efficient."
"All is well, then! Hope I untangled the mystery in your heart," Anna cheekily chided with a quirked eyebrow. "Is there anything else?"
Maybe there was a bit more to it?
"No, I think you did," Elsa answered with a smile. "Thank you."
She didn't catch the bait. Oh, well.
"You're welcome. Now let us come back to an important dilemma," Anna said with a roguish smile.
Elsa immediately understood what was going on in her sister's head when she saw her take a quick step forward, her arms wide open. "PLEASE, NO!"
It had taken Kristoff his first few weeks not to aimlessly meander through the castle anymore whenever he wanted to go anywhere. With a bit of practice and a lot of time spent lost and fumbling through corridors, he finally had gotten to the point where he didn't need a map to find most rooms and alleyways. But now that Greta had told him Garret was in the garden, he couldn't find it.
Who needs a castle this big?
He reached a door he didn't recognize. The garden was the only place he hadn't been to regularly, so it had to be it. When he pushed it open, he was greeted by a pale sun and a seemingly empty grass field with a cluster of birches in its center. He lowered his gaze and grinned when he caught sight of Garret splattered like a starfish among the green sea around him.
There he is.
"There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know?" he said in an amused greeting.
Garret seemed slightly startled and brought himself right up before noticing who had entered his temporary temple. "Oh, Kristoff. Sorry, I didn't hear you come in."
The mountain man stepped closer. "Working on your tan?"
"Ha. Unfortunately, it looks like I reflect light more than I absorb it," Garret said with a low chuckle. "Believe it or not, this is the darkest I've ever been."
"Yeah, I could tell. Elsa's the same."
The soldier's eyes widened ever so slightly. "You call her by her name?"
"Yeah. It took some time, but she allows it," Kristoff answered with a shrug as he sat down next to Garret. "It helps that I'm her sister's boyfriend. Anyway, figured you'd like to share a drink, so I brought a little something," he added with non-dissimulated mischief.
He reached inside his shirt and pulled out a bottle of ale and two large tankards. Garret first looked surprised that he could hide such big objects inside so little clothes, but his eyes eventually started to shine.
"Oh, you are a freaking blessing, mate."
Knew it.
Kristoff threw a knowing smile to his companion. "That long, huh?"
"Well, I've been on the road for some time, so I learned to keep those senses sharp in my head and that money warm in my pocket. Even before that, one of the very few drawbacks of being military is that you can't drink on the job," Garret explained as he lightly grabbed the tankard from Kristoff's hand and steadily waited.
"Did that honestly ever stop you?" Kristoff asked as he poured a bit of the beverage Anna and Elsa would never touch for their lives into Garret's mug.
"Surprisingly, yes. I don't know, maybe you guys out here are rather good-natured about threats of dismemberment, but I like my arms where they are, thank you very much."
Kristoff finished filling his own mug and closed the bottle with a plop. Delicately putting it down at his left, he turned around. "Was it tough? Your job, I mean."
Garret took a few seconds to think before shrugging. "It feels wrong saying it because it was kind of important, but it was. The missions were hard - I had to sleep a full day after most of them. We had to run for hours at a time, most operations were stressful at best, downright terrifying at worst. But hey, at least I got to serve a crown who didn't know I existed," he said, his voice thick with a mix of irony and contempt. He then took a long swig from his tankard, letting a very audible 'Ah!' escape from deep within his chest as soon as it left his lips. "This is good! Reminds me of the good old Pale," he cheerfully commented. "But yeah, the time I spent off-duty or dealing with red-tape was calmer, almost boring in comparison."
"Why did you join? And why'd you stay?"
Garret sighed to the skies while slowly drawing small circles with his tankard. "My old man, mostly. I come from a long line of officers, and he always wanted me to surpass him. It started well, he put in a good word for me, but I couldn't in the end. I was made a knight but it was just standard protocol. I was still a soldier first and foremost."
"Is that so? And what did you do?" Kristoff asked before downing one long sip.
"Whatever they wanted. The brass would call my team for anything special. Recon, escort, asset destruction, asset recovery, or just plain combat missions, though those were rare. Only had one myself."
Kristoff examined Garret's face. Slight twitches here and there, like he was having an allergic reaction to the words coming out of his own mouth. He remembered what Elsa had told him.
I'd rather not have him pass out on me.
"Wow. Sounds like you had your hands full. Beats being an ice harvester," he said while throwing a glance up to the now much darker and cloudy skies.
"You say that, but I probably would have taken an ice delivery business had the country been a little colder. Unlimited supply is something my competitors would have struggled with," Garret said with a chuckle and another swig.
"Depends on where you do it."
The soldier whirled his head toward him. "You don't like it?" He looked honestly surprised.
"I liked it when I actually harvested ice. Now I'm just…I don't know what I am supposed to be or do honestly," Kristoff explained with a half-hearted shrug.
Both men stayed silent for a minute, the sound of crashing waves lapping with their thoughts as they calmly sipped through their ale.
Garret interrupted the quiet. "You told me you met Anna last year, that right?"
"Yep."
"I guess a lot of things changed between then and now, did they?" he asked.
"They did." Kristoff released a sigh much heavier than he had expected. "Anna is…she's fantastic. I wake up every morning thanking the spirits for having her in my life. She's the woman I never dreamed I could find. But-"
"But everything else is not exactly what you'd have expected," Garret finished.
"Not really."
"So, I'm guessing your parents weren't nobles?"
Kristoff held back a laugh.
Seriously? When did I give you even the faintest clue that I could be a noble?
"I-I grew up in an orphanage," he explained instead.
Garret face flushed with evident embarrassment. "I'm- I wouldn't- I didn't know…"
"It's okay," Kristoff comforted with a smile. "To be perfectly honest, I don't even know who they are. I guess they didn't want me, because I was told I was just put in front of the porch, with thick furs around me…"
Garret seemed shamefaced for a bit. "Sorry to hear that…"
"Eh, it was alright. The other kids were nice, the lady whose name I always forget was adorable, I met Sven… I really didn't have that bad a time," Kristoff said with a nostalgic smile. "Then, I was with the trolls."
"The…The trolls."
"Yeah. The rolling, talking, magicking rocks," he explained with some movements of his fingers mimicking the trolls' particular means of transport. "When I was with them, I mostly kept to myself. I didn't really talk to anybody else. But they were great, too."
"Okay."
"And then…Anna. And Elsa. And just like that, all Arendelle knew me. It's a good feeling, don't get me wrong. It's just…I don't know if I'm made to be here," Kristoff said, not looking away from the face he was gazing upon on the liquid surface inside his tankard. He was surprised at himself for voicing out such a heartfelt confession – it was the first time he had said it out loud. Sven knew it all, but Kristoff never had to tell Sven anything - he just knew.
Then again, I can't really tell either of the girls.
"To be fair," Garret called, bringing Kristoff's eyes to him. His expression was a lot more serious, but a ghost of a smile still drifted on his lips. "I don't think anyone could be."
"I don't know, G. I mean, Anna may look clumsy and all, but she can tell you the exact order to store the silverware in, how many years it would take to build some commercial relationship with a country based on who's in charge and how many feathers there's in a pillow by pressing a finger on it."
Garret pursed his lips for a second. "Fair," he admitted with an amused nod. "But I got the feeling that last point may just be Anna's personal expertise."
"Maybe," Kristoff replied as he contained a chuckle. "But you see my point. She's Anna Árnadalr. She's the princess of a kingdom. A small kingdom, but still a kingdom. And I'm just…me."
He sat in silence, observing the canopy of heaven at the east. The warm light that showered over the pair from the opposite shore mixed in a strangely harmonious blend with the steely cold atmosphere that started seeping through the air.
Garret put his tankard down on the grass and smacked his knees vigorously. "I know what you need. You need to listen to a story."
"Oh, so now you're patronizing me?" Kristoff asked with a raise of his eyebrows and a cocky grin.
"Just…Just listen," Garret said with feigned exasperation as he lifted his hands. "It's the story of a beautiful and kind princess called Anna-"
"You could have at least pretended to try and changed her name."
"It's reversed so you don't recognize it."
"Of course," Kristoff deadpanned with a smack on his forehead. "What was I thinking?"
"Don't interrupt me or I'll lose my train of thought," the former soldier half-seriously warned. Kristoff picked the bottle up again and started filling the tankards back while Garret continued speaking. "Hum. Beautiful and kind Princess Anna. She goes on to save her sister, falls in love with a man who helped her on the way, and doesn't care where he may have come from. The end." He then proceeded to proudly bow to the waist as much as he could considering his injury.
Kristoff kept his eyebrows raised. "As far as stories go, that was pretty lousy."
"It's your story, I'm not making it up," Garret said as he straightened up and picked his mug off the ground.
"Fair enough."
"Seriously though, mate. Anna doesn't really strike me as the marry-royalty-or-you'll-be-disowned type. It's obvious she cares about you. And as long as you care about her – which I believe is a safe bet – you'll be golden."
Kristoff released a long breath from within. That wasn't really the problem. "I know. I'm just venting."
"With all due respect, that's something you should bring up with her, not with me. I don't suppose you're planning on popping the question anytime soon?"
Come on, man. I thought we were having a bro moment.
Kristoff let his shoulders slump down. "I gave it a thought or two. We're definitely not ready right now."
Garret shrugged. "I'm not going to judge that for you."
"But she's the one," Kristoff affirmed with fiery certitude, his unwavering gaze fixed on the heavens. "That much I can tell."
"Good for you," Garret said with an earnest smile. He solemnly raised his tankard. "To you both."
Kristoff mirrored his gesture. They simultaneously downed whatever remained in their respective containers in a single swig.
"How about you? Anyone special you left home?" Kristoff asked after he wiped his mouth with his wrist.
Garret shook his head. "Nah. I didn't really have time for it."
"So, no girl-in-every-port kinda deal?"
"Nope. I had my fun back when I was still in the army, but nothing worth mentioning. I tend to chill the atmosphere."
Kristoff snorted. "You too? I already have to deal with frost-based jokes on a daily basis."
"Speaking of chill, I know we're in summer and all but it's really not that hot, how are you wearing so little clothes?" Garret said while motioning toward his simple shirt with his hand.
"I'd ask you the same question since you don't have your coat."
"The cold doesn't really bother me. But yeah, I don't even know where it is now that you mention it," Garret pensively answered.
"Anna gave it to the guys at the castle to take it to the storeroom after they cleaned it."
"How did they do that when there's a knife inside?"
Kristoff was perplexed for a second.
"A knife? There wasn't any knife."
Garret's eyes significantly widened. "W-What?" he asked in a small voice.
"There was nothing in it. It was just a coat," Kristoff explained with a shrug.
"You're…You're sure of that?"
Kristoff started to worry. "Yes. Why?"
Garret jumped up to his feet, his expression one of panic. "I need to speak to Jürden."
Elsa silently observed Garret, Jürden, and Einar discussing. The old counselor had interrupted his meal as soon as he had heard that the newcomer had urgent – and apparently very bad – news.
"What are you saying, son?"
"I'm saying that if they know I'm here, they may react in a completely different way," Garret explained with wide gestures and eyes as large as spoons. "I have some history with that Roger, some history that makes him very resentful towards me; he'd be preparing something big, and–"
"And we just waited for him here…" Jürden concluded as realization dawned on his face.
Garret somberly nodded. "That's right."
"Wait, what does that change for us?" Elsa asked, still confused as to why everyone looked so grim.
"Your Majesty, Garret here is telling us that this went from business to personal for this "Roger". He'll bring out heavy artillery, not for one target, but for two," Einar answered, staring daggers at the foreign soldier whose own eyes were low, fixed on the ground.
And that is bad… Elsa thought. I don't understand everything, but the looks upon their faces…
To bestow such terror on Garret was scary enough as it was. Who was this Roger?
"We have to engage all defenses quickly," Jürden ordered in a steely voice Elsa was hearing for the first time. "Your Majesty, I would like you to seclude yourself in a secure location in this castle as soon as you can. Your guard platoon will remain at your side. Same for Her Highness. Cadet? You're in charge of telling her." A young-looking guard saluted and exited the room to carry out his task.
"Where could I go?" Elsa asked. The castle didn't have a fortified chamber.
"Your room will have to do. Einar, I want you to call back the scouts; we'll need everyone we can get."
"Very well, sir," the captain immediately answered with a sharp nod before darting away.
"And you, Garret…"
The man straightened his back and lifted his head. "I'm at your disposal."
Jürden nodded appreciatively. "How versatile are you?"
"A lot less than usual. But I can still fight."
"Then you stick with the first platoon you can find. We'll have to be ready for anything."
Elsa's eyes flew between the two men.
Birds of a feather.
"Please, be careful," she demanded, her hopeful tone slightly shaking.
Jürden nodded. "We really didn't need this, but I'll try, excellency." He then bowed low and left the room in a hurry.
Garret remained, however, anxiously staring at the door. "God-freaking-dammit. I should have checked my coat. It was an easy thing to do."
"Garret?" Elsa softly called. He brought his eyes to hers. "It's too late to think about that."
He heaved a heavy sigh. "You're right," he said while a rapid smile flashed on his lips. "Stay safe."
"You too," she answered with a smile of her own.
At the exact second she pronounced her sentence, a booming explosion echoed from outside, startling the pair and the three guards that had been standing quietly in the room's corner until then.
"What the…?"
"What was that?" Elsa worriedly asked.
Garret's eyes were lifted to the roof. "The cannons. They're targeting the city?! Your Majesty, you have to go now!"
Another distant explosion, like a rifle's cracking sound, was heard again. Different emotions rushed in Elsa's mind, but it wasn't the time to dissect them. "Okay," she said with a feeble nod.
"Let's go, majesty," one of her guards said with his adrenaline-boosted voice. The three surrounded her and prompted her to exit the room, with Garret closely tailing them. They quickly traversed the castle, bumping into Einar once again just a few minutes after he had left.
"Where's Anna?" was Elsa's first reflex.
"She's in her room with Sir Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf. Her guards are with her."
Then came the second priority. "Are the people safe?" she asked.
"The castle is way too hard to hit for them not to target Arendelle proper," Garret said in a serious voice.
"I know," Einar responded. "Jürden already gave the orders to gather all the population inside the castle's ramparts; you don't have to worry about that."
"Thank you," Elsa expressed with unhidden relief.
"Now, majesty! Please get somewhere safe!" he said. He then almost reluctantly turned towards the young man behind Elsa's group. "Garret, with me. We're going to the front door," to which the soldier immediately nodded.
Before Elsa could say anything to Garret however, he had disappeared along with the Captain of the Guard.
The subsequent crossing of her home's red-draped corridors felt strange. Never did she have to walk through them with such a sense of impending danger. The walls around her started to feel smaller, thinner, but at the same time stifling and oppressive. It had been a long time since last she'd thought herself trapped. Dizziness would have been her best guess when asked what she'd say she was feeling.
They reached her room in no time, quickly locking the door behind them. The three guards then stationed at its right, their weapons at the ready, while Elsa simply stood in the middle, biting her nail. Stress was rising little by little, but knowing that Jürden, Einar, and Garret were on top of things made it a bit more bearable.
She turned her gaze to the side. Her balcony was closed, but there was a strange shadow that loomed behind the handcrafted glass panels.
What is that?
"Excuse me," she called the guards behind her. "Can you please come with me?" With narrowed eyes, Elsa slowly walked closer. She tried to keep her breath from quickening, but the sound of her heart pumping in her ears made her understand how futile the effort would be. One of the guards extended his hand to the handle while she cocked hers. She channeled some of her magic and waited for him to push as the other two unsheathed their swords. The glass doors flew open, revealing a white silhouette with its arms raised.
"My apologies, majesty," a deep voice said. Elsa then heard four whistles and felt a sting in her shoulder. Bringing her hand up to it in a reflex, she touched the cold end of a needle. Three blunt sounds popped from around her. The guards were now on the ground, motionless.
"Do not fret. They are simply sleeping."
Glancing back ahead, she discerned a man with long dark hair and an eyepatch that looked like he was still wet from a shower. He put his weapon back inside his leather tunic.
Her head was starting to feel heavy. Very heavy. She fell to the ground and tried to call her magic for help. No answer. The eyepatch the man was wearing came closer as he bent down over her. She fought the blockade harder, but the wave was nowhere to be seen.
"Who-Who are you? How did you…?" she asked through the growing vertigo that spiraled in her head.
"I think you already know the answer to the first. As for the second, it is truly unfortunate to see such a beautiful country so outdated. Swords?" He shook his head disapprovingly at the sleeping guards' weapons. "If I can allow myself some advice for the future, you should invest in some firearms. They are far more efficient," he explained, the sound of cannons echoing in the distance. "Well, 'for the future'," he added with a scoff before standing back up. "Human progress has been extraordinary. Did you know that, with some pieces of equipment – expensive and hard to find equipment, I'll admit - we are able to breathe underwater, just like fish? For a few minutes' worth of time, but still. Cutting edge. It is a marvel how humans use their gifts to transcend their station. We truly have been made in His Image."
Elsa tried to distance herself from the man, in vain. Her arms felt like jelly, her legs were numb. She wanted to scream, to cry for help.
Anna! Kristoff! Jürden! Garret! Anyone!
Her vocal cords refused to obey. She could only utter faint moans and saccadic whimpers. Her vision slightly blurred. Tears? Of all things?
"Oh no, dear. The guards were merely tranquilized, but you were injected with a paralytic serum. Another extraordinary product of human engineering, one that will neutralize your petty sorceries. I was told your witchcraft would run wild whatever your state, so I thought it better to get rid of it altogether. Now, I know how rude it is to intrude on a lady's room, so I suggest we get going, shall we?"
Roger picked her up and threw her over his right shoulder. "We have a ceremony to attend."
Garret tried to get his panting back in check. His back was hurting from the sheer amount of running he had done in the last few minutes.
No time to whine, soldier, he chastened. This is happening because you couldn't check your own freaking coat for the single object that could identify you. Take it upon your own ass.
He couldn't shake the feeling that he had been distracted since arriving in Arendelle. What was wrong with him?
"That's all of them?" Jürden asked. Another booming sound. This one had been a lot closer.
Einar swept a sweat drop off his cheek while the castle's gates were sealed shut. "That should be it. Everyone's in. But it is weird that not a single cannonball has reached us until now."
"They make a few calibration shots," Garret explained.
"How many do they need?" Jürden asked.
"Depends on how good their gunners are. Worst case? Four or five shots."
"That was the fifth," Jürden gloomily remarked.
"Yes. It was."
"They don't do 'collateral damage', right?" Einar spat.
Garret felt the color drain from his face and his heart sink. "I honestly thought… I really don't know what to say."
"We'll talk about this later," Jürden scolded. A sixth shockwave thundered from afar, traveling along the fjord's shore. "All right, everybody! Brace yourselves!" he shouted to the crowd in the castle's main hall.
The Arendellians all flinched. Mothers hugged their children tight, covering their frail bodies with their own. Fathers uselessly lifted their fists to fight the intruder the only way they knew how. Apprehension held for seconds, then a full minute without any indication that the projectiles had landed anywhere on the city. Then another shot was heard, but no impact.
"They still missed?" Einar asked aloud.
Garret furrowed his brows. "It shouldn't be possible. These guys managed to level Her Majesty's castle. They're not that bad. I'd sooner believe they missed on purpose."
"Wait…" Jürden seemed to realize something, judging from his pensive expression. "They missed on purpose… Where are the guards?" The old councilor brutally whirled his head toward the back of the gigantic hall.
Following his gaze, Garret noticed three men that looked a bit shorter than the people around them. No Guard uniform to be seen. When he discerned their hairs and eyes, comprehension fell upon him like a hammer on an anvil.
They didn't fire anything. They wanted a way inside.
His epiphany came too late, however. Garret saw one of the men was already at his side, a sharpened blade sticking out of his large sleeve, rushing toward his heart. Jürden had seen him too and tried to come to his aid, but he was too far.
Garret moved his arm in the way of the blow. The cold traveled through his limb, enveloping it in a deathly grasp. The plate hardened just in time for the dagger to embed itself in the fortified crystal but no further. Garret twisted his forearm, breaking the steel from the force of the rotation. The mercenary's eyes widened just before Jürden's fist cracked his jaw. The crowd's panicked cries filled the hall. Men, women, and children all fled to the edges of the room, leaving a large circle in its center where the other mercenaries stood. Half-a-dozen of Arendelle's guards were on the ground, motionless.
"Are you okay, son?" Jürden said while catching his breath. He didn't wait for an answer. "That was a close one," he added while motioning towards Garret's armored arm where the acute tip of the dagger was still lodged. "I heard of your abilities but it's something else in person."
"I…" Once again, Garret didn't find the words. He resisted the urge to throw up before dissolving the ice when the mercenaries attacked again.
The first one came for him from the left, while another took the opposite side and the last jumped on Jürden. Garret conjured a spear in a flash, clear and transparent as it could never have been before. He wasn't very good when he had to take it close and personal, but his arrows could hit the civilians in confined spaces like this one.
The spear took the first assailant by surprise when its blunt end hit the side of his face, sending him comatose to the ground. Garret twisted and dodged, just in time to avoid the dagger slashing towards him, then twirled his spear over his head. Before the ice blade met its target, a pang of electricity surged through his back. Garret gritted his teeth, bending over from the pain, and the spear went wide, clanging against the ground. He saw a glint of steel as the dagger lunged forward.
Endure.
He closed his eyes and prepared himself. The dagger didn't come.
No pain? Why is there no pain?
Garret brought his eyes down. Jürden was beneath him, with his sword's edge crossing the dagger's. His former opponent was in Einar's hold, gasping for air before limply falling. With a quick flick of his pommel, the councilor ejected the weapon from its owner's hand, leaving enough space for Garret to smash his opponent with a closed knuckle to the liver. The man heaved, his breath cut short. Einar closed in and struck with all his might. The man fell to the ground unconscious while Garret kneeled and clutched his left side. The spear evaporated into thick mist.
"Thanks," he managed to mutter.
"Those were for you," Einar said. "They must have sent others for her."
"That's right. We have to move. Can you, Garret?" Jürden asked.
I'm going to feel this tomorrow. Not in a good way.
"Yes. I'm right behind you."
"If there's one place they can escape through, it's the old supplies' port," Einar stated.
The trio ran as fast as they could, stopping a few seconds to check that the fallen guards on their way were still breathing. They crossed the garden Garret now knew very well and passed through a discreet door that led to the hidden access to the fjord's main body of water. The place where Garret had first spoken to Elsa about their magic.
And there she was, just before the water, on the ground, at Roger's feet. The latter's face beamed with a large smile as soon as he saw them arrive. Next to him was a large man who had to have been his second-in-command, a short bald one with a monocle, and two other goons.
"Hello, old friend! It has been too long!" Roger greeted. "I was going to complain that those idiots couldn't take you on, but I'd rather take care of you myself. Don't worry about her, she's still alive. She can even hear you!"
Garret remained silent, trying to think of a way to secure Elsa without putting her in danger. The water was deep, the walls were high. How did Roger expect to escape?
"Now I know what you're telling yourself," the witch-hunter said. "How will he escape? But here's the idea: I don't want to… I must say I quite like this castle! My remaining men are on the road to occupy the premises as we speak. I promise to give it back to these brave but misguided people as soon as we bring them into the Lord's fold. Unfortunately, this country needs to know what it is to fear witchcraft."
"Release the queen this instant!" Einar shouted.
Roger clicked his tongue a few times. "Not so fast. I have important things to discuss here."
The little man at his side was fidgeting with anticipation. "What are you waiting for? Kill her!"
Roger pointed a finger toward him, calm wrath evident in his eyes. "You shut up."
Garret took a step forward. "Release her and take me instead. She has nothing to do with us."
Roger laughed a dry laugh. "Oh no, you misunderstand. I don't have to choose here. Burning her is business. It is the work of the Lord. One that requires more ceremony. Burning you is payback. And I believe there is a far simpler remedy for that."
"Then prepare to fight for it," Jürden warned while unsheathing his sword.
"Oh, can I have a moment with my old pal here? I terribly missed him last time."
Garret advanced further. "This isn't really the time for some convoluted humor."
"Again, you misunderstand," Roger said with a knowing grin. "I missed you last time…" He pulled a twin-cannon cap pistol and aimed. "…this time I won't."
Garret didn't have the time to feel surprised. He didn't have time to feel anything.
At the exact moment Roger brought his finger to pull the trigger, a heavy book landed on his head with a resonating thud. The blast went to the side and the pellets dug deep within the castle's walls. Garret's eyes darted to whence the book's projected trajectory originated. Anna was on her balcony, her eyes blazing and teeth bared. She was boiling with untamed anger.
"Get the hell away from my sister!" she roared. She then disappeared, surely to come give the intruders a taste of her fists.
Good aim, Anna!
Taking the opportunity offered by the princess, Einar and Jürden dashed and tackled the mercenaries standing next to Roger, taking them by surprise and forcing them to the ground.
"Take her and go!" Jürden shouted.
No need to tell me twice.
If the castle was to be occupied, it obviously wasn't going to be safe anymore. He had to get her as far from it as possible before assessing the situation.
Reacting as fast as his body allowed, Garret took advantage of Roger's momentary inattention and darted forward, lightly touching his boots and hands on the way to create heavys blocks of ice linking his extremities together. The witch-hunter fell to the ground and dropped his firearm with a grunt.
Garret quickly approached Elsa's still body and picked her up in his arms as gently as he could. "Sorry, I know that makes you uncomfortable," he apologized with a smile. Her eyes were teary, scanning his face intensively.
She's paralyzed.
Ignoring the feeling of guilt that crossed his mind, Garret took a long breath while fixing with a determined gaze the opposite bank of the fjord. Praying that he wasn't wrong about his own newfound capabilities, he nonetheless had to run, run for his life, run for Elsa's life.
When his feet met the water, he felt the ice beneath them. Hard, sturdy and strong. His ice. Not taking the time to rejoice, he pressed onward and made sure to disintegrate every single frozen platform as soon as he left it. The blast of a pistol reached his ear from the shore. He instinctively flinched but didn't feel any pain.
"NO!" he heard Roger shout.
Despite the voice inside telling him otherwise, Garret gave a quick peek behind him as he fled. His blood ran cold.
The small man with the monocle was standing with his arms outstretched. The smoke from the still-hot barrel slowly elevated into the blue sky. At his feet, one lying silhouette with a pool of red starting to form at its side.
Jürden.
"Run!" he cried with a heavy wince. The bullets had hit an artery judging from the amount of blood that was gushing out. His life was in danger.
Garret faced forward again, his heart heavy.
The first thing he did when he reached the opposite shore was to jump behind the first tree while he commanded the ice to create a makeshift shield in front of the queen. He didn't risk another look back; a bullet could still reach them at that distance.
A few distant shouts emerged from the forest in Arendelle's direction. A hunting party.
"We'll get you out of here, majesty. I swear it," he softly said to the paralyzed woman in his arms.
He was not going to waste what Jürden had done for Elsa.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this one! Thanks Grand-Paladin for reviewing this chapter!
I released this chapter a bit earlier because I wouldn't have been able to tomorrow.
If you're interested in Dragon Age works - you never know haha - check out my Ce qui se passe à Valence fic! It is in English, don't worry!
Nothing worth expanding on here, I just hope everyone stays safe during these weird and trying times! If you're in an epidemic center, please stay home as long as you can!
Next chapter's theme is A King's Ransom 3 by Johannes Bornlöf, on YouTube too.
Peace,
CalAm.