Training Gone Awry

Early July 1836

Several weeks had passed since Elsa returned to the castle. Each day that passed, her guard was lowered with one tiny step. Elsa was allowing herself to be open with certain things and learning to trust those close to her. Anna could see how much progress was being made and did everything she could to ensure that. Some days, Anna sticks close by to Elsa whenever she can. And no matter what Anna is doing, Elsa is always close by.

Such as today, Anna will be training with the Arendelle guard. It had been a while since she had done so. And she was very excited to bring Elsa along too. Not only could Elsa see Anna in action, but it also allowed her to see the workings of the Arendelle Guard. Hopefully, it will make Elsa feel more at ease about the security in the castle.

Elsa had seen the training yard of the castle when she first arrived, but it was from a distance, and it was empty. Today is the first time she will see it fulfilling its purpose. Anna was certainly very excited.

"Papa had me taking sparring in fighting since I was small. One of the few times I agreed with his paranoia growing up. Sword Fighting is fun!"

"Do you often do it?"

"Not as much as I used to these past several months. Which is why I'm super excited!" Anna held her fists in excitement.

"Would the other soldiers be okay with me there?" Elsa asked nervously.

"They won't mind! Most of them are pretty cool. And Storstrand will be there, so if someone does give you problems, he'll take care of it. Trust me, he is a no-nonsense type of guy. He'll shut them up quickly."

"Right."

"I think you'll find this entertaining. Remember that knife you gave me. I've wanted to show how much I've put into it."

Soon the sisters arrived at their destination. The yard was filled with many of Arendelle's guards. They wielded various weapons, such as swords, archer's bows, and crossbows. There were also pistols & rifles. A few men & women dressed in identical clothing that differed from the guard's attire, sparring with one another while a guard member watched. Overseeing it all is Storstrand.

"Hey, captain!" Anna greeted him.

"Hello, Princess. Glad you could make it today."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world."

"And you brought El-...Joan as well."

"I thought it would be nice for her to watch Arendelle's finest."

"Well, I hope we won't disappoint you, Miss Joan."

Storstrand led the pair through the training courtyard. Some of the guards stop to look at the group passing by. Most of their eyes lay upon Elsa, who tried to ignore them as much as she could.

"Lot of people here," Elsa stated as she tried to not acknowledge the staring.

"Everyone a part of the Arendelle Guard must always be in tip-top shape, regardless if they're new or have been here for years. As captain, my job is ensuring that comes," Storstrand explained.

"I can see you got some newbies here," Anna took note of the people not in the Arendelle uniform. "Am I going to spar against them?"

Storstrand let out a chuckle. "I don't think they're ready for that yet, Princess."

"Afraid I'm gonna kick their butts?"

"I think you might be too intimidating for them." Storstrand glances at the group of new recruits. A guard member had been sparring against one of them too aggressively for his liking. "Oh, for the love of…Oi! Johnson! Take it easy! I want them trained, not decapitated! Is that what you do when I'm not looking? Come on now, you know better! Just keep it below the neck!"

Johnson relaxed his stance with a rather annoyed expression. Some other Guards gave little snickers. He seemed to ignore that once his sights were set on Elsa. The man seemed to be interested in her. Something about the look in his eyes made Elsa feel…uncomfortable. She moved her direction away and continued following Anna & Strostrand.

They arrived at a section of the training yard. Four other Guards members chatted, oblivious to the trio's arrival. Strostrand stood firm with his arms behind his back, expression stern, before clearing his throat to garner their attention. All four instantly moved to their feet.

"Nice to see you keeping up with your training, gentlemen."

"We were taking a small break, captain!" One of the soldiers stated.

"I don't doubt that, Falk. I'm certain you don't want to leave Princess Anna disappointed."

"No captain, sir!"Another soldier responded.

"I appreciate the enthusiasm, Daniels. Let's hope you train as well with the Princess."

"Wait…the princess is sparring with us?" A soldier younger than the other three loosens his stance.

"Stand firm, Hall! You're in the presence of royalty!" The last soldier scolded him.

"Sorry, Adams! Sorry, Captain! Sorry Princess!" Hall uttered nervously, straightening back up.

"Okay, I think you should let them relax now, Storstand," Anna suggested.

"Of course." Storstrand nods at the four who relaxed.

"Good to see you back with us," Adam said joyfully to Anna.

"Training has been dull without you around," Daniels exclaimed.

"Sorry to be away this long, but I'm here now," Anna said apologetically.

"It's an honor to train with you, Princess," Hall bowed his head.

"You don't have to bow your head. And you can call me Anna. Right here, I'm just another person training like you guys. You don't have to be formal to me here."

"Okay, Princess-...Anna."

"That's a good start, lad," Daniels patted Hall's back hard enough to make him stumble forward.

"I see you three took him under your wing?"

"Something like that," Falk said.

"That is so sweet of you. Speaking of which, I want you guys to meet someone." Anna turns her head to Elsa, gesturing to walk up. Taking a deep breath, Elsa strolls to Anna. "This is Joan. I brought her here to watch us."

"Joan? This is the woman that saved you?" Hall guessed.

"You know who I am?" Elsa questioned him.

"Everyone knows who you are, lass," Daniels beamed. "The handmaiden that saved our dear Princess's life and nursed her back to health for three days is a story everyone in the castle knows. Are you her?"

"Y-yes," Elsa confirmed, piquing the four men's interest even more.

"Wow! It's great to finally meet you!" Adams exclaimed happily.

"I was only doing what was right…"

"Don't sell yourself so short! You saved the Princess! You have no idea how much that means for the kingdom!"

"Easy there, Adams. Don't overwhelm her now." Falk lightly scolded. "Pardon my colleague's excitement. It is nice to meet you."

Elsa smiles. "It's nice to meet all of you. Captain Storstrand and A-Princess Anna have told me many good things about the Arenedelle guard."

"We strive to do our very best! We want to ensure the safety and security of the Royal Family and all of Arendelle. We train so that tragedies would never happen again, such as what happened to the lost Princess Elsa," Hall explained confidently. "...I assumed Anna told you about her."

"Y-yes. The Princess has told me about her sister. Quite…a tragedy."

Unseen to the soldiers, Anna did her best to keep a straight face. She found it amusing that the soldiers were talking about Elsa's kidnapping to Elsa herself, and they didn't even know it. It was a miracle that she did not burst out laughing. The Princess could only imagine what reactions they all would have once the truth got out. Strostrand was also trying to look professional throughout the whole conversation.

"But it's great that you saved Princess Anna. Though may I ask…why wait until recently to reveal yourself?"

"I initially requested Anna not to tell anyone about me. I've had…bad experiences with people when I was young," Elsa stuck to the cover story.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I can promise you there are lots of good people here in Arendelle. I had only moved here months ago, and the people have been very accepting!" Hall assured her.

"It's our duty of the Arendelle guard to ensure that goodness stays in the kingdom. We won't hesitate to protect anyone," Falk promised.

"That includes you as well, Miss Joan," Daniels added happily.

"T-thank you," Elsa blushed at the declaration.

"Alright, enough chit-chatting. Let's show Joan here how things are done," Storstrand commanded.

"And I'm ready to kick your butts!" Anna promised.

"Not if one of us does it first, princess," Adams boasts.

"We'll see about that!"

The four men each took turns sparring with Anna while Elsa watched silently. Storstrand advised her to move several feet away to give Anna and the guards room to maneuver. Elsa didn't understand why until the sparring started.

With each fight, Elsa grew more interested. This type of fight was different than what she imagined. Back at her time with…Fritjof, she had got glimpses of those working under him in training spars. Sometimes they would fight for entertainment. Bloody entertainment. Here though, it was different. The way Fritjof's men fought was impulsive and careless. With Anna and the Arendelle Guards, they fought with elegance and calculation. Perhaps it was something Elsa could one day decide to learn the art of swordplay, as Anna called it from Storstand.

Unseen by Elsa, one of the other soldiers had been watching her. Johnson, the soldier Storstrand scolded, had kept his eyes on Elsa. Like everyone else, he knew she was Princess Anna's handmaiden, Joan. This was the first time he got to see her. Already he was enamored with her. Why wouldn't he be? She was a pretty woman. Shining blue eyes, smooth skin, and a beautifully sculpted body. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to strike up a conversation with her. Strostrand might give him a stern talking to, but Johnson wasn't worried about that.

Telling another guard to take over, Johnson prepares himself. When he has complete confidence, he struts his way over to where Elsa is. A confident smirk grew upon his lips.

Elsa had been so focused on Anna that she did not hear Johnson approaching. When he spoke in a gentle hello there when she noticed him. "Uh, hello?" Elsa greeted him gently.

"You must be Joan. The Princess's new handmaiden, correct?"

"Yes…?"

"People call me Johnson. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too…" Even though Johnson was smiling, Elsa felt nervous around him. "What do you need?"

"You."

"I-I'm sorry?"

"Pardon my bluntness. When I see beauty, I cannot help myself. You are a gorgeous woman. How old are you, Joan?"

"Eighteen."

"Hmm…Not too far off from my age…Perfect!"

"For what?"

"Well, you are a beautiful woman. And I like to see myself as a handsome man. I think you and I would be a perfect match." Johnson wraps his arm around Elsa's waist. "How 'bout you and I go out on a date sometime?"

Frankly, Elsa was doing her best not to freak out. "Um…I-um-"

"Are you shy? That is so sweet."

"I-I'm not shy! I'm not interested!"

"No need to be fussy. I promise I won't bite." Johnson attempted a charming smile. "What do you say, darlin?"

The world around Elsa vanished. No longer was she not in the training yard. The sun shining in the sky was replaced by total darkness. Johnson's arm held her waist tightly, intending to keep her in his hold. When she looked up, Elsa saw that in Johnson's palace was none other than Fritjof. Fingers stroke her face as his cruel smile moves to utter a word.

"Darlin…"

Elsa needed to get free! Needed to get away from him! Something bound her to not use her magic. She watches her fist make contact with Fritjof's face.

Elsa found herself back in the training yard, letting out heavy pants. Sounds of painful moans caught her ears. Johnson was on the ground clutching his bloodied nose. One of Elsa's hands felt sore. Lifting her shaking hand, she could see it clench in a fist, with a small blood spot on her knuckles. Elsa hitches her breath in horror.

"Joan!" Anna ran over to Elsa's side. Her voice snapped Elsa out of her thoughts. "Are you alright?"

"Is SHE alright?! She punched me!" Johnson screech.

All Anna responded with was a glare. She marched up to him. "What did you do?!" Anna demanded sharply.

"I was only talking to her!"

"You were flirting with her!" Hall spoke up. "I saw you wrap your arm around her! She looked uncomfortable too!"

"That doesn't surprise me…." Falk uttered.

"With how he is, I don't blame her for punching him," Daniels added.

Storstrand crossed his arms, looking sternly down at Johnson. "So you left your position to flirt with the female staff and refused to leave her alone?"

"I-uh…" Was the response Johnson could give. Storstrand shook his head with disappointment.

"Captain. I think We're gonna have to cut this short. I need to get Joan inside," Anna held Elsa's arm gently.

"I understand, Princess. Take care of her." Storstand turns his attention to Falk's group. "Get Johnson to the infirmary to check out that nose. Once that's done, he and I will have a talk."

"But I-!"

One fierce glare from Storstrand was enough for Johnson to shut his mouth. Johnson looks down in defeat. The four other guards helped him to his feet and escorted him away. Meanwhile, Anna gently guided Elsa back inside the castle. The latter was doing her best to ignore the confused stares from everyone else. With each new pair of eyes locked on her, Elsa felt smaller.

"I-I don't know…I didn't mean-."

"Easy now. Let's get you inside," Anna assured her.

In Agdar's study, Idun poured freshly made tea into a cup. The Queen took it to Elsa on the sofa with Anna by her side.

"This should help relax you."

"Thank you, Mama." Elsa took the tea and drank it.

"How are you doing?" Anna asks.

"A little better."

The study's door opened. Agdar entered inside, quickly making his way over to Elsa. He had a worried expression. "Are you alright, Elsa? Storstrand told me there was an incident! What happened?"

"One of the guards, Johnson, tried to flirt with Elsa," Anna answered.

Agdar's face turned a mixture of worry & anger. He knelt down to Elsa's level. "Elsa, did he do anything to you? If he does, I promise I'll remove him from the guard."

"No, no, papa! He didn't hurt me!" Elsa frantically assured her father.

"Oh, that's a relief to hear." Agdar let out a breath.

"Is that man okay? Did I hit him too hard?"

"Other than a broken nose, he'll be fine," Storstrand enters the study, closing the door behind him.

"I broke his nose?!" Elsa was horrified to hear that. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that."

"It's okay, dear. You're not any trouble." Agdar gently assured. "But…we want to know what Johnson did to set you off like that."

"He didn't do anything. Though…he did wrap his arm around my waist."

"Did he ask you? If he didn't, that's not okay. He shouldn't do that to you or anyone," Idun affirmed.

"It was uncomfortable, but that didn't set me off."

"What was then? You can tell us, Elsa," Anna gently placed her hand on her sister's shoulder.

Elsa set the teacup down at the table, resting her hands on her lap. She took a deep breath.

"It is what he did that set me off. It's something he said."

"What did he say?"

"He called me…Darlin'."

The rest of the royal family and the captain glanced at each other confusedly.

"What's so bad about that?" Anna inquired.

"Darlin' is what…Fritjof liked to call me."

"Fritjof? Your captor?"

Elsa nods. "He liked to call me that. I hated it. When Johnson said that, I saw myself back there for a brief moment. I saw Fritjof in Johnson's place. I know this might not make sense, but I was terrified that I was back in his clutches for that moment."

"Oh Elsa," Idun holds Elsa close. "That man cannot hurt you. You're safe with us."

"Thanks, mama." Elsa pulled away from the hug. "I'm still sorry about what happened, Storstrand. I hope Johnson isn't too mad at me."

"I wouldn't be too worried about that. Believe it or not, this was not the first time this has happened to Johnson," Storstrand revealed.

"Really?"

"He has a history of flirting with women. Terribly. Sometimes his words resulted in them hitting him. Though I think you're the first to break his nose. You probably did him a favor. Hopefully, this finally set him straight."

"I still feel bad for what I did. I want to apologize to Johnson."

"I understand. But still, if Johnson or any of my guards give you trouble like that again, come directly to me. I do not tolerate that type of behavior."

"Thank you, captain," Elsa smiles at him.

"Now that's resolved, why not you girls clean yourselves up for dinner?" Idun suggested.

"Alright. Come on, Elsa." Anna escorts Elsa out of the study.

"You're dismissed, Storstrand," Agdar commanded the captain.

Storstrand gave a bow and exited the study. This left the two rulers alone. Agdar sat on the sofa right next to his wife. The King leaned back, placing his hand on his head, releasing a tired breath.

"You going to be okay, dear?" Idun asks her husband concernedly.

"I'm fine. Just…relieved. I thought someone tried to…you know. I was ready to banish them if the worst-case scenario was true."

"Well, it wasn't, thank goodness. I don't think Storstrand would allow anyone like that to join the Arendelle Guard."

"That didn't stop someone like Stonewall from slipping in." The room went deathly quiet for several moments. "Sorry. I didn't mean to bring that up."

"Don't be. I get it."

Agdar sat forward, resting his arms on his legs. "Hearing what Elsa told us, what triggered her to punch Johnson, makes me wonder what that vile monster put her through to make her jumpy from saying a word. I hate seeing her in this much pain."

"Do you think there's something we could do?" Idun wondered.

"There…there is one thing." Agdar paused. "Councilman Gadd suggested that …I talk to her about her captor a couple weeks back."

"He did now? Why?"

"He believes that when we introduce Elsa to the world, they could try to kidnap her again."

"Do you think that?"

"Part of me wants to believe that they gave up. But…another part of me fears that I might be wrong."

"Why haven't you talked to Elsa about it?"

"I want to, believe me. Nothing will make me happier than hunting down that son of bitch. But..I didn't want to upset her. You see how frightened she gets when one of them briefly mentions him. She punched a man because he saw a word that her captor used. I hate seeing her in distress."

The room went silent. The only sounds were the outdoor ambiance. Finally, Idun spoke up.

"It could help her."

"How so?"

"I know she hasn't told me much, but I could see the fear in her eyes. I see whenever she's near a person she doesn't know. I sometimes see her glancing over her shoulder. I think she's afraid that he might come after her somehow. Explaining that you're willing to find this man to bring to justice might put her at ease. It could give her the closure she needs. Maybe for you as well."

Idun holds Agdar's hand, thumb stroking his knuckles. Agdar sat still for minutes, thinking about what Idun had said. Finally, he turns to her, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it.

"I'll think about it."

Crying.

That's all he could hear amid the darkness. Agdar searched around, looking for the source of the crying. The sound of the crying clearly came from a woman. And Agdar soon found her.

Sitting on the ground, hunching over crying, was a young woman. Her messy platinum blonde braid was messy. The dress she wore was tattered. One of her shoes was missing, showing her scarred, bruised foot. Her hands also had blood and bruises. A chain clasp on her ankles and wrists, Agdar's eyes widened in horror.

"Elsa!"

He ran over to her. When he was about to reach her, his body slammed into something hard. A invisible wall of sorts had prevented Agdar from reaching Elsa. No matter how hard he tried, Agdar could not break through it.

"Elsa!" Agdar called out to her desperately.

"Papa?" Elsa utters in a child-like voice, her tear-stained eyes gazing at him.

"You're gonna be okay, Elsa! I promise I'll get you out of this!"

"Can you?"

A dark voice echoed around them. Then a figure appeared alongside Elsa. The person was covered in black clothes. A hood covered his face. The only thing Agdar could see was the man's cruel smile.

"You really think you could keep your precious daughter safe?" The man turns his head toward Elsa, who trembles in fear.

"Leave her alone!" Agdar snarled at the man.

The Man let out a chuckle. "What are you going to do to help Elsa? Cause you did so well to keep her safe last time. You think because Elsa's back home, she's forever safe. Well, I got news for you, your majesty. One way or another, she's mine. Powers like hers…I can think of the possibilities."

"She is not a weapon! She's a young woman! My daughter!"

"No, she's not. She's a freak of nature. You knew from the day of her birth that others would harm her because of what she could do. Many in Arendelle still think poorly of magic because of what happened to your father. You think they'll accept a magic wielder as their Princess?"

"I can show them she's not dangerous!"

"And that will stop me?" The man clicked his tongue. "You poor naive King. As long as I, Fritjof, is around in this world, your daughter is NEVER safe."

Fritjof twirled his cloak around, covering himself and Elsa in the darkness. Elsa let out one loud scream of PAPA before both she and the man were gone.

Agdar bolted upwards on his bed, panting heavily. The heart in his chest beat rapidly. He was in his bedroom. Idun slept soundly by his side. The moonlight shines into the room. The time on the grandfather clock indicated that it was late into the night. Yet Agdar could not go back to his slumber. Not with the nightmare fresh on his mind.

Hastily, Agdar left his room and went down the hallway to the door to Elsa's room. Agdar opened the door to see Elsa sleeping in her bed peacefully. Sir Jorgenbjorgen was tucked underneath her arm. The weight of worry lifting off his Agdar's chest was relieved to feel upon seeing Elsa still being safe.

Agdar closed the door. Gradually, he made his way back to his chambers. Thank God no servants or guards are around at this hour to see him like this. The King returned back to his room, Idun still sleeping. Agdar sat on the bed, alone in his thoughts.

Idun's words from earlier went through his head, the words of Councilman Gadd on the day Elsa was revealed to him, and the nightmare. All three rush into his head. Agdar soon came to his subsequent decision regarding the safety of Elsa and her future.

He has to talk to her about Fritjof.

*Posts a new chapter. Proceeds to vanish for at least 6 months*

Remember Falk, Daniels, Adams, Hall, and dear Johnson from chapter 15 (which was like...ages ago wow)? Though it be nice to bring these guys back

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