Frozen Heart (Dark Side of Fairytales Collaboration)

Chapter Eleven

THE LOUD GRUMBLE of the grounds dominated the silence of the North Mountain when the duke and his men arrived and began bombarding the queen's ice castle with their attacks. Indeed the duke was in awe when he saw the queen's majestic ice castle. It only confirmed just how a force to be reckoned with she can become and the danger she might pose to Arendelle. He cannot allow such dangerous beings to rule a kingdom like Arendelle.

Moreover, if he succeeds in overthrowing the queen, the people will see him as a hero. He can finally extend his riches from Weselton to Arendelle and become a king. Of course, it was his plan all along. He wanted Arendelle from the start. He devised his plan after the king and queen's death.

His thoughts were halted when he heard the wail from one of the soldiers. Several ice spikes have been pierced at both his arms and legs, causing him to leak blood. The duke was too distracted to notice an incoming attack but fortunately, his trusted bodyguard pushed him out of the way.

"My lord, watch out!" The two collided on the ground.

"This thing is troublesome! Get rid of it already!" the duke demanded.

He gets back on his feet. The men are in an arduous situation as they deal with the faceless snow human; it is formidable and powerful. The ice thrown at them has already eliminated many of their men and only five are left, including his two trusted bodyguards.

The duke glances up at the castle's entrance and saw the queen peaking from the door.

"The queen!"

He ran forward to the staircase but the snow human was alerted of his presence and immediately goes after him. He threw several ice spikes but the duke was able to evade them and they hit the stairs instead.

The duke scurries up the ice steps while his two trusted bodyguards dealt with the monster. One of them managed to cut off its other leg while it was busy attacking the duke. The snow human only got furious. One of his red ice claws grew huge and sharp; he swayed his arm and lacerates the three remaining Arendelian soldiers but the duke's bodyguards dodged the attack.

But even after losing one leg it can still stand and fight them off.

"How can he still stand?" the smaller bodyguard hissed.

"That's not important now. Let us get rid of this beast fast and go after our lord. He's gone to deal with the queen alone."

Together they coordinated their attacks. Having one leg proved inconvenient for the snow human as he can't easily turn around. With the bodyguards' swiftness, they managed to sneak closer to him and successfully cut off its last leg. He wailed despite him lacking a mouth. He fell off his balance and fell to his death.

The two bodyguards quickly entered the castle and caught their duke already at the hands of the monster queen.

"Let him go! Or I'll kill you this instant!" the bearded bodyguard warned, pointing his crossbow toward the queen.

The duke grinned. "He will really do it."

Unfortunately, Queen remained unmoved and instead urges the bodyguard to pull the trigger.

"Come at me."

He did pull the trigger; the arrow was released and came at Queen briskly. But it didn't hit her. Ice emerged from the floor and took the arrow's hit to shield her.

She cackled devilishly. "Can't you understand? As long as you're in my domain, you can never kill me."

Queen hurled the duke and pinned him on the wall using her ice. He screeched in pain as it pierced deeply underneath his skin. With a single gesture from her hand, another pair of ice emerged from the walls behind the bearded bodyguard; they look like huge arms made of solid ice. They lifted the bodyguard in the air by holding his head in the middle of its large palms. His feet dangled, and the pressure on his skull is undeniable.

"Any last words?" Queen mocks.

Amidst his struggle, the bodyguard grinned mischievously and mouthed:

"Behind you."

Blood dripped on the floor followed by the loud thud of the bodyguard's headless body falling on the floor. At the same time, the distracted Queen received a piercing blade through her stomach, her vision immediately went to a blur, and her strength gradually left her body.

Queen dropped to the floor; the pain is preventing her to think straight. She held the sword in an attempt to pull it out but another pair of hands had it plunged deeper, causing her to shriek in agony.

"Now, now, Your Majesty. It is pointless to resist." The duke then bashed her head using the handle of his sword, rendering her unconscious.

"What are we going to do now? We've lost a lot of men," said his remaining bodyguard.

"Do not worry yourself. We still have many soldiers on our side back at the castle. It's a good thing we didn't take them all."

ELSA WOKE UP to the pain on her stomach. Her monstrous appearance had already reverted to normal. She lets out a groan when she rose in haste.

"What happened?"

Queen was hurt?

She perceived the white bandage wrapped around her stomach. What did Queen do? She and Anna were just talking when she felt the pain in her head and then blacked out.

"And how did I get here?"

She knew immediately where she was. Her parents locked her there after her first kill. And the restraints used against her are quite formidable ones. They were made just for her, a gift from the king and queen. Both her palms were wrapped in cold steel; their chains are bolted to the floor.

Her attention went for the door when it creaked open and came in the Duke of Weselton. Elsa's face instantly registered both shock and bafflement.

"You're alive. Good. Although I've no idea how your body withstood such injury like that. But don't look so surprise, Your Majesty." The duke seated before the queen. "I know everything already. There is no more need for the innocent act."

"What happened? H-how are you here? Where's Anna?"

The duke nonchalantly replied, "I have no idea and neither do I care. But I just want you to answer my question."

Elsa was still processing what's happening when the duke raised his question:

"Where is my son? Did you kill Prince Hans?"

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Voxciera