The Queen's Admiral

Chapter 57: A Force Powerful and Strange

Fear. It was the deadliest weapon in the world that could turn reason to sanity in even the best of people. I've lived with the citizens of Arendelle my whole life. I've known their kindness, their compassion and their loyalty. Yet, as I watched them succumb to their own fears for themselves and for the Queen they loved, I saw them turn from civilized men and women to an unruly mob, hungry for blood.

"KILL THE BEAST!"

They moved towards the castle as one determined force, full of bravado at the thought of becoming the heroes that would save their beloved Queen.

"KILL THE BEAST!"

They came before the frozen gates and pounded it so hard that even the strong wood collapsed. No gate, no ice could stop a crowd this determined. Once the gate gave way, the crowds moved in towards the courtyard.

"KILL THE BEAST!"

Admiral Westergard appeared again with my aunt still in his arms from one of the towers of the castle and was promptly attacked by arrow-fire and angry words. He leaped out of the way in time, but he couldn't stop. Three sets of arrows were sent to him by a second group of attackers from the opposite end. He was able to dodge their weapons, but a third group was ready to shoot him with muskets. He was forced to leave the safety of the main castle and into the more open rooftops of the southeastern wall that formed the perimeter around the courtyard. There, he was met by a series of shots as he ran across the rooftop towards the corner tower. An arrow graced his arm as indicated by the splutter of blood followed by his growl of pain. He staggered at the injury but he kept on until he reached the safety of the tower, which was closest to where Godmother stood. There, he was temporarily shielded by the thick walls from any attack coming in from the courtyard where most of the crowd by now had converged.

He laid my aunt gently on the floor, leaned his head on the wall and cradled his injured arm. From this angle I could see the exhaustion in his face. I worried that he would soon lose the strength to go on running.

I glimpsed several men climbing the southeastern wall from the courtyard. I could tell from their uniforms that they were members of our own elite guard and navy. Another group moved towards the tower closest to the gate—a vital position that would allow them to block his escape route and allow a perfect range to reach him by gun-fire. It would only be a matter of time before they cornered him completely.

I shuddered at the irony of it all. Admiral Westergard had trained these men to be strong, both physically and mentally. I had seen him drill them for months to undergo such rigid conditions. Then he would quiz them with hypothetical scenarios and discuss how to gain tactical advantages that would allow them to obtain their goal. He had done a more than exceptional job for they were doing exactly as he taught them. How could he ever imagine that his own men would use what they had learned from him to hunt him down?

Two men finally reached the top of the wall and one of them sent a warning shot to him.

"Release the Queen, Monster or pay the consequences!" came the demand of the bold man who I recognized was one of our own captains.

"Captain Jarle, I meant her no ha—" Admiral Westergard shouted back but his words were cut short. What emitted next from him were the intelligible sounds of an animal. I realized Heinrik had somehow taken away his ability to speak as well. Without this human mode of communication, Admiral Westergard lost his one advantage to reason with his men.

Another shot was fired at him and he managed to duck in time as he tried in vain to talk but could only produce roars that to the frightened men must have sounded even more like a threat. The men continued to advance on him from two sides of the tower.