The Queen's Admiral

Chapter 6: The Plan

Hold out baits to entice the enemy.  Feign disorder, and crush him.

-          Sun Tzu on The Art of War

After the rather uncomfortable dinner with the Tastris royal family, Queen Elsa ordered a meeting for her highest ranking officers in one of the private drawing rooms of the castle.  Just before we started, Queen Elsa voiced her frustration.

“I shouldn’t have meddled, Kai.  It wasn’t my place,” she said as she wrung her hands in the way I knew she was extremely disappointed in herself.  “It’s just that I couldn’t help it.  That little girl doesn’t deserve to be lied to and locked up like I was.  I can sense it in the way she talks and looks past the wall with longing.  She loves the sea—the same as her father.   That wall is denying them that.”

“Well under the circumstances your majesty, her parents do have a reason for putting that wall.  It’s for her protection.  What would you have done in their place?”

She stared at me defiantly.  “What Anna, Kristoff and I did to Fredrik when we found out he had powers that could be a danger to himself and to others.  We told him the truth, told him not to fear and taught him to survive.”

I didn’t have an answer for her for she was right.

“Still, I shouldn’t have said anything to Eric,” she continued as she shook her head.  “It’s all my stupid fault.  We could have allied ourselves with Queen Ariel’s family and this war will be over without another shot being fired.  Now we have to go back out there alone to face Weselton and it might be a lot sooner.  She can kick us out of Tastris tonight and where will we go then?”  Her tears freely flowed but turned to little crystal droplets of ice once they fell down her cheek.  I felt the temperature drop and I knew how upset she was.

There was a knock on the door and Queen Elsa hurriedly wiped away her tears and composed herself.  Captain Westergard appeared and closed the door behind him.

“I spoke to Queen Ariel,” he began in low tones.

Queen Elsa looked expectantly.  I could see that she feared the worst.

“I begged her for mercy for the sake of our wounded men,” he said sadly.  “She’s allowed us to stay for a month—but no more than that.”

I gasped in relief and Queen Elsa didn’t even try to hide her own feelings.

“She also agreed to still provide us with provisions, ammunition.  Everything King Eric promised us before on the condition…”  He stopped and looked uncomfortable.

“On what condition?” Queen Elsa pleaded.

He couldn’t look at her.  “That you keep away from her husband and her daughter.”

Queen Elsa gave a dejected nod.  “I understand.  Thank you for speaking to her.”

The other Arendelle ship captains except for Anbjorn who was still recuperating, arrived then.  Westergard relayed to them the news minus Queen Ariel’s ultimatum.  There was a noticeable air of relief in the room though their worry on what to do next was still palpable.

“We can’t win this war,” Captain Gulbrand of the Lovise said glumly.  “Even if we’re armed to the teeth, fifteen ships isn’t going to cut it against over fifty vessels.  They may have broken the siege in Arendelle already.”  He approached the Queen.  “Your majesty, surrender may be our best option.  We can discuss terms—”