The Queen's Admiral

Chapter 15: Conversations on a Moonlit Night

For a moment I stared at the boy before me, unable to comprehend what I just heard.

It’s not possible.  Not Aunt Elsa!  She was always honorable and valued integrity above else.  She would never brazenly lie.

And yet she was the same woman that agreed to commit mass murder when she was left without a choice, a voice in my head reminded.  She would protect her people at whatever cost.  And if that cost was her own soul she was willing to pay it.

No, I told myself firmly.  This boy must be lying or heard it from someone who lied to him.  People liked to speculate and spread false rumors.  Wasn’t that what my father just told me?  Or maybe… maybe Admiral Westergard actually propagated such a lie among his ranks to make him popular among them.

I wanted to call Albert out on it and defend my aunt but I couldn’t utter a word.  At the back of my mind a nagging doubt was rising with a burning question:

What if it was true?

What if my aunt was so frightened of the possibility of this ex-usurper gaining popularity among her people that she tried to suppress it?  I knew the lengths she would go to protect her family and her kingdom.   Would she not use whatever powers she had as queen to cut out a potential threat before it harmed those she loved and sworn to protect?

I’ve delayed his promotion long enough.  I’ve had other people with lesser skills promoted over him for years.

I heard her admit that with my own ears.  She kept him from gaining power—that much was clear.  If he was a hero of a crucial battle she had no choice but to promote him.  So the logical choice was deny he had a part in it.  It was a necessary evil, but I couldn’t help but feel ashamed of it, especially in front of this boy.  What must he think of my aunt and the rest of my family by extension?

I was saved the trouble of speaking to him further by the voice of Albert’s mother calling her son home.  He muttered a polite farewell without meeting my eyes and half-ran to the village.

The other boys were drawing straws to settle the matter on who got to play Admiral Rochport.  One of them invited me to draw as well but I’ve lost all interest in the game.  I made up a quick excuse that I was needed back at the castle and left them.

The party was still ongoing all across the square.  It spilled on to the inside of the castle where the victory ball began a few hours ago.   I wanted to find Aunt Elsa and ask her about Admiral Westergard but she and my parents were occupied with entertaining the members of the Arendelle nobility and the families of the celebrated captains of Arendelle.  Surprisingly, the primary hero wasn’t even in the room.

A few of the young ladies eyed me the moment I entered the ballroom.  I knew if I stayed longer here I was going to be obligated to dance.  From the corner of my eye, I saw fourteen-year-old Lady Ashford heading in my direction.  Since last year when she came to court from her convent school, she has been trying to get close to me and has kept giving not-so-subtle hints that she wanted to be more than friends.   Aunt Elsa warned me that her family wanted to get me engaged to her—a prospect I wasn’t looking forward to as I didn’t like her at all.  

I wasn’t in the mood to be badgered by this girl so I ducked behind a pillar and made a hasty exit to a nearby balcony.  I could hear the clatter of footsteps and I realized I was cornered.  Dancing in the open was bad enough but finding myself alone with her in a secluded area was far worse.  I did the only thing I could—I conjured up an ice slide and slid down it to the garden below.  I disintegrated my escape route before she had a chance to see it.  I then ran into the shelter of the back garden.   The peace and quiet was refreshing and I decided I could use some time alone.