Chapter 22.

Even though this day has just started, I can safely say today is going to be one of the worst days of my life. Only three days after the attack, I'm being forced to face Anna's council and hope they won't try to kill me on sight. I mean, of course I'm aware they'll probably strip me of my counselor title, since I'm not a noble, but maybe they won't object too much when Anna insists that I stay at the palace nonetheless. Not that they can do anything about it; she's the Queen. But if we're hoping to convince them to allow Northerners to come back to Arendelle, it's best if we don't fight with them too much.

Anyways. It's time, and I'm as ready as I'll ever be. My wounds are mostly healed, and my real hair is done up in a bun, so I appear more serious (the only good thing about all of this is that I don't have to wear that awful wig anymore). I'm wearing my best dress; the teal one with black sleeves, and of course I'm wearing my gloves (just in case).

I open the door and walk out of my room, taking a few deep breaths as I head to the meeting room, in an attempt to calm down my racing heart. As expected, it's useless, and by the time I reach my destination my stomach feels like it's full of vampire bats, instead of butterflies, and I'm lightheaded. Thankfully, Anna is waiting for me outside, and the bright smile she gives me is more than enough for me to get the courage I need to follow her inside the room, even if I notice some worry in her eyes.

The moment we enter, all eyes land on me. And this time, unlike the first time I met with the council, they're not just curious; they're cautious, untrusting and fearful. The General (who unfortunately is still technically part of the council), isn't even trying to hide his hateful gaze. This all almost makes me want to shrink in fear, but I quickly try to gain control by concentrating solely on Anna and imagine I'm alone with her. That is, until she sits down. I'm about to sit next to her, as always, when I realize that maybe that wouldn't be proper anymore. I'm not her counselor today; I'm an ice-wielder, waiting to be judged by her council, and I wouldn't want to disrespect anyone by sitting where I'm not supposed to.

Thankfully, Anna seems to notice my reluctance, and gently palms the chair, inviting me to sit to her right. I look at her, surprised that she doesn't care about what the others will think, but she just nods and keeps smiling. Not wanting to offend her, I obey and sit down.

"Good morning, gentlemen." She says, ignoring their glares in my direction. As she starts talking, I hope she remembers everything we planned for today's meeting, and that she doesn't get too nervous. Thankfully, her resolve to keep me alive, and at her side, seems to have given her the focus and courage she needs to get through this. "As you may know because of the unfortunate event that occured the other day, Elsa in fact isn't a noble from Corona, but an ice-wielder from the Northern Lands. Today, we will address your concerns the best we can, and then I'll proceed to announce what punishment General Haugen shall receive because of the scheme he pulled the other day."

She talks like a true Queen, with authority and power. However, I see this is just an act, and discreetly grab her hand under the table when I notice it's trembling. At this, she gives me a grateful smile.

"You want to punish me?" The General says angrily, a reaction I was expecting. "You should be thanking me for revealing her lies to the whole kingdom!"

"As I said, that will be discussed after we've clarified Elsa's situation." Anna reminds him as calmly as she can, but there's still quite a bit of anger in her voice. "First of all, you seem to have the idea that she lied to all of us in order to gain power, yes?" Most of them nod cautiously and look at Anna with curiosity.

"Well, she didn't." She starts explaining. "She's the Northerner I took in against your will, and eventually gave her a position as my counselor when she proved to have at least some level of experience in politics. She didn't like it at first, but agreed to keep her true identity a secret in order to help me."

"So you say." One of the councilmen retorts with a scowl. "How do we know you're not lying to keep her safe? She's obviously manipulated you into trusting her."

Anna is about to reply when yet another member of her council interrupts her.

"Yes, those Northerners are deceitful creatures. You have to send her back to her land before she kills us all!" I resist the urge to roll my eyes at his words. If I wanted to kill them, I could have done it on day one.

"No, they're not. Actually Elsa…" Before Anna can keep explaining to her dumb councilmen how incredibly close-minded they are, yet another one of them interrupts her.

"Yes your majesty, you must kill her immediately, before it's too late!" He exclaims, and soon enough almost every man in the room is demanding to have my head, but thankfully none of them is brave enough to try and kill me themselves. If anything, they're mostly scared of me. Which is funny, because I thought I would be more scared of them. Right now though, they aren't very scary; just annoying. More so, only five of them are being loud and obnoxious, and I recognize them as the ones who seemed to be closer to the General during the stunt he pulled the other day. The others just have concerned expressions, and are pleading their colleagues to let the Queen speak.

Anna, on the other hand, has been trying to calm them down ever since they started yelling, but it's not very effective, and she's getting angrier by the second. I wish I could help her with this, but I'm afraid in this situation the best I can do is pretend I'm invisible and not make any sudden movements. Besides, I don't have any authority here. I'm not the Queen's counselor anymore; just the ice-wielder they want to be executed.

"Gentlemen, please." Anna says loudly, but they keep arguing and asking the Queen to either kill me or exile me. I'd be afraid if I didn't already know Anna would never listen to their stupid pleas. "Come on, I'm sure we can…"

"We should have destroyed them a long time ago!" The General yells above all, and soon other voices join his. Anna sighs and purses her lips, but still tries not to get too angry. Which is a good thing, because if she got angrier my poor hand would be crushed under her strong grip.

"I-I… I know if you just listened to me, you would…"

"What are we even waiting for? She's a menace. Every second that she's here the enemy is learning about us!" One of the unreasonable councilmen says. Fortunately, Aaron tries to calm him down.

"The Queen wants to talk, don't you have any respect for your Queen?" He yells, which effectively makes the other man shut up, as well as some others. As expected though, the General doesn't listen to him, which I have to say is pretty stupid, considering he's being punished by Anna pretty soon. But I guess he's so blinded by his hatred for Northerners that he doesn't care.

"The Queen is too blinded by the affection she has towards this creature." He pretty much spats, before turning to Anna. "You have to get rid of her, your Majesty. She's dangerous!"

"I don't have to do anything!" Anna yells (seemingly having had enough of their antics), getting up and glaring at her councilmen. They look at her with confused faces, and some even seem to be a little intimidated by her outburst. "I'm your Queen! Do I have to remind you how this works? I make the decisions! You merely present ideas and suggestions, and I decide what to do with them! And if I want to have a Northerner in my castle pretending to be my counselor, I can do so without having you yell at me like I'm a little girl who doesn't know what she's doing!"

They all stay silent after that, some looking sheepish and apologetic, probably realizing how disrespectful they were being, and a few obviously trying to suppress a glare. Like they think just that; that Anna is indeed just a child who doesn't know what she's doing. The General is obviously on the later group. But at least they all shut up and wait for Anna to speak. She seems to realize this, because she takes a deep breath to calm herself down (though the angry blush that appeared on her cheeks is still present) and compose her thoughts, before she continues, still standing; towering above us.

"I know most of you think I'm inexperienced, and need guidance at every step of the way. But my parents taught me many things; I was raised to be a Queen, and trained every day of my life for that same purpose." She pauses, looking at every face in the room before continuing. "My father taught me to be strict but kind with my subjects, to be firm and obey the law always, no matter if I don't like it. And… I have failed him." She admits with a grimace.

I look at her, stunned. She's not serious, is she? Does she think taking me in was a mistake? A dishonor to the name of her father? My heart starts beating fast and hard against my ribcage, as I wait with anxious anticipation for her next words.

"But I only failed to follow the laws he imposed regarding Northerners. Laws he mainly made in a selfish act of revenge." She says, and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, my heart slowly getting back to its usual rhythm. "And I did so because my mother showed me kindness is a very important trait for a ruler. She said we Arendellians are born in the unforgiving northern climate, and this has made us cold and harsh. She said we need to learn the warm kindness people in the southern kingdoms posses, and I admit she was right." At this, she turns towards me and offers a gentle smile. "Yes, I disobeyed the law by showing kindness to a Northerner, something most would say is a suicidal act, but she's showed me nothing but kindness and love in return, and has proven to be a loyal and honest friend." I smile widely at her words, feeling a warm feeling extend through my whole body hearing her compliment me in such way in front of her council. I also feel a bit sheepish though, given all gazes are now on me, and most are raising eyebrows at the Queen's behavior, so obviously beyond mere compassion or friendship.

"Judging people for what they are, instead of who they are is wrong." She continues. "Mainly because, in this case as well as many others, what Elsa is can't be changed. She can't just stop having magic; it's a part of her as much as my hand is part of me. So please, I'm asking you to keep an open mind and try to judge Elsa for what she's done so far, and not for the color of her hair."

She looks around once she's finished talking, searching for even the smallest hint of defiance from her council, and putting up a determined face, like she's willing to beat some sense into each and every one of them if necessary. At the end though, it seems she's satisfied with what she sees, because she smiles triumphantly and sits down.

I resist the urge to chuckle at the men's stunned faces. Anna is more and more comfortable every day with her role as queen, and it shows on the way she speaks. I can't say I'm not proud myself, given I played a part in such an improvement.

"Now…" She continues with a smirk. "If you've stopped acting like a bunch of unreasonable brutes, I'll be more than happy to address your concerns."

At first, no one dares saying anything, probably fearing Anna might scold them if their words sound offending in any way. At the end, Lord Aaron clears his throat to catch her attention before he starts speaking.

"Your Majesty, I don't mean any offense towards you, or the ice-wielder. However, you have to admit that it looks suspicious that a Northerner girl appeared here in Arendelle claiming she had no memories, only for her to then win you favor in no more than a few weeks and become your counselor. We worry she might have manipulated you into making such decisions." Anna purses her lips, and he rushes to add. "And I'd say this of anyone who appeared in such circumstances. It has nothing to do with her being an ice-wielder."

I have to admit that's a good point; it does sound suspicious. Worse even, we have no way of proving I'm not manipulating her, and I'm afraid my word won't be enough. Anna sighs, probably thinking the same thing.

"I understand why it looks bad, and I'm sorry I can't give you a solid answer, but I trust Elsa with my life. I know she's not a bad person, as everything she's suggested to me thus far has been for the benefit to the kingdom. Yes, she might have a bias towards supporting the Northerners, but I doubt she would ever betray me."

"But how can we be sure?" Aaron presses, and Anna frowns, thinking for a moment before answering the best she can.

"If she wanted to kill me and take control over Arendelle, she would have already done it." She shrugs. "Besides, showing up in Arendelle and getting arrested in the first town she came across wasn't a great plan if she wanted to invade us; it was far more likely to end in her execution by the end of the day." I smile when I hear her say this. I told her that just the other day when we were practicing how she'd answer. She's doing well. "As I said, I have no solid answer, so this will have to suffice for now."

"Alright." Aaron sighs, obviously not satisfied, before turning to look at me with a steel gaze. "I'll be watching you. I hope you don't disappoint our Queen." I gulp, but try not to show fear.

"I won't." A assure him, and he nods in acknowledgement, but as usual I can't tell if he believes me or not.

"Well? Are there any more questions?" Anna asks. The lords fidget a bit before one of them is finally bold enough to speak.

"If I may, your Majesty." He starts, and I'm surprised to realize I haven't heard his voice much, and it's unmistakable… almost like a serpent's hiss. He's scrawny and wears modest clothes, and seems to be a bit over fifty years old. I think he was with the group that wasn't demanding to have me killed just minutes ago.

"Yes, Lord Sigvar?" She prompts.

"As the one assigned to look after our relationships with other kingdoms, I have to ask what consequences there could be for having a Northerner amongst us in regards of our already delicate relation with the Northern Lands."

"Well, what's your opinion? You're the expert."

"That depends on what was her position over there, regarding the so called Ice Queen." He starts. "If she was an ally to the Ice Queen, we might be able to form an alliance of some kind with the Northerners, either by having her become a part of our government or by threatening to kill her if they don't do our wish." I suppress a shudder. The way he said that sounded rather evil. "However, if she's a criminal or a rebel, we could risk a war if they suspect she's hiding in our kingdom and they try to get her back."

"I see…" Anna trails off, obviously thinking about an answer. "But as you already know, she doesn't have many memories. However, we do know she might have had some sort of governing position over there, though we aren't sure if she was the Queen herself, a counselor, or something else."

"It has to be our priority to discover it as soon as possible then." He concludes, looking at me in a way that gives me chills. I decide I like him even less than the loud councilmen that want to kill me, mainly because I don't know what to expect from him.

"Anyone else?" Anna asks, looking around, and this time a councilman speaks almost immediately. He looks older than most, and he was with the ones supporting the General.

"I must ask, my Queen, what do you plan to do with her? I bet you're aware that her position as a peasant doesn't allow her to be your counselor. Will she be staying here as your guest? And, if so, for how long?"

"She will be staying here as long as she wishes." Anna answers, as I was hoping she would. "And though I'm aware, Sir Barius, that she can't be my counselor according to the law, she'll maintain her current position." I look at her with surprise, since this is not what we had planned, and all councilmen appear to be about to protest, however, Anna rushes to explain herself. "She will be my counselor in everything but title. I need her, and she needs to gain more experience in ruling a kingdom in case she becomes Queen someday."

Upon hearing those words, I turn to look at her with wide eyes, and my jaw just plain falls to the ground. That was not planned at all! What is she thinking?! I mean, I guess it's best if we get all of our secrets out in the open right now, but I'm really not ready for this. I'm starting to panic so much that my gloves freeze from the inside and my stomach twists, more so when the councilmen start murmuring between them, as confused and stunned as I am. But then Anna raises her voice and tries to explain herself and calm down everyone. Including me apparently, because she takes my hand in hers and grips it tightly.

"Please, let me explain." She says. "What I meant is that Elsa and I are courting, thinking about a possible marriage in the future. It would greatly help us to make peace with the Northern Lands even if Elsa turned out not the Ice Queen herself, but just a noble over there."

"Your Majesty." The old man that spoke before says, coughing awkwardly. "We all know you've always been rather… open-minded when it comes to selecting a partner, given you have expressed interest in both men and women." When she glares at him, he quickly continues. "And don't get me wrong, that's a good trait for a Queen to have! However, I don't think a Northerner should be allowed into the throne of Arendelle, no matter what position she held on the Northern Lands. If anything, because here she was born a peasant."

"She wasn't." Anna frowns, and then glances at me from the corner of her eyes. "Come on, Elsa, tell them."

"Huh?" I'm so surprised by her getting me actively involved in the discussion that I almost fall from my chair when I straighten up and try to calm down my racing heart in order to respond the best I can. I clear my throat before answering. "Yes, I-I was born to a wealthy family here in Arendelle, but I don't really know if my parents were nobles or just rich merchants."

"Really?" Sir Barius asks, quite clearly skeptical. "Do you, by chance, remember their names?"

"Not yet." I admit, hating the way he raises an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, but I just find your affirmation to be very weird and hard to believe, given we never heard of a noble having a girl named Elsa who was later exiled to the Northern Lands."

"They probably kept her hidden, and asked my father not to make a scandal when he found out and exiled her." Anna interferes, but she sounds nervous, like she does when she lies. Probably because she doesn't know if she's telling the truth. "I bet no noble would want their name to be associated with ice-wielders, especially after what happened to the Westergards."

Ah yes, the Westergards. She explained that to me the other day while we were planning this meeting. She said no one ever talked about it, and even the royal archives don't acknowledge said family much, but after digging a bit deeper, she discovered it was said family that murdered her grandfather, only for all of them to be executed the very next day. Well… almost. Only Henryk and his twelve older sons (who were all involved in the assassination, and were mostly ice-wielders) were sentenced to death. Just his third wife, whom he'd married only a couple of years before, and the youngest son, Hans, were forgiven and sent to the Northern lands.

Yes, that's the same Hans I knew, and who wanted to kill the entire royal family. I can't say he didn't have good reasons. Though it still surprised me a bit. Not too much because, now that I think about it, Hans and Helen really look a lot like Anna, which makes sense given their mother was King Agdar's cousin. And his father was his third cousin once removed… I don't know if he and Helen have the same father though. I guess not, since she was born in the Northern Lands.

But anyways, the point is that the Westergards were once a respected family, and had important ties to the crown. But ever since most of them gained powers and ended up being either killed or exiled, theirs has become a disgraceful name, and talking about them tends to make people uncomfortable.

This made other noble families who had ice-wielders within them (which were a lot) hide their magical members (sometimes in dungeons) or turn them over to the king pretending they weren't their relatives, and asking discretion. So what Anna is saying is at the very least plausible.

"I see." The councilman purses his lips, and looks deep in thought for a moment, before speaking. "But even if she's a noble, both in Arendelle and the Northern Lands, I urge you to reconsider. The public won't like it. There could be a rebellion!"

"I understand, but this is not up for discussion." Anna practically snarls at him. "Besides, we just started courting; nothing is decided yet, and we'll keep things discreet until we come to a decision. And when we do, I'll be sure to inform you."

"Very well, your Majesty." He sighs, obviously not liking Anna's decision, but not wanting to risk the Queen getting angry again. Anna smiles, satisfied, and turns to look at the rest of her council.

"Alright, are there any more questions? Any concerns you wish to express?" She waits for a moment, but no one says anything, and I bet that's because they don't have anything not-offensive to say, judging by the glares and mistrusting gazes they direct at me. Anna seems to notice, because she quickly speaks to deviate the attention. "Well, if that's all, I would like to discuss the punishment for the General."

At this, many start murmuring, and the General straightens and puts up a stoic face.

"Your actions from the other day were unacceptable." Anna starts, and I squeeze a little her hand in order to calm her down and help her remain composed during this conversation. Still, the anger she has towards the General shows in her voice. "Conspiring behind my back against my counselor, planning to expose her in front of the entire population of Arendelle's capital, using deceitful ways to accomplish said goals, and almost getting Elsa killed." She sighs before glaring at him with hatred. "I should condemn you to death."

"Your Majesty, please. I was just trying to protect you. I was doing my duty!" He explains, trying to stay calm, but obviously starting to panic.

"Fortunately…" Anna interrupts him, raising her hand. "My counselor convinced me to give you a chance, given how loyal your family has been to the crown for generations." At this, the General let's out a breath and is about to speak, probably to thank the Queen, but Anna keeps talking. "However, your actions won't go unpunished. You will be striped of your title as General, removed as a member of the council, and half of the lands the crown gave to your family shall be returned."

"But your Majesty…" He starts.

"Please, don't make me reconsider." Anna cuts him off. "Because I would really like to give the butcher some work." She says this with a smirk, probably enjoying seeing the General so frustrated and powerless. But I know she doesn't really mean it. She just doesn't have it in herself to sentence someone to death.

"But the Haugen family has been responsible for the security of the kingdom for generations! Who will be General now?" One of the councilmen objects.

"A young man named Frederick. He's from a family who has served in the army for many years, and from what I've heard, is the youngest man in over a century to earn the title of Lieutenant. He will also be given the lands I took from the General and rule over them as Lord."

"But he's only twenty five!" Another councilman protests. "What has he done to deserve such honor? You need someone more experienced, like General Haugen's oldest son."

"From what I remember in our conversations, I'd say he's experienced enough, and has some innovative ideas. He is also a bit more open-minded, and isn't bothered by the prospect of change." Anna argues. Honestly, I don't know this Frederick, but Kristoff says he's a good man, and based on what Anna told me, I'd say it's a good decision. More so considering Anna said she told him about my situation, and he said I should be given a chance. He'll be a welcome change.

"Actually…" Anna continues with a smirk. "Maybe I should change some more members of the council. I need fresh ideas… but oh well, I guess that's a conversation for another time." She was actually reluctant to say that when I told her, since she was afraid they'd get offended. However, I convinced her because I think it'll remind them their position, and the fact they're only there because the monarch wants them to be. I'm hoping it'll make them be more willing to listen to Anna and don't disagree with everything she says so much… which brings up the last point we need to address today.

"Now, there's something else I wanted to talk about before we conclude this session." Anna continues. "Have you come to a decision regarding sending an ambassador to the Northern Lands?"

The nobles look around nervously, obviously wanting to say they decided not to send anyone, but fearing the Queen might start firing them if they didn't agree with her previous request. At the end, Aaron is the only one brave enough to speak.

"We had, but given the new situation that has presented to us, I want to propose a different alternative." He says, looking intently at me.

"Please feel free to speak." Anna says with curiosity.

"We could send her." He answers, and everyone, including me, stare at him like he's crazy. They won't trust me with something like that, will they? "After all, she's one of them, and claims to be loyal to you, so they'd me more likely to listen to her, and she'll represent Arendelle's interests well enough. Of course, she'd have to be accompanied by at least four of the most experienced and trusted soldiers, in case she's attacked or… decides to betray us."

"I… can't say I like the idea." Anna says with a grimace, probably worried about my safety. "I mean, what if she came here escaping from the Ice Queen? We'd be sending her to her death!"

"That's why I said she should be escorted by some of the best soldiers." Aaron objects.

"I also think it's a good idea, your Majesty." Lord Sigvar speaks up. "It would not only open up an opportunity for us to negotiate with the Northern Lands, but also prove whether or not she can be trusted. And if she dies while serving in a diplomatic mission… well, that would mean the Ice Queen is hostile and must be dealt with at the earliest opportunity."

And so, the other councilmen start agreeing, though I suspect it's because they want to get rid of me and the other Northerners in just one strike. Not because they actually want peace between Arendelle and the Northern Lands. Still, I find myself agreeing it's a good idea. After all, I'm probably the most powerful ice-wielder alive, and my powers are still growing; I'm pretty sure I can defend myself. Plus, if I succeed, maybe we could start a peace treaty with the Northern Lands, and eventually get ice-wielders to re-incorporate to the kingdom, which would obviously be good for them. Not to mention, I'll probably be able to find out more about my past and maybe even re-encounter my old friends.

"I'll do it." I find myself saying, above all voices, and at this, all eyes turn to my direction, looking at me with surprise. Especially Anna, who probably thinks I'm crazy for agreeing with them. "I can serve as Arendelle's ambassador in the Northern Lands… if her Majesty agrees, of course." I add, turning to look at Anna, who quickly stutters out an answer.

"I-I… uh… I guess I'll have to think it through."

"Very well. Just know that, no matter what you decide, you have our support." Sir Barius says, and the rest nod in agreement.

"Alright." Anna sighs. "That's all for today. I'll see you soon to inform you of my decision."

As she finishes, speaking, she stands up and prepares to leave, however, before she can even take a step, the ex-General calls her.

"You will regret this." He says, his voice trembling from anger and hatred. I turn to look at him, and realize his face is red and his fists clenched. I prepare my magic in case he attempts to do something stupid. "The day will come when you'll need me, and you will regret removing me from your side!" He spats.

Anna turns to look at him and answers with a sad voice.

"I doubt it." And then, she leaves the room, with me following close behind.

A/N: Hi, I hope you liked this chapter, eventhough it didn't have much Elsanna. But I promise the next one will! Anyways, please leave a review and fav/follow if you haven't. Thanks for reading and see you in the next chapter :)

Thanks to my beta reader moonwatcher13.