Chapter VIII – Profits

I returned to Stoneridge to find looters had ransacked my shop. No surprise. It had been dormant and neglected since my departure. The windows were broken and shelves were overturned. I pulled open the splintered door and it fell off the hinges. I found an old broom and swept away the glass shards covering the floor, stopping to pick up the small coins the burglars did not bother to grab. Cobwebs crept in every corner. The shelves were brittle and bits of wood fell as I pulled them off the floor.

The realtor said no one would buy the property in its current condition. The lumberjack said he could slice up the furniture and tear down the building for wood and supplies. I agreed, and he gave me a small pouch of coins for the property. He said he would come back tomorrow with some workers and tools. I went inside my old shop and sat behind the counter, listening to the chirping birds and screeching crickets in the night sky.

The night was pleasant. It reminded me of Arendelle. The wind blew through the broken glass. The wind, the same wind from the fjord, rushed into my shop and bit my bones and chilled my skin. I took off my jacket and sat there. An old widow walked by in the night and asked if I was okay, but I was silent. I sat there for a long time.

When the ridge turned red, the lumberjack arrived and knocked on the empty doorframe. I tossed my bag over my shoulder, thanked him, and left my old shop forever.

My old house was still intact. It's a small two-room cabin on the edges of town by the fields. The view is nice. You can see the sunrise over the highlands and watch an old brick path crawl down the valley. The fog rolls in over in the countryside and engulfs the lonely cabin.

I went inside and blew the dust off the furniture. I started a fire and sat in my rocking chair with an old book. I cannot remember what book it was. I gave up on trying to read, so I grabbed some paper and tried to write these letters. Nothing. The cabin was uncomfortable, dark, murky. I opened the windows and took in the view of the highlands. The motive to read or write was absent and there was nothing else to do. The wind whispered in the wood. The fire shook in the air and died, and all heat exited the room. And that was it. I took the book and started to read. I do not recall much of it, but it was pleasant to let my mind be free. I knew what was bothering me.

I miss the cold.

I pulled my sleeves over my shaking wrists. Goosebumps dotted the backs of my hands. I rubbed them together and the friction was the only warmth in the cell. The walls and floor were gray stone. There was a bench built into the wall. Hay and broken chains scattered the floor.

I sat on the bench. Bentley took a rock from the ground and started beating the lock with it. Then he took stiff straws of hay and jiggled them through the keyhole.

"What are you doing?"

"What am I doing? What am I- look." He threw the rock across the cell. "Do you want to spend the rest of your days in this cell? Waiting for the executioner?"

"Bentley…"

"Look, kid. I can bust this lock open. We'll escape and stow away on a ship to… somewhere. And we'll start over. It'll be fine kid, you'll see."

"Bentley. We're innocent. We won't be here long."

"That doesn't matter. Our reputation is ruined! They think we tried to kill the Queen."

"Bentley…"

"Fine, I'll leave you here."

Bentley returned to his foolish escape attempts. I watched the sun fall behind the hills through the window in the back of the cell. The cell was dark except the artificial glow of the night sky. We had no visitors except a guard who inspected us every hour. When he came by, Bentley rattled the bars and begged for mercy but the guard just peered into the cage, glanced at the babbling merchant, and returned to his duties.

"Bentley?"

"What?"

"You had nothing to do with this, right?"

Bentley threw up his hands. "What? Of course, not! Who do you think I am, some common criminal?"

"No."

"Well, did you have anything to do with this?"

"No. I couldn't have."

Bentley sat next to me. "I'm sure the Guard will come down and question us soon. Right before they drag us off to the chopping block."

"They're not going to-"

"I've seen crazier stuff happen. Well, I've heard about crazier stuff happening… You let me do the talking, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good. Listen kid, if there's anything dirty in your past that they might dig up, I need to know about it now. I mean, I know it wasn't simple ambition that brought you to Arendelle."

"No, there's nothing. I left Stoneridge because of a business disagreement."

"Probably a dangerous business disagreement, huh?"

"It wasn't anything I couldn't handle."

"And yet you're here."

"I haven't heard from them since I arrived in Arendelle. We'll be fine."

"I'll take your word for it."

That was another reason not to waste time in this cell. I had under a month to recoup a year's worth of debt. Time was money, and I needed as much as possible. I was certain it would be impossible for the Guard to find any information on my Old Friends. They were professionals, and I've heard rumors of their operations all across Europe and Asia. They eluded the greatest detectives Earth had to offer. Arendelle had no way of discovering my connection to them.

A shuffle of feet echoed above the cell. A murmur. A whisper. It was Anna, slinking down the spiral staircase and Kristoff, bending his tall head in the cramped corridor. She scurried to the cell door and I shuffled to meet her. "Kristoff, watch for guards!" Kristoff stayed by the staircase. She peered through the bars.

"Mark, tell me you had nothing to do with this."

"Of course not."

"Okay, I just needed to hear it. I'm sorry."

"Can you get us out of here?"

"It's General Alvarsson's call."

"But you're the Princess…"

"He's stubborn… I'm very sorry, Mark. And Bentley. I'm very sorry for the both of you. Elsa told me that you-"

"Elsa? How is she?"

"She's okay. There are guards surrounding her all the time… The General has quarantined parts of the castle. They're not even letting some of the servants in."

"And they just let you walk around?"

"Well… We Snuck past."

"How?"

"Well," she smiled, "I spent thirteen years alone. Boredom can land a girl in lots of trouble. I often tried to run and hide from the servants. And I got pretty good at it! If only Kristoff wasn't so loud…"

"Hey!" said Kristoff.

"Oh, you know you're loud, sweetie."

"No, they're coming."

There was a gnashing of metal. Footsteps entered the prison and orange torchlight lit the corridor.

Bentley rattled the cell door. "Let us out! We're innocent! Please!" he said.

"I'll try. Uh, gotta go." Anna glanced down the corridor, took Kristoff, and darted into the darkness.

The Guard was here. Three stood watching the cell, faces blank and swords drawn.

The guards turned and saluted as a final pair of feet came down the hall. General Alvarsson peered through the cell door. Bentley etched away. The General had bloody hands and a piercing gaze. He nodded to the guards. The door burst open. I stood up. A guard forced my hands behind my back and tied them. Then it was dark. They put a sack over my head.

We left the cell and I followed the hands pushing me down the hall. I stumbled up the stairs. Guided by force and faith, I staggered through the royal catacombs, with orange and red and yellow glows marking the hallways. I walked a convoluted path. Bentley shouted. Numerous turns, backtracks and detours. The guard's feet thumped on wood and stone, eyes and blades trained their prisoners.

The glows vanished. We were in a warm room. A push on my shoulder and I fell down. I was in a chair. The guards ripped the bags off our heads. Darkness.

"I demand to know why we're being treated like this!" said Bentley. "We have rights!"

An orange flame appeared in the night. Guided by a hand, it lit a candle in front of us. It lit the General's desk. It was neat, concise, clear. Papers sat on the rosewood desk in perfect alignment, first sorted into categories and then alphabetized. The candle stood on a golden stand.

The guards moved around the room and lit lanterns and candles. They pulled apart the curtains and let the moonlight in. General Alvarsson's office was red with wooden floors and golden trimming. The Art of War, Commentarii de Bello Gallico, De Re Militari, and The Prince sat in a stack on his desk. Their pages were weathered. Windows dominated the right wall and watched the sea. Bookshelves lined the left wall. The General stood at his desk. Behind him, a massive map stretching from Scandinavia to Anatolia and from Spain to the Urals occupied the wall. Tiny red and blue pins dotted the map. Troop movements. Political allies. Threats. He knew them all.

He placed his hands on his desk and his dark eyes glared at me.

"Your name?"

"Mark Rutherford."

He looked to Bentley.

"And yours."

"Bentley. Cornelius."

He pushed through some papers on his desk. I shuffled in my chair.

"Mr. Bentley, why was your name on La Grandière's shipment?"

"I had goods on that ship from Altivillare. But there was never any… black powder… or anything illegal. It was supposed to be clothing, trinkets, books. That sort of thing."

"Who's your supplier?"

"I… can't tell you."

"What?"

"I can't tell you. I won't. They did nothing wrong."

"Your supplier just tried to murder the Queen, and I will find him and punish him. The only reason I don't already have you rotting in a cell for life is because your partner was either brave enough or lucky enough to throw himself between the Queen and the blast."

"Look, I'm sure we can come to some sort of agreement. I mean, my supplier just… supplies things."

"He supplied illegal goods."

"Yes. But… My contact supplies whatever people pay for. Someone else could've, you know, mixed up that order. So you see, my contact did nothing wrong… I'm sure of it."

"You're insane."

"No. No, I'm a businessman."

The General shook his head and examined some papers on his desk. Sweat was pouring down Bentley's steaming face. The General looked to me. "You're from Weselton?"

"Stoneridge."

"And why did you come here?"

"To start a business."

"Our earliest records of you have you aboard the Intrepid, which arrived shortly after the Great Thaw."

"Correct."

"But that ship left Weselton before news of the Great Thaw would have arrived. You didn't know about Arendelle's economic potential, did you?"

"No, but-"

"So why come here?"

"I heard about Arendelle. From a friend."

"My friend," said Bentley.

"But that still doesn't explain why you came here. Why would a smalltime merchant risk everything on a small, economically closed kingdom? Why are you in Arendelle?"

I was silent. The General peered over his desk. He examined every inch of us. The cogs were spinning in his head, discerning the morality and legitimacy of the two meager merchants in front of him, looking for a clink or vulnerability in our vague tales.

A guard inched to the General. He whispered into his ear. The guard gave his message and stepped away. The General looked to us.

"There's more to you two than this. I know it. I'll find out what's going on here, whether you like it or not." Then he looked to the guards, "Let's move them."

The guards put bags over our heads, forced us from our seats, and we were on the move.

The guards ripped off the bags. We were in a white room. The Queen's Study. The General and guards knelt, lowered their heads and admired their beloved Queen. I knelt.

The Queen stood behind her desk, back turned to us, looking through the window at the cloudy night. She turned. Arms crossed, simple turquoise dress, hair in a tight bun. Dark circles encapsulated her eyes. Light burns scorched her face.

"Untie them."

The guards hesitated.

"I have ice powers. I can handle myself. They won't try anything here."

A knife slid between my wrists and I was free. The rope fell to the floor. I wiggled my stale bones.

"Please, have a seat."

She pointed at two seats surrounding a coffee table. We sat. The guards brought a third chair to the table. The Queen took her seat. General Alvarsson stood behind the Queen and by the window, arms folded.

"I just want to say that I'm very sorry this all happened. To you, Mr. Rutherford, I owe my life. I want to personally thank you for saving me."

"Uh, you are welcome, Your Majesty." I lowered my head.

"And to you, Mr. Bentley, I am very sorry that your goods were lost aboard La Grandière. I understand that you are a businessperson and you have to turn a profit. I will repay you in recompense for all the goods you lost."

"Thank you, Your Majesty! Bless you!" Bentley said. He grinned and shook the Queen's hand.

"Now, I also want to apologize for the way my staff treated you. Unfortunately, it was necessary to maintain tight security while we investigated the matter."

"So, you don't think we were involved?" said Bentley.

"No. Your partner saved my life, and I don't believe you have any motive to attempt regicide."

"Well, your new pet was pretty harsh. He clearly doesn't think the same way you do, Your Majesty."

General Alvarsson lowered his arms and placed his hand on his sword. The Queen swallowed. Bentley was going to get us both in trouble.

"Your Majesty," I said, "I understand why you had to take such precautions. This is a difficult situation, and everyone must be treated as a suspect until you have further evidence."

"Thank you, Mr. Rutherford. I understand your discomfort, Mr. Bentley, but your name was on the shipment. Someone you know is responsible for this. I will be contacting the King of Altivillare shortly, and we will get to the bottom of the matter."

"Your Majesty," said General Alvarsson, "He refuses to give up the names of his contacts."

"I see…"

"Look Your Majesty," said Bentley, "I have no reason to believe my contacts in Altivillare did anything wrong. I can't give away information like that."

"Okay." The Queen stood up. "Thank you both. Mr. Rutherford, I am forever grateful for what you've done. I am very sorry we had to treat you both in such a nasty manner. Someone will come by your shop tomorrow with recompense for your lost goods. You may go."

The Queen sat at her desk and buried her head in her hands. The guards brushed us out of the room. Bentley laughed as the door shut. We were ecstatic to be out of the Guard's grasp, away from peering eyes and pointed swords. A single guard led us down the hall. The door to the Queen's Study burst open.

"Hey! You!" We stopped and turned. A guard was peering out of the doorframe. "You… uh, Bentley. We need to talk with you."

Bentley and I exchanged glances. The guard nudged us on the shoulder, and we walked back to the Queen's study. The guard held up a hand.

"Not you. Just the short one."

The guard shuffled Bentley into the room and the rest of the guards filed out. Bentley was alone with the Queen and the General.

Bentley returned in an hour. He straightened his tie, nodded to me, and we left the castle as fast as we could. A guard followed us to the gates and then shut them behind us. The night was stale and cold. Bentley and I walked down the bridge and into town.

"What was that about?" I said.

"That was… nothing."

"Bentley, what did they want?"

"They wanted me to give up my contacts."

"Did you?"

"Of course not. Who do they think they are? Demanding private information like that…"

"It may be best to just give it up… The Queen was almost killed."

"I can't. If I do, I'm ruined. You see, if I rat out one person and word gets out, I'll be blacklisted. My suppliers will never talk to me again. I'll be too much of a risk."

The Guard and town volunteers had cleaned the docks. With the exception of burn marks and the broken pier, it looked peaceful with the boats tied to the dock and floating in the waves. The night was misleading. The waters stretched from shore to horizon and shimmered in the moonlight. Arendelle was so good at hiding the troubles of day. It was calm, peaceful, optimistic. Maybe it inherited the characteristics of its rulers.

We walked in silence to the Searing Seafish. I walked up the wooden steps to my temporary home.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Mark."

"Yeah."

"I'll try to write to my guys in Altivillare. I think it'll take a little coaxing, but they should still supply us."

"Goodnight Bentley."

"I'm glad we were able to get that all sorted out."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

He tipped his hat and walked into the night. I pushed open the door to the tavern. It was in its usual nighttime somber. Sebastian looked up and his eyes widened.

"Mark!"

"Hey."

"I thought you were in prison! I saw the guards drag you off and-"

"No, I saved the Queen. They let me go."

"You… what? That's incredible!"

I slumped down at the nearest table and rested my head in my hands. Sebastian ran off into the storeroom and came out with a plate full of bread and roast. He said I must be starving. He was right. I ate all of it.

I thanked him for his generosity and refused all other attempts at giving me more food. I excused myself for sleep.

"Oh, Mr. Rutherford. The guard came by and searched your room earlier. I couldn't stop them. I do hope they didn't mess things up too much…"

"Great."

I walked upstairs and into my room. It was all still there, but the bed sheets were crumpled, papers were on the floor, and my ink spilt across my desk. I got a rag and wiped up the ink and put papers in neat stacks and remade my bed. Then I washed my face and went to bed.

I went to work the next morning. People flocked in to see the man rumored to have saved the Queen. I told them my story with the miniscule details I could offer, smiling at their curious faces. Arendelle was obsessed with its heroes. The old Nordic tradition glorified its strongest and bravest citizens. To a lesser degree, I enjoyed the same praise Princess Anna did after the Great Freeze.

The curious townsfolk bought meaningless trinkets or books after they heard my story. They said they were happy to do business with such an honest man, and I had the best profits I had ever seen.

I had not seen Bentley all day. It was noon and time to eat the lunch I brought. I put the record books away and cleared the counter. It seemed like a decent time for a break – the crowds had slowed down.

Then Anna came bumbling in.

"Hey Mark!"

"What?" I dropped the bread on the counter.

"I said hey. I came by to see you. And I brought this." She slung a leather bag on the counter. Anna had a smile that could kill and an infectious amount of enthusiasm. Her optimism burned despite the recent attempts on her sister. I hoped it would bleed into the Queen's character – she seemed depressed and tired after recent events.

"Uh, hey Anna. I wasn't expecting you."

"I realized that I never properly thanked you for saving my sister, so I decided to bring this by myself."

"Elsa let you out after… you know…."

"Yeah. But there's about fifty guards standing outside your shop."

I walked around the counter and peered through the windows. Half of Arendelle's Guard was patrolling the streets. The Queen was not going to let anything happen to her sister.

"Woah… Okay."

"Oh, don't worry about them." Anna said, "I know this has to be a crazy time for both you and Elsa… Elsa was crying for half of last night, and I did my best, and I'm sure it's just as hard on you… Oh come here." She opened her arms and attacked me with a hug.

I was awkward and tense. I put my arm around Anna.

"I'm fine. Really. Don't worry about me."

"I should have thanked you earlier… I can't believe I doubted you, but it happened so fast… Thank you so much." She squeezed harder, and her warm embrace melted my soul. This was enough of a reward. After a lifetime, it ended and we broke the embrace.

"It was nothing. I mean, I saw her there, and I saw the explosion coming, and she's the Queen so…"

"Oh, don't sell yourself short. It was very brave!"

"Uhh… Yeah."

I stood there, scouring my mind for something to say and admiring her blue-eyed smile until she pointed to the leather bag on the counter.

"Elsa said that should cover everything that was lost in the explosion. Take a look!"

My fingers undid the latches holding the bag closed. I undid the ties and opened the bag. My jaw dropped. I saw the glimmer, golden glint reflecting the dancing light from the fireplace. It had to be three thousand… four… five… I was not sure. I closed the bag.

"Anna… I can't take this. It's too much, and I-"

"No, it's fine. Mark, you saved my sister, and I thought you needed something more as some sort of a reward, and then I thought I could get you something to help with your business, but I don't know how to run a business, so I decided you should get more coin."

"Anna, I can't-"

"Shhhh…" She placed a finger over my lips. "You have to take it. I won't take it back."

I pushed her arm away. "No, this is much more than I deserve."

"No, it's much less. My sister is… she's priceless, and without her, I don't know if I could… If I would…" She fumbled her hands, her cheeks turned red, and her eyes grew puffy.

"Anna, it's okay. Don't think about that…"

It was the first time I felt close to the Princess. She was standing in my shop with a broken smile and a gesture of kindness, and the connection was there. We were friends. Or something. I just wanted to be close to the Princess. Her comfort and brightness was addicting. In this moment, I realized my jealousy for the Ice Harvester. It was nothing more than dumb luck that put him in the right position for her to fall into his arms, and that was a sensation I would never experience.

"So, how much is this?" I rummaged through the bag. The coins were shiny, enticing, and rang as their polished sides collided. This was more than enough to pay off my debts. It had to be.

"Five thousand or so."

My jaw dropped. "Five thousand?"

"Yep."

"Do you know how much that is?"

"It's a lot, right?"

"I don't know if I make this much in a year…"

"You deserve all of it, Mark. You really do. We need more good people like you."

"Anna… Thank you…"

"No problem. Is there anything else, anything at all that I can do?"

I thought for a moment. There was something Bentley wanted me to do.

"Can you promote the shop a little? We don't have much advertisement and it could really help us get going."

"You mean like talk about it?"

"Yeah. You know. Maybe just drop it in conversation when you're talking with the townsfolk. And I know everyone loves to talk with you."

"Haha, yeah they do. I'll do it."

"Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this will help us."

"Of course! So I'll uh, see you around?"

"Yeah."

We said goodbye and she left. That was the most invigorating event of the day, and I worked in boredom until sundown. Then I put the bag in a locked cabinet and went home.

I was eating in the Searing Seafish when Bentley ran in. He squeezed between the crowded tables, took off his hat, and sat down across from me.

"Hey kid. How was your day?"

"Good, I have some good news."

"That's great because my day was awful."

"What happened?"

"I was working at the docks and this guard came up and told me I was being taken in for questioning. While I was in the middle of my work!" Bentley shook his hands in frustration.

Silvia appeared at our table and asked Bentley if he wanted anything. Alcohol, of course. I ordered a coffee.

"What happened?" I said.

"Nothing much. They took me back to the castle. Crazy guards looked like they were going to slice me up at any moment. Lemme tell ya, don't trust anyone who protects things for a living."

"I doubt the guards would-"

"Oh, I think they would. Later I'll tell you about this one time I was in Corona."

Silvia returned. She placed a white mug of steaming dark coffee in front of me and a brownish brandy in front of Bentley. He went to work.

"Okay, so they drag me into the castle. No bags this time. The General is there acting all powerful and stuff, and he demands to know who my contacts in Altivillare are. He said the Queen authorized him to take any actions necessary, and that includes but was not limited to beating me into a bloody pulp, slicing off fingers, pulling out toenails… That sort of thing."

"What? I highly doubt they would ever…"

"Oh, just you wait until they find a reason to drag your hide back into the castle. The General is out for blood, I tell you."

"He's just upset about what happened at the docks… We all are… They're doing whatever they can to get to the bottom of it."

"Maybe." Bentley was downing the brandy. The glass was almost empty. He raised his hands and called for another. A shiny new glass of caramel debauchery arrived in seconds.

"So did you tell them?"

"Yes."

I took a drink of my coffee. "Probably for the best."

Bentley drank the new glass of brandy. It was gone. His eyes were starting to lose focus. "Well, I gave them a false name…"

"What?"

"Relax, kid. I told them my contact was Phillipe D'aramitz of Altivillare. He was part of our little supplying circle until he was blacklisted after getting caught with contraband in the city."

"There's no way that will work…"

"Oh it will. I've seen this done before." He raised his glass for another drink, but it was empty. He examined the glass, dumbfounded, and sat it on the table. "The guy knows all kinds of criminals and swindlers. He'll keep them busy until we can figure out how to prove my innocence."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"You've got to trust me on this one, kid."

"I do."

"Alright. Now that I'm drunk, tell me about your wonderful news."

"Princess Anna agreed to support our shop."

"Thank goodness. Now we're finally putting our connections to good use."

"And she brought the money for our lost goods."

Bentley's eyes widened, his shoulders dropped, and he slumped in his chair. "Thank goodness… How much was it?"

I took a drink of my coffee. The answer almost slipped from my mouth, but something dark and sinister, yet necessary held it back. My mind went to work. Two thousand could cover the old shop. Another thousand for the goods I lost in Stoneridge. Five hundred for interest to make up for lost time. And another five hundred out of the kindness of my heart.

"Two thousand."

"Two-" he mouthed 'thousand' and his jaw dropped. "That's… more than I expected. Keep it in the shop. Make sure you put it in the books."

"I will."

"Two thousand… That's more than enough to get us started. I'll come by later and we'll decide what to do with it, alright kid?"

"Sure." I sipped my coffee.

We drank more and sat in idle conversation. Roars of laughter and joy echoed through the room, and it was a good night. The events on the dock seemed distant, dreamlike, lost in the unwavering hope of Arendelle. I wondered if they realized the gravity of the situation. Perhaps the threat of death made them laugh louder, dance longer, and shine brighter. I think Arendelle did inherit the traits of its rulers.

When the tavern started to clear out, Bentley tipped his hat and said his goodbyes. He thanked Sebastian and wobbled out onto the street. I finished the cup of coffee and stood up and put my coat on.

"I've got to run out for a bit. Left something in the shop."

Sebastian said goodbye. I left the tavern. The night was cold. The first breaths of Winter came early in the North. I pulled my jacket in close and jogged up the hill to Rutherford and Bentley's Trading Goods to keep myself warm. The cold was invigorating. Its sharp teeth remind lifeless men that they are alive.

I fumbled for the keys with my gloved hands, pushed the right one into the keyhole, and entered the shop. I opened the lock to the cabinet behind the counter. The bag was sitting there. It was heavy and clunky, full of promise and fortune. I dumped the contents onto the counter.

I sorted the coins by value and counted them. The value was correct. Five thousand. I put them into piles of a thousand. Two I shoved to the right side of the counter, three to the left. I took the pile of two thousand, stacked it back in the cabinet, and locked it up. I scooped the pile of three thousand into the bag, closed the latches, and threw the bag over my shoulder. I locked up the shop and left.

I paced back to the Searing Seafish. I kept my head down, my hands in my pockets, and went to my room. I closed the door, took the bag off my shoulder, and stuffed it underneath the bed. That had to be enough. More than enough. Bentley would never know.

Relief. I shaved off the gruff from the past days and washed away the black marks from the explosion. Then I got in bed and went to sleep, with dreams of fortune and a Princess in my head.