The Quest For Hope

The Escape: Chapter Seven

King Agnarr paced his study and slammed his fist on the table. How could she do this to him? He pounded his desk again, toppling over his prised model ship. The delicate masts broke.

A leather-backed chair squeaked as he pulled it away from the table. He hung his head and lifted the small wooden pieces.

"It seems a strong hand can hurt without meaning to," he sighed. The tiny pieces dropped softly. "What am I going to do? A king that can't control his princess. How can I get her to understand?"

His blood boiled the longer he thought about Elsa.

He sighed and looked at the mess on his desk. How had any of it got to this point? His eyes filled with tears as they strayed to the portraits of his wife.

"Father!" Hiccup yelled storming through the door. "It's Els-"

King Agnarr head jerked up at the intrusion. Jumping to his feet, he swung his crimson robe and walked around the desk.

"Young man!" he stammered, "you forget yourself."

"But father, wait. I have to tell you-"

"What you have to say isn't that important. Nothing is more important than common courtesy," he interrupted, feeling his face redden.

Hiccup stood quietly by the door.

"Now stand up tall and listen," he ordered. Hiccup straightened his back.

"Father," Hiccup tried again but was silenced by the king's raised palm.

"No, son," he answered sternly, his voice on the verge of cracking. "I will have at least one child that obeys. One day you will be king here, and you'll need to know the importance of patience and timing. You'll need to act according to your station in life. Patience is important, one of the foundations of a respectable ruler. You need the ability to listen and hear both sides of the situation."

He waited, watching his son stand still with a look of obedience on his face. King Agnarr smiled. He hadn't lost his touch. The chair creaked as he moved it back to sit down. 

"Now," he said, easing himself down. "What is it exactly that made you rush in here, forgetting yourself?"

Prince Hiccup looked at him, hesitating, making sure it was all right to speak. "It's Elsa, father," he said. "She's leaving."

"What?" He yelled, pounding the desk. The wooden ship fell over again with a loud crash. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" 

Hiccup stared back at him, his jaw dropping.

"Of course," the king murmured, "I forbade you. Let's go see if we can talk some sense into her." He walked to the door and slammed it behind him.

With each step he took towards Elsa's room, King Agnarr felt his anger rise. When they reached her chamber, he heard silence. He looked pointedly at Hiccup as he knocked on the door. No one answered.

"Elsa, open the door this instant!" He yelled. Again, no one answered.

He fumed and counted to three, feeling his anger boil with each passing second. His lips tightened, fading white. Nostrils flaring, teeth flashing, he raised the bottom of his robe and kicked the door.

The door flew and banged against the far wall. He stomped around the room, trampling her discarded clothes and dolls. 

Hiccup stood outside the door frame, peeking in from around the corner.

"Elsa," King Agnarr yelled. "Come out now! We need to talk." He walked around the room, looking beneath the covers, behind the plush chair, and in her closet.

"Elsa?" He called out again. Worry strained his voice as he looked down. Lying on the floor in a discarded heap of clothes, the light blue silk gown called to him. He felt the soft silk drape as he held it in his arms. Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes as he leaned back onto the edge of the blue chair.

Hiccup shifted back and forth, looking at him with a startled expression. "Father?" He asked, taking a small step into the room.

He didn't turn around. He couldn't take his eyes off the dress as he spoke to his son. "Hiccup, go get the men ready. Have them meet me in the grand hall." King Agnarr laid the dress out on her bed, smoothing out the wrinkles before walking out. He didn't look back.

The grand hall echoed as he walked to the throne. He held onto the edge of the seat, feeling the cold stone. The silence deepened the pit in his stomach as he waited.

Before long, the Knights piled in, running to a position before him. When they all appeared, he looked at each in turn. Their red eyes stared at him, questioning their summons. Each face wore a mixed look of exhaustion, excitement, and confusion. In his worry, King Agnarr had forgotten about their long day. 

He paused as he came upon Sir Jack, weary from the competition. Beneath his stained eyes, the king saw concern. Jack knew something was wrong.

King Agnarr placed his hand on Jack's shoulder and nodded. Now was the time for him to prove worthy of his new position. The king needed him to find and protect Elsa, at any cost. He cleared his throat.

"Knights of Arendelle, brave and loyal men," he said, looking at each in turn. "I ask a lot of you today. This is your moment of truth, your moment to prove your loyalty, and your moment of devotion to our kingdom." He paused, letting his words sink into their tired minds.

"We have lost someone precious, precious to me and to our kingdom. Princess Elsa is missing. I need you to find our princess and bring her back. There is no time to waste. I want you to find her. Find my Elsa," he pleaded.

Questions burned on confused faces. No one knew what to say or where to begin. 

"Do not ask. Just go!" He ordered, sinking back into his throne.

Jack jumped and gave a final salute before walking out the door. A line of men followed. They were on their way.

"Now to pray they find her quickly," he whispered to himself. 

He sat on his throne. Grief struck him in a way he hadn't felt in sixteen years. A new sense of helplessness rolled over him as the hall empties.

***

Elsa drifted in and out of consciousness. One moment pain erupted in her forehead, another moment she sank into a deep emptiness. Floating in and out, she incorporated her surroundings int her sleep.

She knew her captors were walking. Her body swayed with their footsteps, and pain flooded her head in beat with every step. Pound, pound, pound. There was no relief. Barely opening her eyes, she peeked to see what was happening, but the pain in her head clouded her vision. A must, sweaty odour lingered in the air and in her nostrils, filling her mind with visions or rotten meat. Trying to concentrate on something else, she felt something sticky rolling down the side of her face. The roped tying her arms and legs together bit into her skin, deepening the wounds as they moved. She would have screamed, but a rag chocked back her words.

She couldn't see her captors, but from their smell and grunts, she imagined wile-looking creatures. Their muffled voices rumbled, and she started counting the trees that they passed. The trees got thicker and thicker, blocking out all light from above. A pit opened in her stomach and a wave of dread flooded her as she sunk back into darkness. They were going deeper into the forest and there was nothing she could do.