A Saga Of Ice And Fire

Chapter Eight - Uneasy Nights

A ribbon of green light weaved it's way across the heavens before quickly growing into an intertwined flickering curtain of blue, purple and green, dancing gracefully in the night sky , illuminating the empty , cobbled streets of Arendelle's capital, Hovedstad, in it's brilliant glow, outshining even the moon.

A peaceful calm had settled over the kingdom as the night wore on, the only sounds being that of hooves of strong, brazen ice harvesting horses as they( led by their owners) carried huge , neatly carved blocks of ice through the empty streets to be delivered to the traders. Most of the Arendellians were already sound asleep, windows open in the hope of inviting in a non existent cool breeze as the summer reached it's peak. Only a few of the inhabitants of the kingdom were still awake at such a late hour : and that very few included the King and Queen of the kingdom.

"Would you calm down, love ?" Iduna said , looking up from her book .

King Agnarr had been silently pacing the bedroom for the past half hour with furrowed brows, clearly in turmoil about something . Hearing his wife's voice, the king let out a frustrated sigh and checked his suitcases once more. The King of Arendelle was heading out to Berk the following day to attend the funeral that was being held for King Stoick's wife, who'd been killed during a night raid nearly two weeks ago.

"More often than not, I find myself wishing I were my father." Agnarr sighed, " I was just a boy left to lead an entire Kingdom."

" You've done the best you can as the king. More than anyone else I know could . " Iduna said, slipping her hand into his . She kissed his hand. "So what troubles you so much now ? "

Agnarr looked at his wife warily, as if trying to decide on whether to keep his fortress up or to let them crumble and give in to the searching gaze the pair of bright blue eyes cast his way.

"Alright but don't come to me if you get a headache or grow weary of me. " He relented.

"Oh don't worry, I'll give you no such opportunity to tell me so. " Iduna replied cooly.

Agnarr rolled his eyes and began. " It appears that my ever so dutiful council thought it best to keep me in the dark until now about the fact that Auverna has so joyfully set up a blasted trade port on the Withered skerrys!"

"So Bravaria has sworn with Auverna then? " Iduna asked.

"It would appear so!" Agnarr sighed wearily.

"And that doesn't constitute an act of agression?"

"No, unfortunately not. " Agnarr pressed his lips tight. "Bravaria were not sworn to our alliance yet so they were not exactly bound to us or our allies."

"Then I'm sure there must be some other way?" Iduna remarked after a pause, trying to calm her husband.

" I won't know even if there were! The council say the matter was not brought to me until they felt it requiring my attention . But by then it was already too bloody late! " Agnarr said disdainfully as the frustration poured out of him as if some invisible dam had broken . "It's as if they have no confidence in my decisions ! And now, my choices for trade with the South are either to have to go through a sea port controlled by the enemy or to sail by the bloody pirate infested Barrenstones!"

Iduna didn't say anything, merely listening to her husband in silence as she stroked his free hand comfortingly.

"And Norland isn't making things easier either if I were to divert the trade through them on land. " Agnarr remarked grimly . " They know our choices are limited."

A jarring silence hung over them momentarily as Iduna waited to see if Agnarr was going to continue or not.

"And then there's Elsa." Agnarr finished leaning back and resting his head on the headboard .