The next morning felt different.
Not because of the visitors.
Because of what they left behind.
---
Questions.
---
Elsa sat outside the hut sharpening a knife she didn't actually need to sharpen.
A habit Edward taught her.
---
"When your hands are busy, your thoughts slow down."
---
It rarely worked.
---
Today was no exception.
---
Her gaze drifted toward Rowan.
The old man was repairing a fence.
Badly.
---
"You're avoiding me."
---
The hammer stopped.
---
"No, I'm not."
---
"You are."
---
"...Maybe a little."
---
Elsa sighed.
---
The visitors had departed at dawn.
But their words remained.
---
A famous adventurer.
A living legend.
A man known across the kingdom.
---
None of it matched the Rowan she knew.
---
The Rowan who burned fish.
The Rowan who argued with trees.
The Rowan who somehow lost a chair.
---
"You still haven't told me everything."
---
The hammer stopped again.
---
Silence.
---
Then Rowan lowered it slowly.
---
"No."
---
At least he was honest.
---
Elsa stood.
---
"Why?"
---
The old man looked toward the forest.
Toward memories.
---
"Because some things don't become lighter when spoken."
---
A familiar answer.
---
The kind adults always gave when they didn't want children involved.
---
Except Elsa wasn't a child anymore.
---
She understood pain.
Better than most.
---
"So you're protecting me?"
---
Rowan smiled faintly.
---
"No."
---
That surprised her.
---
"I'm protecting myself."
---
Silence.
---
Because somehow—
That answer sounded more truthful.
---
The wind moved softly through the clearing.
---
Then—
A bird landed nearby.
---
Small.
Gray.
Carrying a sealed message.
---
Rowan's expression immediately darkened.
---
That wasn't good.
---
The bird landed on the fence.
Waiting.
---
The seal bore the crest of the kingdom.
---
Elsa felt her stomach tighten.
---
Bad news had a certain look.
This had it.
---
Rowan opened the letter.
Read.
Paused.
Read again.
---
The color drained slightly from his face.
---
"What happened?"
---
Rowan folded the message slowly.
---
"The capital issued a decree."
---
Elsa already knew.
---
Before he said it.
---
She already knew.
---
"...For me."
---
Rowan nodded.
---
Silence.
---
The forest seemed quieter suddenly.
---
"Read it."
---
The old man hesitated.
---
Then finally—
---
"'By royal authority, the dragon-blood known as Elsa is declared an existential threat to the kingdom.'"
---
Each word landed heavily.
---
"'Any individual providing aid, shelter, food, protection, or assistance will be charged with treason.'"
---
Silence.
---
"'Termination is authorized without restriction.'"
---
The words ended.
---
The world didn't.
---
Elsa stared quietly at the ground.
---
No anger.
Not immediately.
---
Just exhaustion.
---
A deep tiredness.
---
Because she had spent months proving them wrong.
---
And they hadn't cared.
---
"They finally decided."
---
Her voice sounded strangely calm.
---
Rowan watched her carefully.
---
"Elsa—"
---
"They finally decided what I am."
---
The old man didn't answer.
---
Because there was no answer.
---
Far away—
In the capital—
Men who had never met her had signed papers.
Made judgments.
Chosen her fate.
---
Exactly as they once did with her mother.
---
Exactly as they once did with Edward.
---
The cycle continued.
---
Elsa laughed softly.
---
Not happily.
---
Not bitterly.
---
Just tired.
---
Edward would have hated this.
---
Not because they hunted her.
---
Because they stopped trying to understand.
---
The same mistake.
Again.
---
And again.
---
And again.
---
Then Rowan spoke quietly.
---
"You can stay."
---
Elsa looked at him.
---
The old man met her gaze steadily.
---
"No matter what that paper says."
---
A simple sentence.
---
A dangerous sentence.
---
Because helping her now meant death.
---
Execution.
---
Treason.
---
Loss of everything.
---
And yet—
He said it anyway.
---
For a moment—
Elsa remembered another weak man standing against an entire kingdom.
---
A man with no talent.
No great power.
No legendary title.
---
Just love.
---
Edward.
---
Her chest tightened painfully.
---
"You're an idiot."
---
Rowan smiled.
---
"I've been told that."
---
"Many times?"
---
"Constantly."
---
For the first time that day—
A faint smile appeared on Elsa's face.
---
Small.
Fragile.
---
But real.
---
Then—
The forest shook.
---
Once.
---
Twice.
---
Hard enough to send birds exploding into the sky.
---
Both immediately stood.
---
That wasn't natural.
---
Another tremor followed.
Closer.
---
And beneath it—
A sound.
---
Thousands of footsteps.
---
Marching.
---
Elsa's eyes widened slightly.
---
Rowan's expression hardened.
---
Because both of them understood instantly.
---
The kingdom wasn't sending hunters anymore.
---
Hunters were for monsters.
---
This was for war.
---
And for the first time since Edward's death—
Elsa realized something terrifying.
---
No matter how much she wanted peace—
The world might not leave her any choice.