"Better to have one woman on your side than ten men."

-Robert Jordan

If only she could see herself in the mirror right now, she would see a burning red face of certain red-head general princess staring back at her. At the moment she had abandoned all caution about her fact that she mustn't be herself. Her mind had gone up to smoke, like all her plan and composed self.

Anna also had been too preoccupied to notice that the mighty Queen of Arendelle, was standing by the door, witnessing the entire scene that had been unfolded between the General and the princess.

"General White." The Queen called the still oblivious brunette general.

"Yes, your majesty?" General White – now that Anna could put a name on a face – reacted at the Queen's voice. However, the general seemed unaffected or at the slightest surprise of the Queen's arrival. She had shifted her attention to her queen while glancing occasionally toward the flustered princess still pined up on the wall.

"I would really appreciate it if you leave the princess alone." Elsa finally stepped into the room and closed the door behind her, leaving the promised privacy.

General White's glances to the Princess now became blatant staring. There were several emotions flashed within the pair of chocolate eyes, the prominent one was – Elsa had deciphered – as concern.

"But, your majesty… the princess was…"

"Rapunzel." Elsa cut in the general speech, now with a harsher tone. "leave. Please." Her tone softened, albeit with frustrated sigh in the end of her sentence. "I promise, I will explain it to you later. Right now, my sister…" Elsa winced at the words. "Not quite herself."

The concern now turned into curiosity. "I understood, your majesty. I'll take my leave." General White bowed slightly before dismissing herself from the princess's chamber.

When a sound of the twin doors closed was heard, Elsa released a big sigh that she had been holding. Her gaze was now rested on a person who had her sister's body got flustered up and confused.

It was her first time to witness her sister's face in that kind of state since a very long time. Elsa had to admit though, that the view of Anna's flustered face was quite endearing…

Elsa cleared her throat loudly to get the red-haired girl's attention.

Anna moved, after had been freezing during the entire exchange between the general and the Queen. She didn't know if Elsa's arrival was a bless or a curse. She guessed she would find out.

"… Are you alright?" Elsa's question almost threw Anna out of guard for countless times in the day. She had been expecting another tip of ice sword against her neck.

"Yes? I mean… I don't know. I've never been kissed like that before." Or ever. Anna outwardly cringed.

"Well… the owner of that lips have. I have lost count actually, but I imagine your reaction about the activity is new." Elsa nodded her head to the nearest chair in the room. "Sit."

Anna complied. Not that her mind could reform any sort of command for herself after her ordeal.

"Did you mean that the Princess has kissed many times?" Anna plopped herself down onto the chair. She felt her knees buckled under her and gave a relief sigh when she could rest on it.

"… Yes." The Queen twitched a slight smirk. "Yes she has."

Every second Anna felt that she kept learning surprising facts about the princess.

"The General…"

"Rapunzel and my sister have been involved for quite sometimes. At least, that's what Rapunzel has been declared, and my sister never bothers to deny it. Their relationship though… somewhat complicated and…" Elsa bit her bottom lip before continuing. "unhealthy."

Anna frowned. "Unhealthy?"

This time, Elsa dropped her Queen's persona and slumped on the chair. She looked defeated while pressing her fingers on the bridges between her eyes. "They do not own conventional bond. If you have gathered, my sister has problem with anger and temper."

Anna confirmed with a nod.

"My sister, the Princess… cannot feel anything except anger. It has been a while to see her genuine smile not triggered by bloodbath."

Anna felt like knowing where this story was going.

"Rapunzel… well, one thing that I have General White at my side is that her unwavering loyalty. She is the most trusted and efficient General of Arendelle despite her outward cheery persona. She would use any mean to justify her end of mission. In simple way to explain… My sister kills because it's her nature demands it… Rapunzel in the other hand… she kills for her own satisfaction and agenda."

Anna's head suddenly dizzy. The two were like peas in a pod. A sociopath and psychopath in medieval times on Arendelle. What a great history of drama.

"Wow…" Anna breathed. She thought Elsa had done with the story but the Queen suddenly continue with words that Anna would tell that it was the most surprising fact in the day.

"The thing is… Anna cannot love anyone, but me. And I too, but her."

After exhausting revelation by the Queen, Anna had spent the rest of the days remained in her room. She would avoid anyone breathing and kept to herself until the day of Battle of Maldone came.

By the time, Anna had memorized the castle's direction to several quiet spots that well-suited for her hiding place. She had even managed to find a hidden passageway connected the hallways near her chamber to the throne room and kitchen. It had been the most helpful discovery since she wouldn't have needed to worry about food supply anymore.

Why no one ever told her that medieval chocolate was so goddamn delicious?

Bless the medieval cooks.

Despite the wretched people in the castle and terrifying revelation about the owner of the body Anna currently was occupying, Anna had been enjoying the view of 15th century. She wasn't a history lover, but surely she never missed polluted metropolitan of Arendelle city. She did miss internet and her phone though.

She only occasionally came across the Queen and General Dunbroch. The Queen would inform her about important information like what she needed to do for the day and met some people in advance. Usually, she would have General Dunbroch as her company. Anna had to admit that perhaps the fiery haired General was the most sensible and her potential ally in this twisted historical time-travel adventure of hers.

Anna prayed that General Dunbroch didn't turn out and gave her surprising revelation like the others had.

"Pardon me, Princess… but I have to say that you have been very… different in past few days." Dunbroch said while they were dropping by at horse stable to check the horses's condition for upcoming war.

Anna shrugged, "everyone says so."

"Everyone is curious of why." The general paid attention at her job in brushing her steed. It was black with a strip of white around the nose and feet. Its name was Argus, Dunbroch had cooed and spoiled the horse rotten as far as Anna had observed in first few days.

"Everyone should mind their own business." Anna grunted.

"One is worried." Dunbroch supplied.

Anna raised an eyebrow.

"It's General White. Rapunzel… pardon me princess, but I'm certain you will refrain yourself from killing me in interfering your… relationship with her."

"… Maybe I will."

"You are most kind, and full of mercy." There was an amused tone beneath it. "Which I cannot help but feel… concern too."

"Why is that?"

"You, I, and thousand others would go to war. You will lead. Princess, I never question your judgement, you are a good leader and best slaughter I ever meet."

Anna winced visibly at the word, 'slaughter'.

"Hence, my concern." Merida now had finished brushing Argus and gave undivided attention to the princess.

"… so, two are worried?"

"One is." Dunbroch waved with single hand, clearing Anna's assumption about her disposition. "I am concerned. Yes. But I am also curious as why you have been referring me as General Dunbroch… while we are alone."

Oh no.

"One has theory." Dunbroch continued. She pulled her sword and threw it at Anna's direction. Then, the General grabbed a dagger from her belt while forming a fighting stance.

"And one has to prove it. Spare with me, princess."

Anna had hope for peace at least until the war had ended.

Hope was too much for her.

Anna had no excuse that wouldn't make seem her suspicious to reject Dunbroch's challenge. So they were exactly outside the stable as Dunbroch was circling Anna with her battle-form stance. Some stable hands who were passing through and working had dropped what they had been doing and watching the famous ruthless of Arendelle princess and one of the three Ultimate Arendelle Generals.

Anna didn't make a move to lift the sword in her hand, instead she was eyeing Dunbroch with unreadable expression. "What was I used to call you?" Anna tilted her head. Inside, there was a storm raging, a storm of fear and helplessness. Therefore, she decided, if she might not come out of this fight alive, she would at least solve the source of the problem.

Dunbroch frowned. "My first name, of course."

"And what, pray tell, General, is your first name?"

Dunbroch gritted her teeth. First she was puzzled of the genuine confusion flashed within the princess's expression, but then it turned to rage as she felt like she was being played. The princess had been known of her hatred toward games of façade, in any form. That kind of games belong to Rapunzel and the Queen. So when the ruthless princess decided to play that game on her, Dunbroch lashed out.

Anna had struck a nerve, she knew it. The General was out for her blood. The fiery red hair lunged at her direction, dagger in hand. The movement was fast, but Anna could still the direction.

Anna side-stepped the attack with suprisingly complete ease.

The attack in fact was a series of slashes and thrust from the General.

Not once, Anna lifted the sword. She dodged, rolled, jumped, anywhere to the place the dagger wasn't. Her body had been moving by itself, obviously, because if it had been her own, Anna wouldn't be so sure that she could avoid that fast attack.

After several minutes of vain attacks, out of breathe, the General threw away her dagger.

Automatically, Anna's attention followed the dagger's direction which had missed her several feet away.

That unguarded moment had costed her since Dunbroch had used it to score a punch on her face.

Anna swore she could see stars exploded. She staggered backward from the impact and shook her head to clear her vision.

"You would have used that sword, Princess. Beheaded me, not but wound enough to possibly take a limb." Dunbroch pointed out.

Anna sighed and confusing the General further by throwing the sword away. "Listen, General… until few moments ago, you were the only person who never attacked me, threatened me, and kissed me… I thought you are the most sensible individual in this castle."

Dunbroch froze… she was out of her depth. The woman in front of her had sounded like princess, had her face, and even her movement was so similar with the Princess.

But she wasn't her.

The realization had hit her like a lightning in daylight. General Dunbroch fell on her knees while keeping her gaze on the Princess she thought she knew.

"Who…" are you?

The rest of her words were silenced by the arrival of the Queen as the crowd dispersed. With one look from the Queen, the crowd hurriedly returned to their own previous activity, leaving the Queen with two people in front of her.

The truth was out, it was as clear as day when one looked at the General's expression.

So she shifted her gaze to the Princess. A split lip and small blood trickled on the way to her chin, had caught Elsa's attention as she narrowed her gaze more.

Anna beat her on the talk. The girl's eyes showed extremely exhausted. The Queen felt somewhat guilty as if she had taken a part of the tiredness and injury the young woman had suffered. The Queen dismissed it with a fact that looking at her sister in vulnerable state had been… very unsettling as she almost never encountered a vulnerable Anna for a long time.

"I cannot be her." Anna said softly. Elsa had misread the exhaustion as fury, but when Anna had spoken out, it came out so weak. She wasn't Anna… she wasn't the Princess… and even though she had known that for quite a while… the reality that the girl in front of her wasn't her sister… had devastated her.

"What?" Elsa wasn't sure, she heard, but she didn't listen. "What?"

"I cannot be her. I am not the Princess, I am not your sister."

"Stop it." Elsa almost yelled out. Unconsciously her hand was forming an ice sword as her life was threatened.

"I am not a cold-blooded killer, Elsa. I don't care, but I will not be a heartless person like that."

"Shut your mouth! You do not know anything about her!" Her cold hand gripped the ice-weapon until her pale knuckles turned white snow.

"I won't play as her, Elsa. If I'm stuck with this body, then I will be what I am. If it's my destiny to fulfill her mission-whatever is it… then I will. But not with her way, not with destroying and killing, and cold heart. Unlike her, I have emotion!"

A bunch of icicles formed out of the empty air and flew at her direction. Anna gasped as she was preparing for impact.

A crash sound was heard when she was held by no other the General Dunbroch. She had dispersed the ice with her gauntlet as a shield.

The queen looked horrified, looking at her own hands as she could not believe that she had attacked her sister – she could've mortally wounded Anna's body.

"I- I am sorry… I-" Elsa's eyes held sorrows as the platinum blond Queen took a step back and then turned on her heel, marched back into the castle.

General Dunbroch made a raise. She was cleaning the ice on her clothes.

The General finally turned toward the Princess. "Do you truly mean that? Your words about completing the mission by your own way?"

Anna hadn't gotten over her surprise and Dunbroch's question had taken off guard.

"… I do… as long as I am in this body."

Like it hadn't been a roller coaster of revelation already, the General then kneeled on one knee in front of her. She bowed her head and stated, "I… The First General of Arendelle, Merida Dunbroch, swear with my blood and my life to pledge myself to support, protect, and stay at your side as long as you are true with your word. You have my sword, my loyalty from here onwards."

An oath. The General was making an oath and pledge her life to her.

The fiery red-haired General looked up and raised from her feet. "You used to call me Merida, Princess." She offered a grin that truly suited the brazen General.

Her hope of peace was too much after all.

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AN: A virtual cookie for your thought.