Within five minutes, mayhem spread through the palace halls and a scuffle ensued as three guards hauled Drake to the ice palace: "What is happening? Let go of me!" Anna trudged closely behind him; her face unreadable.
They threw him onto his knees in front of Lena, who sat on her throne, poised, coolly looking at him detachedly. Drake cast an accusatory glance in her direction. "This is how you treat guests? This is the way I get thanked after helping you?" He tried shaking off the guards, who held him firmly.
Lena raised her hand; the guards moved to release him. "You may all leave." With a nod, they retreated, leaving only Anna at Lena's side. Rising from her throne, Lena glided down the dais with graceful ease. "You're here to be banished from this land—temporarily," she said coolly, her voice unbending.
Drake's eyes went wide. "Banished? You called me here, so either send me back or take responsibility for this mess!
Lena strode towards a small ornate chest beside her throne and took out a neatly decorated bag. "This is my responsibility." She slid the bag across the floor to him. "Inside, you'll find money, a map, a compass, and some spare clothing. Where you go from here is your decision."
Furiously, Drake snatched up a stool lying nearby and flung it at her. But the reflexes of Lena were quick. "Aqua Shield," she whispered, conjuring a fragile crystalline barrier of water. The stool shattered against it, and before he could react, she unleashed another spell. "Aqua Dragon Roar," she whispered, sending forcefully a stream of water to pass just beside his head-an unmistakable warning.
Anna turned at Lena's voice. It was low, but commanding. "Take him out of our territory."
Anna bowed and then motioned to the guards. "You heard the Queen," she instructed. They lifted Drake, who fought in their arms, shouting, "You'll pay for this!" But as they whisked him away, his defiant stare clashed with Lena's tranquil, fixed one, and an indescribable feeling swept over him-an alien, magnetic tug he couldn't wrangle free from.
After days of exhausting travel, with Drake being a source of constant irritation, they finally approached the gate of Fort Kingdom late that evening. Water Dragon Knights were on patrol, and their knight commander came forward. "Identify yourselves."
Anna stepped forward, flashing a medallion. "By the Queen's order."
The knight commander knew her but did not back down. "The Queen's order or not, the protocol has to be observed. Privilege does not exempt anyone from the rules."
Unflinchingly, Anna drew her sword, its tip scratching the commander's throat. In an instant, other knights drew their weapons, standing on defense. "Be careful," Anna warned, her voice cold. "Do you want to face responsibility for failure to comply with a direct order?"
The commander weighed his options and then stepped aside reluctantly, signaling to stand down. "Open the gate," he ordered tightly.
Anna nodded and flicked her hand at the guards. "Toss him out and let's go." They tossed Drake across the threshold. His bag fell beside him. Wordlessly, the gates shut behind them as Anna turned back with her escort, leaving Drake alone in the gathering dusk.