Training for The Unknown

By Sir Alan

Before I begin, I want to congratulate Queen Anna for her persuading Countess Viola to join us and become Prime Minister Viola. This is something that I don’t think any of us expected, but at the same time, we now have Viola and Hilde with us rather than against us. I know that Prince Yixin from China, whom Anna is friends with and was recently visited by, as well as Prince Siegfried among others, would rather see Viola eradicated, but they don’t know the whole story. Those of us who were there for Viola’s decision are learning more and more of the Mundilfari past.

“The Damn War”, as I like to call it, is not over yet. It’s just heating up.

That being said, from around the time when Viola entered our lives (well, made herself known, to be more specific), I made the decision that I wanted to be a part of whatever is to come. I had to learn and improve myself both physically and mentally, and with a sword. And with the training I have put myself through, the thing is, I have been doing it all by myself. Sure, I have gone to Mattias for advice , but while he has been training Queen Anna vigorously, I’ve been training alone. It’s kinda better that way, I can be within my own thoughts while I move myself and my sword.

A lot of my training has been physical and about improving my agility and hand-eye coordination. But there’s also the mental aspect, you have to get your mind right; the mind is just as vital as the moves you make on the battlefield. In essence, you want to be one with the sword. In terms of the physical aspect of my training, I’ve gone ahead and done a lot of it in the woods, setting up an area for myself with different obstacles, most of which Kristoff helped me build. Each obstacle has its purpose, for the physical, the hand-eye, agility, body control, things like that. And I don’t just do it outside in the woods, whether it be training on these obstacles or training with my sword, I do it inside the castle too, whatever opportunity I can find to do something related to my training, I’m going to do it.

I think the apparatus I enjoy the most in my training is the salmon ladder. This is where I propel myself vertically up a series of six rungs with a bar. I have to hone my upper body strength, body control, and my peripheral vision and hand-eye coordination so I can “kip” a couple of inches just enough to get the bar into the next rung.

On one particular day just recently, I was approached by Queen Anna herself. She knows a bit of what I do but hasn’t seen me do it in person, and she had asked if she could. I accepted right away, of course, and we even exchanged some training tips. I felt that Mattias was a really demanding but nurturing mentor to Anna. Hopefully Elsa and Honeymaren will get to see my training at some point. I even want Viola and Hilde to see how far I have come.

And that brings up another point, as I stated before, just because we have Viola and Hilde on our side, doesn’t mean that Viola has escaped her past. Actually, I think her past, whatever it is that I have thought to be holding her back, is probably going to be showing itself soon enough.

Let me explain something: if you want to underestimate Anna, that’s your first mistake. Anna is determined, caring, just an overall amazing person. Her and Elsa are a special pair of sisters, no doubt about it, and I admire them both. Whatever demon it is that is shrouded in the history of the Mundilfari that which wants to tear us all down, I want you to know that we are not going to give up. We will fight back, as we always have. We’re not going to be pushed around. And to anyone looking to stand against us now that Viola, and Hilde too, are with us, I ask you this: Why do you think Anna went through all of this? You think she persuaded Viola so much just for a publicity stunt?

No, no way in hell. Anna knows exactly what she is doing.

Yes, it’s Viola, I know. But to Prince Yixin, Prince Siegfried, China’s allies in Russia and the United States (where I have strong and deep ties to), to Corona, Northuldra, Dun Broch, and all over, understand this: We need allies more than we need enemies.

Put your feelings about Viola aside, at least for now, and help us. We don’t truly know what is to come with the past of the Mundulfari, what could come out and come back, but I have said time and time again that something is holding Viola back, I don’t think Viola is what the Mundulfari is known for, she was born into that family and has had to live up to the name, but has now realized, thanks to Anna, she doesn’t have to. I will say it again, we will win “The Damn War.”

Thanks for reading,
Alan