Your Majesty and Head Liaison Honeymaren,
Sergeant Severin reporting to you, madams. We’re all in shock over what happened the other night, when the lives of dozens of prominent Arendellians and figures in public life were placed in jeopardy by an act of sabotage. It was supposed to be an exciting inaugural function for the new prime minister. Instead, the kingdom must now be vigilant against an apparently strong, nimble, and shadowy threat who engages in sabotage on a daring, audacious scale.
We’re all extremely distressed about this close call and the loss of Her Majesty’s ship Autumn Cloud, and furious at this direct attack on a symbol of Arendellian dignity and strength. Make no mistake: this wasn’t just a violent attack but a political statement.
Let me assure you that General Mattias and the Arendellian High Command have been working around the clock to determine the nature of this attack. Among some of the most urgent questions are:
How did they slip aboard?
Why did no one detect them?
Did they want to hurt Countess Viola, the prime minister or Your Majesty?
Are they the same person who has been destroying rail lines between Northuldra and Arendelle?
And most important: how can we stop their attacks?
The party’s chef and his assistants, who are now being cared for in the kingdom’s main healing ward, were the only witnesses to the culprit. They said that the figure had a female voice, wore a hood, and dressed in grey. She also moved like lightning, and is evidently well-trained. She started the fire by overturning a barrel of cooking oil and throwing a lit match and unidentified powder onto the spillage.
Although the chef’s memory is hazy, he recalls her saying something along the lines of: “Tell the queen and Honeymaren this: my homeland will never be a colony under Arendelle’s aegis.”
This is a striking clue and it’s obvious that the arsonist wanted to leave us a trail. From what she said, we can be open to the increasingly likely possibility that the culprit is from Northuldra… and forgive me, but… she might be connected to Lady Maren. How, we don’t know. I understand that Your Majesty will surely react with disbelief at this, but I’m simply reporting what the Arendellian High Command has concluded based on the intelligence that the Ravens – Your Majesty’s spies – have gathered. My apologies for any offence caused, Lady Maren.
The next question is naturally what her intentions are. She obviously wishes to express dissatisfaction at the present relationship between Arendelle and Northuldra, seeing Arendelle as harboring colonial intentions, not unlike the late King Runeard. Although I’m not a politician, I’m guessing that she wishes to somehow cripple or undermine Your Majesty’s program for Arendelle’s reunification with Northuldra.
While no one in High Command suspects Maren of any direct relationship with this saboteur, we urge Maren to consider whether the political fissures among Northuldra’s tribal community are more serious than we thought, and if there are splinter groups or aggrieved individuals who wish ill upon the policy that Your Majesty has staked her reign on. That would be politically explosive indeed.
Difficult times lie ahead for Northuldra and Arendelle, I suppose.
Stay safe, both of you.
Good health to Your Majesty!
Sergeant Severin
The Arendelle Guardian 
“Sergeant, like I’ve always said, you’re a good man.
Her Majesty showed me your report. I’m confident that Lady Maren had no part in this heinous act. Whomever this woman is, she is a viable threat not only to the Alliance between Arendelle and Northuldra, but also to Queen Anna and posdibly Lady Maren as well. She must be found and apprehended ASAP before more lives and property is lost and the plans Queen Anna, Lady Maren and myself go up in smoke from this person’s nefarious deeds.
Thank you again, Sgt. Severin”
T. M. Michael
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Well said, Trade Minister! Just doing my job. Our intelligence is second to none, but even we haven’t been able to pin down this saboteur – and we fear she’s much more than that. There’s no telling where she might strike next, and in what capacity. Will she attempt abduction, or worse? Will she try to firebomb one of our landmarks, or spirits forbid, governmental offices? Does she stalk the cobblestone streets of the kingdom now and we don’t know it?
We must keep our eyes peeled. The severe political implications I’ll leave to you and the ministers in the parliament.
Good health,
Sergeant Severin
PS. Is the feared Hilde Von Altheim really as cold as rumoured, or has the queen seen a different side to her? She’s quite the talk among the officers – from the senior ranks down to the rookies.
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She can be, yet she opened up a bit with me at the Keep when we visited Viola when she got injured. She’ll be tough, she’ll make you razor sharp.
Hilde reminds me of a poem from a great General. Here’s part of it,
“Through the travail of ages,
Midst the pomp and toils of war,
Have I fought and strove and perished
Countless times upon a star.”
“So through a glass and darkly,
The age old strife I see
I have been in many guises, many names,
But always me.” (//General George S. Patton, Jr.)
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Most grateful for your sharing, sir. I won’t lie, all the boys think she’s an absolute stunner despite her coldness; still, we can only hope to be half as good as her on the battlefield! General Mattias just shakes his head.
Good health,
Sergeant Severin
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All I can say is, buckle up guys, this ride just got a lot bumpier.
Alan
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