BREAKING: In Unprecedented Move, Queen Anna Reforms and Restructures Kingdom’s Knightly Orders

By Mikael, Home Reporter

Goodbye, old orders. Hello, Borealis Corps.

In an unprecedented and overnight move aimed at consolidating extraordinary military power in her search for the elixir of life, Anna has issued an executive decree (a right exercised by all Arendellian monarchs in theory but rarely used) to restructure the kingdom’s knightly establishment into a single elite body.

“The Borealis Corps is a knightly order inspired by the beauty and spirit of Old Arendelle, when the Vikings ruled,” said the queen in a press statement. “However, it is also a thoroughly contemporary and modernized creation. It’ll support our main armed forces, sometimes even leading them into the most critical of battles. It’s a centralized institution that will be nimble and quick to respond to the ever more ambitious needs of Arendelle.”

The three knightly orders that are due to end active service are Anna’s Order of the Wheat Stalk, Elsa’s independently-governed Order of the Rime, and Countess Vi’s Mundilfari Court Guard, remnants of whom survived the Battle of Arenfjord against the Russians. Current members will all be reassigned membership of the Borealis Corps, the elite troops that will work hand-in-hand with the general army, which is led by Destin Mattias.

The command structure of the Borealis Corps is relatively simple. At the apex is Hilde Von Altheim, who Anna has recognized as being an important strategic asset to Arendelle’s self-defence, as well as a friend who is unshakeable in her own dedication. Among her many military accolades, Hilde can now call herself the “Grandmaster” of the Borealis Knights. Immediately below the Grandmaster are the Knights, who each command their own division of soldiers. One of these Knights is Sir Alan III, who’s been a longtime member of the now-dissolved Order of the Wheat Stalk.

Rumours abound at how formidable the Borealis Corps really are. According to leaked diplomatic files exchanged between Saint Petersburg and Arendelle, five to ten Borealis Corps soldiers would be enough to keep a Russian Grand Duke at bay. This would be astonishing, since the Grand Dukes (the werebear Yaraslaf, the lich lord Nykras, and the fallen angel Sora) are the most formidable class of warriors our kingdom’s military have faced so far. Our newspaper reached out to Princess Katina Romanov for comment, but our reporters have not yet received a reply.

When asked for comment in turn, Anna was tight-lipped. “What I can say is that the Moonborn, the immortal children of the moon goddess Chang’e, pose the greatest obstacle to our acquisition of the elixir of life. I’m working in consultation with Lord Yixin to ensure that we can either avoid their interference, or engage them on favourable terms. This means that our military must not only have a modern navy and standing army; but also that we have uniquely strong individuals and teams that will ensure that a repeat of the Russo-Arendellian War will never happen again. That Arendellian soil will never be trampled by invading foes again.”

It’s a brave new world as Anna gears up for a long challenge. The Borealis Corps is only the most recent step as she amasses allies around her, including Tileke of the Ottomans, Fujiwara Takako, and Katina Romanov herself. Yet, if this incredible world of warring gods and immortal creatures is truly to be believed (and we all believe our queen), then Arendelle finds itself a flashpoint of incredible danger as well as opportunity. We also watch with interest, of course, the evolution of Anna herself as she wields more power than she could have imagined at the start of her reign. She has so many that support and love her, and we’re faithful that they will be enough to keep her on her right path. But the forces she’s dealing with are now so large, that the path ahead is mired by darkness and uncertainty. She should tread carefully.