The official story went like this: After Anna punched Hans out of the boat and they arrive on shore, Elsa instructed the Royal Guard to fish Hans out of the fjord. He was roughly and publicly taken into custody, and thrown on a boat headed back to the Southern Isles to receive his punishment from his own family.
What the public didn't know is that boat didn't go to the Southern Isles. Instead, following Need To Know orders it took a short excursion to pick up a bunch of fisherman, and then stayed out on the water for a week before returning to Arrindelle. Under the guise of bringing in a catch, the fisherman snuck Hans into solitary confinement until Queen Elsa could decide what to do with him.
There Hans stayed for two months, all the while trying to charm the guards around his cell into letting him go. But he'd already shown his hand, and none of them fell for his act.
Then one night while the moon was high the door to his cell unexpectedly burst open, revealing a large soldier who announces he has been requested for an audience with the queen. Right away Hans begins calculating his chances as the soldier leads him through the long corridors to the throne room.
Hans knew he was going to receive his judgment that night. He prayed to gods he does not believe in that Anna will be there. She is naïve, and he could "explain" how he "regrets" his actions.
As the intimidating doors to the throne room swung open a chill hit Hans, despite the roaring fire clearly visible from the entryway. He could not, however, see his judges. He is drug roughly to the center of the room where he can finally discern that it is the Queen alone on the judgment seat. Hans' heart sinks back to where it had been resting for the last two months, his hope shattered. The guards remain beside him, and the smug smile Elsa has on her face gives Hans no reason for confidence.
Knowing there is no sense in trying hide his true self from the intuitive queen, Hans sneers at her. Queen Elsa steps calmly off the throne, but even on his level she is no less impressive. She carries herself with a relatively newfound confidence that comes with having power and authority, and knowing how to use it. Hans was overcome with jealousy, and knew that walk was what it really came down to, the visible evidence of the sincere certainty, courage, and poise he craved for himself. That is why he was willing to do anything to get a crown. So those virtues could be truly his, and not another pretense.
Hans watches Elsa as she walks slowly toward the fire. Even it seems to recoil in her presence. She stares into its mesmerizing glow, deep in thought.
After a moment of silence, Elsa begins to speak. "Anna and I have spoken at length about you. She would like to forgive and move on with her life. I, on the other hand, am not quite as ready to let it go." She turns toward Hans. "It has taken me quite a while to figure out an appropriate punishment for your crimes. You manipulated the princess into loving you, then broke her heart and left her to die, all the while plotting to kill myself, the Queen. For any of these crimes I could rightly have you beheaded, but the crime I consider most heinous is the way you hurt my sister, my closest friend."
"You're one to talk!" Spits Hans, defiant since his carefully crafted charm was no use. He could see Elsa's face darken , a crack in her composure. The room grows much colder, Hans breath becomes visible.
"You are in NO position to be taunting me right now!" Elsa hisses. Her tone makes the guards unconsciously step back, but Hans struggles to stand his ground.
Elsa turned back to the fire, composing herself. "As I was saying, that got me thinking about what Anna herself taught me. That true love melts a frozen heart. And your heart is the most frozen of all, isn't it Hans?"
He question is met with only Hans hard stare.
"That is why," Elsa continues, "I have decided to let you go. Go back where you came from, don't ever come back. And learn to love."
At that Hans cannot hide his shock. "That's it? Just like that?" He straightens up a bit, thinking this had gone much better than he expected. His old noble demeanor begins to return, his royal upbringing rearing its head again. "A very wise decision, your majesty! My country will be relieved to see me again. And your display of love has inspired me! From now on I swear..."
"I was not finished!" Elsa says firmly. "I intend to raise the stakes."
She starts to walk slowly, deliberately toward Hans, delicately removing one glove on her way. Getting the sense of her plans, Hans becomes alarmed.
"No, no, please no, Elsa you don't want to do this!" He sputters, trying to back away. Just as he turns to run the two guards catch him by the arms and hold him unwaveringly in place facing the Queen. Hans struggles against them to no avail. He continues pleading but Elsa, sure of her decision, would not be deterred.
She reaches her ungloved hand out, raising it slightly in the air and gently letting it drop until her finger rest softly on his chest.
Then, with a little half smile she presses a bolt of ice into his body.
Hans gasps and cries out in pain before collapsing to his knees, held up only by the guards' grip on his arms. He feels the cold swirling inside him, pulsing through his body before settling in his chest. His skin goes pale. He trieds to catch his breath, but he lacks the strength to stand. As he looks up at Elsa through the hair that had fallen in his face he could see a streak of white that had not been there before.
"What… have you done?" Hans demands through labored breaths.
"I have struck you with a slower moving form of the frostbite my sister had. Which means if you fail to learn how to love in 8 months' time, you will suffer the same fate you left my sister." Elsa explains.
"That is a death sentence!" Hans declares. "Why don't you kill me here or must I suffer hell before I go to it!?"
Elsa frowns at him, dissatisfied with his lack of appreciation. "I am giving you a chance to live. Love is built on honesty, selflessness, and forgiveness. Practice these things and you will delay the frostbite."
Not comforted, Hans, struggling to his feet, threatens, "Just wait till my parents, the King and Queen of the Southern Isles, learns of what you've done. They will conquer Arendelle and make me king of it!" A sudden, crippling pain emanating from his chest halts his rant. He notices another streak of his hair went white.
An almost imperceptible smirk passes across Elsa's face. "That will not save you. In fact, that is the other thing you need to know. Actions that work against love: selfishness, vengeance, and dishonesty will accelerate the process."
Unable to reply without the fear of further injuring himself, Hans seethes at Elsa.
"Guards," she commands, "escort this man outside the city and stay with him until dawn. Then leave him with some supplies for his journey. Hans, should you attempt to return to Arendelle you will not get away so easy."
The guards comply, though they feel no need to treat Hans kindly. They carelessly take a few food items from the kitchen and stuff them in a bag, heaving it on top of the load of possessions being returned to him. His horse is brought out from the stable and Hans is stuffed in a windowless carriage to ride to the gates of Arrendelle. At the gates they leave the windowless carriage and make him ride in the cart to avoid attention outside the city. The first gleams of sunlight are starting to brighten the sky as the crew trots slowly away from the city.