Prologue: Don't fight the fear.
Arendelle, during the Big Freeze.
Hans sighed as he looked outside the window, where the winds were still howling outside. The situation was getting worse and worse by the day. And even though they had retrieved the queen, the princess was still missing... And the queen didn't know either where her sister was, nor how to stop the winter she had created.
"Your Highness?" Hans shook himself out of his thoughts when he saw a servant with two shivering children by her side. "I found them at the gate, your highness. They have no food..."
And the lack of food was another problem. Hans' mind reeled as he looked to the two children. How long untill their food ran out? maximum 3 days for sure, since the people hadn't harvested anything of course, as it had been the middle of summer...
"Alright, Gerda. Give them a bowl of soup, and some warm clothes will you?" smiled Hans tiredly.
"Certainly, your highness." said the elderly woman, leaving the prince once more with his thoughts.
Even with the queen back, she had no clue as how to stop the winter. Hans rubbed his eyes. God, why did Anna leave! He only had that much credibility for the people. Soon, their patience would run out. Hunger and cold made every human desperate. And like any animal, they would fight for any scrapes that was left.
"Your highness?"
"What now?" snapped Hans as he swirled arround. His irritation quickly melted away when he saw the two young children again that Gerda had brought in earlier. "I'm terribly sorry, child. What is your name?" apologized Hans immediately, causing the girl to widen her eyes. No royal had ever apologized to a commoner like that.
"I...forgive me your highness. The fault is mine. My name is Sigunn." spoke the girl softly. "I was just wondering if there is a bed where we and my brother can sleep? All the other guest rooms are occupied, your highness"
"I'm sure there is still place in one of the nobility rooms" remembered Hans. "They have double beds..."
"They...have, your highness." said the girl hesitantly.
Hans frowned. "So, you have already a room?"
The girl swallowed heavily, as she didn't feel comfortable telling the prince.
"Girl, tell me" spoke Hans sternly as he knelt before her. "Tell me the truth. Did they give you a place in their rooms or not?"
The girl kept looking down. "No...your highness." She flinched when she saw Hans' angry gaze. "Forgive me, your highness!" cried the girl as she knelt to the ground. "I didn't meant to be such a nuisance for you!"
Hans blinked, returning his attention back to reality; His anger hadn't been for the girl, but for the nobilities, who had been so selfish in letting a girl standing in the cold. "Nuisance?" Hans slowly took the girl's chin up. "Child, you are no nuisance to anyone here. If they won't provide you a place to sleep, I'll give you one. I wasn't planning on sleeping that much anyway."
"I... Thank you, my lord" stuttered the girl astonished by the prince's generosity. "Truly, I am in your debt. I'll repay you, I swear to God."
The prince waved it away. "You don't have to pay me child. Your smile during these dark times is already a great gift."
"Can you tell us a bedtime story?" called the younger brother out as they both went under the blanket.
"Gunnar!" sissed the older sister, afraid that the prince might be offended.
Hans chuckled softly. "Sure...Now, lets see...Do you know the story of the Little snow drop?" Both children shook their head. "Alright... Once upon a time.." It did his mind some good as well, as he told the little story for the children, remembering his own youth. Oh, how innocent and joyful everything still was back then...
"Thank you, My lord..." slurred the girl as sleep began to take over.
"You're welcome." spoke Hans quietly as he watched the sleeping children. "I hope you'll give them sweet dreams, sandman. They'll need it now more then ever." whispered the prince in the quiet dark room. The only light source came from the warm fire place...
"Oh, they don't need dreams, young prince." spoke a voice from behind him. Hans' hand went for his sword, as years of training kicked in. But he only found air. The prince cursed in himself. He had left the sword by his desk! The prince swirled arround, making a fist to punch the enemy in the face, when the man simply vaporised before his eyes!
"Oh, you got fire...I like that!" cackled the voice as the prince launched again.
"Where are you devil?" growled Hans as he flashed his eyes arround the dark room.
"Right here, young man." Hans stumbled back when he felt the man's cold eyes pierce inside his. "uhmmm...interesting..."
"What?" growled Hans as he looked fearlessly into the yellow eyes.
"You have no...fear inside you..." spoke the figure interested as he swirled arround the prince. "I can use that."
Hans glared to the man as he swirled arround. "Whatever your offer is, I'm not a sellsword. I'm not that dishonourable. Now, tell me who you are, and why you are here."
"No, you are not." spoke the figure. "as for your second question...i'm pitch black, the King of Nightmares."
Hans raised his eyebrows. "Suriously? King of Nightmares? Quite arrogant are we?"
"Look the pot accusing the kettle." sneered Pitch back. "Who wants to become King of Arendelle?"
Hans' eyes narrowed. "You are reading my mind..."
"Bingo!" cried Pitch out.
"Cut to the real talk already, Pitch black. I'm growing tired of this game." spoke Hans annoyed by the entity's mannerism.
"Very well. I want you to break Anna's heart, and Kill the queen." said Pitch carelessly.
Hans blinked, and blinked again, before bursting out into laughter. "Now, that's a bad joke, really!" laughed the prince. "I'll never do such a thi-" The prince suddenly coughed when Pitch dissolved into his mouth, making him almost choke in the process.
"No..." gasped Hans as he fell to the ground. The entity began to take over his mind!
"Your highness?" Hans' sweaty face looked up, to the awake girl. She could help him!
"Help...me!" coughed Hans as his hand went to his heart. It was difficult to concentrate now. Another wave of pain crashed into his body, and his heart went into overddrive. "Listen girl, In a few moments...I'll be different, in a whole other way of behaviour. Please...Try to warn the Duke! Get out of here, now!"
"But...Your highness-"
"Get out!" barked Hans. His green eyes became black for a second as Pitch began to take over more and more of the man's mind. Those violent thoughts... He was unable to shut them out. And he had plenty of those thoughts inside him, as Pitch took them all out, smacking them in his face, breaking his will more and more. "no!" moaned Hans. No, he couldn't give in. His mind travelled back to Anna... She was counting on him! And the queen...Elsa...
Pitch growled inside the man's mind. He resisted longer then he had ever anticipated... but it didn't matter. Soon, he'll break, like everyone else. He just had to find his weak spot... Pitch blinked as he saw a more brighter, happier memory inside the prince's mind. now, what was this? Pitch cackled when he felt Hans' shock transforming into rage.
"Don't you DARE-"
"I'll do her no harm..." Pitch moved the prince's arm now, and the young child that was still in the room, suddenly coughed as he began to choke by Pitch' shadows. "Him, on the other hand..."
"No! Stop this!"
"I'll stop, If you let me in." Pitch felt Hans short hesitation.
"You swear. Swear that not one child will be harmed, when you take my body?"
"yes"
"He's in here!" called the older sister out as she arrived with the Duke. Hans knew he had little time left to decide, for the boy's life was on the brink. What would Elsa have done... She would have done this. She had sworn an oath, the same oath he had taken when he took up as remporary regent of Arendelle.
"Do you swear to protect and care for this country and its inhabitants?"
"I do solemnly swear..."
"Fine. I give in." swallowed Hans heavily. He sighed relieved when the boy got released, when suddenly he felt himself being...slammed behind a door... It was as if his senses were dulled; He still could watch, and feel and hear, but it was muffled and dark...
"Your highness... are you okay?"
He opened his mouth, but he couldn't speak the words he wanted to. Pitch was talking in his stead.
"I'm fine. I just am a bit tired..." He looked to the young concerned Sigunn. "Something the matter, child?"
The peasant girl gasped when she saw Hans' yellow eyes. "Lord Duke! His majesty warned me before! He said he felt as if he became possessed!"
"My dear child, that's just nonsense" spoke the Duke concerned for the girl's sanity. "I believe you and your brother are still facing some after effects from the hypothermia and-"
"Its not true!" cried the girl. "His highness cried out in pain! There was a man pitch black, and-"
Pitch growled inside Hans' mind. That girl had seen too much! What if they began to believe her? "Perhaps it is indeed better to let a medic examine her further, Lord Duke."
"Please, you have to listen to me! He's not himself and is being controlled! I'm going to help you My Lord! Just like you helped me!" screamed the girl loudly as the guards took her out of the room. Her screaming caused several other guests to wake and look out their doors at the scenery.
Pitch forced Hans' body arround, to the window, to see a ice harvester with a young girl in his arms walk to the gates.
"Its princess Anna!" he heard one of the guards shout.
Pitch smirked inside his new body. "Perfect..." mumbled the controlled prince, before turning his attention back to the dignitaries. "I'm going to look back for princess Anna!" He knew she was already back, but hey, some theater always helped... Pitch chuckled inside when he felt the prince's rage.
"You can't go out there, its too dangerous!" spoke one of the dignitaries.
"leave her alone!" Hans watched powerless inside his body, as he drew his sword to slay the queen. "Please, no don't do this to her!" Pitch only laughed as he used Hans as his puppet. The prince screamed and pushed against the barriers, trying to break free. Nothing. He couldn't do anything!
"No!"
To Hans' horror, Anna jumped in front of his sword, freezing over in a split second. Anna, no, get out of there! As the sword came down, the trapped prince feared he would break the now frozen fiancé of him. Instead, Elsa's Ice proved to be stronger, shattering his sword, to his great relief. The blast did more then that. As the prince fell down on the fjord, Pitch screetched as he became severed from Hans' body. The sudden removal of the entity from his mind made the prince lose conciousness, not seeing the Act of True love, nor the return of Summer...
Hallo there! This was just a prologue, and explains Hans' sudden betrayal during the movie. I also wanted to give more insight on how grave the situation must have been during the Big Freeze, with the food loss and the people dying of hypothermia... Remember, this is the 1800's!
I know it isn't a typical start for a Jelsa fanfic like you might be used to. I'm both a Helsa and Jelsa shipper, and this is the first time trying an attempt at a jelsa fic. It will be VERY slow build up, and will focus more on the adventure rather then fluff between the main couples.
Right, just to make clear once more, the pairings:
Jack/Elsa
Kristoff/Anna
redeemed!Hans/OC
