Elsa can't concentrate.

It's been hard enough to come to this decision in the first place, so it makes sense that writing this letter is taking longer than she expected, but the fact that she can't get past the second line is becoming a problem. The nib of her pen presses hard into the paper at the start of her sentence, creating a black blot that she curses at when she sees. Crumpling up the paper and sending it halfway across the room with a blast of ice, she huffs and slumps into her chair. It shouldn't be this hard to write a single letter- after all, Anna has told her that he's the thirteenth son of a family who couldn't care less about what he does, and not even the most dedicated group of parents or siblings could deny that he deserves to be imprisoned after what he's tried to do to a queen. Treason, she reminds herself, taking a deep breathe. He committed treason and he broke your sister's heart and he tried to chop your head off, and he deserves everything he gets.

If she's being honest with herself, Elsa's reluctant to send off the news of his imprisonment in the dungeons of Arendelle because, deep down, she's a little scared of him. She doesn't wanthim in her castle- in her kingdom- she doesn't want him anywhere near her or Anna. His attempt on her life was, at the very least, understandable, but her sister? She's innocent. Anna's funny and charming and hopeful and naive. Anna's no monster. And that's why she knows, for a fact, that he is.

It's because of the conversation she had with Anna earlier that day at breakfast, in fact, that she's made this decision. Her sister was reaching over for a piece of fruit when Elsa blurted it out- "Anna? Do you think we should send Hans back to the Southern Isles?" and regretted it immediately afterwards. Anna's hand froze in the air and her face went blank before she answered slowly. "I, uh... I don't want him in the castle, but I don't think his family is going to punish him. Since, you know, they don't really... care about what he does. And I don't want him to go off and do this to someone else." Elsa had nodded, fists clenched underneath the table, and continued to eat, but she has been busy thinking ever since. And there is so much to think about.

In the end, she agrees with Anna. The youngest prince of the Southern Isles won't be taught a lesson if she sends him home and he won't be missed if she doesn't. The decision is easy, logically, and she knows that there's no other option if she wants to be a good ruler. If it weren't for the darkness she saw in his eyes as he was fished out of the sea after Anna punched him or the haughty sneer that remained on his face even as he was being dragged to the dungeons, there wouldn't be a doubt in her mind. And yet...

Abandoning the thought, she finishes the letter quickly, hoping that the ink blot will be ignored. She made her decision the moment Anna made hers, she tells herself firmly as she signs with a flourish and stamps it with her seal, and he can't do anything to anyone if he's locked up.

Calling a servant to deliver the letter to the boat heading to the Southern Isles, she stands and adjusts her cloak. If she doesn't hurry, she'll be late for dinner, and Anna seems to really want Elsa and Kristoff to bond.


When she arrives at the dining hall, Anna and Kristoff are already waiting for her, and a small frown adorns her face. She could have sworn she started to head over here a few minutes early...

But any sign of distress dissipates as Anna smiles widely and practically bounces over to her, dragging Kristoff behind her. "Elsa! You're here! I had the cooks make chocolate cake 'cause I know you like it so much. I also had them prepare a chicken, and there's some carrots for Sven, of course..."

Her sister continues to babble, and Elsa smiles, taking some time to notice the adoring grin on the ice harvester's face as he looks at the redhead. He loves her, and while Elsa wasn't sure at first if she was quite ready to share her sister who she only just reconnected with, she knows that he'll be a pleasant addition to their small family. He's not just some boy who likes Anna, after all- he's her true love, and that means something to the both of them, she can tell. That's why when he asks her for Anna's hand in marriage (which he will, of course, it's only a matter of time) she'll say yes, even if it scares her.

Elsa's musing is cut short by something bumping into her from behind, and she shrieks, snow instinctively forming in her hands before she can think. She whirls around, ready to defend herself, and lets out a sigh of relief when she sees that it's nothing more than the reindeer, it's wide eyes just a few inches away from her. Anna begins to giggle and Kristoff has the courtesy to stifle his laughter, but after a moment of tenseness, Elsa begins to laugh herself, throwing her head back and letting it bubble up inside of her. The snow dissipates as the sisters chuckle, and after a few moments, Kristoff joins them, his own laughter booming and deep. Eventually, when the last of the giggles end, she smiles warmly at the both of them and says, "Let's eat." Then they sit down at their respective seats and the conversation goes on as usual, but some sort of tension that always was there before is gone, and Elsa feels as though a certain weight has been lifted off her shoulders.

This is nice. Eating dinner, talking, laughing, hearing about their day... it's something she hasn't had in years. It's such a stark contrast to the quiet dinners she would take alone in her room that she can hardly believe it was only a little bit ago that she was so paralyzed with her fear of herself that she stayed in complete isolation.

The years of being by herself all the time haven't left her unscathed, though, so she finds that she doesn't speak so much much as she listens. Anna animatedly tells her stories of the day she spent with with Kristoff and he interrupts to teasingly correct her, explaining how it really happened. But she smiles the whole time, and the warmth in her chest doesn't leave, even when the chocolate cake is gone along with the rest of their dinner and they all retire to their rooms.

When she arrives at her bedroom, she removes her cloak and lets her hair down with a small smile on her face, Elsa thinks to herself that this is real. This is her life now. And she won't let it go, no matter what.


She wakes with a start.

She's always had bad dreams, ever since the incident with Anna all those years ago, but this one is different. It takes her five minutes of curling and uncurling her fists with her eyes clenched tight to slow her breathing, and even then, she feels the disquiet deep in her bones. Something's off, she knows it, she can't escape it, and she thinks the reason why is obvious.

Elsa doesn't get cold. She's the Snow Queen- the very thought of her shivering is preposterous; even the dullest of men could tell you that if someone has ice running through their veins, they're likely immune to the cold. But she has seen the fire in his green eyes, she knows how the hatred inside of them feels like a promise, she has felt the cold burn of his rage... if anyone can reduce her to a quivering puddle of despair, it's him. He's done it before, and if she gives him a chance, he'll do it again.

Her nightmare was devastatingly realistic. She remembers kneeling on the ice as Hans drew his sword, the scrape of the metal sending a shiver down her spine. She remembers her terror, looking up at him and seeing the savage joy in his eyes as he swings, knowing that she deserves what's coming to her. She remembers it just as it was... until it changes.

Anna jumps in front of the sword just as she turns to ice, and Elsa has never felt so much love and so much pain at the same time before. A sob is about to tear its way out of her throat and she reaches up to brush her fingertips against Anna one last time and then-

Anna shatters into a million pieces. She shatters and she's gone, and Hans just grins and swings his sword again, this time aiming for Elsa's heart.

Maybe it's irrational, but she as she jolts out of reliving the dream, she's suddenly overcome with a surge of panic. He's evil, he's a monster, he's plotting against her and her family and he's going to escape and kill them all, she has to check, she has to be sure- stumbling out of her bed, Elsa shoves her shoes onto her feet and grabs the first cloak she sees, making sure her hair is covered before she flies out her room, door swinging shut behind her.

The journey to the dungeons takes a few minutes, but it feels like longer. When she arrives, she's panting, and she takes a few seconds to be glad that her cheeks don't flush easily. Hans will catch onto any weakness she shows even the slightest sign of, there's no doubt about it, and she's not willing risk him realizing just how fast she got here. That would imply that she's worried. Considering that he could probably turn her love of chocolate into a way to make her break down, she thinks it's best to be subtle.

Taking off her hood and quickly running her hand through her hair to frost it into place, she takes a deep breathe, wishing only for a moment that she'd taken the time to put her hair up before rushing here instead of leaving it down. Like a queen, Elsa straightens her shoulders and strides into the hallway of cells where she knows he's being kept (you know where he is because he was the one visiting you here not so long ago, her subconscious whispers. This is a bad idea.) The guard is obviously asleep, snoring loudly and leaning up against the wall, and she clears her throat, making sure his eyes meet hers head-on when they open. The man jumps to attention and his face shows wonder as he realizes who she is, and he bows low, mumbling as he addresses her.

"M-my queen," he stutters, and she smiles as kindly as she can with her heart beating this fast. "What can I do for you?"

"I just need some time with the prisoner," she tells him softly. "Would you mind waiting outside of the hallway?"

He hesitates, looking as though he's about to protest, but one glance at the regal look on her face cows him into nodding and bowing once more before he walks away, stumbling a little as he goes.

Her queenliness is gone as soon as the man leaves her sight and the panic takes control again within seconds. She squeezes her eyes shut, trying to slow her breathing, but any and all hopes she has of herself to staying calm are dashed to pieces when she hears his voice, quiet and silky smooth, from behind her.

"Queen Elsa," he nearly whispers, and though she isn't looking at him, she can just imagine the cruel amusement in his eyes. Elsa doesn't respond, not yet, and he apparently thinks this is an invitation to continue talking, because after a few seconds he addresses her once more.

"Fancy seeing you here. What, you couldn't sleep?"

Everything he says sounds deliberate, over enunciated, and she thinks of him laying on his cot and staring up at the ceiling of his cell, imagining all the ways he can break down her defenses. Another chill whispers through her bones, but she's grown used to the feeling in the past few days, and she quickly brushes it off.

Finally turning to face him, she makes her face as blank as possible and lifts her chin. "I believe we have some unfinished business, Hans." Her voice is frosty and she begins to gain confidence- perhaps too fast. Her eyes glimmer as she continues. "Or would you rather me call you prisoner?"

Hans' expression doesn't waver, but his eyes turn dark, and she counts that as a victory-

"I'd rather you call me Hans, your Highness."

-but his voice is so casual as he speaks that she realizes that taunting him was a mistake, and as he opens his mouth again she wishes she could go back in time and stop herself for ever making this idiotic trip.

"That reminds me, I've been wondering. Should I call you Queen Elsa? Your Highness?" He looks up at her casually through his long eyelashes, and she notices that his eyes are a particularly pale shade of green in this light. "Or maybe I should call you monster. Which do you think is most fitting, hmm? I'd love to hear your opinion."

Elsa recoils back, her heart beating so loud she swears she can hear it, and any pretense of her being alright automatically dissipates. Hans can see it, too; she knows he can because a sadistic smile settles on his lips and he takes a step forward. The moonlight shines onto his hair and she's blinded. She can't move, can't breathe- he has her under his spell, and he's perfectly aware of it.

"Come on, now, don't be shy. It's just who you are, you know- you're a monster. There's no shame in it if you just accept it, Elsa. It's not like you're the only one who knows it. Anna's scared of you- why do you think she was so eager to marry me? Even now, I bet she's settling for that blond buffoon as an excuse to spend less time with you." Elsa's petrified, staring with horror into his eyes, and he chuckles. "Your parents knew it, too. That's why they locked up up for all those years. You're the Monster Queen of Arendelle, and if I weren't locked up in here because of you, I might laugh."

She finally manages to tear her gaze from him, but he doesn't stop talking. It's like venom has been building up inside of him and now that he's begun to let it out, it won't stop. The temperature is dropping rapidly, but he keeps taunting her, his calm composure beginning to melt away.

"You can't control yourself. All you do is hurt people- your sister, your subjects... is it any wonder I wanted to take the crown from you? Face it, Elsa, you can't do this. You never could. You're lying to yourself, lying to everyone around you, and you know it. You were locked away for years for a reason. If your parents hadn't died, they never would have given you the crown. Even your idiot sister would be better to rule than you."

He's yelling, now, and as he lunges forward, his words echo throughout the dungeons.

"You should be in here instead of me!"

Before she realizes what's happening, she instinctively throws her hands up. With a flash of light, Hans drops to the ground, and Elsa just stands there in shock, the word monster running through her head over and over again.


A/N: This chapter won't make much sense till Chapter 2 is out as well, but that's all I have written. I wrote this probably two months ago, and the novelty of my obsession has sort of worn off- I might write more of this if I have time/it gets enough interest, but I'm really not sure. The next chapter is from Hans' POV, so any seemingly OOC actions of his will be explained. Reviews make my day.

(I don't own Frozen or any of the characters associated with it, and I'm not making any money off of this. Consider this story disclaimed.)