Trigger warning: Character death
Kristoff looked around frantically, ignoring the flames and the screaming peoplesurrounding him. His mind was focused on one thing and one thing only: finding Anna. Since the moment his feet touched the ground when he jumped from the horse, he's been searching for her. Troy wasn't safe anymore. Not with all of the destruction, all of the chaos that the Greeks were causing.
"Anna!" he screamed, at the top of his lungs.
He couldn't afford to even think about not finding her. He left too much things to say, too much things to tell. But on top of it all, he lied to her. Lied when he told her he wasn't afraid when she held that knife against his throat. And he would be lying yet again if he said that he wasn't afraid right now. Afraid of not finding her.
He keeps running through the crowd, trying to avoid people at all costs. He stops for a brief moment to take in a deep breath when he spots a red-haired girl, her back turned to him. He can see that she's looking for someone. Maybe…
He quickly reaches her and grabs her arm firmly, turning her around to face him. A small gasp leaves her parted lips as a disappointed look crosses his features. He can see the fear and worry present in her brown eyes. To think he was hoping to find blue ones.
"P-Please, sir! I have to find my child, I don't know where he went! I'm the only one he has left. Please, I beg you" she says, tears gathering quickly in her eyes.
He sighs deeply. He wasn't planning on killing her. Actually, he wasn't planning to kill anyone unless they were hurting-
"Then find him quickly and get out of Troy" he says simply, turning away from her and continuing his search.
'You don't need to fear me, girl. You're the only Trojan who can say that' he remembers telling her. That was another lie, as it was proven by his gesture.
He really needs to find her.
-xxx-
Anna clasped her hands more tightly together, her eyes closed as her lips moved in a silent prayer.
Please Apollo, get them out of Troy. It's burning to the ground! Why? Why?
A strong hand grabbing her hair and pulling her up interrupted her prayers. She hissed in pain, reaching her hands to her head. A dark chuckle reaches her ears and she turns her eyes to look at the person, even though she already knows who it is.
"Oh, my dear, sweet Anna. It's so lovely to meet you again. Even though the circumstances of this meeting could be… better" Hans says, whispering in her ear. A cold shiver runs through her spine. His scent made her gag internally, making her remember their first meeting.
She had been trying to think of an escape plan when two guards came rushing through the tent's door. She eyed them cautiously, but before she could say anything, they grabbed her arms and started dragging her outside.
"What are you doing?!" she asked indignantly, struggling for them to let go of her "Stop it! You're hurting me!"
They ignored her as they kept dragging her further away from the tent. She attempted to kick one of them in their 'parts', but he quickly caught her foot in his large hand and twisted it roughly. She screamed out at the painful gesture, weakening her posture, which made it easier for them to carry her.
"Let go of me!" she said once again. She kept struggling, even with her movements limited to the new injury grazing her ankle not so beautifully. With her mind focused on breaking free, she didn't notice that she had entered another tent until the guards stopped moving. She blinked a few times, watching her new surroundings.
"The spoils of war" a man she'd never seen said, winking at Kristoff, who was a few feet away from her. Kristoff visibly gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes at the two guards holding her.
"No argument with you brothers, but if you don't release her, you'll never see home again" he said coldly, eyeing them carefully "Decide"
"Guards!" the other man who talked earlier shouted, calling for help. Kristoff quickly took out his sword and stood in a fighting position as more men came rushing into the tent.
Anna felt a sudden rage bloom in her chest. As the two guards loosened their grip a little to grab their own swords, she finally managed to break free.
"Stop!" she screamed "Too many people have died today!" she explains furiously, glaring daggers at everyone in the tent. Her eyes finally set on Kristoff as he eyed her curiously "If killing is your only talent, that's your curse. I don't want anyone dying for me" she tells him, looking him straight in the eye. He keeps looking at her for a few moments, a mix of adrenaline and confusion in his eyes. His tense posture softens as he gets out of his fighting position, lowering the arm holding his sword.
A slow smirk appears on the man's features, as he gasps sarcastically "Oh my! Mighty Kristoff silenced by a slave girl!" he says, approaching Anna carefully and putting an arm around her waist, burying his nose in her neck. Before she could get away, she feels a sword close to the back of her neck, making her freeze in place.
"Tonight" the man continues "I'll have her give me a bath" Anna internally gags, moving away as much as she could "And then… who knows" he finishes, his smirk widening as he watches Kristoff's shoulders tense as he glares at him. If glares could kill, the man would be dead right at that moment.
"You sac of wine" Kristoff spits out disdainfully, pointing his sword towards him "Before my time is done, I will look down on your corpse and smile" he said, walking slowly around the man, like a predator circling his prey. He raised his sword as if to stab him, but thought better of it and lowered his arm once again, his jaw set and his shoulders shaking slightly with the rage irradiating from him.
He grabs her face in one of his hands as he smirks deviously at her, approaching his face to hers "Tell me Anna. How do you feel for almost making me lose this war? Do you feel good? Proud maybe?" he asks softly, brushing his lips against her cheek "But let me tell you something: he doesn't love you. Never has, never will. You were only a pastime, a little whore to fulfill his needs. When he got what he wanted, he just threw you away" he whispers, tightening his grip on her face. Anna feels angry tears in her eyes. She carefully slides the small knife resting on her sleeve to her hand, gripping it tightly.
"I'm so sorry to break it to you" he says, shaking his head a little, in a mocking gesture "But don't you worry, I'll take you with me! You'll be my personal slave! I can just imagine you, scrubbing my floors. And don't let me start on telling you what our nights will be like" he kisses her neck gently, biting softly at the skin there. Anna finally loses it and decides to strike. She lifts her arm in a swift motion and stabs him on the neck. He lets out a painful gasp as he stares at her with wide, disbelieving eyes. He falls on his knees in front of her and she takes the knife out of his neck, the realization of what she just did finally hitting her. She turns her back to him and starts running, but the two guards that were accompanying him quickly grab her. She starts screaming and kicking against their grip as one of them draws his sword and starts aiming for her.
What happens next is so fast that she thinks if she had blinked, she would've missed it. Kristoff suddenly appears behind the guard who was about to kill her and slices his throat with a swing of his sword. The guard holding her throws her to the ground and tries to reach for his own sword when Kristoff approaches him and stabs him in the stomach. The man lets out a silent gasp, blood pouring out of his mouth as Kristoff quickly gets his sword out and throws the body to the side.
He's breathing heavily from the adrenaline rushing through his veins, but a quick look at her makes his hard gaze soften considerably. He kneels on the ground beside her "Are you okay?" he asks, helping her sit straight and checking her face for any injuries. His concern manages to put a smile on her face, as she nods and hugs him tightly. He returns the hug, kissing her all over, on her neck, cheeks and forehead.
In that single moment, both of them forget that they're at war, a bloody battle being disputed a few feet away from them. But that didn't matter; it only mattered that Kristoff had found her just in time and saved her, and that they were together and could get out of there and maybe even start a life together once-
One second he was holding her in his arms, the next a blood-curling scream was leaving his lips as he let go of her and grabbed the grass at their feet. Anna was confused as to what happened, but a quick glance over his shoulder told her everything she needed.
"Marsh, no!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Kristoff tried to recover from the shot as quickly as he could, getting up on unsteady legs. But Marsh wasn't about to let him win this. He quickly notched another arrow and shot it directly at Kristoff's chest. That made said man stumble backwards a little, his eyes glassing over for a moment. He still grabs onto his sword, as he tries to raise it over the pain blooming on his chest.
"Stop it!" Anna screamed, getting up from her spot and running to her cousin, her arms spread out in front of her "Stop!"
Marsh just ignored her once again, another arrow flying through the air and claiming its place on Kristoff's side. He grunts in pain, stopping middle way and looking down at himself. Marsh starts lowering his bow slowly, his eyes never leaving Kristoff. But, not a second later, he lifts it again, its string getting loose for the last time, as Kristoff lifts his sword and tries to throw it in his direction.
Kristoff falls to his knees, breathing slowly and evenly, his eyes feeling suddenly heavy. In an instant, Anna is by his side, grabbing his arm and trying to pull him up. She pulls and tries to lift him, but he just won't move.
"Come on, Kristoff, I know you can do it! Don't die on me, please!" she begs, tears flowing freely down her face as she grabs onto his arm for dear life. Kristoff smiles a little as his hands find their way to her face, grabbing it gently and making her look up at him.
"Shhh" he says, soothingly, his thumbs wiping her tears away "It's okay, don't worry"
"H-how is it o-okay?" she asks, sobs leaving her throat at an alarming rate. She can't lose him! Not after everything they'd been through! He can't leave her, he's the best fighter she's ever known!
"Y-you c-can't die! You're Kristoff! T-the greatest f-fighter of all t-times!" she sobs out, making him chuckle softly, before a wave of coughs forces him stop.
"Even the greatest fighters die, Anna" he says after recovering from the fit "You just… you have to get out of here, okay? Get out of Troy before it burns down" he tells her, his hands still firmly placed over her cheeks as he tries to soothe her sobbing.
"I'm not g-going to leave you!" she exclaims indignantly.
"Yes, you are. Please, Anna… make this easy for me" he pleads with her, his eyelids starting to feel heavier by the minute. He just wants her to get away from him so that she doesn't have to watch him die. He doesn't want that. He wants her to stay safe and well-hidden from the Greeks.
"Kristoff… I can't do that"
"You'll have to, Anna. For me. Please"
She knows how much he hates to beg, and she doesn't want to be the reason for such begging. But she won't leave him without a proper goodbye. With tears still streaming down her face, she leans forward and catches his lips with hers, kissing him softly and passionately, making sure she puts all of her love into that one, last, goodbye kiss. He returns the kiss with as much passion as he can muster, for his body is starting to feel weaker and weaker. After what feels like an eternity, they finally break away, him letting go of her face and her getting away from him.
She looks at him one last time, before turning on her heel and running away with Marsh, heavy sobs shaking her shoulders with every step she takes.
"I love you" Kristoff whispers softly, mustering one last bit of strength to say the words out loud. He knew that if he had told her this before she went, there would be no way she'd be able to leave him. So he let her go without making that clear between them. But he knew she knew. He made sure of it as he kissed her each time, as he made love to her every night. With that thought always present on his mind and a small smile on his lips, he lets his lids close and collapses to the ground, the last thing on his mind being Anna.