Author's Note: I read jade254's "A Bitter Poison" a while back, and absolutely loved it, even though I'm not usually on board with the Helsa shipping. So I was inspired to write my own story involving Hans making a play for the throne by blackmailing Elsa into marriage. No Helsa, but Hans will find redemption at the end when he learns that there's more to being King than having everyone stroke his ego and worship the dirt he walks on.
Please read and review! This is my first fanfiction, so please give constructive criticism and let me know what you liked, didn't like, where I can improve, etc. Thank you!
In the three years since her coronation, six years since the death of her parents rendered her the unofficial ruler, Queen Elsa of Arendelle had made great strides for her kingdom. Just twenty-four years old, she was mature and astute well beyond her years. Under her reign, Arendelle was more peaceful and prosperous than it had been in over two centuries. Foreign relations were more amiable than they had been even under the reign of her late father. Trade had increased, crime and poverty had nearly vanished. Schools, orphanages, and apprenticeships had been established throughout the kingdom with increased standards of performance—dramatically improving the quality of life for everyone. The young monarch possessed the uncanny ability of speech that could soften the hardest heart and persuade the most recalcitrant mind. This proved tremendously valuable in negotiating with neighboring kingdoms, or even with her own council; men who were so deeply entrenched in tradition and protocol and pedantic bickering, that they often got in the way of passing necessary legislation.
But it wasn't just her mastery over politics or her keen awareness of the kingdom's needs that made Elsa so successful. Her role as queen was more than just a duty or obligation. She loved her subjects as if they were her own children. From the moment she first wore the crown, she was selflessly and unequivocally committed to making Arendelle a better place for all its citizens. Of course, she retained much of the shyness and reticence that was simply a part of her personality. But gone were the days where her aloofness was mistaken for coldness. The people loved her for ruling with wisdom and kindness, but they had grown to appreciate her on a more personal level as well. Since the gates had opened following the Great Thaw, she would make regular trips into town. It would always surprise people how humble she was for a woman of her stature. There was an engaging gentleness about her that naturally put everyone at ease. The people were enamored by the soft, graceful manner in which she spoke. How she treated everyone with respect. How she spoke to the common person as an equal.
Perhaps most endearing of all, she never hesitated to delight the children with her beautiful winter magic, no matter how tired she was or how persistently they harassed her.
But today, Queen Elsa of Arendelle was downright exhausted. There would be no trip into the village on this lovely September afternoon. After being cooped up in her study for the entire day, she had finally finished a rather formidable stack of paperwork. Elsa was rather proud of herself for successfully completing almost a month of negotiations with a particularly stubborn trade partner, and had reached a compromise that she was sure would be hugely beneficial to all sides. She glanced at the grandfather clock resting against the far wall of the room. Four-thirty. Two hours until dinner. Two hours until Anna returned from her visit with Kristoff to his troll family.
Anna. The most caring and nonjudgmental person she would ever have the pleasure of knowing. It was because of Anna that she had conquered thirteen years of fear and self-loathing, and regained the capacity to love. Elsa smiled fondly at the thought of her precious baby sister. She rose from the heavy oaken chair and changed into her nightgown, readying herself for a well-earned nap.
Distant shouts of laughter drew Kai away from his dinner preparations, and into the castle courtyard. He was greeted by a rather large crowd of children dressed in winter gear, despite the warm and temperate weather. Kai knew exactly why they were here.
"Good afternoon, young ones. What can I do for you?"
A husky blonde boy, whom Kai estimated to be nine or ten years old, grinned mischievously to expose two missing teeth. "We're gonna kick Frosty's butt in a snowball fight!"
Frosty. The children of Arendelle had affectionately given Elsa that silly nickname about two years ago. Virtually everyone aged twelve and under called her Frosty, much to the chagrin of their parents. Both royal sisters found it to be adorable, but Kai felt that it crossed the line. "It's Queen Elsa, not Frosty. Have some respect," he said curtly, staring the boy straight in the eye.
A younger child spoke up. "Can you get Frosty to come out and play with us?"
The portly man sighed in resignation. There was no point correcting them any further; the nickname wasn't going anywhere. "Frosty stays up working day and night to keep the kingdom in top condition. She is resting right now and is in no condition to play."
"Awwww!" the children groaned. "No fair!" They began stalking away.
Kai watched them go with a half amused, half exasperated smile. He knew that they would not be so easily deterred.
"Hey Frosty! Frosty! Come out!"
"Do the magic!"
Elsa was just about to climb into bed, when a chorus of animated shouting erupted outside her window. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and inched away from the alluring warmth of her bed. Her blonde hair hung over her left shoulder in its characteristic braid, with a few loose tendrils framing her face. Seeing a crowd of children in winter clothing, she gave a soft, gentle smile. With a wave of her fingers, the courtyard transformed into a winter wonderland.
The children squealed with delight. "Come play with us! Pleeeeease?"
No matter how tired she was after a day of duties, not once did Elsa turn down the children who would show up in the castle courtyard almost every day begging to play with her icy magic. She hated saying no, and she hated to see disappointment on a child's face. Thirteen years of closed doors and disappointment was more than enough. It was no secret that the young queen adored children. But right now she was far too tired, and wanted nothing more than to collapse in slumber. "How about tomorrow?" she suggested. "Princess Anna and I will both play with you."
A well-aimed snowball missed her face by inches. When Elsa leaned out the window, at least half a dozen pouting puppy-dog faces assaulted her sensibilities. She instantly felt her resolve crumble.
A girl with bright green eyes spoke with a sly grin on her face. "Kai has given us all the chocolate in the castle. We aren't giving it back until you come out and play." She smugly patted a bundle beneath her jacket.
Elsa knew that she was about to concede any moment. Their cuteness and enthusiasm was absolutely irresistible. "Guys, that's a really low blow," she said with a small chuckle.
"You promised you would play. Queen's word is law. If you don't play, you're breaking the law. And that makes you a criminal," the girl responded proudly. Her auburn pigtails and mischievous smile were so reminiscent of Anna.
Clever kids. Elsa decided to play along for just a little longer. She swung her legs over to sit on the window sill. "Just so you know, if queen's word is law, then I can make a new law saying that I get to lie in bed and eat chocolate all day."
"Um…" the children hesitated. "Princess Anna said that you pick your nose and eat it!" blurted a boy wearing a dark green knit cap.
That did the trick. Elsa leapt from the window sill, barefoot and in her nightgown. Such an act would wreak havoc on her reputation, but she did not care. Her childish instincts had roared to life, and were demanding that she live in the moment. Right now she was no longer the queen of a realm. She was an eight year-old girl itching to play in the snow. Elsa haphazardly crafted an ice slide to catch herself as she slid down into the courtyard and crash-landed into a pile of snow.
For the next few hours, shrieks of mirth reverberated through the air and could be heard for several blocks. The people of Arendelle would have been very surprised and very amused to see the source of the commotion. Sparkling, translucent cannons of ice fired snowballs in all directions across the courtyard. The air was thick with flying snowballs that exploded harmlessly into clouds of fine white powder as they found their targets. Children jumped and ducked and rolled to dodge the projectiles. They tackled Elsa and wrestled her to the ground, squealing with laughter as they shoved snow into her face and began half-dragging, half-carrying her towards the beautiful fountain in the center of the courtyard. "Frosty is our prisoner, Frosty is our prisoner!" They sang triumphantly. The giggles intensified dramatically as they started to toss Elsa into the frigid water.
"I have captured the mighty Snow Queen!" a little boy sitting on Elsa's shoulders shouted dramatically as he waved a small sword crafted out of snow. "I am the greatest—whoa!" He suddenly slipped and began to fall backwards. She quickly turned to catch him, and set the little bundle of energy safely on the ground.
"I think that's enough fun for today." Elsa climbed out of the fountain. She froze the water that saturated her hair and clothes, and dissipated it with a flick of her wrist. Seeing the looks of disappointment on the faces of the children, she quickly added, "You kids are going to get sick if we stay out in the snow any longer." The snow filling the courtyard swirled gracefully into the air and slowly vanished against the cloudless sky. Softly but sincerely, Elsa knelt and embraced the nearest child. "The gates will always be open to you." The rest of the children all rushed in for their own hugs, before departing for their homes with bubbly smiles on their faces and a very conspicuous bounciness in their footsteps.
Night had fallen over the Kingdom of Arendelle. The royal sisters stood on the balcony together, arms draped over each other's shoulders, looking over the land with content smiles on their faces. No longer a kingdom of isolation, but a kingdom of love, laughter, and open gates. A safe haven where no one would ever be made to feel inadequate or ashamed of who they were.
Anna broke the silence. "We've really come a long way. I never knew just opening the gates could make such a difference." Her voice grew in volume and pitch. "I just can't wait till the Harvest Festival next week! It's going to be so much fun! The whole kingdom is gonna be there!" She began bouncing up and down with glee. "There's going to be chocolate and music and chocolate and pumpkin carving and all sorts of games and toys, and more chocolate and—wait! Is there an ice sculpture contest too? I bet we'll win First Prize, and then—oh never mind, the ice sculpture contest is for the Winter Festival. I forgot about that. I mean, you could make it winter any time of the year—oh I didn't mean it that way! What I meant is that, um, you know, with your powers we could—wait, what am I trying to say? Anyways, I challenge you to a Best of Seven in the games! But none of them can involve snow, because that's not fair. Loser is winner's servant for a month!" Anna rubbed her hands together gleefully. "And for the first game, I choose pig-wrestling!"
Elsa couldn't hold back a chuckle at her adorable rambling. "But Anna, what would people think if they saw me rolling around in the mud? As queen, I have to maintain a certain level of—"
Anna giggled in a very loud and un-princesslike fashion. "Don't lie, Elsa! You were so cute playing with the kids today. In your pajamas!"
Elsa put her face in her hands. "You saw that?" she groaned.
Anna stuck her tongue out. "Of course I did! Kristoff and I got back to the castle just as you were getting dunked into the fountain. You're so good with the kids. They love you so much." She placed her hand over Elsa's and winked mischievously. "You'd make a great mother."
Elsa blushed slightly. "Whoa, let's not get ahead of ourselves. That can wait another year or two. If any prince is brave or foolish enough to marry the Snow Queen."
"Correction. If there is any prince out there who is worthy of you." Anna ran a hand through her pigtails. "You deserve someone who will make you happy; someone who will love and respect you one hundred percent, like Kristoff does for me. What kind of guy would you want to marry anyways?"
Elsa hesitated. She hadn't thought much about this topic before, and had always accepted that marriage and heirs was a part of her duty. The people were pleased with her reign, and Arendelle was doing fine without a king. But every monarchy needed a line of succession. "Well," she began. "I guess he'd have to be able to tolerate my powers. He has to be someone that I can trust to help me take care of Arendelle; someone who knows politics and statecraft inside out. He needs to have our people's best interests at heart." Elsa paused and continued. "He has to be a loving father to our children."
Anna nodded in understanding. "You left out the most important thing. You forgot to say that he has to love you."
"That would be asking too much. If he loves our children and takes good care of Arendelle, I know that I will be happy."
Anna's face fell. She hated to see her sister sacrificing her own happiness upon the altar of duty. Elsa had taken an oath to be the Protector of the Dominion, but she was still human and had her own needs. "How can you say that? How is it asking too much to want the man to love you when you're giving him your kingdom, your body, your life, and everything you've worked for? I don't care about politics. I won't let you get tied to some chauvinistic pig." she spat indignantly. Anna's tone then softened. "You've made more sacrifices than anyone should be expected to make. You've spent your whole life loving others. It's time you learned to love yourself. Promise me that when the time comes, you won't make the decision all about the kingdom."
Elsa stifled a yawn and smiled propitiatingly at her feisty sister. "I promise."
The clock struck twelve. Aside from a few taverns and motels that still hummed with activity, everyone in Arendelle was peacefully asleep, including the beloved queen and princess. Northern lights danced ethereally across the sky, casting an elegant glow on the empty streets. The moon and stars smiled down upon a land that was undoubtedly prosperous and powerful, yet still blessed with a rugged and simplistic charm. Not a sound interrupted the calm, except for the wind rustling through the trees and the sound of water lapping against the boats docked in the harbor. Closed stores and empty windows lined the cobblestone streets, after yet another busy day of commerce and exchange. Preparations for the Harvest Festival were visibly underway. Even amidst the low visibility, enthusiasm and dedication was apparent in every detail of the decorations adorning the town square. Vendors had begun to erect their tents and booths, awaiting the festivities of the following week. Pumpkins were carved, scarecrows were erected, and wreaths of flowers and autumn leaves hung from every building.
The tranquil night was interrupted by a series of soft, furtive footsteps. A mysterious figure in a black cloak slithered towards a sketchy-looking motel. Prince Hans of the Southern Isles grinned demonically and muttered to himself, "Oh Queen Elsa, you thought you were rid of me, didn't you?" He glanced at his calendar, and reached out a hand to smugly pat a bulge his pocket. "In seven short days, Arendelle shall know the meaning of pain!" With a quick glance over his shoulder, he stepped into an alley and vanished into the shadows.
To all reviews, favorites, and follows, thank you so much! We will flash back to Hans' childhood in the next chapter. It will shed some light on why he became so desperate for power and adulation.