Anna returned to the castle, her skin was like ice, and her hair was turning white. I knew I had to do something, but what could I possibly do?
"hans!" she cried, "you have to kiss me! now!" she was so weak, and frail, only just grasping onto my cloak to keep herself standing.
We were left alone and I laid her down on the couch by the fire.
She told me about the curse, and Elsa's ice magic. Instantly I was filled with fury. She was her own sister? How could she... then again, thinking back to my own brothers, I hardly knew a single one who wouldn't hesitate to rid the one before them in the hopes of...nevermind, those thoughts could wait. For now what Anna needed was...
"A true love's kiss..." I whispered. The problem was, and though it may not be clear, I was still unsure if our love was truly, true.
I had been thinking about what Elsa had said the other night, and it was true, we had only just met. I wanted to spend more time with her, and maybe disregard my spontaneous proposal, made in the excitement and heat of the moment.
I was so desperate for love, and so was she.. how did we both know that it was actually meant to be? I shook as I leant in for the kiss, hoping and praying that this might work the way it does in fairy tales, but..
as my lips touched hers, although the passion inside me was bursting and radiating from my heart like a seething fire, to my dismay she remained the way she was.
"But.. I don't... feel any different?" She shivered. She shuddered violently and a tear couldn't stop itself rolling from my eye as i held her closer.
"Oh, Anna... I tried but, Elsa was right. True love, it... it just doesn't happen overnight..." I choked out. I didn't understand though. This feeling in my gut, was it wrong? I really did care for her, but still nothing?
Just then, a window smashed its way open and the fire and all the candles went out.
"No!" I hissed at the blizzard outside. How dare she? How could she do this? She was a monster. I tried to think the best of her, but Elsa was truly no better than my brothers.
Suddenly, the door burst open and to my horror a strange white lumpy creature came sliding in, a carrot sticking out of it's face.
Anna couldn't help but giggle behind her dainty hand as I tried to ease myself, reducing my screams to frightened breathing.
"Hi! I'm Olaf, and you must be Hans!" He exclaimed, he ran to me and started talking to me like one would a puppy, "come here you big ole' lover boy, gimme a kissy kissy!"
anna snorted and pulled, 'Olaf' away.
"No, Olaf, I'm the one who had to kiss Hans, silly! but..." her face fell and she shivered again, "It d-didn't work..."
Olaf, whom by now I had assume was.. a living snowman... gasped dramatically and then looked at the empty fireplace.
He began to start a new fire, which I find odd. "H-hey, Olaf? You might not want to .." I began, but he had already succeeded.
"wow!" He gasped, "So this, is heat! I LOVE IT!" and just then his little stick arm fell into the pile, I grabbed it and put it out for him and then I added, "But don't touch it!"
"Olaf, get away from there!" Anna warned, "You'll melt!" She cried.
Olaf smiled and replied, "Well, some people are worth melting for." I had to admit my heart tugged at that point, and then I remembered.. Elsa.
I wrapped a blanket around Anna and kissed her forehead, "I'll be back, with more firewood, stay warm, please!" I begged. I ran out, but forgot to shut that window... Oh well, they would do it
In whatever way I could I would find out how to reverse this winter, and save not just Arendelle, but Anna too.
I ran into the room with the other dignitaries, my face like death. When they asked me what was wrong I explained the situation, and then with a heavy heart, and with a bitter burning in my soul I declared, "We can't get through to Elsa, and she has gone too far now. We have to stop this winter... We..." I didn't finish my sentence.
It wasn't fair! It wasn't right! How could this be happening? And what was worse, was no one in this kingdom loved Anna like I did, so how could she be saved? Happily ever afters only existed in fairy tales.
I grabbed my sword and headed to the dungeons, some guards flanking my sides.
The door to the dungeons was frozen shut, and I cursed loudly, bashing and barreling down the door finally, only to find that Elsa was not there. She had ESCAPED!
I WOULD avenge the princess! If I couldn't save her, then I could at least do this much and send this witch back to Hell where she belonged! She like my brothers and my cold hearted mother could just be gone and I would have the Kingdom of Arendelle to myself, where I could liberate these people and preserve the memory of my precious princess.
It hurt inside to think of Anna as though she were already dead, but her heart was frozen, and I couldn't help it.
I converted my sorrow into rage, and I chased her onto the fjord when I caught her. Now I had her cornered and I bit back tears as I confronted her.
"You! Do you have any idea what you have done?" I hollered.
She looked at me, feigning innocence and confusion.
"Hans, but what about Anna..?" She began.
I took a violent step forward and responded, "Anna? She came back to the castle and her skin was like ice, her hair was WHITE!"
I pointed at her my eyes narrowing and I hissed, "YOU froze her HEART!" I raised my voice again, and i cried, "Your sister is DEAD! BECAUSE OF YOU!"
I shuddered from the inside and I was sickened by the words that had just come forth from my own mouth.
Then, Elsa fell to the ground, finally her true nature was revealed and She had nowhere to run.
I thought to myself how dignified she had decided to take her fate, as I unsheathed my sword, i readied my aim and then I brought it down-
But then, out of nowhere Anna appeared, "NO!" She cried, but my swing was too strong for me to hold it back, her delicate hand freezing solid and breaking my sword.
And then it all went away.
Upon waking up, I almost thought it was all just a bad dream, I was on my own ship, and the fjord was thawed, the kindgom behind us was full of summer light.
What had Happened?
Then suddenly some gruff and smelly man came from behind me and lifted me by the collar, ready to throw a punch, when Anna came and..
"ANNA!" I cried, the man dropped me on her command and I grasped her hands, pulling her towards me. He held her there tightly and shuddered. My eyes were wet and red from all the frustration and crying, and blizzards, but I could see her perfectly fine, in all her sunny warmth and beauty.
I touched her face and shoulders and looked into her eyes, "I thought...I thought I lost you."
She laughed nervously and then pushed me lightly away and replied, "Well, you didn't. Not, entirely." She looked to the smelly man from before and smiled.
If a heart can break more than once, I can tell you for certain what it feels like...
The way he glared at me, and then so softly looked at her, his eyes asking "Anna? Who is this man?"
Her unspoken reply, a sideways smile and a shrug.
"Oh..." I whispered, backing away. And then I saw Elsa.
She looked at me with sympathy as Anna and the mountain man joined hands, Anna introducing him to me as 'Kristoff'.
"Hans, I'm sorry... like you said, Elsa was right about that true love thing... I'm so sorry." She said.
Elsa placed a hand on her shoulder an I glared at her, still confused.
"But about that, What about you? You froze her heart? How did this?" I couldn't manage a full question.
"I saved Anna, Hans. It was all a misunderstanding." She spoke cautiously.
She pulled Anna into an embrace, anna seemed to be getting a lot of those today... and then it hit me...
"You didn't do it on purpose... i-it was an accident?" I guessed.
"Of course it was an accident! I love her, she's my sister... I would never hurt her." She mirrored Anna's words to me as she left the kingdom to go find her.
All confusion aside, I was pardoned for my actions, and was invited to stay a little longer. Anna's.. err... boyfriend-person seemed to not like me still, but the talking snowman said he was raised by trolls and by this point I was willing to believe anything.
In the end, it turns out that happily evers, as unconventional as the may come, really do happen. I went back home, and was amazed to see that I was missed, my brothers saying they feared the worst when word got out about the snow queen.
My mother scolded me of course, in regard to my heated decision to attempt an execution without full evidence of justification, or a trial, but nonetheless she was glad too that I was safe.
If I learned anything from Anna and Elsa, it was that no matter how many doors are closed in your face, love is the key to opening them. It's a two way journey and can be hard, but so long as there is love , in any shape or size of form, it's never too late.
With permission from my parents, I moved to Arendelle where I lived my life away from the hype of royalty... well almost.
Elsa and I have fully reconciled and she even acknowledged my short period of running the kingdom and willingness to protect it, appointing me to a position in the royal military. We've slowly been getting to know one another on a positive basis.
Anna and I to this day, remain good friends, and even Kristoff grew to like.. picking on me.. and I couldn't possibly ask for more. Even as I watch them kiss, and envy him as he holds her, speaks to her with words only lovers can say. But you know, it's because I love her that I'm able to give her up, so long as she is happy. A wise snowman/love expert once explained that to me.
"Hey, Hans! Yoohoo, are you coming? The Sky is awake!" Anna called. I snapped out of my musings and looked up to the sky, the beautiful lights dancing in the expanse of ebony above us.
"Yes, I'm coming!" I sat and watched the night sky, and I couldn't have been happier knowing that I've finally found my own place.