A/N: For those of you who have NOT read Moonfrost, GO READ IT NOW! Even with this chapter being a big expo-dump, you will get lost.
For those of you who HATE Helsa shipping, TURN AWAY NOW! Don't even bother reading this or leaving a nasty review. Save your own time and read something you'll actually enjoy.
For those of you who HAVE read Moonfrost and DO like Helsa, welcome back, lovelies! (I apologize for the amount of recap in this!) I was adamant in Moonfrost that Elsa had more healing to do before she could let a Prince (or Princess) Charming into her life, so I purposely left her feelings ambiguous by the end. Even though I purposely kept her single (cuz she don't need no man XP), I couldn't deny the chemistry she had with Hans on the page, soooooo... If you DO like Helsa, you'll love this sequel! Please no fighting in the reviews. That's why these warnings are here if you would read! XD
One last itty bitty thing before we begin. I was doing some research and found a geography boo-boo in Moonfrost. I had mentioned that to get to the Southern Isles, you had to sail around Corona. After looking at a map where Arendelle = Norway, Corona = Germany, and Andersen (Ariel and Eric's kingdom) = Denmark, there aren't any islands on the West side like I had imagined. (Unless you go even further South to the Netherlands, but that would probably be more than a three-day trip) I forget if Frozen Fever showed and In-Canon map when Hans got hit with that giant snowball, but I'm willing to bet the Southern Isles are based off the cluster of islands on the East side of Denmark, with their capitol, Copenhagen. So instead of the trek going down and westward through the North Sea passing Andersen, not Corona, the trip is actually around the tip of Andersen and down the Kattegat (that's the real name) Channel. All geography and travel will be accurate from here on out. Phew! I've kept you waiting long enough. You asked for it. Enjoy!
Hans had never expected the Queen of Arendelle to send a ship for him in acceptance to his request for an audience after he had attempted to take over her kingdom last year. Honestly, during his three-day journey, he fully expected that when he arrived, he would be escorted down a long hallway to plead his case to the Ice Queen. She, of course, would cut him off and either execute him on the spot, or send him straight back to the Southern Isles that afternoon. He most certainly had not expected the Queen of Arendelle to be standing at the edge of the pier in the exact spot where he had – quite literally – run into her younger sister, Princess Anna, last year. The Queen was poised to greet him in all her majesty. Neither her entourage of soldiers, nor the guard at his back who cuffed him could ruin his mood.
Now, she stood again in that same spot, minus all the burly men, shrinking in the distance as the ship carried him away from the fjord. She stood out, a single brilliant silver snowflake against the busy colors of the port village and her friends behind her. The deep, defiant blue of the channel stretched between them until she blinked out of sight.
Blue. He loved her blue. The blue of her eyes, less like the ever fluctuating sea, more like the clear summer sky above them. Those eyes were kind, intelligent, full of emotion.
They had both been taught at a young age a similar mantra of "Conceal, don't feel." When Elsa got scared, she froze stuff. When Hans got mad...people got hurt.
That's why he had to leave Queen Elsa behind, if only for a time. For nearly a decade, his family had been divided after an incident with the second youngest brother, Jakob, where Hans had caused magical burns on his chest. The damage was so severe, they were advised to send a search party to the nearby Mysterious Lagoon to collect a mermaid tear. Aside from Nikolai and Henrik, who were there for the accident, none of the other brothers were told, except perhaps Hagen, the eldest. Still, Hans felt as if every member of his family either hated him or ignored him. He was not looking forward to that hell.
Hans spent the next three days traveling back to the Southern Isles thinking about the last three days in Arendelle. Though he was boarded in the dungeon for most of his stay, he hadn't really minded. He greatly enjoyed Elsa's many visits. He had surprised even himself when he had revealed to her that he had fire powers. She had been awed by his ability just as he had been humbled in the shadow of her ice palace.
An unexpected turn came when Elsa fell faint during one of her visits. Magnus had re-chained him while Sigurd scooped her up, and the three of them left. Because Hans had bonded with Elsa over their elemental curses, he had felt a duty to protect her, or so he told himself. He let his anger boil over, and he melted the brand new shackles, then he demanded to be set free. Seeing his glowing orange hands through the bars on the door was enough for the guards there to unlock it.
After he had escaped, he had tagged along as Anna brought the Queen before rock trolls to cure her, but it turned out that they were the ones behind her falling ill – and they were the ones that manipulated Hans, turning him into the monster he believed himself to be. A mysterious force crept into his mind, causing the insecurities that were already there to over take him, and he almost overtook Arendelle. Because he had been weak, susceptible to corruption, he had ruined his chances with Anna, which he deeply regretted.
Already used to warmer weather in the Southern Isles, Hans was surprised when he ventured North and found Anna, who was positively glowing. Everything about her was warm and inviting. Hair like a hearth fire, like her spirit. Eyes like a tropical pool. She was a ray of sunshine, a playful breeze. Hans had instantly fallen head over heels for her...then fallen under a spell.
When he had returned to Arendelle this past week, he certainly hadn't expected her to be waiting patiently for him with open arms, that was for damn sure. He had royally fucked up. But her being happy with Kristoff right in front of him had definitely hurt.
His feelings for the Arendelian sisters kept Hans up at night while he traveled home, tossing and turning under the sheets. He had loved Anna first, had not been lying when he asked Elsa for her permission to marry Anna. She was like a butterfly, happily flitting along, and maybe for him, representing new beginnings. He had loved her for her hope, her joy, her innocence. Her presence alone brightened up a room...but she wasn't his light anymore.
Whether or not Anna was available, Hans had never expected to develop feelings for her sister, the mysterious and magical Queen of Arendelle. Just as the sisters were opposites, so too were his feelings for each of them. When it came to Elsa, he respected her, saw her as an unstoppable force of nature. When she walked into a room, her presence demanded your attention. She was magnetic. She could be a powerful ally or a dangerous enemy. She didn't even need her magic. She could cut down a man with only an icy glare. She was strong in a way that didn't show in her elegant figure. She had been calm and collected when Hans had lost control in the fight against the trolls. Her cool touch was the only thing that was able to snap him out of his raging inferno.
How odd was it that he and Elsa could be so different, yet so alike? He owed so much to her for her help in him accepting his curse and overcoming it. However, he remembered her outburst in his cell. Hans reminded himself to remain vigilant. He wasn't in complete control of it yet, and surely someone in his family would set him off at some point. He took a deep breath in preparation. When Hans couldn't sleep, he ventured out onto the deck. Traversing the channel this late at night, he could see each and every star in the sky as if they were all only just out of reach. The glowing moon was a waning crescent on the black blanket of night. Hans wondered, just maybe Elsa was looking at the same moon.