Hey Fanfictionists, Vanitas here. I want to apologize for the lack of updates on Futatsu No Kodou and Angel of Mine. These two stories are the most popular ones and have been graced with new chapters for a while, but I've had an extreme lack of inspiration and motivation.
This story is my attempt at OUAT. Personally I think that Hans being frozen in episode 3 of season 4 was a waste, so I wrote a continuation of it and just started to brainstorm some what if this happened and other odd things.
Enjoy this chapter and tell me what you think, but be polite and respectively when reviewing cause all this flame and basically trolling really brings down my writing motivation.
Anyways, this story is to keep you fans entertained until I can come up with ideas for the next chapters of Futatsu No Kodou and Angel of Mine, and when I have the spare time to write them too.
Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time or anything relating to that. The only thing I own is the plot of this story.
Tips: Writing in Italics refers to words and events that occurred in the past. Words in parenthesis are the thoughts of the characters. Bold words emphasize the meaning of the words.
Oh and BTW, this chapter will be little different in writing style and organization. I was kinda mimicking the paragraph of a book. It looks like the formatting turned out better when I did so. Yay, I suppose.
Summary: I open doors, they walked right through them.
Hans has learned the hard way to never place his trust in others so easily. The 13th prince accepts the fact that he will never have a life of happiness until he is saved by the Queen he tried to kill. Saving the life of the woman who left him for another, Hans struggles to come to terms with the fact that she will never love him and will always loath him for what he has done. Memories of a forgotten past are revealed and a dark secret kept under gloves is revealed. A certain princess tries to protect the people he loves from her murderous fiance by tearing apart the blossoming bond between two new brothers. Protection turns into vengeance and jealous when the princess accuses the prince of harming her. Bonds are destroyed and hearts are broken. Ignored and hated by people who claimed to love him, the prince is forced beyond his breaking point and finds himself slowly losing the will to live.
Was a certain prince's heart truly frozen or is there more to the betrayal of Prince Hans?
Can a princess learn to forgive and forget or is it too late to ask for forgiveness from a prince she has hurt beyond repair? Now comes the ultimate test of love. Can love break spell that has been cast out of grief and despair?
Read the Will of the Phoenix and Discover the Truth...
First Helsa/OUAT fanfiction.
Warning: Story contains character occness, emotional and physical abuse, suicide, rape and slight character death. Also contains Angst, Romance and torture.
Disclaimer: Characters of Frozen are property of Disney. Characters of Once Upon a Time are property of Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. All trademarks, copyrights and/or legal ownership of items are property of their respective owners.
Without further a do, enjoy Chapter 1.
"You don't belong in this world. You don't belong anywhere. Which is why I'm going to put you somewhere...where it's like you don't even exist."
"Oh, Anna. If you only there was someone out there who loved you."
"Queen Elsa! Don't be the monster they fear you are."
"No, you're no match for Elsa. I, on the other hand, am the hero who is going to save Arendelle from destruction."
"I won't hesitate to protect Arendelle from treason."
"You'll always be the unwanted heir, Hans! No one needs you. No one cares about you and no one ever will."
"Don't let others define who you are. You're special, they just can't see it. Promise me you'll never change, Hans."
"You worthless little runt! How dare you even think I'd ever consider you as my son! No one could ever love a monster like you, Hans!"
"The only frozen heart around here is yours."
Why?
That was the only thing running through my mind. I should be used to this feeling. The feeling of being abandoned by someone you love.
Six months ago, I had traveled, or rather ran away, to Arendelle to represent the Southern Isles for Princess Elsa's coronation. I figured if I won her over, I wouldn't have to return to the Southern Isles ever again. I hated my home with a burning passion. It wasn't the people of my country whom I hated. No...My hatred was towards my own family. Family? Can I even refer to them as such? Does a family neglect a member of the family, especially the youngest? No, members of a family don't neglect one of their own. On the contrary, families look after one another, protect each other and shower one another with endless love. At least, that's what I think a family is all about. However, my family wasn't like that at all. They care about only one thing. Power.
My father, King Claudius, only saw me as an unnecessary heir. The mistake, the unwanted child...He even called me a disgrace to the Westerguard name. I never knew the pain of being unloved until he said those words to me. Everyone could see I was nothing to him. My brothers didn't make it any better either. Franz, Jurgen, Claude, Adam, Alexander, Edvard and Edvin, Sebastian, Vladimir, Linus, Nathaniel, and Mathias. Twelve brothers. Twelve older brothers. Each one of them was always praised by my father, all of his sons were his pride and joy, all of them except me. I was considered the runt of the family. Mocked by my brothers, teased and even neglected by my father, and often abused. The Fate of Unlucky Number Thirteen. The Killer of Queen Hannah. I never really knew my mother, all I know was that she died giving birth to me. According to my nursemaid, Ella, medical physicians had told my father that the cause of death had been the strain of giving birth to twelve heirs and later a thirteenth heir. However, father didn't see it that way. I was to blame for the passing of his beloved Queen; my brothers also blamed me for it and years later I began to believe that it was my fault mother was gone.
For the past 20 years, I wondered if my life would've been better if mother had survived childbirth. Would my father and brothers have loved me? Would they've treated me better? I guess I'll never know. I lost everything. My family, not that I had them in the first place, my dignity, Sitron, my loyal companion and best friend, my home, Anna...
Anna. I had lost her the moment she went after Elsa that night...I was only a replacement to her. Anna was using me as a replacement for Elsa. But to me...she was so much more. Anna had become my first friend, other than Sitron, she was my only friend. The moment we first met was something I could never forget. I was instantly smitten when I saw her face. So beautiful and flawless. Her eyes bright and blue as the sea, skin smooth and fair, the freckles dusting her rosy cheeks made her look innocent and utterly cute, soft thin lips, and her strawberry-blonde hair complimenting her fair complexion and enhancing the glitter of her eyes. Anna was perfect, free-spirited and very considerate...or so I thought. I had seen my fiancee riding towards the palace gates in the arms of a mountain man (his overly muscled form giving me that impression). To say I wasn't hurt would be a lie. I was more than hurt. My heart had shattered at the sight; I was in agony that the woman I loved had replaced me with another. I couldn't stand the pain eating away my heart. She even had the nerve to ask for a kiss from me. Anna told me Elsa had frozen her heart and that her only salvation was an act of true love. My mind immediately thought of a true love's kiss. I loved this beautiful princess with all my heart, but then I remembered she betrayed me. It hurt to deny her salvation and watch her freeze to death, yet my broken heart spoke for me.
"Oh, Anna. If only there was someone out there who loved you."
Those words had hurt her; I saw it in her glittering turquoise blue eyes. The anguish I felt drove me to say things I didn't mean. I never wanted Arendelle. All I wanted was Anna and a chance to be Free. Free from my brothers and father. To never return to the painful life I had in the Southern Isles and be happy with a woman who loved me unconditionally, but even away from home I was unlucky.
I went mad. I wanted vengeance. Elsa was the one to blame...if she hadn't run away Anna would still be mine, but the newly crowned Queen fled like a frightened animal after revealing her powers. Then again...I would've done the same. After being sent back, my father was less than pleased to hear what I had done. It's always been that way, Father only ever paying attention to me when I did something wrong and many of those times it had been my brothers' doing just to get me in trouble. He stripped me of my title and everything I held dear. A photo of my mother, it had been a gift from Ella for my sixth birthday, my sword collection, paintings I made after being locked in my room during celebrations in the ballroom, my position as admiral of the Southern Isles Navy, my clothes, replacing them with the attire of a commoner (I managed to hide a least one set of my royal attire under the floorboards beneath my bed)...And Sitron. Having Sitron taken from me had been the most excruciating thing that ever happened to me. They took away my best friend, the only one who understood me and made me feel like I wasn't alone.
King Claudius, he forbid me from calling him father, had me imprisoned in the dungeons of the Southern Isles―six months later, I escaped with the help of a powerful sorcerer; however, I didn't get very far. My brothers caught up to me after I retrieved a valuable scroll hidden deep within the woods of a land known as The Enchanted Forest. I refused to go back to the prison I once called home, but to my shock all twelve of them wanted to help me. My brothers said my attempt in taking the throne of Arendelle was one of the greatest things I've ever done (I was insulted by that since I didn't consider it a good thing, let alone an act that should be praised).
They mocked me, of course. Reminding me of my failure six months ago, but the scroll I possessed immediately shut them up. Finding the relic's location had been easy since I'm the most scholarly among my brothers; all twelve of them are about as smart as a door knob. However, getting this mysterious item wasn't going to be as easy as I calculated. To my dismay, the Snow Queen and that giant oaf beat us to the urn. I just stood and watched my three oldest brothers deal with the mountain man. Only when Elsa used her powers did I intervene, threatening to take the life of Anna's fiance had forced her to give up the urn (not only did I threaten his life to gain the urn, but I also wanted revenge on him for taking Anna away from me). I was proud of myself. I had finally proven to my brothers that I wasn't worthless and sealing away Arendelle's Snow Queen would further my worth.
"You don't belong in this world. You don't belong anywhere. Which is why I'm going to put you somewhere...where it's like you don't even exist."
Rather than the liquid trapping that ice witch, it moved away and formed into a woman. I couldn't deny she was beautiful, but her cold eyes froze me to the core. I wasn't prepared for this. The urn was suppose to capture Elsa, not unleash something.
"What's going on? Who're you?" I was scared, but I didn't show it. I wouldn't allow myself to look weak in front of my brothers, not when I finally proved to them I wasn't the same stupid, foolish boy I was years ago.
"From what I've just heard. I think you called me a monster." Her voice was soft and charming, but her eyes were icy and caused me to realize that I had made a very big mistake in opening the relic.
She blew magical dust at me and the next thing I knew, my body was being frozen! I wanted to scream, beg my brothers to save me, but I knew they wouldn't dare come to my aid. I couldn't move, my legs were already frozen solid. The ice had frozen my arms and soon crept over my face, and I knew, right then and there, it was all over for me. I saw Elsa's face and the fear that overtook her ocean blue eyes.
"Hans!" My name...was the last thing I heard before my mind shut down and my whole body turned to solid ice.
Anna bit her bottom lip as she drank in the unconscious man lying on the bed. The man was her former fiancé, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles. Anna had loved Hans dearly, but he had betrayed her and revealed that his only interest was the throne of Arendelle and she was merely a pawn in his game. However, Anna couldn't bring herself to hate him...not when he looked so helpless, vulnerable and, dare she say, cute, he would be cute if he wasn't covered in bandages.
The former prince of the Southern Isles was in critical condition. His auburn hair partially concealed beneath layers of gauze wrapped firmly around his head, more of it rounding his chest and over his right shoulder, his left arm in a cast and resting limply against his chest in a sling, the other arm containing an IV embedded in the skin of his forearm, his right leg in a cast as well and elevated by a soft white pillow. Anna tucked a lock of auburn hair behind Hans's ear, being very mindful of the oxygen mask covering half of the ginger's face. Even though he was covered in gauze and had light cuts and bruises on his face, Anna still found him gorgeous and admirable.
"I'm so sorry...It's all my fault you're hurt." Choked Anna, pressing her hands to her face and sobbing violently in her palms. She had been wrong about Hans. If the prince's heart had truly been a frozen one than he wouldn't have risked his life to save hers. The memory of Hans's right arm being the only limb visible beneath the pile of rubble had crushed her soul; Anna had been overcome with so much grief that she had fainted from shock at the sight of Hans's battered body after David had dragged him out from under the bone-crushing pile of solid minerals.
"Why...Why did you save me?" She asked, tenderly taking hold of Hans's bruised right hand and holding it close to her heart, noting the faded layers of frost that still coated his skin.
"His brothers abandoned him when our aunt turned him into an ice statue." Announced Elsa, taking in Hans's frozen form and shaking her head slowly at the memory of the redhead's older brothers leaving him to his fate. She couldn't believe his siblings had run away with their tails between their legs instead of fighting to defend their baby brother. Elsa then began to wonder what sort of childhood Hans had lived, her only guess was that his brothers never truly cared about him since Kristoff had told her that all twelve of them had made fun of Hans while they were camped near the North Mountain.
Anna slowly approached her ex-fiancé's frozen form, hugging herself tightly and cringing at the memory of becoming an ice sculpture herself. She had been lucky that Elsa's love for her had thawed her frozen heart, but...Hans had no one who loved him enough to break the Snow Queen's curse. Hans was all alone and something in her heart tells her that he's been for a while. A single tear slid down Anna's cheek as she recalled the gentle prince she had met at the docks. He had been so compassionate to her, caring and his feelings seemed so genuine; Anna couldn't bring herself to believe that none of that had been real; she knew that everything had been as real as Elsa power over ice and snow, especially his love for her.
"He may have broken my heart, but not even he deserved this." Mumbled Anna, turning to her sister and husband with tearful eyes. The young princess had always been a kind and loving young woman, always seeing the good in others and never judging them harshly without knowing their back story, but Hans had been a different story all on his own, and Anna was determined to learn more about the ginger prince and discover what had caused him to become such a heartless, power hungry, manipulative and compulsive liar.
"Is there anything we can do to help him? Maybe if we learn more about Hans, we'll be able to understand his reasons for trying to usurp the crown of Arendelle." Proclaimed the young strawberry blonde, hoping her sister will give the redhead a chance to explain his actions and maybe an opportunity to redeem himself.
"Grand Pabbie said that only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart. His brothers are out of the question since they made it pretty clear that they don't care about Hans at all. I mean they did run away and leave him to his doom." Kristoff stated bluntly, running a hand through his short blonde hair and sighing deeply in frustration.
Elsa thought back to the day she thawed Arendelle. Love had thawed Arendelle. An act of true love will thaw a frozen heart. Love will thaw...Love! Elsa quickly stood a short distance from Hans, raising her hands slowly and taking deep breathes before unleashing her magic. She heard many people gasp at her actions, but she ignored them and continued to use her power to free the traitorous man of his ice prison. Elsa used her love for Anna, Kristoff, Arendelle and all the friends she's made to increase the power of her ice magic and hoped that it would be enough to thaw Hans. The Queen of Arendelle begun to lose hope when little to no progress had been made, her aunt's magic was powerful and unyielding, but to her surprise the ice keeping the prince captive began to melt away.
"Elsa, its working!" Cheered Anna, watching in awe as her dear older sister battled against the Snow Queen's curse to save the man who had wronged them. Anna thought perhaps Elsa too believed there was good in Hans since he took care of the people of Arendelle when she had exiled herself and Anna had gone after her. The two sisters believed that Hans could be saved from his frozen heart if they rekindle the kind man that had kept their kingdom safe, feed and warm from the raging eternal winter Elsa had created.
A sharp intake of breathe forced Elsa to cease her magic. She sighed heavily in exhaustion and let out a small gasp when she saw the newly thawed prince fell to his knees. Elsa hurried to Hans's side and knelt beside the shivering ginger. His clothes and skin coated in a thin layer of frost, eyes glassy and dazed, shivers running down his spine, freckles becoming more evident across his nose and blue lips slowly turning a soft pink. Hans coughed violently when a strong wave of pain wracked his weak body; he couldn't comprehend how he was alive after being frozen for so long, all he knew was that the dull pain coursing through his body was proof that he wasn't dead.
"We should get him back to Storybrooke." Suggested a young woman with wavy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Her name was Emma Swan, daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. "You know let Dr. Whale give him a checkup. Besides, the cold in this case isn't doing him any good." Emma pitied Hans and grew worried when she noticed his shivers become more violent and lips turning blue once more.
Elsa agreed and helped Hans to his feet, only to have him falls to his knees once again; he was so stiff that his legs couldn't even hold his weight. Emma's father David quickly crossed the distance between his daughter and the young sorceress, carefully bringing Hans's left arm over his shoulders and easing the redhead to his feet. Kristoff disliking the idea of helping the madman, helped anyway and brought the ginger's other arm around his own shoulders and maneuvering his arm around Hans's waist. With their combined strength, David and Kristoff were able to lead the weakened ginger away from the clearing of the cave and towards the entrance with Anna, Elsa and Emma following closely behind them.
He was exhausted, confused and extremely cold. Being thawed from his ice prison had been excruciating, but nothing could compare to the pain he felt when his father had taken away his only friend. Black spots began to dance around his vision; he stumbled and would've fallen if it weren't for the arms supporting his numb body.
"Hey, you okay?" Asked a firm voice to his left. Hans lazily raised his head, shaking away the blackness shrouding his vision, but all he could make out through the haze was a mass of dirty blonde hair. "I think we should let him rest for a few minutes." Suggested David, noting the exhaustion in the younger man's eyes and the sweat drenching his auburn locks.
Kristoff relinquished his hold on Hans and cringed when David struggled to keep himself and Hans balanced; perhaps letting go of the prince without giving David the heads up hadn't been very smart. David glared at the mountain man before slowly lowering the exhausted prince to the ground and leaning him gently against the stone wall. The group rested for a good fifteen minutes before resuming their journey out of the cave; however, neither of them noticed the slow crumbling of the stones molding the ceiling. "So...what are we going to do once we get back to Storybrooke?" Questioned Kristoff, not wanting to continue to keep any eye on the jerk that had broken Anna's heart. Before anyone could answer, a small stone hit Kristoff's overly blonde noggin causing said blonde to release Hans and clutch the bump forming on the crown of his head. David stumbled into the wall of the cave, making sure he was the one to hit the hard stones instead of the weakened redhead.
"Uhh guys. We've got a problem." Emma said, her eyes widening at the sight of the large boulders falling from the ceiling "Move!" She cried, taking hold of the exhausted prince's right arm and helping her father rush Hans towards the mouth of the cave.
Emma and David were the first to reach the entrance, calling out to the trio from Arendelle to hurry before the falling stones blocked the path. Elsa blasted a large portion of the ceiling that nearly crushed Kristoff and Anna who were struggling to keep up with her while dodging colossal-sized gravel. The Queen panted heavily as she rested her hands against her knees, her eyes soon growing to the size of saucers when she saw Anna trip and skid her knee on a sharp stone. "ANNA!" Screamed Elsa as an abnormally large gray ore fell towards her younger sister, followed by other big rocks waiting their turn to crush the helpless princess.
Anna was petrified with fear that she didn't noticed when someone shoved her away from the path. The light ginger girl gaped at the rocks piled in front of her; Anna looked herself over and sighed in relief, she had a small scrap on her knee and a couple of cuts but other than that she was fine. Anna stood shakily on her feet, coughing lightly at the dust the gravel had caused and looked around for the source that had pushed her out of harm's way. Her heart lodged itself into her throat when she caught sight of the limb beneath the boulders.
"ANNA!" Elsa shouted, blasting a hole through the mountain of rocks in panic. The Queen hurriedly ran through the large crater and was overcome with relief when she caught sight of Anna's strawberry blonde pigtails. Elsa jogged to Anna, but stopped short when soft cries reached her ears. "Anna." The sorceress said again, placing a comforting hand on her sibling's shoulder; she followed Anna's tear-filled gaze and soon released a gasp of horror. "HANS!"
"How is he?" Anna jumped at the voice of her husband and softly placed Hans's hand on the bed. She hoped Kristoff hadn't seen what she had been doing, but even if he did he wouldn't get angry because he knew that Hans had been Anna's first love and some of her feelings for him still lingered. Old feelings are hard to overcome.
"Dr. Whale said he's in pretty bad shape. His injures were fatal, but they managed to stabilize him. He also said falling into a coma had saved him." The usually joyful girl said in a low tone, her eyes glazed with sadness and guilt. Kristoff pulled Anna into his arms and let his wife cry into his chest―It was no secret to anyone that Anna blamed herself for everything that happened, but Elsa and Emma repeatedly told her that it wasn't her fault. Despite their good intentions, the young woman continued to drown in her remorse; constantly telling herself that if she hadn't allowed fear to freeze her motionless, Hans would have never gotten hurt in pushing her out of the way and allowing the rubble to bury him. "It's been four weeks...I'm starting to lose hope that he'll ever wake up."
Elsa gazed silently at her would-be-murder. She had forced Anna to leave the room and join Emma, David, Kristoff and Mary Margret in the cafeteria for lunch. The new Snow Queen loved her sister very much, but couldn't bear to watch her fall apart as she watched over the man she had wanted to marry six months ago. What came as a shock to her was that Hans had somehow gained some strength in his legs and quickly shoved Anna out of the way, taking the full force of the boulders himself...Elsa puzzled and puzzled. Her eyes soon widened when she realized why Hans had saved Anna―The platinum blonde looked at the prince in bewilderment, but soon smiled sadly when the thought came to her mind. (You love Anna...or at least care about her. Your desire just blinded you from what you could've had).
Emma paced around the room impatiently. Dr. Whale had informed her that he found some documents on the ginger prince with help from Regina and her magic, and went to go retrieve them from his office; it had been over two hours and he had yet to return. Emma groaned at the massive headache she was getting. Her patience was hanging by a thread and she was about ready to storm out of the room, and burst into Dr. Whale's office to find the files herself. However, a faint sound brought Emma out of her tantrum and caused her to focus on the comatose man behind her. Emma quietly made her way to Hans and watched him suspiciously as small puffs fogged the oxygen mask.
"Anna..." The blonde heard him say softly. He was dreaming. Dreaming of the young woman he had hurt. Was Hans worried about Anna? Emma figured he was since the prince was saying her name in his unconscious state. "Anna, I'm sorry." Emma softly hushed Hans, stroking his auburn hair and telling him she was okay and that she'll go find her.
"He was saying your name over and over." Said the blonde savior, crossing her arms and leaning lightly against the wall opposite of where Anna was sitting near Hans. Anna was stunned. Hans...was worried about her? According to Emma, Hans had been saying her name constantly and begging her for forgiveness. Could Hans be apologizing for leading her on and then trying to seize Arendelle by killing Elsa? "I don't know what he did, but I can tell he regrets it. I mean he even risked his life to save you." Anna didn't answer Emma; all she could think about was what the blonde had said and what she heard only moments ago.
(Do you really regret what you did? Or is all this only because of the pain? I hope you're sorry...because I want to forgive you...even though your broke my heart and left me to freeze to death). The young princess continued to stare at her former fiance, paying no mind that her hand was inter-twined with his.
Another week went by and Hans still showed no signs of consciousness. Elsa observed Hans, squeezing his hand when his breathe hitched at the spasms of pain coursing through his battered body. She took in Hans's face, noting how handsome the ginger was. His cheeks, though covered in cuts and small bruises, were smooth and held a natural flush to them, the dust of freckles across his nose were adorable and prominent, his eyebrows were thin and beautifully arched, and his auburn locks, along with the sideburns framing his gorgeous face, complemented his fair skin, but the feature Elsa liked most about the prince were his "dreamy" green eyes. They resembled emeralds under the gleaming sun and held such sincerity when she was in the palace dungeon after being saved by Hans at her ice palace. She wondered why she was worrying so much about the man that had tried to kill her, perhaps it was because he had save Anna and gotten fatally injured in the process...or maybe because he was alone in the world, in a world that continued to be cruel to a man who was loved by none.
"Despite his body temperature being lower than normal, he's recovering very well." Announced Dr. Whale, looking through Hans's chart and then to the prince himself. He was amazed at the rate Hans was recuperating; Dr. Whale could tell that Hans was more than what he seemed. "I...I would also like to show you all what Regina and I found." The brownish-blonde man didn't know whether what he was about to reveal to everyone would have a negative or positive impact on them, but if their reaction was anything like Regina's then he hoped they would be kind to the damaged prince.
"No...Why would they?" Whimpered Anna, burying her face in Kristoff's chest after reading a copy of the documents. She couldn't believe what she had learned, Hans had told her his brothers had treated him badly but he never said how badly. Anna was so heartbroken, terrified and shocked. "How could they...T-they're own b-brother?!" The young girl sobbed violently, her shoulders shaking with anguish at how little she knew about Hans and how much pain he suffered at the hands of his twelve older brothers. Having no one to love him had forced the young prince to believe that becoming King would gain him his family's respect and love. Hans's heart became frozen, not by Elsa's magic or the Snow Queen's curse...but because he was raised without love.
A man with auburn hair and bright green eyes hid in the far corner of his cell, curled into a small, beaten, shivering ball against the stone wall. Soft sobs escaped the ginger's lips as the words his father spoke to him continued to echo in his head over and over.
"You're worthless and weak! You disgraced the Westerguard name! You not only tainted the reputation of our family, but also that of the Southern Isles! You should've never been born! I wish you would've died during childbirth instead of your mother! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME, HANS?! YOU WILL NEVER BE A PART OF THIS FAMILY AND YOU WILL NEVER BE MY SON!"
The King's words had stabbed Hans deep in his heart. The young prince was already suffering from a broken heart and to hear his father speak such venomous words to him, only agonized him even more. Tears trailed down Hans's face at his father's final words; the old king soon back-handed his youngest son and called him pathetic for showing such weakness in his presence. King Claudius left Hans on the floor of his cell, never noticing his twelve eldest sons sneaking into the dungeon to torment their baby brother. He ignored Hans's cries of pain as they echoed throughout the musty corridor, believing that whatever punishment Hans was receiving was a well-deserved one.
"Poor Little Hans. Don't you see it's useless to cry out for help? Father doesn't care about you, no one in this castle cares. You could've perished in that eternal winter and no one would've mourned." Sneered Franz, the crowned prince of the Southern Isles and one of King Claudius's favorite sons. His blue eyes gleamed with amusement as he kicked Hans hard in the stomach, grinning manically at the blood that trickled down his baby brother's lips.
"Why?" Choked Hans, coughing up blood as it continued to rise up in his throat. "Why do you hate me so much?" The young ginger never felt so alone, he loved his brothers and yet they treated him like dirt. They tormented, mocked him, called him names and even went as far as to ignore his very existence.
"Why you ask?" Jurgen grabbed Hans by the neck and slammed him hard against the stone wall of the cell. He smiled at his little brother's pain, watching Hans gasp for air and gripping his hand around his throat weakly. "Because you're useless and weak! Plus, father never wanted another heir, nor did the twelve of us want another brother either, especially one as scrawny and hideous as you." The 3rd eldest prince scoffed at Hans, taking great satisfaction in seeing the tears that cascaded rapidly down his youngest brother's cheeks. For a moment, Jurgen felt guilty for hurting Hans. He was their baby brother after all and wasn't it their job to protect him, and help him realize how wrong he had been in trying kill Queen Elsa; Hans was young and starved of love and attention, if they'd only given him that then maybe he wouldn't have run away and tried to become King of Arendelle to gain their respect and love. However, the guilt soon passed and Jurgen continued to break Hans's fragile spirit further. "It makes me sick just looking at you. Face it, Hans. Father will never love you, no one in their right mind could ever love an abomination like you."
Hans awoke with tears streaming down his bruised cheeks. He let out a weak sob at the memory. How could his brothers have been so cruel? First, they beat him mercilessly in his cell and then chase after him, compliment him on his attempt to seize Arendelle, and later abandon him in his time of need. The young, broken former prince wanted nothing more than to die so the pain in his heart would end. Hans ripped away the oxygen mask from his face and chucked it aside, and proceeding to tear away the cords from his body. He was so hurt that he didn't care his wounds were screaming in agony at his rushed and violent movements.
"Hans Stop!" A delicate hand took hold of Hans's bandaged one, stopping him from causing himself further harm. Hans breathed heavily, his green eyes meeting familiar blue hues. The redhead grew wide eyed when he took in Anna's beautiful face, her cheeks stained with tears and glowing blue eyes filled with sadness. "Please Hans...just stop."
Hans bit his lip at Anna's plea and let out an agonized sob. Anna wrapped her arms around her former fiancée and brought him closer to her chest, her heart breaking at the sound of his cries as he buried his face into her neck. She didn't know what to do. Hans was terrified and in a great deal of pain, both mentally and physically. Anna rubbed Hans back soothingly, noticing how he shivered under her touch and gripped the back of her shirt even tighter. The young princess couldn't deny how fragile and small Hans looked. If she could get Hans to open up to her and let her in his heart, then maybe they can put the past behind them and move on.
Elsa sat by Hans's beside for the past four days. Anna had told everyone that she had found Hans tearing away all the cords off his body that had been linked to the monitors in a frenzy of panic. She had been so scared that she rushed in to stop him. Anna also said that after she begged Hans to stop straining himself, the ginger prince broke down and desperately latched onto her―Everyone sympathized Hans and visited him often, but they never saw the handsome man awake or show any signs of stirring. Dr. Whale gave Hans a check up and told them that it was a relapse of his desperation for comfort and possibly from some dark memories; Regina confirmed Dr. Whale's suspicions after using her magic to see into Hans's mind, the memories they saw disturbed them, Anna had cried at the sight of how cruel the twelve eldest princes were being to Hans, even Kristoff shed a few tears at seeing how alone and helpless Hans was throughout his childhood, being mocked, beaten and belittled by the brothers he loved had taken its toll. The trio from Arendelle even witnessed Hans running away from home to Elsa's coronation in a desperate attempt to escape his brothers' cruelty and father's disapproval.
"He just wanted a way out. A place of his own where he doesn't have to hide and live every day of his life in fear." Elsa squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists tightly, feeling her powers seep through her knuckles as she tried her best to keep her emotions under control. "In a small sense, he and I are alike. We lived in fear for nearly our whole lives and jumped at the first chance of Freedom. Hans came to Arendelle to escape his brothers forever and I built my ice palace to escape the fear of hurting Anna." Added the Snow Queen of Arendelle; she finally understood Hans and wanted to mend his damaged heart. Years of neglect and abuse had affected him greatly and turned him into a manipulative, cunning, cold and cruel psychopath.
The fair skin eye lids of the former prince finally revealed the dreamy emerald orbs hidden beneath them. Hans felt utterly groggy and confused. He knew he had woken up once before and felt exhausted, but now he was completely drained of energy. Hans took in his surroundings and noticed that he was still in a white room instead of his musty, cold prison cell. The unlucky ginger shivered at the memory of his cell and how brutally his brothers had beaten him before the mysterious sorcerer came to his aid. Soon, Hans begun to wonder where he was, why he was here and how long he had been sleeping.
"You're finally awake. I was beginning to worry you had fallen into another coma." Hans weakly turned his head to the door of the white room and found a man wearing a white coat standing in the doorway with a clipboard in his hand. The strange man smiled faintly at Hans and calmly strolled to the bedridden prince.
"To answer the questions buzzing around in your head. I'm Dr. Whale and you're in a hospital in a town called Storybrooke. Second, Queen Elsa of Arendelle freed you from your ice prison. Third, you were nearly crushed to death by large stone minerals after shoving your ex-fiancee out of harm's way. Originally, you were unconscious for 4 weeks. You had a semi-panic attack and tore away all the cables from your body. However, Anna managed to stop you from hurting yourself further. After having a slight emotional breakdown, you slipped into an unconscious state for about four days." The dirty blonde-haired man said while checking Hans's vital signs and recording everything on his clipboard. "I'll inform everyone you're awake."
Hans was rather overwhelmed at the sight of so many unfamiliar but friendly faces. His heart was pounding violently within his chest; the young ginger was very on edge and wanted desperately to escape the stares of these strangers. Just as Hans was about to have another episode, a familiar head of strawberry blonde hair peeked through the small crowd followed by a woman with snow white hair and a overly-muscled blonde man.
Anna slowly reached for Hans, but stopped short when the ginger shied away from her gentle touch; the young princess sighed and smiled softly. It was too soon to try and help Hans open up to others, especially when he found himself alone with so many people. Anna figured perhaps it was better to give Hans time to adjust to life in Storybrooke since it's a world all new to the four of them. She knew Hans had clung to her in desperation, he needed comfort and familiar arms to hold him as he cried out all the pain he had held in his heart; it had been a moment she knew would never happen again, but was glad to have been able to be the support Hans needed even if it had only been for a few short hours.
"I...I want to thank you...for saving me, Hans." Anna said awkwardly and placed a gentle hand on Hans's thigh, frowning when he refused to meet her eyes. He was ignoring her! How dare he ignore her after spending all her time watching over him while he was in a coma?! Anna gritted her teeth at Hans's rudeness and before she could stop herself, her hand met the former royal's cheek harshly.
Hans cowered in fear as Anna neared him. The princess was trying her best to calm the frightened ginger and apologize for slapping him, but was met with screams of terror when she tried to touch him. Dr. Whale and several nurses rushed into the hospital room, and tried to approach Hans; however, to everyone's surprise, blazes of fire shot from Hans's hand when he attempted to shield himself from the hospital faculty. Regina blocked the fire with her magic, trying her best to remain calm and protect everyone within range of the terrified man. She noticed Dr. Whale attempt to soothe Hans with his words, but soon jumped back as another flare of fire was sent his way.
"ST-STAY BACK!" Cried Hans, his eyes darting to every person present in the room. His mind was on overdrive, fear cutting through his common sense and blinding him from the people who only sought to help him―All Hans saw were his brothers, all twelve of them surrounding him, laughing at the helplessness in his eyes and slowly approaching him with ill intents. "Please don't." Begged the traumatized prince, his green eyes drowning with tears and breaths becoming quick and short. He was scared, mortified beyond belief; Hans just wanted to be left alone despite his growing need for comfort and sanctuary.
Everyone stared at the blazing dome protecting the scared prince. Dr. Whale had previously tried to sedate Hans in order to calm him down and bring him out of his panic attack; however, before the doctor could administer the injection, a ring of fire exploded from the marble floor and surrounded Hans―The flames seemed to have a mind of their own as they formed the barrier of burning inferno.
"How are we going to snap him out of it?" Asked Anna, yelping loudly and dodging a basketball-sized fireball as it soared past her head and ignited the counter behind her. "We can't even get near Hans long enough to calm him down."
Elsa turned her blue eyes to Hans; her heart went out to the 13th Prince of the Southern Isles. Hans was unloved and lonesome; he had a father who despises him and twelve older brothers who made his life a living nightmare. Hans wanted someone to love him for whom he was and not for what he had; it had pained both her and Anna to hear Hans being called many horrible things by his brothers, especially by Jurgen. Elsa wondered if one of the reasons King Claudius and his twelve oldest sons hated Hans was because of his powers. The young Queen shed a tear at the thought of living in a family who despised you and wanted nothing more than to be rid of you―Elsa was lucky that Anna had stood by her side despite being shut out by her for thirteen years.
The youngest Westerguard cowered in fear, green eyes replaced with scarlet hues and blushy, freckled cheeks stained with tears. No one knew what to do; everyone present in the room pitied the prince and felt their hearts crack at the sound of his weak sobs. He was vulnerable, scared, overwhelmed and confused; Anna and Elsa could see the innocent child within Hans surfacing as he wrapped his arms around his legs and pulled them to his chest. Elsa titled her head slightly to the right, taking in Hans's quivering form and noticing the sweat streaming down his face―The heat of the barrier surrounding him was beginning to affect his weakened body; if Elsa didn't know any better, she would say the ginger looked like he was ready to pass out any moment.
(I have to do something. He won't hold out much longer...even his own powers are straining his body.) Thought Elsa, noting how much weaker Hans was growing the longer he remained inside the force-field of fire. Apparently, Hans's powers are connected to his emotions. When Dr. Whale was approaching Hans with the syringe, he was terrified and his powers retaliated by batting away the source of his fears.
Mary Margret was at lost; she could see that the young man had lived a terrible life judging by the way he reacted when Dr. Whale had tried to sedate him. The young Queen wondered if someone were to show Hans compassion than perhaps they can get close enough to the auburn-haired prince to ease his suffering. Mary Margret thought and thought, and soon realized what they had to do―Maybe she and Regina could approach Hans since they both share a motherly trait. Mary Margret signaled Regina and soon found the former mayor by her side, and immediately whispered her plan softly in the sorceress's ear.
"Regina, what if we try to get near Hans? Maybe our gentle and motherly atmosphere will get through to him." Mary Margret (Snow White) looked to Hans briefly and then back at Regina, and noticed her step-mother's lips forming a gentle smile; it was clear to Snow White that Regina completely agreed with her plan.
Regina and Mary Margret took tiny steps towards the barrier of burning fire―Stopping suddenly when Hans caught their movement; he stared at them with glassy green eyes filled with hesitation, fear and wonder. Mary Margret released a small breath before taking another baby step towards Hans; she stopped and looked to the redhead waiting for him to launch a fireball at her and Regina, but all the vulnerable prince did was continue to stare. Regina followed her example and took an extra step, noticing how Hans's tensed shoulders relaxed slightly; the sorceress and her step-daughter neared the "dreamy" green eyed man, internally relieved that the fire surrounding him slowly sank into the floor.
Hans eyed the women walking slowly to him, their eyes filled with concern and assurance. The duo had no weapons on them...but he could sense that the one in the blue blazer wield magic, he could feel it in the warmth radiating from her soul. Hans didn't know why, but there was something very familiar about the woman with gentle brown eyes. He felt as though he knew her from somewhere. Hans shook his head, it was impossible for him to know this woman since he was forbidden from leaving the castle grounds. Yet something in his heart cried out to the mysterious sorceress.
Regina and Mary Margret kneel before Hans, much to everyone's surprise that they were able to close the distance between them and the fire wielder without being attacked and smiled motherly at the redhead, eyes filled with tenderness and affection. No one dared to move as the flames protecting Hans completely vanished as did the fire burning around them. Mary Margret slowly reached for Hans, stopping short when he flinched away from her touch but soon brushed away a lock of auburn hair from his face. She hushed Hans softly as he shivered against her motherly actions, calmly telling him that he had nothing to fear.
"You're okay." Said Snow (Mary Margret), stroking the still trembling prince's hair and inching closer to him. "No one's going to hurt you. We only want you to calm down. Regina and I understand that being surrounded by so many people is unnerving, but we promise that everyone in this room mean you no harm." She added, gesturing towards her daughter and company.
"Hans, I know you're very confused and wonder why your heart calls out to me." Regina said, her own heart fluttering when his green eyes shined with hope. "Which is why I'm going to undo the spell." The former mayor ignored the puzzlement on Snow White's face and delicately held Hans's bandaged hand, muttering a short incantation before focusing her gaze into the young prince's emerald orbs.
Hans gave a small surprise gasp as warmth enveloped his hand and traveled through his bloodstream straight to his brain. His green eyes glazed over as memories flowed into his subconscious, his heart pounding heavily in his chest as several upon several visions flashed before his eyes. He saw himself as a small boy of 5, running through a large and beautiful forest, laughing with delight. A woman with black hair and brown eyes chased after him, wearing a black coat and matching pants; Hans shivered when he realized that the woman in the vision was the very one kneeling before him. Many more memories filled Hans's head and heart, but one memory caught the prince's full attention.
"Mother, where are we going?" Asked a 5-year-old Hans holding Regina's hand. The tiny child was confused and slightly saddened by Regina's lack of words.
"My Little Prince." Said Regina, stopping suddenly, turning Hans towards her and placing her hands gentle on his small shoulders. "I haven't been completely honest with you for the past five years, but I'm going to fix all that." Continued the Queen, her heart throbbing when Hans looked at her questioningly.
"Five years ago, I came across a baby nestled in a bundle of blankets outside my castle near the large apple tree in the courtyard. The baby was small and crying violently. I didn't know why someone had abandoned the baby, but I couldn't leave him there to suffer. So I took him in and nurtured him, raised him as my own son and grew to love him. Hans...that baby...was you." Regina teared when Hans stepped away from her in shock. "I'm not your real mother. I don't know who your birth mother was, but I do know who your father is."
Little Hans clutched Regina's hand, his mind on overdrive and trying to process what his mother had just said. If Regina wasn't his mother than who was...moreover, who is his father? The duo stopped in front of a large palace lined with brick walls and a lone tower located to the far right of the castle. Hans looked curiously at Regina, his big green eyes drinking in the tears that slide down her smooth cheeks.
"Hans, this is your home. The Southern Isles." The small redhead's eyes widened. The Southern Isles was a large kingdom with at least twelve heirs! If this was his home then that would make him..."My Little Prince, your father is King Claudius of the Southern Isles. Your full name is Hans Michael William Westerguard, 13th Prince of the Southern Isles." Announced Regina, her brown eyes filled with tears. She didn't want to leave her precious son, but the Enchanted Forest was becoming dangerous for him and will be even more when she casts the "Dark Curse".
"Mother, please." Begged Hans, clutching the hem of the Evil Queen's dress. "Please don't leave me. I want to stay with you. I Love You, Mother." Cried the tiny prince, his small hands gripping Regina's black dress in desperation and face buried in the fabric of her skirt.
"I Love You Too, Hans." Responded Regina, plucking her Little Prince from her skirt and holding him close. Hans immediately wrapped his arms around her neck and hide his face in her long black hair. "But, you'll have to stay here. It's going to be dangerous for you to be with me. I promise I'll come back for you. Until then, live your life as best as you can." Regina kissed Hans's forehead and muttered a spell, sealing her beloved little prince's memories and putting him to sleep.
"We'll be together again. You won't remember me, but I'll be watching over you. Be brave, my Little Phoenix. Bring happiness and love wherever you go...and always remember mother loves you."
Hans slumped heavily against the back wall as the memory faded. He breathed uneasily, his mind trying to process everything. Hans was stunned, shocked to the core. This woman was his mother...the only mother he's ever known. She left him in the Southern Isles to protect him, but wasn't aware of how cruel his birth father was. Hans sobbed loudly, tears cascading swiftly down his blushy, freckled cheeks; the young prince gazed at Regina in heartache and recognition. Regina smiled faintly, tears brimming in her brown eyes as she took in the grown man her little baby had become.
"Regina..." Whimpered Hans, his voice shaky and thick with tears. The lonely, broken auburn prince launched himself at the former Evil Queen and wrapped his arms tightly around her, his face buried in her neck as more tears spilled from his eyes. "Mother!" Hans pained sobbed ripped through everyone's heart. It was a cry of relief, anguish and desperation.
Regina lightly stroked Hans's auburn hair as he slept, his head in her lap and gauze-covered hand clutching the hem of her blue skirt. After her Little Prince had cried himself to sleep, Kristoff awkwardly carried him in his arms and set him back on the bed; the ice harvester had panicked when Hans stirred, but sighed in relief when Regina lulled him back to sleep. Dr. Whale allowed Regina to keep Hans calm while he administrated the sedative―The purpose of sedating Hans was to keep him asleep long enough for Regina to explain herself and for Dr. Whale to replace the blood-stained bandages around the prince's chest.
Emma, Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and even David were lost for words. Who would've thought that Regina had raised a small baby during her reign as the Evil Queen; however, seeing the two holding each other for dear life proved how much they loved one another; the tears they shed were of pure love and showed that they were each others' whole world. Anna wiped away her tears, her heart burning in her chest; she had been wrong about Hans all along. All her ex-fiance wanted was to fill the empty void in his heart where Regina had resided before sealing away his memories. If Hans had stayed by Regina's side then perhaps he would've never attempted to usurp the throne of Arendelle or tried to trap Elsa in the urn. Hans would've become a gentle, loving, polite and sweet young prince and not the manipulative, cold, cunning, lying man she had met.
"Around 23 years ago, I came across a small bundle of blankets near the apple tree I planted in the courtyard of the Royal Castle in the Enchanted Forest. Upon nearing the apple tree, I found that nestled within the bundle was a baby. He was quite small and crying out for comfort. I plucked him from the leaves and held him close. He had stopped crying and opened his eyes in wonder. They were a beautiful shade of green, complimenting his auburn hair and fair skin." Commented Regina, earning slow nods and eyes still filled with shock. She smiled at the expression on everyone's face; Regina had been anticipating their reaction and ultimately decided it was best to tell them the whole truth.
"That baby was Hans. According to one of my guards, the King of the Southern Isles wanted nothing to do with his newborn son and, therefore, abandoned him in our kingdom. I can only guess he thought I would kill Hans." Regina paused and eyed the young prince sadly; she was sad and angry that Hans's own father had left him to face her wrath, but hadn't counted on Regina becoming attach to the 13th prince and raising him as her own son. "I felt something within Hans, something special. As you all saw that special something is his ability to control fire. I also believe this to be one reason King Claudius wanted to get rid of Hans." Everyone could hear the venom in Regina's voice when she spoke the king's name, they didn't blame her for being angry and she had every right to bear a grudge against the cold-hearted King of the Southern Isles.
Regina continued to tell her tale with great passion. Her eyes shining as she told them how Hans would run through the corridors of her castle with a bright grin on his face, his laughter pure and angelic and made her heart soar. She even explained how excited Hans had been when he showed her his powers; Regina had been proud of how easily Hans was able to bend the flames to his will and never burning anything to ashes. Elsa and Anna wiped away stray tears as they listened to the tale of the man that had once tried to take Arendelle for his own. Regina then began to tell them everything she had seen when Hans was growing up in the Southern Isles, taunted by his older brothers, ignored by his father, called "a spawn of the devil," "monster," "freak," "worthless" and "a disgrace". Those words had made Regina's blood boil, but her heart shatter at the sight of the tears cascading down her precious son's face. The former Evil Queen added that she wanted to outright murder King Claudius in cold blood and take Hans away. But she couldn't risk endangering him, especially not when the dark cursed had been cast; Regina had placed a barrier around the Southern Isles, unknowingly shielding Arendelle as well, in order to keep Hans safe until she returned.
What do you think? I have to say I'm pretty proud of myself. I think I made Hans a bit overly emotional though. I looked at a lot things about Hans on tumblr, and deviantart, and began to think about everything that happened in Frozen.
I'm quoting this from a post on tumblr "Hans is the consequence of being raised without love". I completely agree this person because I too thought that way slightly when I saw Hans's brothers make fun of him and later abandon him when Ingrid froze him. So I sympathize Hans greatly.
Thanks for reading chapter one The Will of the Phoenix. Read and Review. This story might go somewhere if I get enough reviews and come up with more ideas.
Thank you my wonderful fans! Vanitas signing off!