A/N: Frozen, alternate timeline. Before they died, the King and Queen of Arendelle had arranged for Elsa to marry. And just one year after their deaths, the Princess' would-be fiancée decided to seal the engagement. The story is mainly taken from Hans' POV, who is, as of now, about to die for reasons yet to be known.

Hey… Elsa…? Do you remember that day? The day when we first met? Ahh yes, of course I do… It was a bright, sunny day…

"Prince Hans! Look! It's Arendelle!"

The young prince blinked and peered through the horizon, eyeing the gleaming city that seems to sparkle through the sun and sea air.

"We arrived faster than I thought!" Hans nodded.

"By no small thanks to us, Your Highness!" the sailor replied, grinning a buck tooth. Hans said nothing, but simply smiled and shrugged.

And the sailor was right; the sea routes to Arendelle was infamous for its treacherous weather. Countless ships has been lost due to the often unexpected storms and waves. While it takes only a couple days of travel at most, only the most skilled crew, combined with luck, could navigate through these dangerous waters unscathed, let alone arrive earlier than the estimated time. They made port in the Royal Dock, and as soon as the Prince planted his boots on the land, he was greeted by an envoy.

"Welcome to Arendelle, Prince Hans!"

From the middle of the party, a middle aged man approached him.

"A pleasure to be here. I do not believe we have met, Master…?" Hans saluted and extended his hand.

"Please, call me Kai. I am the butler to the royal family," the man beamed, grasping the Prince's extended hand. "The Princesses are waiting. Shall we?"

"After you," Hans smiled.

The Prince and his guards then joined the envoy, and together they walked through the port. The sun was blazing in its full glory, yet a hint of coolness still hung upon the air. The sweet smell of flowers and fruits only served to enhance the peaceful atmosphere.

"Had a smooth trip then, Sire?" Kai asked.

"Oh yes, we had a little bit of luck traversing the waters. Not even wind or rain came our way," said Hans

"I'm glad to hear that," Kai grinned again.

Are the people of Arendelle always this friendly? This might be easier than I thought…

He felt his lips forming a smirk, which he immediately suppressed into a thin smile.

Not yet, Hans. Conceal. Put on a mask.

"I have to apologize in advance, though, Your Highness," Kai's said, "we had no idea that you will be arriving early, so the staffs were still preoccupied with your welcoming banquet; we couldn't even come and greet you properly."

"Have no concern, Master Kai. 'Tis only…"

A formality, after all. A prelude to something even more pretentious than royal greeting; a political engagement.

Yes, t'was the day of his meet and greet to the elder princess of Arendelle, Elsa. And also the day of his engagement to her. A political marriage. A marriage of convenience, most would say, devoid of love and free will. Not that he minded, though – it meant a door to a new life for him, an escape from the suffocating darkness which was his brothers' shadows. A door to freedom that was just about to be opened. All he wished in his heart was that the Princess had no debilitating ailment… or exceptionally unattractive, like the rumors often said. After all, what parent would shut their daughters inside a castle for eleven years?

"… Only?" Kai's voice snapped him back to reality.

"Me. It's partially my fault we arrived here early, my men and I, though I do hope I would be spared the full blame," Hans joked, and Kai laughed. Soon after, they arrived at the castle.

Castle Arendelle was a magnificent sight. While not as grand as his own, it radiated majesty. The feeling of coziness even added to the experience; it was very well kept, despite…

"Are there only a few staffs here?" Hans blurted out, cursing his own moment of impulsiveness.

"Alas, yes," Kai said, a hint of sadness in his voice, "by the late King's order, we are only keeping a fixed number of staffs here. And it's been so long since we have had visitors."

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to –"

"Fret not, Your Highness. At least your company now will somewhat compensate for it," the butler beamed again.

"I sincerely hope so," Hans offered a smile of apology.

They stopped in front of the castle gates. Kai bellowed for the guards, announcing their arrival.

"Prince Hans of The Southern Isles has arrived!"

The gate swung open, revealing a courtyard with two fountains in its center adorning it.

"Please wait here, Sire. I will notify the Princesses," the butler said.

"Thank you."

So this is Arendelle. Not a bad place to start a new life. At least, better than that accursed…

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"Prince Hans, if you would please follow me. Their Highnesses are waiting inside," Kai returned.

"Of course."

They walked inside the inner gates and arrived at the halls. As soon as he saw two figures of women, he immediately lowered his gaze.

Am I… afraid? What if the rumors are true? Will I still be able to continue…?

"Your Highness, may I introduce to you, Princesses Elsa and Anna," the butler beamed.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Highnesses, I am Prince Hans of the Southern Isles," Hans bowed. He then slowly looked up… and it took all his willpower to keep his jaw in place.

Not only did he not detect any signs of disabilities, both princesses were incredibly lovely, far more than any other ladies he had seen his entire life. He was so taken in by their beauty that all the warm speech, all the flatteries that he had at the tip of his tongue disappeared. Vanished, as if washed down by water. He was about to open his mouth, but knew that no coherent sentence would come out of it, so he stopped and made a polite smile instead.

"Oh wow, you're gorgeous!" the Princess with the strawberry blonde hair squealed. She had a shorter stature, yet very vibrant and lively. Her very being seemed to radiate energy; spring seemed to gush from her every step. "I'm Princess Anna, of Arendelle."

So this is Anna. As perky as they say.

"See Elsa, I told you he'd be good looking!" Anna exclaimed.

"You flatter me, my lady, thank you." Lacing his voice with subtle, phony sweetness, Hans reached Anna's hand and kissed it. The younger princess turned pink at this gesture.

Young and vibrant. Talkative type. Seems inexperienced with men.

He then turned on to the elder sister.

"Well met, Princess Elsa," this time too, he reached for the elder princess's gloved hand and kissed it.

"The pleasure is all mine, Prince Hans," Elsa said, smiling.

It was then something inside him clicked. If Anna was the embodiment of spring, Elsa would be… winter. That much was obvious. Her pale skin, icy blue eyes, smooth features platinum blonde hair that was tied in a bun… all radiated coolness. This was further emphasized by her teal dress and bright blue gloves. But those were not what caught Hans' attention. It was…

That face. That expression. Could it be…

There was no mistaking it. It was the exact same expression that he wore every day. A rehearsed smile, forced onto the face to hide what lied within. And for the first time in forever, he was at complete loss for words.

Little did I know then, just how much you would change my life.

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