There had been no time to plan the details of Elsa's death before she revealed her powers. But he had never planned to be present for it. He had never wanted the incident easily connected to him.
But that had almost happened. The sister of his betrothed had nearly died on his watch, by the hands of those under his command.
Unacceptable.
As soon as Queen Elsa was safely loaded onto a horse-drawn sled with a physician looking after her, he freed the Weseltonians from her defenses. He threw their bodies to the ice at his feet.
"What were my orders?"
The question was quiet, intense, and met with silence.
"What were my orders?" Hans repeated.
"No harm was to come to the queen." Neither of the assassins had answered, but another of the volunteers. Hans gave no sign of hearing him.
"Your deliberate insubordination alone is enough to have you flogged. But time is short, and I don't want to drag two injured men back to Arendelle."
Their faces did not change, but Hans could tell what they were thinking. A flogging wouldn't slow them down.
"So I charge you with the most serious of your crimes, and I find you guilty." He drew his sword. "The penalty for treason is death."
Whether he had struck fear in their hearts Hans didn't know. But they faced death with gazes of steel. They didn't incriminate their employer, but gave no hint that they hadn't acted of their own will. Hans had expected loyalty that would dissipate once they knew they wouldn't live to spend whatever ridiculous sum the Duke of Weselton paid them. But that was just as well. It wouldn't do to bring suspicion down on his future trading partner.
Hans had never killed with his own hands before, but he knew it took a great amount of strength to sever the head. So when he bore down with all his strength and control, it surprised him how easy it was. How powerful he was. The second execution was merely a reflex.
Now all of Arendelle - and their allies - would know him as a ruler of justice as well as kindness. He would be their protector, their hero. The stories told about him would surpass all others.
He definitely wasn't invisible now.