Hello hello! I have come to you bearing a new Frozen fanfic. This time, it's *gasp* actually a full-length Helsa/Iceburns fic. This idea came to me on whim, and while I have multiple chapters already written out, I have no obligation to update this fic in a timely manner (or finish it, but we'll see. Right now I'm set on finishing it depending on how many readers it gets). I don't consider myself a Helsa shipper, but I'm definitely a shipper of Elsa's happiness!

This is my first time writing Hans in the "redemption" manner, so please bear with me and I apologize if he seems out of character at times. I also apologize (not), this will be a slow-burn fic ;)

Without further ado, please enjoy! (I may or may not update with the next chapter before the end of the weekend if this receives a positive response *hint hint*)

Chapter 1

The mare snorted beneath the queen, shaking off the soft flurries of snow that landed along her snout. Elsa's fingers tightened on the reins, carefully raising the white horse's head in case she decided to roll. Her hoof pawed the ground and Elsa leaned forward to coo her. With a small whinny, they trotted on.

The sun had just begun its decent behind the mountains, illuminating their sparkling snow-caps with a warm, crystalline amber glow. It had been hours since they'd departed from Arendelle, and Elsa's thighs began to ache from the seemingly endless trek on horseback. The sunset had only made her antsy to set up camp and stretch her muscles.

The queen glanced at her surrounding entourage—a dozen guardsmen tasked with keeping their sovereign safe—and could only imagine how sore and famished they had to be. The group hadn't stopped to eat since they'd left at noon.

Though her aching limbs and complaining stomach were an issue, it was nothing compared to the heartache she already felt from being parted for so long from Anna. It hadn't been a full day yet, but this is also the first time Elsa had traveled farther than the North Mountain outside of her kingdom. The princess had expressed concerns about performing her duties as acting Majesty, but the queen had reassured her and refused to leave without providing her sister a hand-written guide; if only to ease her.

I have faith in you, Anna.

As the last of the sun's rays disappeared, the group arrived in a small—if not cozy—clearing within the pine forest. Elsa breathed a sigh of relief when the Captain of her guard had them halt and barked orders to begin setting up camp.

The mare shuffled restlessly beneath her.

"Easy, Vinter" she murmured, soothingly running her fingers through the horse's neatly trimmed mane. "It's time to rest."

Elsa began sliding off her mount when one of the guards gave a panicked shout and tackled her to the snow-covered ground.

Her eyes widened at the darkening sky as she lay on her back. She tried to gasp for air, but her lungs seized within her chest, winded. Her hands grappled futilely in the snow before finding purchase on the man above her and heaved. The guard didn't budge.

Through the ringing in her ears she heard a mantra of shouts.

"Arrows!"

"Take cover!"

"The Queen! Protect the Queen!"

Oxygen re-filled her lungs and she gasped, coughing. Her heart hammered in her chest as she drank in more air. When she fully came to, she gathered up her strength and pushed at the body above her. When the queen managed to roll him off of her half-way and drag herself from beneath him, an arrow whizzed past her head and lodged itself into the snow merely centimeters from her shoulders.

Elsa froze. Her wide eyes zeroed in on the tail-end of the arrow, as if counting each white and black-patterned feather, and swallowed in realization of how close she'd just escaped death. Again.

Trembling, she took in the chaos surrounding her. A rain of arrows firing down on her men, impaling them one by one. Smears of red painted the snow. Shouts of confusion and panic echoed as they attempted to fight an unseen enemy.

In the back of her mind, she knew she had to move; she had to do something. Anything. But she couldn't will her limbs to move, shock frozen in her veins.
"Your Majesty!"

Her captain limped toward her, an arrow lodge in his leg and his sword was drawn at his side. Half of her guardsmen lay in the snow; lifeless.

Elsa rose to her feet, terrified but unscathed. The captain seemed to give her a once over before his expression relaxed in relief.

"Your Majesty, you need to run to safety. Over half my men are down and the enemy is hidden. We can't protect you out in the open like this!"

She felt the tendrils of ice gather in the tips of her fingers as the initial shock wore off and she shook her head.

"No, Captain. I can help. I can create a barrier—"

"There's no time! We must retreat! You need to—" he cut off. His wide eyes staring over her as he stumbled; gargling. Elsa released a blood-curdling scream. Horror encompassing every fiber of her being.

The head of an arrow protruded from his throat, blood dribbling down his throat as he choked. The white of his eyes haunted her, body convulsing when he fell back, staining the snow red.

Paralyzed, she stared at the massacre. The sound of whizzing arrows dulled to the pounding of blood in her ears. Her heart hammered like a battering ram. Eyes darting to each of her fallen men, desperate to find a survivor amongst the slaughtered.

Holding her breath, she whipped her head to the left when she heard a cry.

"Y-Your Majesty. . .please. . .h-help. . ." A guardsman reached out to her, stumbling over his feet, an arrow lodged in his shoulder.

Breaking out of her shock, Elsa ran to catch him. When he fell into her arms, she crumbled to her knees with a sharp gasp; teeth clenching. She buried a hand in the snow, the powder bleeding between her fingers as she searched for the source of her pain blindly.

When her fingers brushed against the feathered ends of an arrow, a whimper squeezed passed her clenched teeth. Grasping as close to the head of the arrow as possible, while biting down on her lower lip, she held her breath and released a pained scream as she dislodged it. Fresh blood soaked through her crystalline riding pants and dripped down her leg, dotting the snow crimson.

Her wide eyes darted along the vast expanse of the blurring clearing. Drawing in shallow breaths, attempting to calm herself to prevent the possibility of shock overcoming her body.

She attempted to crawl, but the jolt of pain in her right leg forced a cry out of her and she fell onto her back. Starting up at the cloud-filled sky, a warm tear trailed down her temple and disappeared into her golden hairline. Her chest heaved beneath her bodice as she squeezed her wide eyes shut, enduring the pain through a clenched jaw.

When the queen cracked her eyes open, the world spun. Soft snow fell, covering the trail of death in the eerie silence.

Head pounding, Elsa arched her back with a soft wail. Sweat mixed with her tears, and for the first time in her life, she felt cold and numb.
When black spots began to cloud her vision, and her strength dwindled, she caught a blur of summer-orange. She lifted a trembling hand as fresh tears streamed down her face.

Before darkness took her, her breath hitched when she gave a hopeful murmur, "A-Anna?"