A sickly crack ran through the derilect stone building, and a scream of agony rang out, accompanied by its many chilling echoes.
Blood freezes to the floor.
Silent echoes illustrate triumphant footsteps, tainted red, cold as ice.
... Five years later...
Anna awoke from her ill spent slumber, a new ache shooting through her left arm and she winced as she rolled off of it, and then recoiling forward again once her body came into contact with another's.
"I see you're awake." He whispered. She shivered on the inside but dared not to let it show through. She willed the little tremors into stillness and hummed in response.
Hans usually wasn't that rough with her, she noted, and then out of forced habit wrapped her arms around his as they snaked their way around her.
She sighed and closed her eyes as he brought his face to rest right up against her own and tried to feel comforted by the warmth and the vibration of his low chuckle.
He kissed her neck, enclosing his mouth against her skin and then assaulted her with his tongue for a moment. He moved up to her jawline and then slowly made his way towards her ear, his arms tightening suddenly around her waist.
her gasp was partly out of shock and partly due to the force at which he embraced her, crushing her under his grip. Her heart began to pick up the pace and she whimpered, frantically trying to free herself. Her resistance only caused for him to laugh even harder and then she stole a glance to her side, catching the dark and maliciously wicked look in his eyes, a cruel smile playing on his lips.
"Oh, Anna, you know I love you... but tell me dear, why have you been unfaithful to me..?" He hissed into her ear, gripping one of her breast extra tight with his nails.
She was thankful for the thick clothing that separated them, because she knew that was going to leave a bruise and she cried in fear, "I-I haven't been! Wh-what do you me-"
he turned her over and pressed himself against her, lifting a hand to her throat and gently applying pressure, threatening to use his vice like grip once more.
"Oh really? Then my sweet little Anna, could you tell me who 'Kristoff' is?" He growled at her.
her eyes fluttered wide and her entire heart sank into her stomach and she silently screamed as he tried tightened his grip, inching closer to suffocating her every second she refused to reply.
"I'm waiting Anna. I'll wake you up again later when you're ready to tell me." He purred sarcastically. Soon his grip would surely knock her out.
She was too panicked to link together a coherent sentence but when he had had enough of her terrified bawling he gave a sharp warning squeeze and she finally managed a word;
"ICE!" she cried, sobbing. When their seemingly perfect marriage had turned into this horror-novel-like reality she was unsure, but she knew in her heart that it wasn't Hans whom she loved. It was in fact Kristoff, although sadly she hadn't so much as spotted him in a crowd since their parting, five years ago.
"Ice?" He spat confused, loosening his grip a little, "What the hell does ice have to do with this?" He hollered.
She gasped up some air and then carefully worded her sentence, "F-five years ago... The N-north mountain...he was an ice harvester. He took me to see Elsa and then brought me home again... I-I haven't seen him since that day." She admitted.
He lingered on top of her for a brief moment before violently shoving off her. He growled in his throat and threw off the covers, leaving her partially bare body to chill unforgivingly.
He turned on his heel and glared at her menacingly, "Well, if you haven't seen him in five DAMN years then what the hell are you crying out his name for?" He spat.
She furrowed her brows and curled into a ball, suddenly remembering her slip of the tongue that night...
He took a step forward and then slammed his hands down either side of her and repeated himself, "Why are you crying out HIS name... When I'M your husband?" He asked, a sarcastic curiosity in his voice.
Suddenly she feels a heat boling up in her chest. She had kept her love for Kristoff a heavily guarded and most precious secret until now.
He slapped her across the face and added, "What does a filthy, underpaid peasant have that I don't? What? What is it Anna? Am I not good enough to match up to him?"
The heat seared her chest and suddenly she blinked away the tears of fear and then daring to move against him, she shoved him off the bed and cried, "EVERYTHING! You could NEVER live up to him!"
He lay on his back with wide eyes and his mouth pressed into a hard line, staring sharp, icy daggers through her heart, almost willing it to freeze all over again.
he stood up so fast that her burst of courage faded away instantly and she leapt up off the bed, running for her life as he chased her. He managed to block off the exit and the slammed her against the wall.
"And what gives you that impression?" He hissed.
She shuddered and then replied, "Kristoff actually loved me... He would have let Elsa live..." She whimpered.
He released and dropped her to the floor and then stormed away without another glance.
"She was a threat. In my way. She had to go." He cooly replied.
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