PART 1


The journey back to the Southern Isles from Arendelle was difficult for Hans. In the ships brig, he was forced to consider what lie in his future. He had twelve brothers to convince, but he knew that the king, his eldest sibling, would be the one who's support he would require to continue to live regally. With him and his ship, a letter was to be delivered to the king of the Southern Isles, whoever he may be. Within that letter, signed by queen Elsa of Arendelle herself, were the crimes committed by the young and evil prince, and the ramifications against the Southern Isles for his actions.

The ships hold was cold and smelly, nothing down there but ballast stone and some of the supplies required for the return trip. One of the cabin boys would come down briefly to deliver the prince his meals, but he'd never stay long enough to be coaxed into freeing the royal family member. On one occasion the prince nearly succeeded in winning the boys sympathy, but failed when one of the royal guard members interrupted. From then on a different boy delivered the meals, and was always supervised.

The most painful part for prince Hans was seeing his own royal guard acting so coldly. Yes he had lied and very nearly murdered a defenseless, innocent, and sad princess, but he did it for the benefit of himself, and therefore his kingdom. He'd tell his eldest brother this, as well as spinning a larger hyperbole that would be sure to win sympathies and keep him on top. He'd be able to try again later.

The hold had only one window, small and barely able to be seen out of. When it rained, or when the ship was moving at speeds great enough to generate ocean spray, the prince had to close it to prevent himself from getting wet. On the last day of the journey, the prince sat up from his hay stuffed bed, running his fingers through his hair and opening the hatch to his window. Bright, yellow light poured in, and he squinted, covering the whole with his hand and groaning. Above him he could hear the sailors working on deck, rushing around and likely closing the sails. Once his eyes had adjusted, the prince could see his ancestral family castle. The ship had arrived in the Southern Isles.

After what seemed like a short time the ship collided with its dock, everything jerking around before growing still. The ship had married to the dock, and was tied into its slip against the stone dock. As men disembarked from the wooden prison, eventually the royal guardsmen came for their prisoner.

They wore white, double-breasted overcoats with sharp red collars and shining brass buttons. With freshly polished brown boots, they stepped down and unlocked the cell door. Gloved hands extended, and the prince took them willingly. Before he could move, heavy metal handcuffs were slapped onto his wrists.

"This is an unnecessary measure guardsmen, I wouldn't run."

"For my safety, and the safety of my comrades."

The prince rolled his eyes, the guard had a think and bushy mustache, and beneath it his lips surely were moving to generate speech. The two guards dragged the prince above deck, where he was again blinded by the bright sun. On deck he found his white gloved servants, whom had no swords, but refreshments. With his cuffed hands he took one, drinking what he found to be a rather good alcohol.

He was swiftly pulled onward, placed in a closed cart and sent moving forward again. In his position, his greatest stroke of luck was that he had never gotten sea sick. Hans' heart was beating faster then any other, although his smugness concealed the nerves he was feeling; never had an act in his favor caused him so much distress. He considered alternatives, what he should have done, but soon realized that was the past. Only Hans' now mattered.

The carriage carried him and the two royal guards to the castle, past the initial perimeter gate and to the main courtyard, where more guards were standing in wait of their prince. They'd just been informed of his crimes, and now knew that he'd be appearing dirty, and handcuffed.

Beyond the castle's entrance hall, the prince was dragged the final leg of his travel home: to the the throne room. Sitting before him was his oldest brother. The king of the Southern Isles had a thick brown beard that covered his neck and ended in a blunt rounded cap. He had no grey hairs, and his overall look was considered shaggy. He bore the crown, and his heavy brown eyes bore a disappointed look. The king was fat, his belly poking out of the thick and comfortable velvet he was wearing, his legs spread sloppily as he sat in his large and hard metal throne.

"What is the meaning of this? Why has my brother Hans been presented to me in handcuffs like any other criminal, free him this instant."

The guards freed Hans, and he rubbed his wrists and smiled fakely at his eldest brother. That smile was taken away when he saw the scroll of paper that would condemn him. Elsa very likely gave him no leniency. The king had the scroll read aloud, and Hans grew more and more sad as each word impaled him and drew his fate all the more clear. The king raised his hand to demand silence, and with that he rubbed his forehead, shaking his head and sighing loudly.

"The kingdom of Arendelle had been one of isolation and silence. I send you, one of many desirable beaus to present to the princess and queen, and you failed me, Hans. You deceived them, you deceived them for their throne. Now we have been barred from trading with them, and likely our relationship will be strained forever. This scar is permanent Hans, how could you do this to your family?"

"Adam..."

"King Adam, you lost the privilege to address me casually when you attempted to murder the queen of Arendelle."

"King Adam, I swear it I was acting on behalf of the Southern Isles, I was..."

"You made a mistake Hans, and I will hear no such excuses. Our father is no longer with us, and to your fortune our mother still is. I cannot kill you, but imprisonment is one of many steps to regain the trust of queen Elsa. You, Hans, will be imprisoned for the rest of your miserable life."

"But mother..."

"You have disgraced her honor as you have done your own, and as you have done mine. Take him away."

The king waved his hand, and with that the royal guards handcuffed the prince's hands again, dragging him away as he shouted in anger and sadness. He was then gone from the throne room, removed to be jailed for his life's remainder.

Several weeks past, and the king was left to consider how he could repay the kingdom of Arendelle for his brother's acts of treason. He could think of nothing at first, but after a short while he came to a conclusion. In his palace, he relied on a group of people that took expert care of himself and his home. The servants to the king of the Southern Isle were professionals, and to part with them may be regarded as a true sign of apology.

King Adam had sent a letter to Arendelle, exclaiming this offer to them, as well as begging the kingdom's forgiveness. He received a rely in the positive, a letter from Queen Elsa, hesitantly excepting the gift of friendship. The king demanded a group of servants, his twenty best officers, be brought before him so that he could select who was to be sent to Arendelle.

In the servant quarters of the castle were almost one hundred of the Southern Isle's best and most humble men and women. They had all heard the actions of their youngest prince, and they had also heard of the sorcerey committed by the Queen of Arendelle. Some of them feared to be sent there as a gift, because not only would they be separated from their homes and routines, but they would be delivered to a witch.

One of the servants was particularly amazed that the queen had the ability to control ice. He heard very little, and asked no questions in that regard to avoid making him look overly eager for hearing of the foreign queen.

His name was Klaus, and his family had served the Westerguards for three generations. His grandfather had achieved an in to the castle, and then from there his family made a name for themselves as servants. There were servants who had been around for longer, but Klaus was well trusted and often the one who served the many princes. The only reason he wasn't the king's head servant was that he was rather secretive. He kept to himself and spoke very little, not one to offer information to everyone.

Klaus had white and grey hair, although he was only in his mid twenties. His body was muscular, ready to lift whatever needed lifting or to do whatever needed doing for his king. He had light blue eyes, and razor sharp vision. All servants wore thin white gloves, but he wore much thicker gloves, purchased at his own expense. His uniform was as clean and well pressed as any other, and he always looked perfectly trim and fit. Klaus was famous for delivering cold hot chocolate during the winter, and when warm dishes were served to the royal family and at castle dinners, he would not serve.

Klaus' father had done wonders to keep him safe in a world that wouldn't have excepted him. Klaus was cold, and even next to a fire did not seem to warm up. Even upon coloring his hair in a matter of hours it would return to its white and grey state. He could do things that some might consider sorcery.

"Did you all hear about what the king is planning for some of us? He wants to send a group of us to Arendelle as a gift."

William was the head servant, and was warm and open, willing to start a short conversation in the scarcely occupied servant's dining room. William was of average height and build, his hair a curling ginger with some slight freckling under his brown eyes.

Beside him sat the similarity named Bill, who was fat like the king but had blond hair and green eyes. Bill was very clean, as being none too presentable in the stomach area, he prided himself on looking and smelling good.

Thirdly there was Jeoffrey. Jeoffery was a loyal member of the royal guard, and occupied the servant's dining room only to eat his lunch, also because he was good friends with the head servant, William. His hair was short and brown, falling in gentle locks that sometimes covered his green and sterile eyes. He was strong, very strong and capable of a lot good, and a lot of bad.

The final person in the room was Klaus. He was standing, looking out the window as he polished the silverware, seeing how happy the Southern Isles looked and how warm they must of felt at that moment. He couldn't tell, he just felt cold.

"Yeah I heard it, how could the king be so willing to part with his best boys? William, you and I've been here for generations, we're at the top, how could he put his shoes on without us?"

"Mind your tongue Bill, he's still your king."

"Of coarse Jeoffrey, I'm not mussing up anyone's hair, it's just a weird gesture is all, gold, now there's a way to apologize. I've had my toes stepped on, and I've never received anything in the way of apology, he should just send her some gold and keep his servants."

Bill rubbed the top of his hair when he spoke, acting out what he was saying. Bill would frequently speak with his hands, tottering back and forth on his chair, his entire body working to exclaim and elaborate his point.

"Not everyone wants gold Bill, it's a little impersonal too, don't you think? Sending servants says he's sorry, sending gold makes it sounds like he's bribing them or something else that's devious and not right. What do you think Klaus?"

He turned from the window, holding his rag in one hand and a shining three pronged instrument in the other. He cheeks tightened into dimples, and he rolled his eyes as he thought. Klaus situated himself with his back leaning against the window frame, shrugging his shoulders and thinking. He wasn't usually asked to participate in the conversations, but he wouldn't be rude.

"I'm unsure how to feel about all of this. I love being a servant to the king, and if he asked me to go I would. It's just strange, the possibility of serving a queen who can... you know, do stuff."

On the inside, Klaus wanted nothing more then to meet this wonderful sounding queen. he'd of ran there immediately if not for the ocean separating them. his mind was tightly wound, and he had to go there, he desperately longed to.

"I know Klaus, it's... well it is weird. Here you sit, polishing forks..."

"It's a trident, forks have four prongs."

William rolled his eyes, going on and explains why he felt it a weird thing to work under someone with magical powers, especially the fear of being hurt. Klaus stepped beyond his comfort zone to assure that no one would be hurt unless they were deserving. He used the fact that Elsa was a woman as evidence, abiding by the stereotype that woman weren't crocked or cruel to anyone who didn't deserve it.

Later that week, William had called a group meeting in the unused ballroom of the castle. All servants, maids, and a few of the royal guards had collected around to hear whatever William had to say. He looked stressed, his curling ginger hair messy and matted from a long day of stressful thinking, the king had given him the responsibility to allot who was to go to Arendelle and act as a gift.

"I've selected twenty of you. I've kept my selection exclusively to men, and I'll have the list posted tomorrow morning for everyone to see. The men I'm selective are strong, and well versed in serving, we couldn't send anyone who wasn't at their best. The king had asked... well he asked that I go as well, so your chances are slimming."

William was very much afraid to go, and as he spoke his voice cracked. his forehead shined with sweat, and he tugged at his collar for air. His fellow servants couldn't help but feel sympathy, they'd be losing him to a witch, a witch he didn't want to serve. Klaus detested this feeling, fear, there was no cub thing to be afraid of. William wasn't afraid of Klaus, and he could do it, too.

Later that night, Klaus rolled over onto his back, taking a breath watching it curl up above his lips. It was the start of summer, and he could see his breath in his bunk room. He was secluded with only his father, and across the room he too was lying on his back.

"Son?"

"Yeah dad, I'm here."

"That queen in Arendelle, the one who can control ice with her hands, that's what you can do, you two were cut from the same cloth."

"She's really powerful dad, I can't do all of that stuff, I keep drinks cold, and when the ice isn't think enough to skate on I give it a hand."

"Son, I want you to talk to William. This is your home, but maybe Queen Elsa will understand what you can do, maybe she'll be able to help you, like a mother of sorts. If you go, your future will be brighter than it is here."

"That's a long ways a way dad, and William won't select you. You're too old."

Klaus' father chuckled, running his hand over his bald head and then sighing, rubbing the sand out of his tired eyes. He looked over to his son, and Klaus looked back with a reassuring glance through the darkness.

"No matter what Klaus, promise that you'll be on the ship to Arendelle."

"I don't know dad, it's a long ways away, and she might be no help at all."

"That doesn't matter, no one can help you here, at least there you've got a fighting chance. Promise me you'll talk to William, and that you'll be on that ship."

"Alright dad, I promise."

The next morning, Klaus woke up to find that his father was still asleep. He got himself dressed in his uniform, putting back on his extremely thick white gloves. He'd soiled a set of them while he polished the silverware, so now he only had a few clean sets left. Once dressed and buttoned, Klaus shook his father so that he too could be ready for the day.

After a few minutes, Klaus realized his father wasn't going to wake up. He ran to fetch the castle nurses, and when they arrived at he bedchamber of the Van Day family, it became clear that Charles Van Day had died the previous night. Some servants stopped to see what was the matter, and from Klaus's retracted state they could tell what had happened. he was normally a quiet person, a pale one too, but something was visibly wrong with him. formerly smart and talented eyes looked empty, and his arms were tightly wrapped around his chest to hug himself.

William came around as well, marking the death and pulling Klaus aside so they could talk. The castle was alight with rumors, and up until this point Klaus hadn't even considered some of the things he had opened his fellow staffers to.

"I'm sorry Klaus, he's gone. The nurses think it was the devil, the room it freezing cold, there's ice in one of the water glasses, it's summer Klaus, if you don't feel safe in that room anymore, I'll get you in a new one."

Klaus didn't realize that in his panicked state he'd gone and frozen the room over. He accepted William's hypothesis, not wanting to reveal that he himself had done it. Through the stress of the situation, Klaus had forgotten to ask William if he had been assigned to go to Arendelle.

Klaus was given the day off to bury his father and have a private service, but by noon everything had been taken care of and Klaus was back to work. Klaus was a working man, and to tell him to sit and do nothing but be sad for a day was asking a lot. He received the expected apologies and grief stricken hugs from maids, which he avoided at all costs because he was freezing cold and they might think that he was the devil or something else that wasn't correct.

Klaus had found the assignments posted in the servant's dining room, and he was disappointed to see that he wasn't one of the chosen men to make the journey.

"Klaus, I know your busy but the King's mother wants to see you."

"Me? Why would she ask for me? What does she want, Bill?"

"The Kluas special."

Klaus knew that his special was cold hot chocolate, and after it had been prepared and he was carrying it on a platter to the former queen's bedchamber, he stopped in the hall to enact the coldness. Removing one glove, Klaus made sure that no one was looking at him. He took his hand to the metal tea cup, and slowly he could see and feel the drink growing cold. Once done, he placed his glove back onto his hand and carried the tray to its destination.

Two royal guards opened the doors, and inside in the balcony sat the former queen. She was thin, wearing a creamy yellow gown, her white and wiry hair spiraling down to her shoulders.

"Your majesty, I have what you requested."

He knelt down and slowly she scooped it from the tray, drinking it without the implementation of a taste tester. Usually one would be used, but Klaus was deserving of trust. she was always his favorite royal. Klaus had a sneaking suspicion behind her old, cataract stricken green eyes, she might have known all along what he was capable of. Klaus didn't know, nor did he care to find out.

"Cold, cold as the dead, just the way I like it."

She set the cup and saucer to the side, folding her hands together and waiting a few seconds before she continued. Klaus had stood, placing the tray under his arm and waiting for the instruction to leave.

"I understand your father passed on this morning Klaus, I'm very sorry to have heard that. He was good to us, here. With William departing in a few weeks, this castle is going to be in need of a trusted head servant. I know that you mean well, and with that I'd like to inform you that the position of head servant is yours for the taking. William knows of this offer, and you can discuss it with him and your friends if you like, you have friends don't you?"

"No your majesty."

She shrugged.
"It's lonely at the top anyway, at least you won't have to let anything more go free. You're dismissed Klaus."

She waved him away, and away he went. Klaus was now faced wi a double edged sword. If he were to stay, he'd be given the most coveted position in the castle. If he were to go, he'd be able to meet a woman who had the same powers as he had. His father wanted him to go, and although the offer from the former queen was sweet, Klaus was still determined to fulfill his promise and speak to William.

That night as Klaus was moving to his new bedchamber, he caught William. His superior was doing a final night round, and also had the intention of making sure Klaus was comfortable in his new room.

"William, may I have a word with you?"

William came dashing over quickly, smiling and placing his gloved hand on Klaus's shoulder for a brief moment, smiling through his tired and miserable feelings.

"You must be excited, I've got to go away and start at the bottom again, and you, you get the top. Bravo Klaus, I'm happy for you."

"About that, William I noticed I wasn't on the departing rooster."

"The former queen had a plan for you, and with the recent loss of your father she was encouraged to do something nice. You deserve it of coarse, the position isn't a hand out, took you near twenty years to get noticed."

"Will, I'd like to go to Arendelle. The night my father died he said that he wanted me to go, and I feel like I have to now that he's gone. I could serve our king just as well from a far, I could even go in your place."

"No, I'm to go, there's no getting out of it."

"Well, I noticed Jeremy Agon is on the departing list, and he's a little sickly don't you think? He's just as good a servant as any of us, but I'm unsure if he'll make the voyage. I've been on ships with him before on yachting excursions, and he always gets laid up with sickness. What would the people of Arendelle think if we sent them a sick one? I don't get sick, let him be head servant, he's just as good as I am."

"He's not sick now though, and unless he gets sick he's going and you're staying. Look, if a position opens up, I'll come running and let you fill it. The king doesn't know yet that you're to replace me, at any rate the former queen was only making a suggestion. You'll just have to wait and see. Look on the bright side, you win no matter what."

With that William departed, amazed that Klaus was so willing to turn down the head servant position, and was more willing to go and be a servant in a different kingdom. He didn't think much more of it, but William would keep his eyes open to make sure Jeremy didn't get sick or anything else to prevent him from going.

One room down from Jeremy's, Klaus was considering the ramifications of intentionally making the boy go ill. They didn't seem at all severe, and upon further thinking, Jeremy was the second most advanced servant behind Klaus, after the deductions of the twenty men to depart for Arendelle.

Klaus waited several days before he made his move. He didn't want to make it look as if he had poisoned Jeremy, and he most certainly wouldn't be doing that. All he had to do was give him a little chill up the back of his neck. The boy would come down with the cold, and a few weeks later he'd be as good as new.

After Klaus had served several of the princes their dinner, he ran into Jeremy, who was walking in the opposite direction, away from the dining room. Klaus puckered his lips with stealth, issuing a soft breeze of freezing cold air toward Jeremy. His fellow servant shuddered, rubbing the back of his neck and his forearms, trying to uncover where the sudden chill had come from.

Klaus felt bad of coarse, but he had a goal, a dead man's last wish to fulfill, and if a runny nose was the cost, he'd make it so.

That night, through the wall Klaus could hear Jeremy coughing and sneezing. He felt bad for bringing up sickness, he'd never intentionally hurt someone, but he didn't expect anything bad to happen. After all, he would be giving up the opportunity to be head servant, and passing it on to Jeremy, who would be a happy person after hearing that.

After a few days, the final verdict was in: Jeremy was too sick to travel. The nurses predicted he'd be better, but not in time to catch the ship to Arendelle, which would be departing two days in the future.

"You were right Klaus, Jeremy is a sickly fellow. I suppose I should stick true to my promise, since he can't go, you'll take his place. I haven't told him yet that he's to be head servant, I think it would be best that you tell him. This is of your will of coarse, I'm not making you give it up, so it's voluntary kindness, go on Klaus, make his day a good one."

William departed to to to his bedchamber and finish packing, leaving Klaus alone go speak with Jeremy. He had been leaning against the stone wall, just outside of the sick boy's room. Klaus knocked, slowly swinging the door open and seeing a Jeremy lying still. His head raised, and Jeremy smiled when he sew that he had a visitor.

"I'll be better right quick, just a weeks more, maybe."

"Jeremy, William told me he doesn't think you'll be able to go on the ship to Arendelle."

"That's fine by me, I didn't want to go there anyway, that witch queen would have my head for her dinner no doubt."

Klaus rolled his eyes. Of coarse she went a cannibal or anything, it was a ridiculous thought to think, but it was irrelevant in Klaus's mind.

"Jeremy, I've volunteered to go in your place, and once you're well and able again here in the Southern Isles, you'll be the head servant."

"Really?"

"The post was given to me, but since I'll be leaving it's all yours. You just have to stay sick for a few more days, and once the ship for Arendelle sets off, you'll have the post in your pocket."

"Thank you, thank you Klaus! I'm not as good as you but I'll work myself raw to make sure I do as best a job as I can muster! I swear by the king and you, I won't fail."

Jeremy coughed a few times, calming down and saying his final thank you to Klaus before the two parted ways. Klaus was glad that the boy he'd cursed with a little bout of sickness was happy with his reward, and Klaus would be able to fulfill his dying father's wish: to go to Arendelle and meet Queen Elsa.

He packed his few things through the night, eventually falling asleep with happy dreams in his mind of meeting someone like him.

The next morning the sailing ship from Arendelle arrived. It's masts were tall, and aboard the decks Klaus could make out the thick green uniforms that the Arendelle royal guardsmen dawned. He'd completed his final tasks, and bid his farewell to the former queen. She was a little uptight, but at the same time Klaus knew she had been a good queen, and had bore more sons than anyone expected of her, and was also a very nice lady. She let him go willingly, respecting his wish to explore something new in a faraway kingdom.

In the prison, one of the royal guardsmen of the Southern Isles had gone in secret to visit his beloved prince. They both connected as friends at some level, and together they had plotted a revenge. truly, they were very much alike.

"Prince Hans, I've negotiated with the servants, I'm to go as one of them to Arendelle. I'll establish a group of nationalists to exact revenge against the queen for what she had done to you, you will be freed, I swear it."

"Good Jeoffrey, be quickly about it, this cell is foul and uncouth. Once I'm free, you'll get all the wealth and women you can handle."

Jeoffrey smiled, shaking the prince's hand with an evil smile and laugh as the two parted ways for the final time. On the day of departure, all twenty of the men listed to depart gathered, and walked from the castle gate to the ship. Klaus saw Jeoffrey next to him, and wanted to ask a friendly question or two.

"Jeoffrey, are you ready to depart? I sew your name on the rooster, I was surprised, why would the king want to let you go?"

The royal guard shrugged, now wearing a servant's uniform and carrying his bag to the ship with everyone else. They boarded, their identities taken down in the process. Once inside the bowels of the ship and to their hammock like bunks. They were stacked three high, and Klaus took the bottom. Above Klaus was William, and above William was Jeoffrey.

Although they had been severed from their castle, the servants still had an exact chain of command. Not all were aware of the order, but they knew it was present and could- to some extent- decipher what it was.

The ship shoved off, and the cargo of twenty men would be delivered in a few days time. Klaus sat back and relaxed, happy that his journey had irreversibly begun. He saw happiness in his future, and longed to know what lie ahead of him. He couldn't help but smile as he watched the Southern Isles grow small in the vast expanses of the open ocean, but when he realized he was icing over the deck and railing, he stopped acting so relived. he chuckled, snapping his fingers and melting the ice he had made. Maybe Queen Elsa would be able to help him.


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