Author's note: To avoid confusion let me clarify that this isn't an AU and its actually set shortly after the end of the movie.
Disclaimer: I own nothing and I'm broke so don't sue.
…
In the luxurious hallways of a splendid manor, a strawberry blonde girl runs distraught. The large flowing skirt of her beautiful silk green dress ruffles on the fine burgundy carpets and the vacant sterile marble pillars echo the sound of her clumsy footsteps. The princess' feet practically stumble devoid of grace while her heart thumps on her ribcage; her destination is the peaceful garden at the back of the property, the only place where she's allowed to interact with sunlight and fresh air since she got here. After the conversation and schemes she shared with her new "family" she realizes how much she needs it, there were so many plots of assassination she could tolerate before she became a ragged mess.
Because of course she needs air, lots of it, otherwise her lungs will probably collapse on their own and the walls around her will come closer and closer, while the weight of the whole world will keep crushing on her shoulders.
It's not just the tightness in her corset that suffocates the overwhelmed princess, she knows that the way she keeps gasping like a fish out of water has more to do with her increasingly frequent panic attacks than with her restrictive clothing, not that the infernal device strangling her waist is helping at all.
Probably the main cause for her angst is the fact that sooner or later (probably sooner) she won't be a princess anymore and will unavoidably turn into the queen of Arendelle. So is the will of the duke of Weselton.
As the second at birth Anna had never prepared for the possibility that one day she might be the one carrying the burden of an entire kingdom upon her, since that was allegedly the birthright of her sister Elsa. So the princess had lived a very carefree, though lonely childhood, blissfully ignorant of how crushing the responsibility of a regent could be.
Alas, on the night of her coronation the new queen revealed she had the power to magically control ice, and boy was she anything but subtle about it. She froze not only the palace but the entire kingdom, ice stalactites blurted from every corner, even the ocean turned solid as her magic spiraled out of control.
As shocked as Anna was to find out Elsa had been a witch, the princess tried to help the distraught queen by calming her down, hoping that the emotions that seemed to power her brutal magic might simmer down. But it was probably too late, years of isolation had destroyed the woman's psyche. The rage and madness that infected the queen was such, that when Anna tried to reason with her the ice sorceress threw an awful spell on her defenseless sister and froze her heart, damming her to a slow painful death. If it wasn't for her betrothed, the brave and noble prince Hans, who broke the spell with a true love's kiss, she would have died at the hands of her sister and only living relative.
The details of the ordeal she suffered during that night, when the summer sky turned into the foulest winter, are very foggy on her mind. She merely woke up in Weselton dazed and with an awful migraine two days ago; Hans told her that was the result of her recent emotional trauma. One thing she did remember was that it was his declaration of love towards her what triggered the queen's bout of insanity. So certain it is now that the current Arendelle regent would never give the young couple their blessing, that both royals were forced to leave the damned kingdom to save their lives and seek shelter in the nearby nation of Weselton; where the king received them with open arms and one of their dukes was kind enough to let them live at his state.
And that is another one of the many reasons she has trouble breathing, one of the thousand burdens that weight the young woman down. Ever since they got here, the duke has been polite and accommodating, but as guests in his house both prince and princess must be on their best behavior all the time since the duke is a bit too fond of proper etiquette. And by fond Anna means obnoxiously obsessed.
It's much easier for Hans to appease the duke than it is for her; after all he's the quintessential prince charming. No seriously, if you ever look for the meaning of the term on the dictionary you'll surely find a picture of him with his roguish smile and perfect appearance. Anna on the other hand was always the clumsy tomboy that broke havoc on her old castle, with no one else to play as a child and an overabundance of energy she had often rebelled and misbehaved, perhaps hoping to call the attention of her parents as they spent most of their time preoccupied with Elsa and their duties. Besides being locked up in a large castle with only a handful of people to interact with hadn't helped when it came to achieve even a basic level of social skills.
She knew that the duke and duchess of Weselton only meant the best for her and above all, Arendelle, they only wanted her to be as ready as possible when the time came for her to sit on the throne. But why did they have to be so overbearing about it?
"Be quiet Anna, stop speaking out of turn. Careful Anna, don't you dare to slide on the stairs or you'll break something. Fix your hair again Anna, you know that thing is unruly if you don't comb it several times a day. Pay attention Anna! This lesson will be very important when you become the queen!" Even when she closed her eyes and covered her ears, the annoying voice of the duke was still scolding her, as if he had become an intrusive parasite eating away her thoughts so he can pester her even when away from his presence.
She did so NOT want to be the queen, why on earth would she? the last thing she wanted in life was to sit still for hours in a boring throne, speaking with boring royals and signing boring documents day in and day out until she becomes old and gray and too weak to climb over trees or ride a bike indoors. If there were any other way, which Hans says there really isn't, she would prefer that her sister regained her long lost sanity and keep her crown.
But Queen Elsa is mad and dangerous, even when the eternal winter was thawed within days of its creation the oppressed people of Arendelle live in fear that the powerful sorceress might freeze them to death on a whim. They are desperate for salvation from the clutches of her sister, salvation whose duty has fallen on her wonderful fiancée, for he has been tasked with the murder of the dangerous Snow Queen by both the kingdom of Weselton and the Southern Isles. Both countries will unite in a war not against the nation, but against the despot ruler who terrorizes her own people, and the future king Hans will be the one to lead the battle.
Once Elsa dies, it will be Anna's duty to take over the throne with Hans as her husband, who will be crowned king and hailed as the hero he deserves to be.
Of all the reasons why she has trouble breathing, guilt of what she will be forced to do is probably the main one. Sure maybe Elsa had no trouble in trying to kill her, the memory of the firstborn shooting ice crystals right into her chest with an evil laugh is still fresh in her mind, but that didn't mean Anna would be happy to return the favor. Unlike the snow queen the princess still wanted to make peace with her sister, as impossible as that might be. If she tried hard enough, she could still remember a faraway memory when both princesses would play together in the snow, having the most wonderful time of their lives.
Yet for every memory of them playing, there is a hundred more of Anna knocking on her sister's door begging her to come out and play, only to be rejected each time. The ominous door still lingers in the princess' nightmares, mocking her with everlasting promises of loneliness and silence, "go away Anna" the ghosts of the past like to whisper in her already troubled mind.
But then Hans barged into her life and opened his doors and his heart to her, for the first time in forever she had finally found someone who didn't shut her out. So the least she could do for the man who saved her life is to let him be the hero he needs to be, even at the expense of her sister's life, or at least that was what she was trying to convince herself about. A big part of her soul was still struggling with all her power for Anna to not take part in what was essentially a hostile takeover and an act of treason.
After a few steps that felt like an eternity Anna finally reached the outside garden that lay behind the duke of Weselton's manor; her rasping breaths getting louder with every step, somehow the cool summer breeze did little to alleviate the suffocation caused by her panic attack.
-"Anna! Are you all right?"- As she lifted her gaze towards the warm voice she saw the concerned face of her beloved Hans, he must have followed her. She wasted no time in hugging him tight, seeking shelter from her anguish in his strong arms.
-"Talk to me Anna, what's wrong?"- His words are velvet caresses on her battered nerves, as long as she is with him everything will be alright. At least that's what she forces herself to believe.
Her heart managed to take control on her lips, denying the objections her mind had already prepared -"Can't we find a way to save Arendelle without killing Elsa? She's still my sister and I swear that deep down she's a good person. There has to be another way"- She pleaded to her true love but all she got was a cold hard stare.
-"I'm sorry my love, but it has to be done, if we don't stop her she'll kill all the Arendellians. For Christ's sake she almost kills you! Don't you remember?"- There is a poisonous rage in his eyes, the she knows all too well that Hans can be the noblest and gentlest soul to those he cares about, but also the fiercest and most ruthless fighter to the fools that stand on his way.
-"Prince Hans! Princess Anna! Come inside right now!"- The duchess' shrill voice interrupted the moment, something that the princess was grateful for, because when her betrothed got in a bad mood she couldn't help the feeling of dread to settle at the pit of her stomach. He had never treated her unkindly and the thought of him putting a hand on her never crossed anyone's mind, but she knew by now that there was a dark side to her soul mate, and in the back of her mind there was the nagging certainty that one day she would have to face against it. Seeing the older woman waving her arms at the porch with a panicked expression, the loving couple obeyed their hostess at once.
-"What's wrong?"- The future king said worried once they were inside.
-"My husband tells me that Queen Elsa has sent a large search party after the princess. She is offering a huge reward for anyone that can give her information of her whereabouts, rumor has it that she will give a large fortune to the one that can bring Anna to her, dead or alive"- At the last three words the duchess grumbled grinding her teeth.
-"Do you think she knows about our plan?"- Hans asked narrowing his eyes, Anna could tell he was already concocting several schemes and battle plans in the case of a future war.
-"I do not know, most of the men she sent on the search are spies and volunteers, she hasn't sent any soldiers with the exception of…"- The older woman lowered her voice as if to keep the princess from hearing –"The beast"-
Hans looked shocked and outraged, looking around he addressed the nearby guards –"Take the princess somewhere safe! Keep her away from any windows and don't let her out of your sight!"-Then he grabbed his fiancée by the arms –"Everything will be alright my darling, I'll make sure he's far from here, I give you my word that the beast will never hurt you"-
-"I know Hans, but please be careful"- Anna said somehow managing to keep her calm. Of all the awful things Elsa had done she never expected her to send the beast against her. According to several trusted sources the queen has taken a bloodthirsty assassin under her wing, a man so cruel and vile many claim he's more beast than human, hence the nickname. She was told this man was not raised by humans but by wolves and he spent his entire life in the snowy forest of the mountains hidden from the civilization he despises. They say his large ugly frame and his putrid filthy stench has kept every sane person away from him, so he quenches his sexual appetites through rape and violence. There is only one companion that dares to be by his side, a large evil reindeer that is as strong, aggressive and dangerous as his master.
Among his many victims are several young maidens that he has taken in the middle of the night, if several accounts can be trusted the only thing that remained from them, was a pile of bones and chunks of defiled flesh, for he is also a cannibal.
That night, after Hans and the Weselton royal guard scourged the streets searching in vain for any sign that the beast might have reached their kingdom, and only when they were reassured they were safe, Anna was allowed at the dinner table instead of being secluded to the tower.
The mood at the table is grim and frigid, well at least more than usual. Everyone acts like nothing happened and under the eagle watchful gazes of the duke all the dinner attendants make sure to keep their proper manners. But Anna can't take this anymore; bad enough is that she's forced to take part in a conspiracy to kill her own flesh and blood, now she has a beastly assassin hunting her. In these days after her arrival to Weselton she had let her fiancé and the duke dictate every facet of her life, while cowering in her large room from the mortal enemies she made one night through no fault of her own. Enough is enough; she was tired of being afraid and out of the sudden she didn't feel out of breath anymore,.
-"You know I was thinking"- she said breaking the stiff silence that oppressed the dining room while eyeing her food plate with disinterest –"Maybe I should take some combat lessons"-
-"Your highness I understand this whole ordeal has been difficult for you but you are either very dumb or going mad"- The duke scoffed with a definite tone that meant he was done with that conversation
The thing is that the true ruler of the manor wasn't the duke, it was his darling wife. With her impeccable appearance and petite frame that woman ruled the place with an iron fist, most of the times and out of propriety the gray haired beauty allowed for the illusion that her husband called the shots, but when she made a decision the duke knew better than to oppose her. -"I agree with the princess, if only so we could have a last minute resort. We must do all in our power to guaranty her safety, but should she still be captured at least she might stall her enemies until the rescue comes. And in the case the worst happens at least she will die fighting"- The woman threw a reassuring smile to Anna that the girl returned, the duchess was the only one who seemed to have a modicum of confidence in her.
Hans gave an angry glare at the duke, silently asking him to control the ramblings of his wife, but the older male bowed his head in resignation. Disappointed, he put a possessive hand over his bride and told her in a respectful tone that barely hid the anger below it -"Anna you could never be a match for the beast, he would eat you before you could even smell his stench. If you ever meet him your only chance is to run away as far as you can"-
-"As Evelyn just said, it would be a last resort. And if this beast guy tries to eat me the least I can do is punch his liver on my way down"- She responded with a determined glare of her own.
-"Normally I like your quirky sense of humor, but that image was not only inappropriate it was awful. I won't let that guy near you. Do you understand?"- It was the first time he reprimanded her, his eyes were hard and pierced her soul with a calculating coldness she hadn't ever seen before. It's not like she could blame him for that, after all he just wanted her to be safe, but when he looked at her like that she wondered if true love was supposed to feel this daunting.
-"I do understand, but I have every right to defend myself and you can't deny that to me because you think you're infallible"- And with that statement, the pampered princess begun to stand on her own, air no longer had any trouble filling her lungs, she won't be suffocated again.
….
When Anna was five, she heard her mother singing and thought it sounded beautiful, so she decided to give it a try. With no training whatsoever her voice had no trouble crafting perfectly pitched melodies, that experience led her to believe that she could be good at anything she proposed herself to only by trying, regardless of the physical requirements to do that task or the necessary training she might need to accomplish that. That mentality usually led to disastrous results as more often than not she barged blindly into unknown situations and failed spectacularly.
But when it came to sword fighting she actually did have a natural skill, her trainer was hired by the duchess, a retired general called Alexander Donovan. He was a very tall and imposing man with salt and pepper hair and several ugly scars marring his otherwise handsome face, something in his large frame and rough appearance made Anna feel safe and comfortable, as if he reminded her of a dear friend she never met. He was demanding and hard on her, he had warned his pupil that if she wanted to learn how to fight she would be treated like any other aspiring soldier and not as royalty, something Anna was looking forward to.
Donovan had admitted that with a little bit more focus her strikes could land quite efficiently and her unstoppable energy would tire any opponent. Even Hans had taken an interest in her training after hearing of her formidable process, sometimes he actually took the time to spar with her. At first the prince thought that once Anna understood the discipline and concentration fencing required her scatterbrained nature would drop the idea and move on to other things, but when holding a sword she was the opposite of the girl he knew. Al her clumsiness and lack of coordination seemed to vanish at the mere touch of the steel blade, when practicing she was focused, resourceful and a devoted learner.
After two weeks of hard training she was still miles away from the level of a properly educated soldier, but she might be able to hold her own against an improvised ruffian.
It was interesting for Hans seeing this facet of his bride to be, when in combat her eyes lit with an uncanny intelligence and her cunning technique might rival his own. Had she been born a man she would have been a formidable warrior king. He actually enjoyed sparring with her on occasion and found alluring the fiery glint in her eyes as she struck at him right in the ribs, he identified with the thrill she felt at hitting her target even when said target was himself. Hans was beginning to suspect they might have more in common than he thought.
Their wooden swords clashed and with a flick of his wrist his sword hit hers in an downward angle, a bit more pushing and her hand lost its grip on her weapon.
-"You win again"- She grumbled
-"I've been training since I was twelve darling, no matter how gifted you are for a female it would take you a long time to catch up"- He said giving her a sly smirk, Anna found his petulance a bit annoying sometimes but at least he had the skill to back it up.
She came to him with outstretched arms as if asking for a hug, when he complied and wrapped his arms around her he suddenly found himself flying through the air and then falling on the ground face first, after a few seconds of confusion he realized his lovely bride had just practiced a judo grip on him.
-"What was it that you always say? Ah yes, never let your guard down and never trust anyone with a friendly face"- She told him with a devilish twinkle in her blue-green eyes.
On any other moment he would have been enraged at her behavior, but her newfound talent for trickery made him realize that they might in fact be perfect for each other. Quickly he stood up and brushed his impeccable uniform, then told her in a suave voice –"Careful my little minx, or I might have trouble waiting for our wedding night"-
-"We're getting married tomorrow, there's not much of a wait"- Anna then lowered her eyes and slumped on a nearby chair, her wedding should be the happiest day of her life, after all she had dreamed about it since she was a child. Yet even when every single detail of it will be beautiful and she has a literal prince charming waiting for her at the end of the isle, it doesn't escape her that he marriage has more to do with politics than romance. Plus she has to marry in a catacomb so the Snow queen doesn't find her and kills her, if they want to keep Weselton and its citizens safe she has to remain hidden, for the rage of her sister could easily freeze the entire country.
The kingdom of the Southern Isles will not support their cause until one of their bloodline is guaranteed a connection to the Arendelle throne, the king of Weselton himself will be witness of the wedding and once the union is sanctified the war will be declared. She knows this is the only way out, but wishes Hans' eyes didn't look so happy at the thought of war and the power it will bring.
…
The wedding day has come and somehow Anna is anything but happy. Sure her dress is beautiful but she hates it, there are several snowflakes embroidered in the fine white silk (the symbol of Arendelle as it is a nation that prides itself in the harvesting and commerce of ice) and a silver ornate crown in her head, a copy of the one Elsa wore on her coronation. As is usually the case in noble parties every single detail has its own meaning and this dress is basically shouting that Anna will be the upcoming ruler of her hometown, how awfully pretentious is to dress like a Queen as if she had been already crowned.
Anna stares at her reflection on the large mirror of her room hoping to gather enough strength to do what is supposed to be the right thing, even when everything about it screams betrayal inside her soul, for the first time in her life she's glad her parents never lived to see his eldest daughter turn into a monster and his youngest plotting to kill her to usurp the throne.
As she walks out of her room towards the catacombs her troubled mind noticed something strange, she could swear she heard the rustling of trampling hooves rumbling on the marble floors of the manor, hah how funny would that be as if the duke would let an animal inside. Then she heard screaming and the shattering of dishes not too far away, but in her shocked state she didn't realize how in trouble she was until she smelled something wrong, it wasn't too foul but it sure smelled like savage beast and unwashed human.
Then she saw him and she froze in panic, riding towards her on top of a large reindeer was a huge man that smelled of wilderness, he was the dreaded "Beast". His large calloused hand snatched her without difficulty and swiftly placed her on top of his mount, he returned her horrified glare with a friendly smile. Anna couldn't believe a man so monstrous could have such a sweet angelical face, his unmanly blond hair was silky soft and flipped on the wind and his warm brown eyes sparkled with joy. He told her in a gentle voice laced with euphoria –"I'm taking you home Anna, your sister has been worried sick about you. These jerks are not going to get their claws on you ever again"-