A moment of weakness cost him everything.
The magic freezing Anna into a statue manifested with a strange concussive force. It shattered Hans' sword and threw him backwards. When he came to, there was pain in his face, knees, shoulders, and chest. He groggily tried to rally his stunned senses.
He wasn't sure how long he'd been unconscious, but there had surely been a window of opportunity there. He could have still killed Elsa, perhaps - or better yet, knocked her out, so that her magic wouldn't cease, so Anna would remain a statue for a while and couldn't contradict his story until he consolidated his power in Arendelle.
But he would only realize this later. By the time he was able to stand up, concealing with effort how wobbly his legs felt, his former betrothed stood before him, quite alive and not at all made of ice. His broken sword was no longer in his hand, either.
"Anna?" he said with incredulity. "But... she froze your heart!"
The Princess responded, but he barely registered the words, his mind reeling from the sudden changes. The docks were thawed as well! How did that happen? Was the entire kingdom of Arendelle saved from Elsa's winter?
Before he managed to make sense of what was going on, let alone figure out how to salvage the situation for himself, the young princess punched him in the face, and he toppled backwards. He felt impact against the water below, and then all was dark.
"It's been a whole day now", Elsa said, impatiently.
"Your Majesty, the man is quite weak. He nearly drowned, after all. He landed in the water unconscious, I am sure of it", the court physician argued.
The small group consisting of the Queen, the physician, the Captain of the Guard, and one of the prison guards, approached the dungeon cell that temporarily held Hans Westergaard, Prince of the Southern Isles.
"He can rest on the ship." Elsa knew that the Savonian envoy who agreed to drop Hans off home would not wait forever, not even at her request. "And I want the man out of my kingdom. But I will speak to him first. Open the door."
With a reluctance that the Queen found wanting for an explanation, the guard opened the cell door. Elsa walked in, followed by her small entourage.
Hans looked terrible, stretched out on his prison bed. He looked up at her from under half-closed eyelids, but didn't move.
"It's best if you don't force him to stand up", whispered the physician.
"What happened to him?" she asked with deceptive calm.
The three men stepped away in different directions, as a small area of the floor around Elsa froze over from her anger.
She walked closer to the prisoner, taking a closer look at his face and arms.
The physician spoke again, still softly. "N-near drowning, your Majesty, as y-you know. He's exhausted, and will take at least a few days to fully recover."
"And the bruises?" Now Elsa understood why nobody wanted her here. "Don't tell me that's from the fall he took. He was beaten."
She turned sharply towards the Captain. Martin, was his name. She watched his features for signs of deception. "Did you know about this?"
"I..." The man swallowed, weighing what he should say, then finally nodded. "Some of the lads got a little rough with him when he wouldn't go to his cell peacefully, your Majesty. I'm sorry I didn't put a stop to it more quickly", the man gave a smile of false contrition.
"We will speak of this later", Elsa said coldly. She was reasonably sure the man was lying, that Hans hadn't provoked him or his men. His style would have been to play along, nor would he have the energy to make trouble when being dragged to the dungeons. But it would not help her fragile authority to make accusations she couldn't prove.
Instead, she said "But I doubt my father condoned the abuse of prisoners, and I will not either. If any of your men, Captain, acquired unreasonable expectations about what their jobs entail or allow, during the time of the regency, you will disabuse them of these notions, and you will start today. Do you understand me fully, Captain?" she said, her speech precise and imperious.
The ice under her feet retreated and disappeared.
The man's face was clear of all expression now. "Yes, your Majesty. This will not happen again."
"Good. Now please leave me alone with the prisoner."
The physician was only too happy to bow and clear out, but the Captain and the dungeon guard exchanged a look.
"Your Majesty, your safety requires..." the Captain started, then stopped as icy particles swirled briefly around the Queen.
"Thank you for your concern, but I can assure my own safety from one prisoner. Go."
They bowed and left, the guard closing the door behind him.
"That was impressive, your Majesty", Hans said, sitting up with visible effort. He winced, overcoming a dizzy spell. "Will you forgive me if I do not stand and give you your due bow?"
Elsa conjured a chair of ice for herself and sat in front of him.
"What was impressive?" she asked.
"How you won't take nonsense. I take it you realize that everyone is assuming they have a naive young Queen, whose will they can ignore and circumvent."
Elsa's lips curled with distaste. "That took me only a day. Although my father had warned me it would be like this. I have you to thank, I suppose, for helping me deal with it."
"Me?"
"Yesterday you taught me a little something about hate and anger", Elsa smiled mirthlessly. Apparently even her sister found her face scary, after Elsa heard Anna explain how Hans tricked her and left her to die. "It's easier to be harsh to people now."
Hans's eyes widened for a moment, then he smiled. "Then you should keep me at your side forever, as a source of strength."
Elsa snorted. "I don't think so. The sooner I'm rid of you, the better for everyone."
"Execution, then?" Hans sounded casual, conversational. "A public one, I'm sure. You have in mind a grand spectacle in which you make an example of an enemy and teach people not to underestimate you?"
"It would be no more than you deserve for what you did to us. But I am not a killer, Prince Hans Westergaard, and the people of Arendelle aren't a mob thirsty for blood."
There was no response, except a knowing smirk.
"No, I'm sending you back to where you came from. I'm curious to see what your family has to say about your actions here."
Hans closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were suddenly earnest.
"Please don't do that, Elsa", he said. "Your Majesty", he amended, seeing her raise an eyebrow. "I'd very much rather be imprisoned here than there."
His dirty, pale face, the obvious exhaustion, all came back into Elsa's focus; while he spoke earlier he exuded an easy strength, but that was gone now.
"Why?" she asked.
"I don't want to set foot on the Southern Isles again. Ever."
That explained nothing. She raised her chin. "Why should I do that for you? Feed you, shelter you, tolerate your presence in my castle, even if I were to never see you personally?"
"Then exile me. Put me and my horse on a ship to Vanegar, and you'll never hear from me again."
"In the east? It's a long trip, and there's a war going on there."
"That's right. Perhaps I'll become a mercenary." He smiled wanly. "And if I do, the more success I have on the continent, the safer both our nations here."
"That's only if you don't turn traitor and join the barbarians. Hans, I don't owe you any favors."
Hans winced, then: "I am begging you."
That stopped her, but only for a moment.
"No."
She stood up. The ice-chair turned into a cloud of snowflakes, then vanished.
"Wait!" Hans said, as she turned to go. "Your Majesty! There's one more item for us to discuss."
"What's that?" she half-turned, hand on the door.
"The transfer of power. Don't you want a report on affairs of state? What I've done during my, shall we call it, regency? And what works are unfinished?"
Elsa again smiled without any humor. "No, Prince Hans, I don't think I need you to have any more say in how this kingdom is run."
She knocked.
"If you send me back", Hans said quietly, "I will do my best to make you regret it. And my best is better than most people's... Elsa."
The guard opened the door from the other side. Elsa walked out, head held high.
Hans stared after her with murder in his eyes. He could hear her speaking to Captain Martin, giving orders to transport him to the awaiting ship within the hour. Apparently several ships were going to leave at the same time; the Arendellians were making an event of it. They'd needed to wait a day after the drastic change in temperature the previous day wrecked sea conditions.
There would probably be a crowd. Not an execution, then, but perhaps he was to be made an unofficial spectacle for the people after all.
He took a deep, slow breath, then another. Carefully, he lay on his back again, put his hands on his stomach.
He counted his assets. His body was recovering, as were his wits.
What was he to do now?
Elsa and Anna looked over the city from a castle balcony.
At the docks, the final preparations for the ships' leaving were underway. Kai and a few men herded the Duke and his men back to the Weselton ship. They were too far away for Elsa to hear what was being said, but she had given Kai precise instructions.
"The sled is waiting, Anna, and so is Kristoff", Elsa said, glancing at her sister fondly.
Anna's cheeks colored slightly. "Soon."
She was eager to go to the town square with Kristoff and show him the gift she had for him. But first she was waiting for Hans to be thrown on a ship. She wanted to make this a good memory for Kristoff, and that arrogant ass wasn't going to ruin it for her.
Right then, two soldiers were taking Prince Hans along the road towards the docks, overlooking the marketplace. Hans walked in front of the two men, affecting a kind of dignity in defeat. His figure brought to mind those unjustly executed throughout history.
And as it happened, Hans wasn't thinking about Anna at the time.
"Can we stop for a moment?" he asked, pausing and letting the guards catch up.
The marketplace was indeed quite crowded, and Hans drew stares and whispers. Some were sympathetic, many people having good memories of him, or simply from how much of an underdog he seemed now, tired-looking, with the the two guards at his sides, and the shackles on his hands.
Others were hostile. The prince was a polarising figure now.
"I'd like to say my goodbyes to the people, if your orders don't forbid it", Hans said to the guards.
"Forget it, we're not wasting time on this", said one of them, grabbing him by the arm to force him to move. Hans deliberately dragged his feet, and fell from the force of the push.
"Let's see Queen Elsa's reaction to your mistreating a prisoner again... and so soon", he said from the ground.
The guard glanced up at the castle balcony, then glared down at him.
While picking himself up, Hans said quietly, in his most conciliatory tone, "Or I can go peacefully once I've had my say."
"Oh, let him gabber a bit", said the other guard, looking bored. "Who gives a damn."
"But..."
Not waiting for them, Hans turned and stepped on the curb for a bit of extra height. He raised his shackled hands to draw attention, and shouted. "Citizens of Arendelle, lend me your ears!"
"Prince Hans! It's prince Hans!" whispered a few voices.
"The bastard!" said someone.
"Bastard? He's a hero, he is", said another person.
"Shut your trap, woman! He tried to murder the Queen, and left the Princess to die! We don't need to listen to him."
"Well, then leave. I want to hear him."
Hans lowered his hands. "Good folk of Arendelle, I stand here before you as a warning..."
He was interrupted by booing and insults from the hostile part of the crowd.
Hans smiled that gentle smile of his, casting his gaze down, in what appeared as humble acceptance. He waited for the crowd to get bored. That was the trick. Don't show the slightest frustration, and they will get bored of booing and wait for you to speak.
"You are right!" he cried in a suddenly strong voice, silencing the crowd in a well-chosen moment. "You have all the right in the world to hate me, friends. For you have been told that I raised my hand against Elsa of Arendelle. And that would be a terrible thing for any man to do, my friends, for Queen Elsa is the rightful ruler, and to oppose her is treason."
"Look at her!" he turned, motioning towards the castle balcony.
Elsa was surprised he knew she was there - he hadn't overtly looked in her direction before.
"So young. Such great beauty. And coming from such well-respected parents. How could your hearts not respond to her? One cannot but expect good deeds from such a person, never harmful ones. Surely her Majesty will go down in history as a great benefactor of her people. Someone to whom you owe your safety and prosperity."
"Many of you spoke to me of the old King and Queen, the noble Agnarr and the kind Iduna. Wise and generous, you named them. What a tragedy it was that they were consumed by a storm at sea. But for that, their daughter might not have to assume the throne so young. Is it not strange, friends, how bad weather can be the source of so much evil?"
"But be of good thought, friends. Her Majesty's powers are under her control now. Or so we are told. And in any case, she is the rightful ruler of Arendelle, and to oppose her is treason."
"That bastard", Elsa and Anna said at the same time, then looked at each other. But they didn't feel like laughing.
"No man must forget that, no matter what services he has rendered to the kingdom. You must not let your memory of my time as a steward here cloud your judgement, friends. It was only a brief time while the Queen was... indisposed. Perhaps I have done some things to keep you protected, fed, and warm. And keeping at bay the vultures from Weselton before they robbed you all blind is something any competent governor would do. So what of it? A wise people will not easily think that such paltry merits might compare to having Queen Elsa as your monarch."
"Indeed she is the rightful ruler here, and to oppose her is treason."
"Surely since Queen Elsa returned to her throne, things have been looking up for you. The relief trains to Dalecc in the west, and Bergen in the east, never received the go-ahead until Elsa assumed her throne. Were I willing to look for excuses, I might say that I couldn't send them out while the whole country was in the grip of winter storms, but was it not Queen Elsa's doing?" He paused. "I mean, was it not her who caused these storms to end? Did she not bring back summer? Clearly, the credit goes to her."
"What relief?" cried some man in a guttural accent of the eastern villagers. "We've received nothing!"
The crowd murmured at that.
"I saw them wagons, Carl. They went out earlier today", said another, in the same accent. Fewer people heard him, though.
Up in their balcony, Elsa and Anna exchanged uncertain glances. Their distrust for Hans made them - well, mostly Elsa and her staff - review all measures he had put in motion during his short reign. This did cause delays. But the aid for the villages was underway.
"Then there was surely a good reason for this", Hans said. "I cannot imagine but that your relief will arrive soon, and if it doesn't, take heart and remember that you are ruled by the good Queen Elsa, who loves her country and would not bring harm to it. Or are you doubting that, friends?"
"Sure we are! Freezing everything wasn't harm?" shouted some woman.
Another person piped up, "And what about the lost trade with Weselton? Where are we to get cheap iron now?"
"And grain! What's going to happen to the price of grain?" cried another.
This was the first Hans had heard of trade with Weselton stopping, but he didn't let this show.
"I'm starting to think that if I don't stop this, he's going to start a riot", Elsa said to Anna. She briskly turned and walked inside.
Anna looked down at Hans again, frowning, then followed her sister.
"Friends", Hans said, "Surely you understand that an injury to Queen Elsa cannot be taken lightly. Would you oppose your own Queen just because she will not maintain trade with those who have offended her? You might as well think to pardon a man like me, who tried to end her life, just because this man was of some small benefit to you, and wanted to stop the eternal winter. No, please do not start thinking dangerous thoughts."
The two guards were slowly realizing that they'd made a mistake. But now the increasingly restless crowd growing thicker around Hans gave them pause.
"For were it not dangerous thoughts that were in all our heads when we were all freezing our toes off? When I thought the only way to bring back summer, the only way to prevent the utter destruction of Arendelle's crops, the only way to protect you from cold and starvation, was to take her life? She is the Queen, and to oppose the Queen is treason."
"Don't ever forget that, friends. Perhaps in the years ahead you will come to wish that someone else ruled you, someone who is not possessed of dangerous magic, someone who wasn't raised behind closed doors with little human contact..."
"A witch!" someone in the crowd said. "Sorceress!" cried another.
"...someone who will not maintain her dignity at the cost of a little trade. At such a time remember me, friends, see the chains on my wrists. Let it be a warning to you. For Queen Elsa is the rightful ruler of Arendelle, and to oppose her is treason."
From the corner of his eye Hans noticed movement, a woman in a royal cloak riding into the open space. Four royal guards were hurrying on foot to catch up and not leave her unescorted. Hans turned, opening his mouth, his brain frantically searching for the right words that might incite the not-quite-prepared crowd against the Queen...