"Everytime a dog hears a bell, he gets a bowl of food"
Anna nervously swatted her hands across her dress, to get them less clammy. Yes, she knew he was locked up. Yes, he couldn't hurt her anymore, safe for.. well, his words.
Strange, how that could hurt more then the physical pain she had endured from her sister's magic.
The princess took a deep breath. No. She was not that same girl anymore. She knew him now who he really was, and unlike last time, she was prepared. She was ready for this. And she would not ever let his silver tongue persuade her again.
With a nod, the guard opened the door to the dungeon cells and guided her towards the prisoner she wanted to see.
"You've got a visitor, pretty boy" sneered the guard before opening the door with his keys. Hold on.. Anna couldn't help but look with fright to the man. Was he going to betray her?! What if Hans was behind that door, ready to pounce and choke the life out of her?! Oh no this was a mistake, she shouldn't have come, she really should go no-
He was behind bars.
Anna barely let out a sigh of relief, when she was reminded of another presence in this very room who would notice that as well. So, she swallowed the bile away instead and stepped inside the room. Her eyes vaguely saw his figure in the torchlight, and the faint flicker of his eyes, feeling its gaze on her. More feeling then hearing, she began to speak to him before he could even think of opening his mouth.
She yelled and sneered and lashed out every ounce of hatred and pain she had felt because of his betrayal, and laughed in his face when telling him of her sister, who could now control her powers perfectly. It wouldn't be possible without his plans. Instead of breaking them apart, their bond had grown stronger. Didn't that hurt, to hear about Elsa being proudly on the place he wanted to be?
"And as for me, I don't think of you anymore!" bit Anna with great satisfaction to the silent prince. "Guess what, you little worthless piece of a prince – I found true love!" proclaimed the princess proudly as she crossed her arms. "Yeah, remember that tall, blonde handsome man next to my sister? I'm going to marry him in a day! So actually I have to thank you. I wouldn't have any of that without you. What's that? The rats got your tongue bitten off? Don't like to be your subjects don't they? You're king now, in your own little kingdom of thieves and murderers and-" Anna stopped rambling when she saw a movement from the other side of the iron bars. What in chocolates name was he ever do-
"What's the matter princess? The rats got your tongue?" Came Hans' voice out of the shadows.
He was shirtless. Anna felt her cheeks redden as her eyes involuntarily went downwards to the prince's muscled arms and chest. Was it her, or were they more defined then she remembered them to be?
Anna forced her eyes back up, to see his tousled hair and beard – he kinda looked good with a beard. It made his eyes stand out all the more and…
Oh no. I don't think so mister! Thought Anna furiously as she realized what his game was. If you'd think I'd be foolish enough to fall into the same trap… "Look if you think you can stop me from rambling on by showing your muscles to me, you're in the wrong place. Well, technically you're in the right place, but-"
"Is that what you think?" smiled Hans amused as he put his hand above his head, gripping one of the bars in a nonchalant way. His muscles tensed up at the movement and Anna felt her blood pressure rise out of the roof. Why did he have to look so good-looking?! "Its 30 degrees out there princess. I don't know about you, but I'm sweating myself to death in here. So I really, really don't know why I would do it for any other reason then that."
It was true: it was quite a heat wave in here. In the short minutes that she had been here with him, she could already feel sweat drip down her neck from her loose hair.
"Like the view?"
Anna blinked and nearly wanted to turn her head away from his eyes. She had been staring to his arms for god knows how long. "I was merely comparing them to Kristoff's" said Anna to get his ego down. To her anger, it didn't work as the prince kept smiling to her.
"And? Tell me princess, I'm curious about your true love." She'd expected sarcasm or anger..but not genuine curiosity. Anna could slap herself when she saw Hans picking her reaction up. "What? I'm not allowed to have a decent talk with you?"
"No. you may not." Replied Anna sharply to get some control back in this conversation.
"Alright" shrugged Hans his shoulders. "Was there anything else you wanted to say to me?"
It was so casually spoken that Anna lost her temper again. "What's the matter with you? Why are you so doing so normal against me? Aren't you angry? Aren't you going to seduce me or beg for forgiveness or redemption?" shot Anna to the man.
"Why should I do that? You know my true nature." Replied Hans as he turned his head from her to the ceiling. "I know that all those things won't sway you. And oh, wouldn't you love to see me on my knees." smiled Hans without any happiness in it. "I won't give you that satisfaction, princess. You want me to be jealous of your sister? For what? For her being a freak? I'm sure millions of dignitaries are quite hesitant to trade with her due to her casting an eternal winter. I wouldn't want to be in her shoes at this moment to rule the kingdom."
"Elsa is a million times better then you ever-"
"Oh, yes off course!" roared Hans in laughter. "I'm the fairy tale villain, who made all the people die from hypothermia. Your sister with ice powers couldn't possibly have been responsible for that!"
"It was an accident!" defended Anna immediately.
"But it is her responsibility nonetheless." Spoke the man. "And not my concern anymore. So thank you princess, for making me the king of this cell" and Hans spread his arms wide to indicate his point even further.
Upon seeing his satisfied face, Anna felt the need to try and rub some salt in the wound. "Well, you wanted to marry me, did you not? Guess what I found someone else!"
"Yes, I believe you already said that you had found your true love…" muttered Hans uninterested or unfazed by her attempt to hurt him. "Didn't you agree to marry him after 3 days? That's certainly an improvement from your last beau. Speaking of Kristoff… perhaps you should go to him. He must be so worried right now."
She would NOT be the one to lose this conversation. "I go when I wish to go." Growled the princess.
Hans frowned. "Off course. you do whatever you do. I was merely stating a proposition, Princess."
Anna blinked at his reaction. O-kay… she didn't expect him to be so… go-with-the-flow. The silence grew, as she didn't know anything to say and Hans simply walked around in his cell, whistling an old song through his teeth.
Not wanting to do nothing, Anna placed herself on a chair nearby, watching everything except the shirtless man. But in the end, the boredom and the growing annoyance of Hans hitting his ball against the ceiling made Anna talk again. "Are the guards treating you okay?"
Hans shot her a disbelieving look. "Oh, well, I don't know. A disgraced prince who tried to murder their queen and her sister surely helps me to come into their graces." All the time the ball was slamming against the ceiling and Anna winced at its repeating sound. "They give me some claps on the shoulder, some playful bruises on the ribs. You know. The usual stuff."
It was without any sarcasm, how strange it may sound. It wasn't bitter either, but that same nonchalance that kept eating at Anna's conscience. She had been really, really mean to him, while he… well, he knew he could never escape his punishement. He would get what was coming to him…
"Look. I'm-" She nearly wanted to say an apology but refrained. She was NOT going to apologize nor have pity! But, she would be more tolerable towards him. "I'm going to let the doctor see into it."
But instead of accepting it, he down right refused it, saying that she shouldn't waste the doctor's time on him. He had been through worse with his brothers.
"What did they do to you?"
Anna felt herself become cold at the stories he told her and although she didn't want it to, she couldn't help but feel guilt crawl into her mind.
"That's why I don't drink water that's not mine you see" spoke Hans as he kept throwing the ball up and down. "I simply can't trust anyone who brings it to me."
"I could bring it to you." blurted Anna out.
Hans chuckled at her proposal. "Princess, I would die from the first gulp I take. So thanks, but no thanks."
"Why would I kill you with poisoned food? So you can escape your life-long punishement? That would be mercy to you." Tried Anna to let him see reason. "I want to see you suffer, just…not by such a quick and dishonourable way."
Hans chew his lip. "That's actually…quite logical." Admitted the man as he stood up from his bed, finally stopping with the annoying ball.
"Seems we have a deal then." Said Anna as she put her hand in-between the bars to let him shake her hand. A yell came from the princess when Hans suddenly pulled her closer, but unlike what she thought, he put her hands around her waist, not her neck.
"It probably doesn't sound believable but thank you." whispered Hans in her ear. "I appreciate it."
Anna blushed and turned her head away from his green eyes. A shudder went through her as she placed her hands on his chest, feeling his muscles flex underneath her touch. She looked back up, to see Hans' face closer then before, and she swallowed. Was he going to kiss-
It seemed that way, and she closed her eyes, when she suddenly felt his breath upon her skin disappear. Wait why…
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't…" breathed Hans heavily out as he went out of their embrace, taking a few steps back.
"Yes. Yes, you're right… we both shouldn't.. I'll..i'll go and tell the guards I'll bring you the food." Said Anna as she went backwards as well, tippling over the chair in the process. "oh!" Anna took it before it hit the ground and placed it back upright before going to the door. "I uhm..I will go then… now." Smiled the princess as she opened the door to go out of his cell.
"And after time, the dog would associate the bell with the food, already drooling on the foresight of getting it."
She kept her word, and brought him food every day on the same hour. And each time, he would squeeze her hand, give her a hug through the bars or thank her for the effort she did. It made it slightly better, knowing that she did something good for him. Perhaps, by doing this he would open up more and reveal why and how he became the man in the Library.
"So.. why did you come to Arendelle in the first place? Besides.. wanting to be King, I mean." Asked Anna one day as they shared their meal together.
"It wasn't my idea actually" confessed Hans after mushing the food down. "My father wished to have a union between our two countries, but who-ever went, wasn't yet decided. Besides Jurgen and Ulrich, I was the only bachelor left. I wasn't really interested in going – after all, who would ever see or wish to marry the 13th prince of the southern isles?" said the man bitterly. "But then.. Lars brought the subject up to be more specific. He told me with good intentions, mind you, that I should marry Elsa if I longed to get away from the Southern Isles so eagerly." Hans paused and went through his overlong hair to get it out of his face. "When Jurgen was called out to his dukedom to solve a matter god knows what, the chances of me getting to Arendelle were suddenly very high. And the more I thought of it, the more I realized I could prove myself to my brothers and father."
"Yeah, because Elsa was preferable off course" muttered Anna with a ping of jealousy for her sister. Now don't get her wrong – she loved her. But being considered the spare next to a queen who had ice powers?
"Was preferable indeed until I met you on the docks." Added Hans softly after her sentence. "You were so full of passion and fire…"
"Hans…" Anna blushed at his compliment and before she could stop him, Hans clasped his hand around hers through the bars. "Stop please."
"I mean it." Said the prince as he kept looking into her eyes.
"If you mean those words… then why did you still do all those things to me?" And his warm hands were gone, with only a faint chill left on her own.
"I think you should go back princess. Your fiancé must be worried where you are." came Hans in a short reply.
"I..yes off course" muttered Anna as she stood up. Her fiancé.. it sounded so nice at first, to call Kristoff that way. But in the past few days, there had been irritations that kept nagging at her. For example the fact that he always insisted on taking Sven whenever they went out. Sure she loved the reindeer, but he was constantly putting a freaking animal above the alone-time with his soon to be wife. It wouldn't get any easier when they were married and had to take over a few of Elsa's duties as acting Regent.
Another thing that bugged her, was that he always asked her to hold or kiss her. It was cute at first, but now it became down right annoying. There was no spontaneity in every piece of affection that he showed. Hans on the other hand... Anna bit her lip as she thought of the prince, who had showed her those little pieces of affection to her. How he tried to hug her that very first time, even with the bars separating them. The warmth of his embrace, like a strong, unyielding rock in a cold storm. She wanted to feel that again…
Anna's eyes snapped open at that last thought. No, no,no! She was in love with Kristoff, not Hans… A sigh escaped her lips at thinking his name and the princess shot up in bed, turning her attention to the man next to her. "Kristoff!"
"hm?"
"Kristoff, wake up!"
"go back to…sleep." slurred the man as he recoiled from her touch to get back into the blissfull sleep.
"Kristoff… I want to have some love lessons." Whispered the princess as her hands went across his shoulders, further down his arms and chest.
"Anna, please…" the man yawned and pulled her arms away, all with his eyes closed. "I got to be fit tomorrow for ice harvesting. Another time… I'll…" the blonde ice harvester was asleep once more, leaving Anna alone in her thoughts.
"Soon, the dog wasn't focused on the food anymore, but on the bell. Because he knew with certainty that when that rang, the food would come."
Over time, Hans had begun to ask more demands, that had become more and more difficult to do. After the food, it was an extra blanket. After that, a mirror. A knife.
Anna hesitated on that object though. "Who's to say you won't stab me with it?" asked the girl uncomfortably.
"If I did, I would practically sign my own death sentence. They know you are here with me. If you don't come out, well… not hard to put two and two together isn't it?" smiled Hans to the princess.
"No, I mean, Yes they know I'm here." Whenever I find the courage to tell them… "But its just…" Anna shuffled with her foot on the ground.
"You think I would hurt myself?" finished Hans her sentence for her. "Why would I let all your effort go to waste to keep me alive and making my life bearable? No, if it can ease your mind, the knife is for my hair and beard. It has grown way too long now and I'm tired of sweaping it out of the way every ten seconds."
Anna let out a sigh of relief, now knowing why he wanted the sharp object with him. "I think I can smuggle one away from the breakfast table" theorized the girl, causing Hans' eyes to gleam.
"Oh, Anna thank you!" laughed Hans as he stretched his hand to take her into a hug. This time the princess didn't squeal when he pulled her towards him. Her arms went around his neck almost instinctively and she listened with closed eyes to his heartbeat. When she looked up again after god knows how long, she suddenly realized she was in the same position like in the first time she was in his prison cell.
It seemed Hans thought the same way as her – mental synchronisation perhaps? – as he leaned in again, yet kept hovering his lips inches from hers. "Ann-mmmh!" Whatever he wanted to say was stopped by the princess as she held on to him for dear bars proved to be quite helpful rather then hindering their activities thereafter. There was only a bit of creativity needed to make it work.
And Hans had plenty of it.
With a smile, Anna went outside the cell, feeling lighter then before.
"To mess with the dog, the pattern would be broken: sometimes he would get no food when the bell ring, or he would get food when the bell didn't ring. A sadistic play really, for the dog would now drool all the time."
"Hans, what's wrong?" asked the princess as she saw the silent prince. He hadn't spoken ever since she came back.
"Look Anna we can't continue this. I'm a criminal, you're a princess who's about to get married.."
"Not yet married" smiled Anna wickedly as she took him by his shoulders to get him closer to her.
"Anna…" With a sigh, the man took her arms of his chest. "Not today please"
"Why not? You weren't complaining the last time we met." Said the princess confused as Hans returned to his bed.
"That shouldn't have happened in the first place!" shot Hans back with eyes wide of guilt. "Do you have the knife?" asked the man suddenly, throwing Anna out of balance with his unpredictable question.
"I..yes..I got it. Here." Anna gave the man the knife, and as if he burned himself by her touch the prince snatched the knife away from her, immediately cutting his beard and hair. "Hans come on, we could always-"
"Not now, Anna.. I need time to sort this all out. As do you." spoke the prince absent-mindedly as he was so concentrated on cutting his hair.
With tears in her eyes the princess went out of his cell, closing the door a bit too harsh.
Another few weeks passed. Sometimes Hans would ask her a favour or two, like blankets or new clothes and they had become really really difficult to achieve at this point. "I got you what you asked." Said the princess eagerly.
"hm..oh thanks." The man took it then, without looking twice at her, which caused her to leave his cell without spend desire.
But on other times he would just grab her the moment she came into his reach, and oh how she loved those moments where he dominated her for hours. It could happen the meeting thereafter as well, or it could take another few days of silent brooding in-between.
It was never consistent, never a pattern. And Anna couldn't help but feel confused by him. She had done what she asked, why was he holding back on her then? Why would he bed her when she hadn't helped him?
But she kept coming back to him, hoping that he would let his desire out on that particular day. It gave always a sense of suspense, not knowing how he would be. A suspense she had solidly missed ever since Kristoff had gone on Ice Harvesting for the winter.
Hans looked up in surprise when he saw Anna for the second time that day. Normally she would come only once a day…
"My sister is out to Corona for some trade negociations and Kristoff is ice harvesting."
Hans hummed, and Anna noticed he had one of his "silent" days once again.
"Is there anything else you need? Blankets? Clothes?" asked Anna to keep the conversation going.
"Well.. I would love to get out once in a while. The air here is so musky…" murmured the man as he wrinkled his nose.
"Hans I can't do that…" apologized Anna as she pulled a string of hair behind her ear.
"I know you can't" said the man as he pulled his hands behind his head, his muscles tensing up at the gesture. "I'm merely stating what I wish… That doesn't mean I want you to do it everytime I want something. You're not my dog." Joked the man to the girl on the other side of the bar.
Anna smiled and stood up to put her hands around the bars. "No, I'm not..but, with my sister gone, I could perhaps arrange something."
Hans glanced to the princess, with worry shining through his eyes. "Anna, please. I don't want to get you into trouble because of my fault. Again. I've done enough harm already."
"I'm doing it out of free choice, unlike what you suggest." Smiled Anna. Her smile disappeared however when she thought of something else. "But if I do this..you'll have to promise me not to escape."
"Never. What, you'd think me a fool?" smirked Hans as he stood up from his bed. His eyes softened when he reached the bars, stroking her hair affectionately. "You're really too good for me, you know that?" breathed Hans against her skin as his hands travelled down her body.
"Hans, you're not a monster. I've seen you change in here." Tried Anna to motivate him.
"You really think so?" asked Hans with pained questioning eyes.
"I don't think so… I know."
Hans' mouth finally split into a grin, and he kissed her quite harshly on the mouth, pulling her as close as he could. "I don't deserve you…"
"Shut up" growled Anna as she plastered kisses on his neck.
"Yes, m'am."
She was quite nervous the first time she unlocked his cell, reminded once again why he was here, and what he could do and who he was. So she kept herself ready in case he would try to bust himself out. But he didn't. Instead, he went towards her and slammed her against the bars on which they were now the same side on.
The fear must have been visible in her eyes, because Hans diminished the grip he had on her, kissing her cheeks and mouth as if to apologize and comfort her. "I'm sorry.. I just.. I wanted to do that the very first time I saw you here." Whispered Hans as his hands went towards the strings of her corset to loosen it up.
"Its fine… I'm just a bit shaken that's all." Breathed Anna heavily as she pulled her feet around his waist. The man supported her, with one arm around her limb and another around her back before stepping towards his bed. "Oh.. that's…better." Commented the princess as she felt the support for her back. Don't get her wrong, she loved when Hans was bedding her in-between the bars, but it sure gave her an ache on her back!
"I thought so." Smiled Hans as he crawled on top of her.
And then she was flying and falling and burning all at once while hearing his voice whispering her name.
She didn't know how long it lasted, but long enough to make her too tired to go back to her own chambers. Involuntarily she felt her eyes drop, with Hans' body warmth next to her.
This had become far more easy then he had ever expected. He had been given her virginity and his freedom, all out of her free will in 2 months time.
With a satisfied smile Hans looked down the sleeping princess, who was drooling salvia out of her mouth like a little dog – his little obedient dog. Slowly as for not to wake her, the prince shifted out of his bed and put his clothes on, gniffling at Anna's snoring. A few harmless flowers he had asked earlier, sure paid off at this moment. Here is some advice, little princess.. check what those ingredients can do instead of just giving them.
A donkey doesn't fall on the same stone, except if that donkey was named Anna. The man walked to his stuff that he had been given by the princess and began to pack them in without any fear that the guards would meet him on the way out. Little Anna had made sure they were far enough away from him, so they wouldn't hear their activities and gossip about them.
The man took out the knife he had been given before glancing to the princess. Should he cut her throat?
No. As much as he wished to do it himself, he wanted to let her live with this, with her guilt, her second heartbreak and her foolishness. That was a far greater punishement then a quick death. Hans smirked as he thought of Anna saying the exact same thing to him when he asked for food. The hard bread and the glass of water had barely been enough to keep him alive at that point. It had already been eating at his body fat, giving his muscles a more defined look.
But now? Hans smiled back to the princess whom he had so much to thank for. Due to her giving him more variated and bigger quantities of food alongside his self-disciplined training had brought him back into his former condition, if not surpassed it. If there somehow were any guards he was sure he could take them down by his fists alone. And once he got a sword, nothing would be a challenge for him. That didn't mean he would seek up the fight – he wasn't that foolish to let his chance to freedom fly away. But if he was forced to, he would damn well regret them all what they did to him.
The man knelt by the princess, slowly taking out the keys out of her lose handgrip before walking towards his open doorcell. Slowly as for not making a sound, the prince closed the slightly peeping doorcell behind him.
With Elsa in Corona, and her lover out in the mountains, it sure would take a while before anyone would find her. And if they did, how would they free her when they couldn't find the keys he had o so accidentally taken with him?
If she were lucky she wouldn't die of starvation like he almost did. He had given her a chance to life, like she did. Wasn't that fair compensation? The man went out of the cell without looking twice behind him. Without any hindrance, the man walked out of the dungeons, feeling the soft sea air on his skin.
"I have so much to thank you for, little princess." Smiled the prince to the moon above him. "I hope you like the place where you belong in."