Fiery soul, Frozen heart Chapter 1
~Hans does something unexpected~
Sweat beaded on my forehead, the harsh sun of the Southern Isles I knew so well bearing down on the arena. My fiery hair lay wildly on my head, my face twisted in hatred, and my chest heaving with every breath. I stood over my father, my sword pointed at his throat. Our eyes were locked, both blue, yet different. His, fearful and quivering, mine chips of cold, hard ice. I tightened my grip on my sword, and drove it straight through. He let out a gurgled scream, collapsing on the sandy floor with a thump. I took a step back, the reality of what I'd done washing through me, leaving me feeling empty, cold. I looked around, the silence deafening, and saw her, clutching her heart, her face filled with a mixture of pain and fear. She turned, scrambling, and ran. "Elsa!" I called out, but to no avail, as the shocked crowd regained its composure and started chanting, a frenzied, vicious rally. "Kiiiing Hans, Kiiiing Hans, Kiiiiiiing Hans."
The events of that day seemed so far off now. I suppose I should explain myself, as that probably wasn't what you were expecting. You see, that was the turning point in my life; the crux if I may say so. That day changed me forever, but in order to fully explain how, I must go even farther back. It all started on the night of the Queen of Arrendale's coronation.
You see, that was the day I met her. The women who would change my life forever, setting me on the path you now see today. It was a glorious day; the city of Arrendale was abuzz with excited townsfolk, weary travelers, and proud noblemen. The fjord was filled as far as the eye could see with ships, some still arriving, the docks bustling with activity.
I had just arrived via ship, and was curious to see if Arrendale was as glorious as it was made up to be. I tugged on my gloves, anxiously, and looked around. So far, I was impressed, to say the least. The castle itself loomed over the city in a magnificent sculpted masterpiece, but not as oppressive as the one I grew up in. It seemed to bring life into the fjord, the chirping of birds and animals filling in the background in a pleasant lull of sound. For the first time in years, I smiled.
I dismounted my horse, and started to walk around, my head filled with half-formed plots and dreams of what it would be like to be the king of Arrendale, when a girl came hurtling around a corner straight into me, falling into a small canoe. Not wanting to offend any of the locals, I offered a gloved hand. "Prince Hans, of the Southern Isles, Milady" I say, and bow in the way I was taught. "Anna... Princess Anna" she replies, and my eyes light up. As the sister to the queen, she could play a central role in any sort of plans I may have, however I I decided I shouldn't worry too much about that. For now, I was content with testing the waters, and finding out what kind of a person she was. "I'm so sorry, Id like to formally apologize for hitting the princess of Arrendale with my horse... and for every moment after." I add the last part in to see how she reacts, and sure enough she blushes. "It's alright" she responds "But if you'd hit my sister, Elsa, eesh. That'd be a different story". Elsa? The name reverberated in my mind, and I couldn't help but wonder what she was like. Hopefully less clumsy, and more impressive, I conclude quickly. Not wanting to offend the princess, I begin to excuse myself, when a bell rings, and she excuses herself. "I-I'd better go" she stammers, and smiles. I smile back, and she scampers off. "just a girl..." I murmur to myself, already absorbed in thought, when the cold waters of reality rush in, and I find myself submerged in the bay, my horse the cause of the accident. I smile, in spite of the cold, and look up at Arrendale, convinced I made the right decision by volunteering for this trip.
A little while later, after I change into some dry clothes, the coronation begins. Sitting down next to a portly, drowsy man, I eagerly await the arrival the Queen. Sure enough, after a little bit of waiting, the trumpets sound, heralding the entrance of the Soon-to-be-Queen and Princess of Arrendale. Against all schooling's, I turn around in my seat to get a better look. She – Elsa, I presumed – entered. Blond hair, a perfect figurine body, graceful and poised, she was everything I could have imagined. She walked, almost too calmly, down the isle to the front, and I felt chills ripple down my spine. "Get a hold of yourself, Hans." I murmur to myself, but I look up at her again, in spite of myself. "Gloves..." I think to myself, "Gloves in this weather?" I chuckle, and look down at my own gloved hands, realizing how hypocritical I sounded, but I had my own reasons to wear them. I relax a little, but the tingles proceed throughout the whole ceremony.
Afterwords, at the reception, I stood alone, pondering how I should approach the queen. I've narrowed it down to accidentally bumping into her, or approaching her head on, but doubt nags in the back of my mind. I don't want to seem clumsy, like her sister, but I also don't want to seem disrespectful, and she had dismissed every other nobleman – and women – who approached her. Still contemplating it, I spot the princess I met earlier – Anna, was it? – walking through the crowd. She seemed upset at something, and didn't even notice the man in front of her, walking into him and falling back. I spring, lithely, to catch her, years of swordplay and practice aiding in the activity. I catch her, and stand her up. "Princess!" I exclaim, unsure of what to do, but glad I didn't just let her fall. She proceeds to smile, and we talk for a bit. After a while, and some innocent-yet-revealing questions, my previous assumptions turned out to be completely true, and I safely determine that she is completely naive to... well anything! As it happened, she, and her sister, were locked up in the castle all her life, and she hadn't even flirted with any guy, much less kissed one. I soon realize that she is completely head over heels for me – and it wasn't just my ego that told me. The way she looked at me... the innocent way she smiled and revealed so much about her past... It was all so overwhelming for one such as I. I, who was used to growing up in subtlety, and cunning. I, who had 12 older brothers hammer into me the cruel, unfair facts of life. I found myself somewhat jealous of her, that she grew up in isolation, free of the oppression I still felt in my every move. Grudgingly, I told her a few facts about me as well, just enough to not let her think I was holding out. To my shock, she started to sing! My mind already a swirl of plots, jealousy, incredulity, and curiosity, I decide to exploit her naivete, and I sing with her.
We finish our song, and I begin to ask her to marry me, a plan forming in my mind. "Anna... will you marry me?" I ask, putting on my most sincere face, and getting down on one knee. Her poor, innocent face lights up "Yes!" she exclaims, happily. We giggle, and walk back to the palace to tell the news to Elsa, and I cant help but wonder just how I can get what I want. The sky, darkening as night approaches, was lit up from the palace, a beacon of light and revelry. My mind wanders back to Elsa, her silky blonde hair and porcelain face illuminated in my mind. Even though I have more than enough at my disposal already with the princess, I cant help but feel like I could do much, much better. Finally, we reach the castle entrance, and I open the grand double doors for the new "love of my life". She blushes, and we stride up the center of the ballroom, hand in gloved-hand. We approach Elsa, and tell her of our engagement. "Sister", Anna begins, "We would like your blessing in..." Giggling again "our marriage!". Elsa does not like this. "Excuse me? Is this some joke?" she asks, confused, but still regal. She was really something. "No, I cannot approve of this" She says.
Wait, what? She doesn't approve? I curse, mentally, my plan already falling down in pieces in my mind. She walks away, and Anna chases her, but I hardly notice. The ballroom seems colder, less friendly than I first thought. I look down, mind turning frantically for solutions to this new unexpected problem, when I hear a note of panic. I look up, and see Anna holding her sisters glove, and Elsa, eyes wide with... fear? Asking, no, pleading for her glove back. "Interesting..." I think to myself, and walk towards Anna, but no amount of composure or training could prepare for what happened next. Elsa turned, almost in slow motion, shooting ice from her fingers, forming a spiky, threatening shield in front of her. My eyes widen, mind not believing the scene in front of me. I had heard of magic existing, and read about the effects it could bring, but experiencing it first hand was an entirely new matter.
Before I had time to react, Elsa ran, throwing the doors open and leaving an icy residue behind each step. Everyone in the room, including me, was too shocked to move, all except the Duke of Weselton, who ran after the Queen with his two henchmen. They were knocked back by a blast of ice, aimed directly at them, and I began to fear for Elsa. I understood, in that moment, just how alone, and fearful, she must be. I walked out with Anna, cautiously, but could only see the swish of her retreating cloak. Anna starts running, full out, and I keep up the pace with ease, not winded at all. We follow Elsa to a small opening in the bay, and Anna calls out "Elsa!". Elsa turns around, but I can see even from this distance that her eyes are blinded by fear, and doesn't recognize even her sister. She takes a step back, onto the rippling fjord's water, and it freezes instantly. She takes another step, and another, and turns around, running full pelt across the fjord, frozen water hardening and spreading with every step.
Me and Anna approach the now-freezing-over-fjord, and I make a split second decision. "Anna... I promise, here and now, to bring your sister back to you, safe and unharmed." I get down on one knee, in the way I read the knights of old do, and look up at her, imploringly. "No..." she begins, "I should be the one who does it" But I interject, real emotion entering my voice for the first time. "My love... If you go after her, who will look over Arrendale? Your people need you... your sister needs you. Please, allow me." I flash another of my smiles, the ones she ate up like candy just an hour ago, and shed finally relents. "Oh alright... but be careful. I don't want you getting hurt." I smile for real this time, unable to tell her just how much this meant to me, and snap my fingers, summoning my horse. "I wont let you down" I say, mounting my horse, and walking towards the fjord.
I give the signal, and my horse charges forward, leaving Anna; the girl, and Arrendale; my dream, behind.
As I sat, clinging onto my horse as he galloped heroically across the solid Fjord, I couldn't help but second guess myself. Choosing to leave Arrendale and venture to save Elsa was not something even I understood. All my life I had grown up as "The unlucky 13th Prince", the unwanted, unnoticed addition to my family. At every turn, I strove to make people notice me, to define myself as my own person, but my efforts went unnoticed. Growing up with 12 older brothers, I had plenty of opportunity for competition, mainly in the sense of swordplay, a Southern Isle common practice. I devoted most of my younger years – when I wasn't studying and acing my classes – to it, and surpassed all of my brothers. Instead of praise, I was literally shunned, and for two years, my entire family ignored my very existence. I was young, and confused. I remember thinking "This is not what family does..." but I struggled on, trying in vain to get some acknowledgment for my skills, not just in swordplay, but in all other aspects of my life. It didn't matter. They eventually stopped ignoring me – they just grew bored of it I assume – but the damage was done. It didn't matter that I was the perfect little prince, I was still "The unlucky 13th child". I vowed I would show them, prove to them that I was more than just a mistake. When the opportunity arose, and they were asked to send an emissary to Arrendale, I jumped on it. They were happy to see me go, and I was happy to leave. Arrendale was the my future, my hopes, and my passion. So why was I riding away from it?
We reached the other side of the fjord, and I can just make out a trail in the dim moonlight, the frost tipped ground making it easy for me to follow. Not once did I look back, my mind roiling in confusion, but resolutely following the Queen. I couldn't quite understand why I was doing it, but it felt right, and I trusted my instincts enough to follow them. Making my way through the forest slowly, I am forced the dismount, the trees too thick for my stallion to pass through. "Go back, boy" I say, petting him on the nose. I loved my horse, he was the only friend I had growing up, and I was sad to see him go, but I knew he would make it back to Arrendale safely. I press on, through the dark forest, following the frozen, scared path Elsa left behind. This continued for quite sometime, at a much slower pace than I would've liked due to the fact that I wanted to make a good first – or rather second – impression for the Queen. Careful not to tear my clothes on a branch, or slip in the mushy, ice covered path, my mind is filled once again with pictures of Elsa. Everything about her intrigued me, from her silky smooth hair to her ornate gloves, I was interested. "Not smitten, just curious" I say out loud, as if to convince some imaginary nay-sayer. Still, there was something about her that I liked, and I looked forward to our first real encounter.
Continuing on the path, the air gets progressively colder, and I'm soon shivering. Almost falling into a small stream, I stop, and look around to get some bearings. I spot a lodge, and walk towards it, the sky darkening more and more, as it was just past midnight. "Wandering Oakens Trading Post" I read. "this should be helpful" and I enter. I'm greeted by a warm blast of air, and I sigh contentedly, happy to be out of the frigid cold if only for a short while. "Yoo-Hoo!" a voice calls out, and I walk around a shelf, greeted by a massive man sitting behind a counter. I wave, and look around, looking for only one item. I spot it, a large torch, and I smile, bringing it up to the counter. "That'll be 3" he begins, but I zone him out, and shell out the required money. My eyes flash, and I spot another item hanging on the wall, a pair of gloves. I walk over, and pick them up, setting them on the counter as well. "That's from our Vinter department," he begins again, but I cut him off. "Yeah yeah, how much is it?" his face darkens for a moment, but then it clears, and he answers with a simple "30". My jaw drops, but I quickly reset my face and pay the ridiculous fee. "Thank you" he says, and I smile through my teeth, walking out of the lodge and slamming the door behind me. "Outrageous" I murmur to myself, but I'm happy I got what I came for.
Leaving the lodge behind me, I set off once again, heading towards the north mountain. I light my torch, the dark trying to consume the trail I had been following for so long. Its hard for me to see, and I'm still cold, although the heat from the torch helps a little, and I fail to notice the danger that starts to surround me. Finally, im snapped out of my concentration by some vicious snarls, and whirl around. In the dark I can barely make out my own hand, much less see at a distance, but I can hear footsteps and the rustling of leaves of many, many creatures. I scrunch my eyes, confirming what I already feared. "Wolves... it has to be wolves..." I say to myself, and sigh, drawing my sword, holding the torch in my left hand. I was a little afraid, yes, but I was also determined, and no amount of wolves would stop me from achieving my goal. As soon as I draw my sword, I hear a growl, inches from my side, and I swing my torch out, illuminating the brave, advancing wolf. Swish, I swing at it, not hitting it but causing it to move back. I can taste the tension in the air, and it begins. Using the torch as a probe, and beacon for my sword, I systematically sweep the area, moving around and searching for the first attack. There, I hear, rather than see the first wolf leap at me, and I spin around, delivering a deadly precise shot, nailing it in the head. Before I had time to register the blow, I use the momentum of my swing to carry me around, barely deflecting the second wolf from my throat, and getting thrown back. "Sloppy, very sloppy" I think to myself, and spring up, my eyes angered, dancing in the flickering fire. I begin to move, fast and deadly, a whirl of fire and steel, hitting wolf after wolf, swinging from one to the next without even checking if I killed them. I start to pant, the exertion getting to me, and the cold air making it ever more difficult to breathe. Slick, my sword passes clean through another, and another, my feet moving fast on the uneven terrain. Thump, a wolf rams into my back, and I fall, rolling with it, entangled with the beast. Somehow, miraculously, the beast stills, and I see my sword protruding through its fur-covered skull, dead. I groan, standing up, poised for the next attack, but the night is silent, save for my labored breathing. I draw my blade out of the creature, clean it on some grass, and move on, the ground littered with the white pelts of numerous wolves, stained red with blood.
Thankfully, I'm not attacked for the remainder of the night, and the sun starts to rise just as my torch splutters out. Throwing it aside, I stop, and watch the sun rise, throwing rays of radiant sunlight across the nooks and crannies of the mountain. There, hidden some 600 feet away, lay a breathtaking sight. A castle of pure ice, towering and impressive, lay on the side of the mountain, rays of sunlight refracting through it. My eyes widen, its beauty and bizarreness almost too much to handle after a sleepless night. I shake my head, clearing it, and approach it. "Elsa" I murmur, "Im coming".
So yeah, here's the first chapter. I know its not much, but I had to set the scene first, in order to tell my story. I have a rough outline, and I know how the story is going to pan out, but id love feedback. This is my first time ever writing... anything, so don't hesitate to give (Useful) Criticisms. The second chapter will be where the (hopefully) interesting stuff takes place, and I am already enjoying writing from Hans' point of view
This is a Helsa AU, and as you can probably see, there is going to be some romance. I will say that it will not be... predictable. I gave you a taste of what is to come (the prologue), but I have much more in store. I'm not sure how long it will be, but you can expect more uploads in the near future.
Also, I am dabbling in the area of symbolism, and if anyone can see (and point out) the symbols I am using, they get a gold star.
I am an 18 year old boy, Named Voltaire after the french philosopher. I start college in Fall, but I have a shit ton of free time on my hands. I mainly play video games, but I've ventured into the area of fanfics due to my obsession with frozen – and my desire to see and direct a story about Hans and Elsa, while remaining true to their characters.
My tumblr is Lelouchleemporor, feel free to add me (I have basicly no followers, but I post frozen pics daily, mostly on hans and elsa)
Thank you for reading, and I sincerely hope you enjoy this!