Queen Elsa paused at the old wooden doors that led to the underground prison. She closed her eyes and willed away the fear that was penetrating her heart. This is completely ridiculous, Elsa. It was ridiculous, as she had visited prisoners before, and offered them her compassion and understanding. It was probably the main reason why there were so few of them, and they never stayed more than a fortnight. The Queen was known for her ability to forgive, and to change the hearts of the men and women who found themselves in Arendelle's penitentiary.

There were petty crimes just as assuredly as there were crimes against the state, and this was the only crime against the state that she had to face during her fledgling reign. Elsa turned to the palace guards who had accompanied her. "Please be on your guard at all times, gentlemen. This one will try to convince you he's a poor misguided prince, with a gentle soul to match. Don't believe any of it."

One of the guards inserted the master key into the lock, and it opened with a creak. Elsa smoothly entered the damp space and looked around her, trying to find the prisoner in the dim light.

"I hear you." The voice wasn't menacing, but somewhat teasing.

Elsa's ire was piqued, and she motioned for the guards to follow her down the stone hallway to the last cell on her left. She stopped in front of it, and her guards surrounded her, but not too closely. She tilted her head. "Hans."

The former prince looked up from a book he was reading, but didn't stand. "Queen Elsa."

This impudent action angered a guard, who rammed the stock of his rifle onto the cell bars. The Queen put her hand on the guard's shoulder, and he immediately took a step backwards.

The guard's actions had caused Hans to retreat to the back of the cell. He slowly approached Elsa, a wary look on his face. "I came here to ask for your pardon, Queen Elsa. And to ask Anna—"

"That's Princess Anna to you." Elsa looked over the man in front of her, and could not help noticing the white sash over his uniform. "I see you thought of everything. But what I don't understand is why? Why come here after so many years? Did your family finally kick you out of the Kingdom?"

"No, they don't know I'm even here, but I'm sure my father has a mind to. I tried telling you at the docks, Queen Elsa, but you refused to listen."

Elsa frowned. "The Kingdom, Prince Hans, owes you nothing, except perhaps a trial for your crimes against Arendelle."

Hans recoiled slightly. "I'm hoping we could avoid that." The man lowered his head for a moment, and sighed deeply. "I would like, if it pleases Your Majesty, to formally apologize to Princess Anna."

The Queen stared at Hans, trying to find any subterfuge in him. The surprising thing was that there was none, and his sincere eyes were almost pleading. But Elsa was cautious. "What if Princess Anna doesn't want to see you?"

The Prince didn't lift his head, but eyed Elsa closely. "I don't know how to respond to that, my Queen."

Elsa bristled slightly, and briefly averted her eyes for only a second. She knew his mind was trying to find a way to escape this prison, so she hardened her heart to him. "I will inform the Princess of your desire."

The Queen turned to walk away when Hans gabbed the bars. "I've been here for hours, can I have something to eat?"

Elsa didn't stop walking. "Have some food sent to him."

The Queen of Arendelle sat resplendent on her throne, listening to the daily petitions from her loyal subjects, and wrapped her hands around the warm mug of tea Kai gave her. "And who do we have here?" She sat up when a small child approached her gilded throne with a bouquet of roses. But before the child could reach a royal guard entered the hall and bowed to the Queen.

Elsa looked up and smiled. "Yes, what is it?"

"May I approach, my Queen?"

"Of course."

The guard whispered in the Queen's ear. And when he finished there was a fine coat of frost on his lips.

"Why are you doing this? I could help you!" The man struggled with the guards who were holding his arms.

"I don't think so."

"Why not? I'm an Admiral in my navy; I could re-build your decimated fleet! I came here under a banner of truce!"

The Queen glanced again at the royal Caravela redonda the man arrived in. It was old, and carried no identifying flags. "You arrived in that ship. I know your kingdom doesn't commission such antiquated vessels. So that helps me to understand you are not representing King Fridtjof Nansen of the Southern Isles. You are nothing more than an usurper, and a poor one at that."

"No, he is much more than that."

All eyes turned to the Princess, who was just stepping out of the carriage she arrived in. Arendelle's port city lay in a bay just outside of the fortifications the Queen had built a few months after the attempted take over. The pier was long, and easily moored 10 massive war ships, and made stronger by hydraulic concrete.

"He's a cheat." Anna almost gave him a smirk. "A robber, miscreant…murderer."

"I never killed anyone!" Hans' body rolled forward, as one of his guards punched him in the back.

Anna shook her head. "No, no… now we both know that isn't true, is it, Hans?"

"He came here, thinking he could make amends." Elsa took a step forward. "Its been eight years…what do you really want?"

At the current time, Queen Elsa and Princess Anna were about 10 feet from the prisoner, not desiring to be any closer to the thief. Palace guards, and members of Arendelle's navy surrounded them.

Anna pulled her shawl closer to her, in an effort to shield herself from the cold breeze Elsa was making. "What do you want, Hans? You shouldn't even be here, considering—everything."

A midshipman, who had been inspecting the ship, walked up the Queen. "I found this in the bastard's quarters. It looks like an attempt at appeasement."

Elsa took the sack and frowned. "Let's see—" The jewel glowed in her hand, as the rays of the sun penetrated his facets. It was beautiful, and should have touched her heart towards—something. But her heart hardened, and she threw the trinket over the railing, making a sickening splashing sound.

Hans' eyes widened beyond credence, and he struggled even more to be away from his captors. He was punched in his right side this time, and he fell to his knees, ruining his pristine uniform. Sweat poured from his hairline, and a small stream of blood oozed from his mouth. When he lifted his head, a few tears fell down his cheeks. "I came here to ask for your forgiveness…"

When the other guard kicked him in his stomach, he fell completely.

"Enough!" Elsa glared at the guards. "I never told you to beat him!" !" Her eyes roamed over the fallen man. "Please, pick him up."

Both guards lifted the broken man, and held him up to Elsa. "I do understand what you hoped to accomplish. You know my of reputation as a just and fair ruler, I'm sure you heard it from someone or discovered it somewhere, and it occurred to you that you might want to take advantage of such a good ruler. After all, it has been eight years since the…incident. They just might have forgiven you by now." The Queen turned to the Princess. "Have we, Princess Anna?"

The Princess turned her attention Hans. "You thought you could take advantage of my sister?" Her voice was laced with a fine layer of contempt, and the man took a step backwards; having never experienced this from Anna before.

Elsa took a step and touched the princess' arm. "No need to yell, Anna."

"I know, but having him so near is just infuriating."

The Queen turned back to Hans, an unreadable expression on her face, but a soft dusting of frost emanated from her fingertips, and puddled on the ground in ripples. "But you must also understand that I am fierce concerning the safety of Arendelle and its people. I will do anything—and I do mean everything—to protect them, and safeguard us from any threat."

Shocked, Hans stared at the Queen, his mind in turmoil. "But I'm not a threat to you anymore, Queen Elsa—nor to Anna."

The guards who were near and could hear his words began to grumble amongst themselves, their ire growing quickly.

The Princess stepped forward, her rage unleashed. "Don't you talk to her like that! You want to appear innocent, that you've changed? Even if you have changed that doesn't excuse your past behaviour, your attempt to kill me!" Anna turned to Elsa for help. "Didn't he try to kill you, too?"

Elsa clasped her hands in front of her, and gave the Princess a warning glance before speaking. "Yes, he did. He tried to convince me that I killed you." She glared at Hans, her lips drawn into a thin smile. "If you were truly repentant then why did you wait so long—"

Hans spit the blood from his mouth. "Wait? I did wait because I wanted you to believe me. I thought I was doing the right thing."

"What does you father think about this?"

"I could care less what he thinks! I am my own man, and don't follow anyone!"

Elsa had enough. "Guards! Take him to the prison."

"I wish we were a constitutional monarchy, like England," Elsa picked up her cup of tea and took a delicate sip, the auburn liquid warming her insides. "It would make this so simple."

Anna looked up from the book she was pretending to read. "What are you talking about, sis?" She put her feet on the Queen's desk.

Elsa frowned. "If we had a Parliament then the decision would not squarely be on my shoulders."

"You do have many decisions…" The Princess matched the Queen's frown. "What exactly are we talking about?"

"Anna, get your feet off my desk." When the Princess complied, Elsa continued. "The execution, obviously."

"So, you decided, then."

"It's been a week, Anna. I can't find a justifiable reason to let him live, considering his crimes." Elsa reached over and grabbed a decanter of brandy and poured some into her tea. "But, on the other hand—my heart is conflicted. I've never sentenced anyone to death."

"You aren't having second thoughts, are you?" Anna got up and went to kneel by the Queen's chair. "I believe in you, Elsa. I know you will make the right decision."

Dinner was a pleasant affair. The Queen had the servants bring their dinner to her private office on the first floor of the castle. Unlike her official office, this room was decorated richly with tapestries and mahogany panels. A fire roared in the fireplace.

Anna looked up from her meal and watched her sister closely. It was obvious she was troubled, and Anna knew she hadn't looked that way since the Great Frost. "Let me in, Elsa. I can feel your sorrow."

"Anna—I know how gentle your heart is. You are forgiving, and compassionate. And right now I am feeling neither." Elsa gently pushed her plate away from her. "I just can't do it. I can't send a man to his death—even one who tried to kill me."

"He tried to kill me, as well."

Elsa's head shot up at the cold remark. "I know."

The Princess moved to stand at the fireplace, warming her hands. "What about the old decrees? Our ancestors surely faced the same situation?"

"No, no they didn't. I've searched the Library for any situation like this, and couldn't find any documents to make the decision helpful." Elsa poured whiskey into her tea and took a generous portion. "There were plenty of writings on internal treason, but nothing on outsiders."

"What did they do?"

Elsa put down her cup. "What did who do?"

Anna turned to face the Queen again. "What were the old methods—you know what I mean."

Elsa stared at her sister for a long moment. Then she put more whiskey in her tea before speaking. "Well, Arendelle resisted old medieval methods for many years, but then the hardliners gained peerages and the new method was drawing and quartering. It lasted for about a century."

Anna moved around Elsa's desk and pulled up a chair so she could sit by her. "That's a terrible way to die," she whispered.

Elsa looked at her desk, and did face the princess. "I know. Under current Law, created by our father—Hans ought to be hanged, like a common criminal."

Anna sighed. She watched her sister for a few seconds before speaking. "What are you saying?"

"Some things must be, whether we like them or not."

Anna wrapped the shawl tightly around her shoulders and still shivered from the cold outside. The morning was crisp and deathly silent, and all eyes were on the Queen, who stood rigidly next to the scaffold, watching the body swing to and fro.

Her fists were clenched as hard as her heart.

Elsa turned her head and stared hard at the Princess. "It is done. We will not speak about this ever again. Understood?"

Anna could only nod, and her voice cracked. "Yes."

Former Admiral of the Southern Isles, Hans Westegaard, thought he stood at the forefront of a new era. The era where he would be the hero; the one who would finally bring peace between the Kingdom of Arendelle and the Monarchy of the Southern Isles. He was now standing at the bow of the older redonda he purchased from Portugal, cashing in on an old favor owed to his father. It was a hired crew, as well, as no officers from his own navy accepted his entreaties. Time was on his side. Certainly the passage of time would have melted cold hearts, and closed minds?

Hans ran his hand through his red hair and looked out onto the pristine sea. He took a deep breath of the salty air and sighed deeply, his confidence on the rise. "I know they'll accept me." He counted on their mercy and forgiveness, but most of all; he knew he had it in to charm them into acquiescence.

Finally: Hans got was he deserved. I had no problem killing him, so I'm not surprised there are no reviews. Its actually quite humorous, but in a dark way. No regrets whatsoever. Elsa made the right and only decision possible.

Anonymous reviews? Really? What a cowardly thing to do. You must realize I will delete them, especially from Helsa fans...