AN: I'm back after another case of the dreaded Writer's Block. Since Hans' Trail (my launch plate for Fan Fiction) was received really well (probably because it attempted to answer what happened between Hans getting punched & getting caged), I've decided to write a sequel to that story, detailing the return voyage, his trail & eventual punishment. Again, Frozen is owned by Disney
Hans shivered in the brig. The ship he was in was 2 days away from the Southern Isles and he was dreading it. He knew his brothers would be displeased with him for his actions, considering the fact he attempted to take over a kingdom and then murder Elsa over it by painting her as the bad guy. But he had to chuckle to himself as well because Elsa demostrated that she wouldn't stoop to Hans' level by having him jailed and visitation rights to Arendelle revoked when she could have just had him executed. He also gave silent praises to Elsa because she was the one person who saw right through that facade he had put on at her coronation ceremony.
The jailer, on the other hand, wasn't as lenient with Hans. He was given explict instructions to keep Hans on 24 hour lock-up to lessen his chance of escaping back to Arendelle and complete his plans of usurption & murder. Heck, even his meals were served to him in the brig. Hans hated it but the jailer wasn't taking any chances on the off-chance that he might steal a lifeboat and row back to Arendelle. He swore he would deliver Hans back to the Southern Isles and he expected him in the brig when they returned. When the ship got further away from Arendelle's vicnity, the jailer trusted that Hans wouldn't try anything and became more lenient with his charge: He was allowed one day out of his cage under his supervision, he could have subsequent meals outside of the cage but needed to be back into his cage by nighttime. If he was in direct violation of that, he would be back on 24 hour lockup again, no questions asked. Hans used the one free day he had to get feeling back into his legs and arms considering the fact he was numb from not using them. True he walked around in the cage but again, it was boring in the brig. He actually asked the jailer if he could have something to keep him occupied but the jailer said nope, for all intents and purposes, Hans was a prisoner and he would treated like one.
He had lost track of the days they were at sea but he knew that they were getting close to home. It was 2 days before they reached the Isles and he wondered that if his brother received Elsa's note by now. However, Elsa revealed that the letter was indeed received and his brother, the current king, was NOT happy with the news of Hans' crimes. Suddenly, he saw his castle on the horizon and gulped when he heard the dreaded words.
"LAND HO!" the crow sounded when the ship docked and the jailer made his move to unlock Hans from his cage.
"You, get up and out", he said and Hans obeyed. It was clear he was in no position to challenge anything or anyone for that matter. Elsa & Anna had him sent back home to receive proper punishment as Elsa was under no authority to legally try Hans & punish him because he wasn't an official resident of Arendelle. Although several days at sea in the brig was more than enough punishment for Hans in his opinon, he gulped again when he saw his brother on the dock and froze up as soon as his boot hit the ground.
"Move", the jailer ordered and Hans took several steps forward towards the king, dreading what he had planned for him. The king looked at Hans solemnly and then back at the jailer.
"I trust he was in good hands?" the king asked.
"Most of the time, yes. He got a little difficult at nightfall, constantly complaining of the cold air but he was fine during the day", the jailer explained, further adding that he had to give Hans a blanket to pacify him during the night.
"That's Hans for you. Thank you, sir, for returning him", the king said. The jailer bowed and returned to Arendelle, leaving the brothers on the dock. The king turned to Hans. He braced himself for the tirade that was about to happen.
"As for you, Hans. I was very disapponited when I had received word of your crimes aganist Arendelle, ranging from attempted usurption and murder. At first, I didn't want to believe it so I want to hear the story from you first thing tomorrow. As you're already aware, Elsa & Anna couldn't legally punish you back in Arendelle but I can", the king said.
"And what will my punishment be?" Hans asked without a sliver of remorse for his actions back in Arendelle.
"We'll see in regards to the verdict. Hans, you are aware of the fact that usurption is not to be taken lightly so I can say that you'll possibly see the noose", the king said as they walked back to the castle. Hans grimaced at that thought so he tried to justify in his own view as to why he tried to take over the kingdom.
"It was already crippled anyway and I would have gotten away with it if I wasn't found out", Hans said, slightly smirking. The king couldn't believe what he was hearing so when they got to the castle, the king told his men to escort Hans to the dungeon where he would await his trial. To the king, Hans was only remorseful over the fact that he got caught rather than what he tried to do to Elsa and Anna. Hans eventually traded in his cage on a ship to a dungeon in the castle.
Next day was trial day. Hans was escorted to the throne room where he would plead his case and the king would analyze it. His brothers would be spectating as well.
"Prince Hans Westerguard of the Southern Isles, this trial was called to consider your actions in Arendelle and your punishment. How do you plead?", the king asked.
"Guilty", Hans said, again not showing remorse over his actions
"Let's hear the story then. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?" the king asked his youngest brother again.
"I swear. Now, my plan was simple: Go to Arendelle with a simple goal, marry Elsa and rule as Consort but when I heard from Anna that she was in love with me and hearing from her how closed off Elsa was from people, I switched targets from Elsa to Anna. I figured after I married Anna, I would stage a little accident for Elsa, father a heir and off Anna as well. Everything was going according to plan until we went to Elsa to ask her approval. Elsa saw right through me and refused to bless the marriage, throwing a monkey wrench into my plans. After she revealed her powers, she ran off into the mountains and Anna said she'll go after her but someone needed to babysit the kingdom. She nominated me to watch over the kingdom which I used to try and integrate myself in with the people there, thinking that if they feared Elsa, they would mutiny and follow me. I treated the people with kindness as part of this scheme, figuring that even if Anna did succeed in her mission, the people would fear Elsa, seeing how they reacted to her powers at her coronation and follow me than her. When Anna's horse returned without her, I acted the part of concerned boyfriend and rallied up a few men to go save Anna from Elsa, thinking that she was kidnapped by her own sister. However, this duke of Weaseltown offered up his two bodyguards to join me but secretly ordered them to kill Elsa on sight. I had my party together and headed off", Hans paused to breath for a second, then continued onward.
"We arrived at the mountain where Elsa was at but we had to contend with a snowman bodyguard she made but Weaseltown's bodyguards disobeyed my orders that no harm is to come to the queen. I did this because I needed her alive for my plan to kill her work. When I finally got into the castle, I noticed Elsa about to kill Weaseltown's men. I told her to stop and she did, sparing the two. We talked but when one of Weaseltown's men took the opportunity to kill Elsa there, I redirected the arrow to the chandeiler. Elsa noticed this just in time and got away just in time, foiling me again", Hans grimanced as he recounted this part.
"Why did you redirect the bodyguard's arrow?" the king asked.
"Because I had to find a way to be subtle about what I was doing. If I just killed her with my sword, Anna's opinon of me would be shot, and I would be discovered. I arrested Elsa and brung her back to Arendelle as a prisoner. I held her in the dungeon with shackles and visited her. She asked me why I did what I did back at the ice palace and I played the part of concerned friend to get on her good side, remembering how she saw through me at the coronation party. I said that I wasn't going to let them kill her. She then pleaded with me to let her go back to her palace since she saw herself as a threat. I said I'll do what I could", Hans paused to await further questioning from the king.
"So, she had asked you to let her go?" the king asked again. "Why?"
"Because she was still thinking that she was a threat to her own kingdom. Anyway, I put on my 'concerned boyfriend' act and tried to go out after Anna again to get her hand but one of the servants said I couldn't because I was all Arendelle had left. Another plan quickly formed and I realized that I held the cards as long as Anna never came back. At that second, Anna, harmed from Elsa unintentionally, and dying, was brought to me. I put on my 'concerned boyfriend' mask again and listened to Anna as she explained what happened. She needed a true love's kiss to save her from this frozen heart. We were about to kiss and then I stopped because she wasn't essential to my plans anymore. I told her she had gotten me to this point by her hand and I was going to take over Arendelle immediately. I told her my plans and locked her in the library to avoid her ratting me out after removing all the heat sources from the room to speed up her curse. I then went to my council and put on my 'grieving husband' mask, saying that Anna was dead and we said our vows before it happened. The royal executioner and I went back to the cell to carry out Elsa's execution but found she escaped her cell. I had to take matters into my own hands, armed myself & went into the blizzard to confront Elsa directly. I didn't mask myself this time and told her the truth: her sister was dead", Hans paused again but this time, the king was too shocked to even ask a question here so he continued.
"Actually, I lied to get her to stop this blizzard that was caused by a combination of my own meddling and her emotions. I knew that Elsa loved Anna dearly so I used that aganist her by telling her she was dead. I got Elsa destraught enough to end the blizzard. I prepared myself for a killing strike but Anna's hand had stopped the blow, breaking my sword. She had somehow escaped the library, causing my plans to be shot down. I had been discovered, Anna punched me off a ship after Elsa thawed out the winter, ratted me out and obivously, it got me here", Hans had finished recounting his tale and everyone in the room was shocked at what they just heard. Everyone knew that Hans wanted to be king at some point but the fact he was willing to commit murder or take one by force was just too difficult to ignore.
"Hans, I am shocked at this", the king said, tugging his beard as clearly he tried to figure out how to punish his brother and notify Arendelle about it. There was no way he was going to let Hans walk free after what he had just heard but he couldn't find it in his heart to hang Hans like he told him. Again, it was a possibilty he would though. Eventually, he decided that Hans would be punished by working as a stable boy in the stables of The Southern Isles. Crime doesn't pay, as Hans found out later.
AN: Well, That's it! I tried to make Hans' testimony as accurate as possible like how it was done in the movie. I was also going off the implication that Elsa's attitude towards Hans was the fact she saw right through him. Anyway, R&R!