Embers of a Frozen Heart - 2
Hans was shifting along the bed, tossing and turning with the waves. He could swear he could hear his name being called somewhere beyond the dark corners of his mind. The waves of unconsciousness were insistent though.
"Hans." A hand on his shoulder, rocking him further. "Prince Hans?"
His eyes burst open, for an instant only seeing orange and red sparks in the air when a loud gasp made him focus on where he was again. The same ship-hand from the day before was staring at him now, taking a few steps back, hands an angry red.
Hans was sitting up in the next moment, moving forward to grasp the man's burned hands. Even as the ship-hand tried to pull away he closed his eyes, focusing just on the warm hands in his own, forcing his heart back to a steady pace as he drew the heat away from the man's skin. As he drew the heat back in to himself. His hands dropped back to his sides when he was done and he opened his eyes to look over the damage he must have done in his sleep.
The skin wasn't quite as red as before. He had stopped the burn from being too bad, and most of the pain from the heat would have gone away as well. "I'm sorry. If you wrap some wet cloth around the worst portion gloves shouldn't bother you."
"The... the Captain asked that I woke you up. We will be at the harbor in less than half an hour."
Hans frowned, looking away from the ship-hand. He couldn't stand the way the man's voice suddenly shook. This was why his parents didn't let him go anywhere. In case more people found out about his powers. Especially one that was so destructive. "Tell him I'll be ready. Please, take care of your hands first." When he heard the door close behind the ship-hand he muttered another, "Sorry."
With a sigh he got up, changing into his formal wear and combing his hair just enough to get the knots out. When he was ready he hurried up the steps, not wanting to be late. He tugged his gloves on just before he stepped onto the deck, moving over to the stern where the Captain was turning the wheel slowly.
Hans stopped halfway up the steps though, turning to gaze at Arendelle. The wood houses and structures just above the water, right up against the fjord. It was as green as the Captain had said the day before. Tall pines reaching up beyond the village, and... the castle.
His eyes landed on the magnificent stone structure and the walls that surrounded it. If all went according to plan that would be his new home.
"Enjoying the view, my Prince?"
"Yes," he said immediately, turning to face the Captain a second later. "How long will you be docked for?" He should have some idea of exactly how much time he had to make this place his new home.
"We will be here for the Coronation and a a few days after as well." The Captain let go of the wheel then and Hans could hear the anchor being dropped in the water below with a splash. Boots hitting a wood surface that wasn't the ship, shouts from ship-hands as they docked the ship in the harbor. "Will you be staying at the ship or an inn for time being?"
Hans paused. "An inn," he replied. After accidentally burning one of the man's crew this morning he didn't want a repeat happening again. He hurried back down to the deck when he saw the crew had drawn up a wood plank from the ship to the pier. "Sitron?" When a neigh answered him he followed it to his horse, seeing Sitron was already ready to go he hopped up into the saddle. He could come back and get his bags later.
Taking hold of the reins he directed Sitron through the crew and off the ship to wander the harbor, staring at the city as he went. He wasn't paying attention where Sitron was going until he heard an, "Ooh!" Hans turned quickly to see a lady with her foot stuck in a bucket, stumbling backward into a boat that was soon dangling over the edge of the pier. "Whoa!" The lady cried out again when Sitron's hoof landed in the boat, causing it to become parallel with the water. "Hey!"
He was still staring from upon Sitron's back when the girl addressed him, peeling off seaweed that had landed on her face. "I'm so sorry. Are you hurt?" If she was that would be two people he had hurt in total today. Too many more instances like this and he was surely to beat his low record. He wanted to punch himself for his carelessness.
"Hey." The girl was suddenly smiling so he took that as a good sign. "I-No, no, I'm okay," she said throwing the seaweed back into the water as she sat up in the boat.
"Are you sure?" he asked, slipping off from his horse, to walk into the boat she had fallen into.
"Yeah, I just wasn't looking where I was going." Well, that made two of them. "But, I'm great actually."
"Thank goodness." He extended a hand to her. She had striking green eyes, light brown hair that glowed. She was as bright and colorful as the country around her. Just breathtaking. Or maybe he just thought that because he didn't usually get the chance to meet foreign people and now he was in a foreign land... How bizarre. He couldn't help the smile that soon stretched across his face. "Oh, uh." He helped her to her feet before dropping her hand so he could give a formal bow. "Prince Hans of the Southern Isles."
The lady returned his greeting with a small curtsey in a lavish green dress. "Princess Anna of Arendelle."
"Princess?" His eyes widened. And he had struck her with his horse, though by accident. What a way to introduce himself! "My lady." He dropped to his knees quickly in a deep bow, preparing to ask for her deepest apologies. Then the boat dipped forward. He took a few quick steps toward Anna to catch her before she could fall backwards. Close one.
"Hi. Again."
The seconds the words had slipped out of her mouth in a joking manner the boat straightened once more and he found himself on his back, her on top of him. "Oh, boy!" A small laugh escaped him.
"This is awkward." Anna was slowing backing up as she spoke, "Not 'You're awkward,' but just because we're..." He gripped her hand as they both were more sitting in the boat now. "I'm awkward, you're gorgeous." He glanced down, his smile spreading for a moment. "Wait, what?"
He had to suppress the laugh that wanted to escape his lips. "I'd like to formally apologize for hitting the princess of Arendelle with my horse," he said as he helped her back to her feet for the second time now." He straightened his clothes. "And for every moment after."
"No! No, no. It's fine. I'm not that princess. I mean, if you had hit my sister Elsa, it would be yeesh!" Anna was moving off the boat as she spoke and he watched transfixed. "Because, you know..." Anna stopped short from stepping off the boat, stroking the underside of Sitron's chin, causing the horse to neigh. "Hello. But," she stepped off the boat, facing him again. "Lucky you, it's just me."
He laughed lightly. This girl was something else. "'Just' you?"
Anna smiled and he couldn't help but smile back. The bells sounded from the castle and her eyes widened. "The bells. The coronation. I-" She had walked into the metal railing and quickly stepped aside, continuing her walk backwards. "I better go. I have to go... I better go. Bye!" Anna waved and just like that she was off, running towards the castle.
He raised his own hand as well in farewell, staring at Sitron a moment later as his hoof has raised from the boat. "Oh, no." He got the words out just before he landed in the water with a splash, the boat floating above him. He kicked up, gripping the sides of the row boat and pushing it up so he could watch her running along the stone.
It occurred to him a moment after that he needed to be there as well and he pushed the boat up and onto its belly. He swam back to the pier, tugging the boat after him. Once Hans was up on the wood boards again he hauled the boat up beside him, looking out over the ocean as he let the heat escape from beneath his skin careful not to let the clothes catch fire as they dried.
With his suit no longer sticking to his skin he sat up, walking up the steps to get Sitron and leave him at the stables before moving to the cathedral and finding his seat. It wasn't quite eventful as he was expecting, what with one of his neighbors snoring on his shoulder. He watched Anna and her sister, Elsa enter to stand near the front of the room.
When Anna peaked over her shoulder he raised his hand to give a small wave, hoping he hadn't made too much of a fool of himself down at the harbor. She just smiled and gave a little wave back though and he almost sighed in relief. Good, he wasn't blowing his chances then.
His gaze moved back to her sister who was dressed in blue, a deep violet cape over her shoulders, light blonde hair and he was sure he had seen that her eyes were blue. She looked to be the exact opposite of Anna as the priest set the crown into her hair and she was standing straight.
The priest had gotten the scepter and orb from the table, facing the soon to be Queen now with the items on a decorative green pillow. When she went to take him he saw the priest mutter something before Elsa took off the long blue gloves she wore. Though... it appeared her hands were shaking when she went to take the two items.
It slipped his mind when she turned around to face them, scepter and orb in hand with the priest speaking in an older language probably for ceremony purposes. He stood up with everyone else in the room as the priest announced her new title, "Queen Elsa of Arendelle."
His ears were filled with the sound of clapping, of his own clapping as she was now Queen. He could hear the villagers outside shouting, "Queen Elsa!"
