Anna panicked at the thought of perishing by the hands of the beast, but her wave of fear lasted less than a heartbeat, should she die tonight she would go down fighting. It was surprisingly easy to escape the monster's grip, all she had to do was shove her pointy elbow right at the end of his ribcage like general Donovan had taught her, the large man yelped in surprise and lost his grip on his captive, what was difficult though was not to get trampled by the large reindeer when she fell to the ground.
Once she was free it was time to follow Hans' advice, she ran to the opposite direction from the gate and called for help screaming at the top of her lungs. Within minutes a large group of guards swarmed the hallway and the beast man was subdued, for some reason he kept screaming Anna's name and asking her to help him. Something in his voice seemed to spark a hint of recognition buried deep in the back of her mind, but a stronger shadowy force quickly smothered it.
After hearing the screams the general and her betrothed were quick to appear and control the scene, the reindeer had managed to escape but everyone thought he posed no threat without his deranged master.
-"Prince Hans, Princess Anna, I think we should move to a safer location until we are sure there are no threats left in our castle, for all we know there could be more enemies lurking on the corners ready to attack."- Donovan said concerned.
Hans growled grinding his teeth, Donovan did have a point. Unless that savage was stupid enough to barge into a fortified manor alone, there was a very large chance that Queen Elsa had found the princess and would soon send a rescue party, unless she already did and the bumbling brute was nothing but a distraction. The more they waited the higher was the chance that Anna got taken away, and without her hand in marriage he had no claim on the Arendelle kingdom. They had to marry right now before his plans got ruined.
Should she die after the wedding he might still have a chance, but it turns out the Arendelle royals have direct relatives in Corona with a stronger claim to the kingdom's throne, and after his last gaffe he was certain queen Elsa probably made sure no prince consort like him could take over the kingdom on his own.
No, his only chance of ruling Arendelle was to marry Anna, make her queen by killing Elsa, and at first settle with becoming the prince consort. There was no way that title would be changed on paper, but he would be the true king in reality since Anna is definitely no fit to rule, her being such an airheaded woman and all. Everyone knows only a man can lead a kingdom, since females weren't born with the proper spine to do so, even Queen Victoria is struggling to handle the British Empire on her own and still mourns the death of her long dead husband.
Royal law says that marrying the queen doesn't make you a king, the title goes to the children of the couple not to the spouse of the main ruler. Several weeks ago back in Arendelle, when the kingdom had been frozen, he might have pulled it off. He would have saved the people from the eternal winter and his feeble connection to the princess might have helped him take over, once in power he would be more of a regent than a crowned king, someone who took over the throne in a time of need instead of just inheriting it. But now the ice has thawed and the arendellians actually seem pleased with the ice queen, so he's forced to go on with his original plan, marry Anna, kill Elsa and rule the land through his wife.
So lost in his thoughts he was, that he didn't snap out of it until he found himself embracing his future wife, the vibrant heat that always seemed to radiate from her was soaking through his well tailored suit. The slender redhead was holding him tight; her eyes were filled with both fear and determination, knowing that something had to be done before their plan (well actually it was his plan, poor Anna just didn't know any better) was ruined.
He had to admit that little girl could fight, seeing how she managed to beat someone thrice her size. She was fiery tempered that was obvious; his face grew a little warm when he wondered if that aspect of her personality would translate to the bedroom.
After the wedding, consummation would come, and the best way to ensure both of their positions as supreme rulers was to make as many heirs as possible. Looking at her pretty face and strong slender body he guessed that breeding thirteen children, like his own parents did, would be the least difficult part of his ruling. If anything the younglings would keep her busy and away from the throne room, motherhood would be a good task to drain some of her excess energy.
Somehow he knew she would be a great mother, he didn't understand why that thought made his eyes crinkle and his chest warm.
Enough daydreaming, the prince chastised himself, now it's the time to focus and carry on with the plan
-"General, make sure the catacombs are clear, we are sanctifying our union tonight and nothing will stop that."-
"And then on to the consummation" he thought.
…
Chained to the walls in the south tower of the duke's manor, Kristoff fumed. He arrived only a few days ago into the foreign kingdom, during his short stay he heard ridiculous rumors, something about Anna conspiring with Prince Hans to save Arendelle from the ice queen. Most people in Weselton heard of the great winter, but thanks to gossip by the time the story arrived to the land it had been transfigured into a very unrealistic tale of a queen gone mad and punishing her people with an eternal winter, they believed the great thaw was caused by the heroics of the traitorous prince of the Southern Isles instead of the sacrifice Anna had made.
-"Stupid, stupid, stupid!"- The ice harvester muttered while banging his own head at the wall behind him, it had all been his fault, had he acted like a proper gentlemen instead of a rugged jerk Anna wouldn't have been taken away in the first place.
They had dated for only a week when the adrenaline rush of their adventure faded away, and then he realized that he was an antisocial wild man raised by trolls and she was a pretty princess related to one of the most powerful sorceress on earth. At first their promise to take things slowly, taking time to actually know each other better before even considering themselves into a serious relationship, did appease his insecurities.
But her smile was adorably dorky and infectious, her skin was really soft and her hair smelled like roses and sunshine, to make things worse she was also brave and trusting, seeming to look past his flaws while not letting hers get in the way of her goals.
He knew it was only a matter of time until another prince strutted right into the open gates of the castle and won her heart by being an actually nice person instead of a total power hungry sociopath. When that happens Kristoff would have to crawl back into the whole he came from with nothing to show for than a great new sled and a broken heart, because yes, the trolls carved a nice cave for him to live in right at the valley. He thought it was an act of self defense for both of them if they break up before things got too serious, but when it came to discuss it with his now ex girlfriend Anna hadn't seen it that way though, and the still healing bruises on his torso are clear evidence of it.
That should had been the end of it, they should just have gone back to their old lives, but Anna chose to vent her frustration at the edge of the town where a nice fair was taking place, and instead of making sure she went home safe he went back to the valley to mope.
Night hadn't even fallen when the queen, of all people, showed up in front of him and the trolls asking for Anna. In order to save time Elsa made the cold mountain air carry her and she appeared to fly instead of riding by horse, as if the mere sight of the powerful ice queen wasn't scary enough. Angry and worried on equal parts soon she started demanding Kristoff to let her see her sister, since he was the last person to be seen with Anna before she disappeared. Elsa had been concerned when she thought her sibling eloped with the mountain man, she was terrified when Kristoff told her he had last seen her several hours ago.
It took many anguished days of painstaking search with every soldier combing the small kingdom for the pieces to fall into place; she had been kidnapped. The ice harvester suggested that had they taken her to the destination by land, she would have been spotted by the myriad travelers carrying trading goods through the crowded roads, he believed she was taken by sea.
But only three ships had sailed on the harbor the day she was taken away, all friendly nations like Spain, Corona and France. That meant one of those countries betrayed them or an enemy nation had somehow managed to get to the princess, perhaps magic was involved. Either way the Southern Isles and Wesselton were prime suspects.
Feeling guilty for leaving Anna alone, Kristoff volunteered to head the search in Wesselton. It was by simple elimination process that the humble ice harvester ended up in here, the relationship between Weselton and Arendelle was tense but salvageable, sending and army into that land would spark an unnecessary war so a lone man like him would be much more subtle should they be innocent.
The Southern Isles however were a very different story, they had a prince of royal lineage that tried to kill a queen, and it might be too late to stop a conflict already. Elsa wasted no time in sending a small contingent of her bravest soldiers whose sole mission was to bring Anna back home safe, but should war be the only way to do so the ice queen was more than ready to deliver a true show of force.
The original plan was logical and simple, he was supposed to scout for the princess and in case of finding her he would send a message to the queen via telegraph, and she would send an army of trained warriors to her rescue. But shortly after arriving he learned that Anna was captive in the duke's manor and would be married to Hans by the time the cavalry arrived, he couldn't let that happen. Seeing her happy with a king or prince more worthy than him was one thing, but he would die before letting that creep get his claws on her again.
Yet here he was, chained like a criminal while a sociopath dragged the woman he loved to the isle. He kept wondering why she ran away from him when all he wanted was to save her from Hans' deviate hands, if only she had let him take her instead of fighting him off. Why was she so afraid of him? Nothing made sense.
The door of the improvised prison opened and it showed the large figure of Alexander Donovan, one look at the burly man and he knew that he should be afraid. You don't survive long into the cold wilderness without the ability to recognize a warrior, there are some men best avoided and never confronted, the one in front of him is one of those. Kristoff eyed the general with a guarded expression, he was strong and in a fistfight he might have gotten a chance, but chained and helpless the odds were not on his favor.
The older man placed himself right in front of his prisoner, the battle scars that marred his face held a deep contrast against his fair skin. With a mischievous sparkle in his eyes and a lopsided grin he whispered:
-"Did you actually think you could take the princess with nothing but a reindeer? Please tell me there are more guards outside and that you're not stupid enough to invade this manor without backup"-
Looking at the warrior straight in the eye Kristoff grunted –"Queen Elsa knows you have her sister, if you don't want your little kingdom to turn into a frozen pit I suggest you let both of us go."-
-"Oh so you are stupid enough, I gotta give you credit though, that stunt of yours took some guts to pull off. It was crazy enough to work, had she still been on your side"- The pity in the grey eyes of the general when talking about Anna bought a forbearing dread on his chest.
-"What are you talking about... What have you done to her!?"- The ice harvester's voice went from a grunt to a feral growl.
Donovan's expression turned somber, the grip on his sword tightened –"I did nothing, but the same cannot be said of my employers. I didn't come to work here until it was done, but according to rumor from the staff it wasn't pretty, they said her screams were heard for three straight days. All I know is that they took her and broke her, so they could later rebuild her to fit all their sick needs, she isn't herself and I have no idea if what they did can be taken back."-
Kristoff slumped on his chains as he processed the horrible news, had the general impaled him with a rusted sword it wouldn't have hurt so much. In the fog of grief that clouded his brain three certainties took hold of him: One, he would take Anna to safety and away from these fuckers. Two, he would kill them one by one and make sure they never hurt anyone else ever again. Three, he would stay by her side until she recovered fully and the damage was erased.
How he would do all those things he still didn't know, but he would find a way. Then a brilliant idea sparked, clearing the fog away. –"What is your price?"- He asked his captor with a maleficent glare, his usually soft kind features suddenly turned cruel.
Donovan merely raised an eyebrow in curiosity -"And what makes you think you could pay for it?"-
-"I couldn't! But for having her sister safe and sound, the queen definitely could"-
…
Anna's maids of honor had managed to fix the few scratches on her delicate white dress, in less than a few hours the wedding would still happen, if a groom seeing the bride before the wedding was considered bad luck she didn't want to know what kind of sign it was to be almost taken by a beast man. After the failed attempt at kidnapping she felt understandably restless, something kept nagging at her mind, something familiar and forgotten at the same time.
It's just that things didn't make any sense. For one the beast was nowhere near as scary as they made him out to be, he was actually kinda handsome, if you like the rough around the edges type, and not that skilled of a fighter either since the guards easily dealt with him. In a way he kinda reminded her of Donovan, they were both large rugged fellows.
The sound of two loud urgent taps at the door woke her from her musings as the general's voice was heard –"Princess Anna, the queen's men are about to invade the manor you must follow me at once! I'll take you somewhere safe"-
Anna slammed the doors open and found the worried general wearing his battle armor.
-"I'll take you to a new safe location. Prince Hans has sent me to fetch you; he will be waiting for you there."- He stormed inside her room and opened a secret trapdoor hidden behind the closet, it lead to a secret tunnel that connected to the back exit of the estate.
-"Where are we going?"- She said as he followed him through the hidden passageways
-"To the Southern Isles, a ship is waiting for us at the docks but we must hurry"- A small carriage took them to the harbor as fast as the horses allowed without making too much noise.
She was swiftly taken inside the ship, it sailed away almost immediately after they stepped in it. Anna didn't waste any time looking for Hans, but she couldn't find him in any of the main rooms. She searched the large vessel top to bottom but all she found at the stables hidden down below was a large reindeer eating carrots, a tall figure hid behind the animal cloaked in the shadows, stepping out of the darkness her heart sank and her face turned pale at the sight of the beast.
-"Stay away from me!"- She spat at the large man, quickly finding a broom nearby she broke the straw end and waved the stick around, it might not be as effective as a sword but a simple stick could be a very useful weapon if used correctly.
-"Anna I won't hurt you. Look you don't seem to remember me but we are… uh… good friends?"- He didn't think she'll react nicely if he told her they used to date. –"I don't know what they did to you but I am the good guy here, I'm gonna take you home to your real family"-
-"Family!? My parents are dead and my sister hates me! What family could be waiting for me in Arendelle?"- Her rage bubbled from the pit of her stomach and right into her mouth, how dare this monster look so sweet, caring and innocent when he was taking her away from the only one who truly loved her.
"Oh Anna, if only there was someone out there who truly loved you" Her fiancée's voice whispered coldly into her head, a stray thought somehow focused into a nightmare that had no sense. She was dying weak, freezing, but instead of healing her with a true love's kiss Hans turned his back on her and laughed. Then the dark shadow came back, a piercing stab inside her skull had her seeing stars even when her eyes were closed. Fighting the wave of nausea she forced her eyes open and saw the angelical face of her enemy, was he the one who hurt her head? Did he attack while she got distracted?
-"Anna can you hear me? Wake up!"- The beast said snapping his fingers in front of her face, she felt him scoop her up in his strong arms and begun to climb up the ladder into the deck of the ship. Was he going to finish her off up there and then throw her to the ocean?
No, he was riding in that large reindeer that always follows him around with her small frame wrapped snugly into his arms, the air is cold, she is cold, as if something had frozen her from the inside out. He tries to warm her up, his worn cap is now on her head in an effort to stave off the cold in that awful snowstorm, she feels safe in his embrace and smiles at him as her only show of gratitude.
But the shadows come back again in with more force than ever, this time they encase her mind and sanity eventually settles into her psyche. Opening her eyes she finally sees clearly, the facts are ugly but they are the truth: Her sister lost her mind and tried to kill her, her betrothed is the only living person that cares about her, and she is now captive to a cunning savage murderer because her mentor stabbed her in the back and delivered her to the enemy.
Anna hates the warm brown eyes that stare into her own with worry, despises the angel face that hides his true evil form.
-"What did you do to me?"- She slurs
-"I didn't do anything you just went pale and fainted. Look we just called the ship's doctor and as soon as we get to Arendelle we'll find a cure for whatever the hell they did to you"- His calloused hands cupped her cheek and she wished she had the strength to flinch away.