AN - Here is chapter 2, I put in 100% in every chapter so enjoy and if you have any questions leave a PM or a review on it, thank you. Enjoy. Oh and also sorry for the slow build up, but I need to do it in order to build character development. Disclaimer: I do not own frozen or the characters.
Rating for chapter 2: T
Strong language and mild language is used in this chapter.
Chapter 2
Arendelle castle
After discussing and fumbling their thoughts aside about Hans's soon but unknown arrival, they decided to focus on finishing the ballroom decor. This was to make sure everything was in order as they planned. The ballroom was almost ready: the orchestra they hired was on it's way for tomorrow night, the tables for beverages and food were placed around the ballroom for the guests who would be attending the party. Anna checked the guest list on her scroll. When they had been writing the letters of invites to each noble, royal person Princess Anna wrote each name on a scroll to refer back to.
Meanwhile, Elsa hurried to get the final adjustments on the ball decor. Foil balloons, ribbons, banners, flower pots and hanging flower baskets were neatly juxtaposed against the sour beverage tables, placed around the room for the soon guests. It was near midnight for sure, the moon hung high in the sky as the stars smiled up to its arrival. As Elsa finally felt satisfied, she called in Kai to check the final look of the ballroom.
"Kai, how do you think this looks?" Elsa asked, wiping the sweat off her forehead.
"Your Majesty, it's perfect. You didn't have to go through such lengths all by yourself!" Kai gasped, shocked by how immaculate everything looked. "It is the royal ball planners job to get everything in order, it is not your job your majesty," He said, giving a small bow.
"Don't be silly, Kai. I had Anna, Kristoff and of course the royal decorators helped too...I just felt nothing was as I wanted...so I made some adjustments," She assured him.
Anna decided to go put the scroll back on Elsa's desk in her royal study after she took a long look at the list of royals, nobles and gentry. Most of them she had never met, or even heard of for that matter which made her wonder if Elsa knew them. Simply more random strangers to fill the ball with a upper class scent.
As she approached the study, it felt warm and fragile. Very unusual for such a cold handed person, but Anna knew all the rumors of Elsa being cold or unloving was not true. The doors painted a chocolate brown, the Arendelle crest painted on top of that coat of paint to show she was proud of her kingdom. Anna slowly twisted the metal handle and made her way inside. Neat, neat, NEAT.
Books aligned in alphabetical order, her desk cleaner than ever, the floor waxed so it shone and her letters, paperwork and any treaties she had were all arranged in piles of three, neatly in a tight stack. Anna was amazed beyond belief, how could someones room be so tidy? Then it made Anna think about her own room: books all stacked untidily, the bed only tidy when the maids had made her bed each morning when she got up for breakfast, paintings all over the floor, dresses slung over the floor, her wardrobe disorganized and messy and her jewelry such as her necklaces all bunched together in knots or broken even after only one day of wearing it.
Anna rolled the scroll up, then placed it on her study desk and turned around to hear a knock on the door.
"Queen Elsa, I have a letter for you from the King of the Southern Isles," Tom, the messenger called out inside the room.
"Oh, come in Tom," Anna replied.
As he opened the door he was confused to find Anna in here and not Elsa, "Oh my apologies, I thought her majesty was in here to take this letter," He bowed, passing the letter to the Princess.
"No, unfortunately its just me. My sister is finishing the final decor on the ballroom," Anna explained to Tom, unsealing the letter and pulling it out.
"I see, well tell her to read it as soon as she can, its supposedly a matter up most importance," He said to her, giving a short bow before exiting the room.
As Anna slowly unfolded the letter, she was shocked with horror for what it read.
Dear Queen Elsa,
As King of the Southern Isles, I have decided to send my son, Hans to Arendelle tomorrow night
to greet you and the Princess at the ball. I have chose to do so, because I sense he will be
of use to you as a servant on that night, so have planned he come extra early.
Please do not worry, he will be guarded at all times and will not
be able to harm you or any of your citizens in Arendelle.
Yours sincerely, Fredrick.
Anna's jaw dropped open in disbelief. Tomorrow night! It was way too soon for Anna's liking and how could she explain this to the kingdom who had no idea that he was even going to be staying for a minimum of a year in the first place? Especially as he was to be Elsa's own personal assistant, the Queen's own handy man type guy. How would the kingdom be able to accept this? Anna worried about that, what if they thought she and Elsa were betraying them, considering of the chaos he caused, why would they let a menace back into their lives? INTO THEIR KINGDOM?
It was too much, all too much for her to want to comprehend. She was reluctant to tell her sister, but felt it would be wrong to keep it from her. What if she ripped up the letter and chucked it away? What about if she burnt it? Oh who was she kidding, that would make it even worse. Elsa would have a scary surprise when Hans turned up unexpectedly, with no time to explain to the Kingdom who would most likely rush into panic.
Anna was transformed into self preservation mode, temporarily. She would die before letting him back into the Kingdom, he was a pile of dirt to her. Elsa should feel the same, although she couldn't protest as much as Anna would want her to. Unfortunately, she was a Queen, Elsa had no time to cry and pout. She had a kingdom to run, places to be and things to do. If she were to act as a prissy, that would show her as nothing but a coward of a Queen.
Anna folded the letter back up and put it back in the envelope. Out of the blue, Elsa is entering her study and worried, when she finds Anna talking to herself loudly, twiddling her thumbs, looking scared. Without Anna noticing, Elsa quietly approaches her sister and places a single hand on her shoulder causing Anna to flinch.
"Ahh!" Anna shuddered, turning round to find her sister looking concerned behind her. "You scared me Elsa!" She chuckled, hiding the letter under her arms.
"I didn't mean to startle you Anna, I just didn't know where you went so I came to find you and thought you might be here," Elsa smiled, looking at Anna.
Anna sat down on Elsa's satin coach, by the window as Elsa sat next to her. "Are you alright, Anna?" Elsa questioned.
"Oh Elsa, I have something I think you should read..." Anna sighed, handing Elsa the letter.
"A letter?" Elsa laughed. "What's so bad about a letter, Anna?" She said curiously, opening the letter.
As she unfolded the letter, Elsa was suspended with disbelief, she couldn't believe that Hans was coming so soon. She had only spoke to King Fredrick earlier that day. He had managed to go back to his kingdom, tell Hans the updated news and write the letter all in a matter of eight hours. It takes approximately five hours to get from Arendelle to the Southern isles.
Elsa contained her frustration, but got up and threw the letter on her desk and turned to leave her study. Anna got up as soon as Elsa left and followed her out. She paced forward down the purple carpeted floor and caught up with her sister who was heading the minsters office.
"Elsa, what do you think, I'm just really worried about the citizens. What will they think? What if they think that we've betrayed them, Elsa?" Anna said, worriedly. "It's too soon right?" Anna asked, hovering around Elsa.
Suddenly Elsa stopped and turned her head round to her sister, who desperately wanted her opinion.
"I'm not sure, Anna. I will go talk with the ministers to arrange a quick announcement for the people of Arendelle to come to the front square, so I can inform them of the news that should've been told to them a lot sooner than now.." Elsa sighed, carrying on down the dark hall.
"Aren't you mad?" Anna asked, wondering why she didn't seem upset.
"Of course I'm not in the best of moods, but right now there is nothing I can do to stop it from happening, so I must just accept it and make sure everyone is aware to keep the peace, hopefully," She said, still walking to the office, only a few minutes away.
"But...what if everyone goes crazy and starts panicking? Or your minsters don't allow you to inform our citizens?" Anna said, troubled as she kept up with her sisters fast pace.
"Its not like I'm ever going to forgive Hans, all it is, is his chastisement after all.." Elsa said back.
"I guess so..." Anna said, biting her nail.
Elsa stopped walking for a moment and pointed at a painting, labelled as Sir Albert Thomas Jones.
"Do you know who this man is, Anna?" Elsa asked her sister, trying to cheer her up.
Anna shook her head.
"This man was one of the closest friends of our father, Anna. His name was Albert Thomas Jones. Now the reason I want to mention this to you is because he was faced with a very difficult dilemma, like us," Elsa explained. "He was the leader of our knight academy before our parents- anyway an enemy of his who had served ten years imprisonment, was aloud to be back in the public eye. He came to the castle and requested to be a knight, Albert had to make a hard decision to let him in or be a coward and turn him down," Elsa continued, as Anna listened attentively.
"What did he do in the end?" Anna quizzed her, curiously.
"In the end, he accepted his request and he lived on to be a great knight in Arendelle, Anna," She said.
Anna wondered if she was really was just over reacting or whether Elsa was right, this was his punishment. It was for him to serve her and the Queen for a minimum of a year to make their errands or duties a little less unbearable. Helping with the most boring jobs like filing paperwork or stamping letters. Although, the thought of that little shit being present made her cringe, she knew that as long as he was a slave she could make his life a living hell if she pleased and so could Elsa.
Elsa thought about his work as she carried on down the hall, like Anna had transferred her thoughts into her mind. What could she do to make sure Hans truly payed for what he did? The stables-perfect. Tending to horses, cleaning up their pens, brushing their manes, feeding them, cleaning up their shit. How about the royal lavatory- cleaning the toilet everyday just to spice things up in their favor. Maybe he could spend a night in the pig pen if he disobeyed her, or be whipped with a riding crop by the guard who dishes the torture out to normally disobedient prisoners.
She was there, outside the office of minister Argon. Anna wanted to come inside too, so she followed her sister inside as the door opened. Argon sat at his desk, writing in his management booklet as per usual.
He slowly looked up, then back down at his paperwork, "What can I do for you at this time of night, your majesty?" Argon asked politely, curving his pen into letters on the paper.
"Argon, you see I received a letter from King Fredrick, stating he is sending Prince Hans to Arendelle tomorrow night for the hope he can be of service for the ball," Elsa explained with doubt in her mind.
"That's preposterous, why haven't I been informed sooner, your majesty?" He raised his voice, slamming his black and gold fountain pen onto the wooden desk, causing a slight thud.
"I really don't want him to come this early Argon!" Anna whined annoyingly, approaching him abruptly.
Elsa grabbed Anna's arm, pulling her back, shaking her head at her for being so foolish.
He shook his head, "The only choice is to inform everyone of the news hastily and pray they understand," He huffed, putting his booklet into his desk draw located slightly underneath him.
"That is what I assumed would be the best option Argon," Elsa said directly to him.
He nodded, "I will get Tom to collect everyone in the front square as an emergent announcement, your majesty," He replied, getting off his chair, wandering over to the large pane window, looking down on the village nearby.
"Thank you very much, I will be on my way then," Elsa nodded, turning to the door.
Argon bowed at her majesty and at Anna as the two both exited the room.
It was a lot to handle..
How would the villagers react with their Queen who was remember nearly murdered by Hans accept his return to Arendelle? Even if it was for a punishment.
"Attention everyone!" Elsa called out over the balcony of the upper hall.
Everyone cheered as Elsa waved at young and old, women and gentlemen.
"Prince Hans of the Southern Isles will be returning for a year as my personal assistant, to pay for the damage he caused us and as punishment," Elsa stated loudly, making sure everyone could hear her.
"Are you feeling okay, Queen Elsa?!" One shouted in anger.
"Down with the Queen!" Another yelled ragingly.
Elsa quivered in sweat, what to say to make them calm?
What a horrific scenario...
Maybe just maybe it wouldn't turn out like that and everyone would be happy that justice was being served after two years of being punished in the place he didn't do the crime.
"Prince Hans of the Southern Isles will be returning for a year as my personal assistant, to pay for the damage he caused us and as punishment," Elsa stated even more louder, making sure everyone could hear her.
Everyone claps and cheers and smiles in glee, finally justice was theirs and they could be certain to know that their Queen would handle his punishment just right; he'd sure be sorry when he is day after day after day working his fucking ass off.
"Finally, he will pay for what he did!" One cheered.
"He will rot forever!" Another more crazier person screamed.
Elsa smiled down at her citizens and curtsied.
What a relieving scenario, hopefully it would turn out something along those lines rather than the villagers being ready to hunt her down with pitchforks or burn her at the steak like she was a witch from hell.
Fucking nightmare...
Elsa and Anna split ways and sauntered off to their chambers, dreading the morning when they'd have to reveal the truth to their citizens and how the fucking hell they would react.
Elsa dressed into her lacy, blue nightgown as her maids closed her curtains and prepped her bed up. Elsa climbed in her bed and lay on her back, watching the maids wish her a good night sleep until she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep...
AN- More to come, sorry for the slow build up by guys It needs to be done.
