Warning: mentions of self-harm and depression. If this could trigger you, don't read after the break.
"So you're Hans right?" asked Cinderella's prince as he stood up to greet him. "welcome."
"Yeah. I'm Hans. And you are? Oh, I'm so sorry, I forgot you had no name" smirked the redhaired prince.
"Now that's not very polite" frowned Prince Ferdinand, the prince of Snowwhite. "Please apologize."
"Very well. I Apologize to myself that I'm with such a pathetic lot like you." shrugged Hans as he placed himself next to Flynn, who sniggered at his remark.
"I got to admit, you have personality, lad. Which can't be said for our predecessors." Smiled Naveen, ignoring all the annoyed looks from the earlierst Disney princes. "How old are you?"
"23." Answered the prince, already liking the American-african prince. "You?"
"Well, you're lucky. The mouse often doesn't care to reveal our ages to ourselves" said Flynn with a scoff. "Not to mention that he still doesn't paint my nose right."
"23, huh?" came John smith's voice from across the table. "Quite an old prince you are to be without a lady."
"And you aren't even a prince to begin with." Bit Hans back. "You're a mere commoner."
"I'm with Pocahontas, the daughter of the chief! Which makes me-"
"nothing." Went Hans mercilessly on. "What did you do again? Oh yeah, you left her with John Rolfe! You are not even married, unlike Flynn or Kristoff!"
"Guys, guys!" ushered Eric himself in-between the two before they could get into a fight. "There is no need for a civil war!"
"No, because he already started it with the native americans" glared Hans at the blonde Englishman.
"Did someone say Civil war?"
All the princes turned their heads towards Captain America. "No one asked you!" shouted everyone at the same time.
"ALRIGHT EVERYONE ITS TIME FOR OUR SHOW! PLEASE WELCOME MICKEY MOUSE!"
"Great!" gleamed Hans' eyes murderously at the sight of the mouse. "Philip, you wouldn't mind to let me borrow your Sword of Truth?"
"Oh, no mister!" just before Hans could take it, a hand swatted his away before could take the weapon.
"Get aside!" snarled Hans at the princess who was the cause of his defeat. "Don't think I will not slice you open like that snowman."
"Just what did you say?!" said Kristoff furious at his words.
Hans stared up and down as if he were judging the man in front of him. "This is the guy with whom you left me with? Anna, sweetheart, you are becoming way to desperate."
Anna's head became as red as her hair. "Unlike a certain villain, I found my true love!"
"Haven't you heard? I'm not considered a villain according to the Mouse. Prince would be sufficient." Said Hans not at all fazed by her angry face.
"You? A prince? Ha! You may be royal blood, but you will never be a prince charming like them!" pointed anna to the other princes at his table.
"As if they are so much better." Snorted Hans disinterested. "They-" pointed Hans to Ferdinand and Philip, "kissed a girl without consent. Heck, Philip even made Aurora pregnant during her sleep! Prince Charming over here-" went the man on to Cinderella's prince, "couldn't care less which girl he uses as a baby maker, cause he would rely his search for her all on a shoesize. Eric went from one pretty face to another in 2 days flat. Prince Adam imprisoned a innocent girl so she could obtain Stockholm syndrome. Yeah, definitely saints they are."
"ALRIGHT EVERYONE, ITS TIME FOR THE SING-ALONG! May I ASK ALL COUPLES TO COME UP STAGE?!"
With a groan, Hans watched the Disney princesses sing with their true love. Thank god, it was only Flynn after this and then would be over for tonight.
"Why does everyone expect us to sing this over and over again?" whined Eugene as Rapunzel dragged him on the stage to sing "at last I see the light".
"Its tradition, Eugene." Said Rapunzel as she kept him into place. The first notes began to play at that moment, and the two joined in, with the former thief less enthousiastic then the barefooted princess.
FINALLY! Hans drank the last bit of apple juice – and yes, he had checked if Anna hadn't put the apples of Grimhilde into it – and just wanted to retire for tonight, when the voice called again.
"AND NOW, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE HOUSE OF MOUSE: "LOVE IS AN OPEN DOOR!"
"WHAT?!"
Oh, no way he was going to that song with her! Hans glared to the princess, who returned his gaze with equal hatred.
"now, come on come on…" ushered Mickey the two on the stage.
The two stood as far away from each other as they could, not even giving a glance to one another.
"Now come on, don't be shy!" giggled the mouse as he pushed Anna against Hans.
"I'm going to kill him" muttered Anna as Mickey walked away once more.
"Not if I get him first." Whispered Hans through his teeth.
Hans sighed in content when he could finally get out of Anna's presence once more. Without even looking where he seated himself, the prince sat down at the closest table.
"Nice song." Complimented the Beast to the startled prince.
"Thanks.. I think." Said Hans, insecure if he was joking or not. "Why are you even talking to me?" spoke Hans as he took another sip of his apple juice. The man felt slightly embarrassed looking into the Beast's eyes. He had after all offended him earlier with accusing his True love with Bestiality.
"You aren't the only one who feels inferior to the other princes." Nodded the Beast to the others.
"You shouldn't be. You're a prince. A hero. Everything I'm not and will ever be." Said Hans as he stared to the table in front of him.
"I wasn't either, you know." Spoke the Beast. "I was going to let my servants become antique instead of going after the girl I loved. But when she walked in and stayed with me forevermore.. I.." the Beast's eyes became glassy at the memory. "If she wanted to fight for me, so would I. Before I gained this form, I was lost in what I wanted, and It made me angry because I didn't know what I stood for. It seems you are the same way."
Hans stayed quiet at his remark.
Elsa was preferable…
Had he chosen to believe in himself and approached her instead of her sister… could there have been a happy ending for him too? Was that the reason why the Mouse was so confused in placing them?
"Excuse me." Hans stood up, in desperate need of air all of a sudden. As he opened the balcony the prince began to pace around till the latest of hours.
No. It couldn't be. He was a Villain, she a Hero, right?! Right?! Hans swallowed, suddenly not so sure anymore of what to think of himself, where he belonged to. If he was fair for once to himself, he.. quite liked the place he was now. He couldn't remember a day in his life where he had smiled so much, safe for the insults he had been given by the Heroes.
WARNING
"The only frozen heart around here is yours"
The prince stared to his hand, where lines of previous cuttings were still visible.
Take the pain away.. go on…
Almost immediately, his hand went to his knife, ready to feel his pain flow through his body once more. Yet, his hand trembled, hovering above his other palm.
Go on… do it. You don't want to be hurt? Let the blood flow…
"It made me angry because I didn't know where I stood for. It seems you're the same way. And when she walked in…"
Hans' eyes began to sting now, and in his blurred vision, it seemed as if he saw the Ice Queen before him.
"Elsa was preferable… but no one was getting away with her"
With a scream, the prince hurled the knife away and sunk to the ground, crying for the first time in decades. Why couldn't he do it?! It was so easy, before he met her. It was so easy to let the pain be forgotten, but now it slammed in his face time and time again…
"I'll never shake away the pain
I close my eyes but she's still there"
He'd thought he had found a confidant in her – in the isolation and the darkness and the pain. And when she had shown her ice powers, he understood what she went through.
I let her steal into my melancholy heart
It's more than I can bear"
perhaps, by helping her it would aid him as well. Which was why he had saved her during the fight, to give her a chance, hoping that there would be a chance to get out of the dark as well.
"Now I know she'll never leave me
Even as she runs away"
He'd run after her, begging her to stop, to be with him, to figure out the curse they were both in. But then she mentioned her sister, and his heart broke.
"She will still torment me, calm me, hurt me
Move me, come what may"
He had never been good enough, not even for an equal frozen heart. And when she asked her to take care of her sibling, he knew he couldn't lie to her. Not ever.
"Wasting in my lonely tower
Waiting by an open door
I'll fool myself she'll walk right in
And be with me for evermore"
He felt her pain as if it were his own. And he knew by their minds alike that she wanted to die, to let the pain stop. And so he drew his sword, happy that at least SHE would be free.
"I rage against the trials of love
I curse the fading of the light
Though she's already flown so far beyond my reach
She's never out of sight"
But then her sister had come along and ripped out everything he thought he knew. Both of them had become so desperate they didn't see anything else but the Final Door… And he saw her blossom, and grow and heal, while he stayed alone in the Dark, screaming.
"Now I know she'll never leave me
Even as she fades from view
She will still inpire me, be a part of
Everything I do"
If she could get out of it… perhaps, maybe.. he could too, if he tried. Oh, if only he had tried before.
"Wasting in my lonely tower
Waiting by an open door
I'll fool myself she'll walk right in
And as the long, long nights begin
I'll think of all that might have been
Waiting here for evermore!"
I saw beauty and the beast today and by god. "Tale as old as time" made me cry, but "Evermore" made my bawl my eyes out in the whole cinema! This song fits Hans too good not to be used. I wanted to imply that Hans struggles with depression, using his anger to lash out to people like the Beast did.