The king tried to stand up, but fell to the cold stone floor.

"What will you do to me?" he asked. "Kill me? Take the throne?"

"I'm not after the crown or revenge," the witch said in her rough voice. "To take your place or kill you would be pathetic. It's not a good enough punishment for what you have done to us."

"Then what is it?"

The witch grinned. Her back, humped and bent over, suddenly straightened out, causing her to look taller than before. Her gray stringy hair turned black and fell to her waist. The lines and wrinkles on her face and hands disappeared from existence. Her lips, now a velvet red, moved. "I will curse you," she told him in a silky voice. "I will curse you for taking away my daughter's life."

The king's eyes glared at the witch. She smiled as he sat on the floor, waiting to hear the curse.

FIVE YEARS LATER

"What?" Hans asked incredulously. "What do you mean?"

"You know how we've been trying to reach Arendelle, brother." his brother said. "We've been trying ever since the king and queen had their . . . accident. But their two princesses never responded."

"Where do I come in?" Hans asked. "In fact, why does it even matter?"

"I'm getting there. Be patient." His brother stood up from his seat and walked over to Hans who was standing in front of the large brown desk. "We've been trying to reach them for their older princess' hand in marriage."

"What?" Hans asked in shock.

His brother lifted up a hand to stop Hans from interrupting. "But, of course, there was and is no way the princess, now at coronation age, will accept any of our hands." He then pointed to Hans. "Except for yours. Now, our brothers have tried, but none of them were close enough to become the new king. You, though, have a chance."

"Why would I do something like that?" Hans asked. "I'm not going to do this." Hans turned to walk out the room.

"Don't you hate," his brother continued right before Hans closed his hand on the doorknob, "being ignored and looked down upon by Father?" Hans closed his hand on the cold knob but did not twist it. "I mean, you're already the youngest of thirteen kids, but being ignored and underestimated, too? Not a good sign."

"What do you mean it's not a good sign?" Hans turned back to his brother.

"Don't you know what happens if you can't find a queen and don't become a king?" Hans' brother asked rhetorically. "You are deemed a disgrace. Don't you think you've been through enough?"

"It was never my choice to be a prince." You could barely see the grimace on his face.

His brother almost grinned. I love how you're so right.

"I understand that you never wanted to be in this situation. But think about it. If you really give up now, you give up having the best life ever."

"You think it's the best life ever," Hans said. "Do you even know what I want? Do you even know what I would call a good life?"

"You get everyone's respect if you do this successfully. If you don't or fail, your life crumbles. No one will want you. Everyone will shun you and turn their backs to you."

"That's my life now," Hans snapped. "Don't ever lay out my fate in front of me."

The guards ran up the stairs to the dark library. They threw the door open as their weapons lay in hand. They saw the small limp body on the floor. They saw the young boy cradling his younger brother's head as he grit his teeth.

"What happened?" one of the soldiers asked.

"I . . ." Hans twin brother looked up to the soldiers. "I don't know."

"Are you sure?"

He opened his mouth to answer then grit his teeth again. His head fell forward to look at Hans' face. "I don't know," he whispered.

Hans was walking into the library where she was reading in the late hours. She always does that. Hans never stayed up that late. Hans stood and talked with the woman. She wore a light green nightgown and smiled as she conversed with her youngest son. She was smiling when he walked closer to her. She was smiling happily. And it was suddenly gone.

Hans' brother cursed under his breath. This isn't good. I have to hurry.

AN: I hope you like this chapter! I'm thinking of having the next chapter be the last, but that's if my plan stays the same. Hope you read the next chapter!