Hans stood before the heavy wooden door. Two guards stood by his left and right like lifeless dolls. The King's room. There laid before him, one of his demons from the past. And now he was about to confront it. He reached for the handle, and…

He hesitated.

"Hans."

He turned around.

"You may or may not like what you see beyond that door. The man you will see… He is not the same man you knew before. But the one thing that remains unchanged is the fact that he is our father. I only want you… to bear this in mind."

The door opened without a creak. The first person he noticed was Erik, sitting by the King's bedside. He was not smiling. Looking at his little brother, the doctor nodded slightly and gestured for him to come closer.

And Hans could barely believe his eyes. The man who was once known as Bernhard the Dire, King of The Southern Isles, was no more. In his place lain a frail, lethargic old man. He was emaciated; his skin was yellowing and looked as if directly plastered to his bones. His eyes were sunken and contained neither vigor nor drive. He could as well be waiting for death.

"Father," Hans said, surprised at how calm his voice was.

The King stirred and focused his eyes on his youngest son. Two pairs of olivine orbs met – that was about the only resemblance left between father and son.

"Hans," the King breathed. It was a good ten seconds before he could continue. "Why are you here?"

The barbed words hardly came as a surprise for him. Countless times he had to hear and bear them in the past without any chance of retaliation.

"… I'm here to see you, father."

The King coughed, and Hans waited. He stared at those eyes unflinchingly; the first time in forever that he had been able to do so.

"I didn't remember asking you to," the King heaved. "… But never mind that. I heard that you are… married now, to the Queen of Arendelle?"

"I am," Hans nodded.

"Good… good… Now with our families united, The Southern Isles… can rise to greater heights."

"… Is that all you'd like to say?"

Hans could barely contain his emotion. His hands were shaking, sweat started to form on his skin. There was absolutely nothing that changed about this man, he thought. All he ever cared about was the country. The damned country! Why couldn't he just stop for one second, this old man, and ask if his son was fine? If his son loved his wife? If his son found happiness in his marriage and that he as a father would be happy too?

"I suppose that is the only thing that ever matters to you, isn't it? How people could be useful to the country, to you?"

He stepped closer, his voice seething with years-long built up rage. Still the old man lain unmoving, his lifeless green orbs staring blankly.

"For years, I have strived to excel at everything. Everything, so I could bring honor to your name. Yet what did I get in return, except your looks of disdain!?" He was practically shouting now. "I never asked for the sun and stars! Not the throne nor power! I don't even ask to be treated like one of your favorites!"

"Hans!" Erik jumped onto his feet and Hans immediately stood down. The prince-doctor's uncharacteristic assertiveness convinced him so. "Calm yourself down. Or I'll have to ask you to leave."

"Sorry," Hans said quietly to his brother. He turned back to the King's rigid body. "All I ever wanted was your approval. Acknowledgement from a father to his son." The room was quiet. Very quiet. Only Hans's labored breathing and the ticking of the clock on the wall were audible. Finally, a smile crept on the lips of youngest of the thirteen princes. A bitter, hopeless smile. "I suppose that's just a foolish dream. Just so you know, everything I stand for is now for myself. I will deny and defy you until the very end. After all, it's too late for us to become a dear family again, father."

He looked at Erik, who shook his head sympathetically, and turned his back on the King. As he took steps to leave, he may or may not have heard, "I'm sorry." Brushing it off as just his imagination, he swung the door open.

One demon from the past, dead and buried.

Elsa sat alone in her room, reading a novel she'd brought along with her. It was fortunate, really, that she instructed the servants to pack some of her favorite books; it helped her calm her mind in these foreign lands. As friendly as the hosts were, this was still her first Royal Visit, in fact, the first time she had ever stepped outside Arendelle and into another country. Fear, excitement, and anxiety came together into a constantly nauseating mixture.

This time, however, she had a hard time staying calm even with a book in front of her. She hadn't seen him over lunch, afternoon tea, and now was almost dinner.

"Where could he be…?"

Her heart almost leapt out when she heard a knock from the door.

"Hans," she muttered under her breath. "I'm so tired of waiting. Why couldn't you…!?"

She was surprised to not find her husband beyond the door, even more so that before her now stood a handsome young man with shoulder long, wavy golden hair.

"Your Majesty," he smiled, "Dinner is ready. His Highness Prince Karl asked me to inform you."

"Thank you," Elsa smiled back. The young man looked too well-dressed and groomed to be a mere servant. Could he be of nobility of some sort? Apparently, he noted her curiosity as he bowed and started to introduce himself,

"Pardon my tardiness. Prince Lancelot Westerguard, son of Prince Karl Westerguard, at your service. "

"Lancelot?" Elsa blinked. "As in, the Knight?"

"The Knight," the Prince nodded. "My mother is Britannian. She is very fond of the Arthurian Legends."

"I see. 'Tis pleasure to meet you, Prince Lancelot."

"Please, call me Lance, Your Majesty. And the pleasure is all mine."

"Of course, Lance. I never expected for a royalty to personally come and inform me for dinner. No offense, though," she added.

"None taken, of course. Actually, I volunteered to go because I wanted to meet you in person, the infamous Snow Queen of Arendelle," he blushed and fidgeted.

"Is that so?" she laughed. "Well now that you have met me personally, what do you think of me?"

"I think… You are very beautiful, Your Majesty," his voice trailed off, his cheeks turning beetroot red. He cleared his throat and added, "Uncle Hans is so fortunate."

"Thank you," Elsa smiled. "If I may be so bold, Lance, how old are you?"

"Fourteen, Your Majesty."

Fourteen! And yet he is so mature, far more mature than even me at his age. Let alone Anna.

Elsa chortled inside as she remembered the mention of her sister, Anna. Now that she had a closer look at the young prince, slightly shorter than her, she noted the uncanny familial resemblance. In fact, he might have been the younger copy of his father, with the exception of the long hair.

"Thank you, Lance. Now if you'll excuse me, I will get myself ready and join you at the banquet hall."

"Of cours-"

"Lance!" They looked at the source of the voice. The white haired prince was walking towards them, beaming. "You big, big boy! I miss you!"

"Uncle Hans!" As Lance stepped forward, Hans promptly seized him in an armlock. "Ow!"

"Look here, who's the big boy now, huh? Who's the big boy?" Hans kept tickling the Prince while still pinning him down.

"That hurts, Uncle! I yield! I yield!"

"So, I suppose you know each other already?" Hans loosened his grip on the young prince and grinned.

"We do. We did introduce ourselves just shortly before you come," Elsa smiled.

"Oh, good. Well Lance, isn't the Snow Queen beautiful?"

"Yes, she is."

"And she is my wife, so don't get any funny ideas," Hans joked.

"I wouldn't dare, Uncle," Lance laughed.

"Alright then, sport, if you'll excuse us, we need some time to prepare. See you at dinner."

"Absolutely," Lance smiled.

"Oh, and Lance?" Elsa called. "You can call me Elsa. After all, we are family now."

"Okay, Aunt Elsa!"

The Prince walked off, leaving the couple standing by the door.

"He's so mature."

"He is indeed."

"Which is more than can be said for another certain Westerguard gentleman."

"Which part of that gentleman is not mature?"

Elsa sighed and shook her head, walking back into the room. Hans followed her and closed the door behind him.

"Where were you, honestly?"

"Something held me back."

"And what is that something? I heard from Karl that you went off somewhere else after you visited your father."

"Sorry. It's just that… I needed to think."

He was still smiling, but the look of hurt in his eyes didn't escape Elsa. She knew that whatever went in the meeting between father and son, it did not go well. And it was probably unwise to probe him further on the matter, at least for now.

"Fine. But I'm here, you know? I'm always here. You don't have to bear everything alone. In good and in bad – "

"In happiness and in sorrow."

-"Not even death can do us part."-

"I remember, Elsa. Thank you," he kissed his wife, looking a little elated. "Now, I think we really ought to go and freshen ourselves. Karl will hate it if we're late."

It wasn't just a dinner; it was a banquet. A really unorthodox, lavish banquet. Instead of them sitting around a grand dinner table, the host had them mingle around in a standing party fashion. She was still nervous, sure, but she couldn't help but enjoy herself in the wake of the festivities. Relatives of the King; nobles, dukes, earls, were all coming to pay a visit.

"Your Majesty, it's an honor to finally meet you!"

Elsa nodded and followed suit as the woman before her curtsied. She wore her long chocolate-brown hair in a high bun and a beige ballgown that accentuated her motherly features.

"You must be Princess Sophia, the wife of Prince Karl," Elsa said, noting the woman's accent. "It's an honor to meet you too, Your Highness."

It's almost half an hour and Elsa still couldn't concentrate on her plate of salad – she was the center of the attention that night. Why wouldn't she, with her ethereal beauty and dark blue gown that seemed to glimmer like it's woven from diamonds with her very movement? (In truth, that gown was 'specially made', so to speak – it was real fabric imbued with shiny ice crystals, courtesy of her powers)

"I'm pleased that you know about me."

"I do. My husband always speaks highly of you," she said, looking at Hans. She was determined to keep him by her side tonight, no matter what happened.

"Ah, Hans. You're always so sweet," the Lady smiled.

"I only speak of the truth," Hans grinned.

"I must say I agree, Your Highness," Elsa added, "You are just every bit as… magnificent, as I imagined you were from his stories."

"You flatter me, Your Majesty. But I'm sorry that I could not honestly say the same to you." She paused. Elsa was barely holding herself back from looking quizzical when she continued. "… You are beyond even the best of the tall tales that I have ever heard of! So beautiful, so majestic!"

Elsa chuckled.

"So, have you been enjoying your time so far, Your Majesty?"

"Yes. Everyone has been so accommodating with since our arrival. I couldn't ask more for the hospitality you've given me."

"That's good to hear."

"Especially Prince Lancelot."

"Oh, you've met my Lance?"

"Yes, he is a very kind and polite young man."

"We have such high hopes for him," Sophia said, brimming with motherly pride. "He is very much like his father, inside and outside."

"Oh, Your Majesty! There you are!" she heard another voice calling her. In came Edvar with his wife, a short brunette wearing a pink gown. She had a youthful look about her; her petite frame, her shoulder length dark hair, and her smooth cherubic face seemed to suggest that she was near Elsa's age. In her arms was a toddler girl who seemed no older than four, her features matching her mother's.

"Allow me to introduce to you my wife Anneliese and my daughter Birgitte."

"A pleasure, Your Majesty," Anneliese lowers her gaze in respect. "Birgitte, say hello to Her Majesty Queen Elsa," she lowered her child to the ground.

"H-hello… Your Majesty," the girl stammered. Elsa knelt down to meet her at eye level and smiled.

"Hello to you too, Birgitte. How old are you?"

"Four, Y-Your Majesty," she squeaked, burying her face on her mother's thigh.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," Anneliese said, "She means no disrespect; she is just shy in front of people, particularly one as beautiful as you."

"Is that so? Birgitte, dear, you have nothing to be shy about. You are going to grow up to be very beautiful too, just like your mother and I."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," the girl smiled, seemingly gaining more confidence. "Uncle Hans is very handsome too. I think you two make a very nice couple."

They all laughed in unison.

"Your Majesty," Birgitte stepped closer to Elsa now that she was more comfortable, "Is it true that you have magic?"

Elsa seemed taken aback at this question but smiled nonetheless.

"Birgitte!" her mother chastised. "What did I tell you about this? I thought I told you-"

"It's fine, Your Highness. Yes, Birgitte dear, I have magical powers."

"Can you show it to me? Please?" she added.

"I'm afraid not right now, sweetie." Elsa leaned forwards as if to tell a secret and Birgitte leaned her ear towards her. "You see, my power works when I'm not sleepy. I haven't been able to get some sleep since I arrived, so I'm very sleepy right now. It's the same for you, right? You won't be able to study when you are sleepy."

Birgitte nodded.

"When I'm not sleepy anymore, I will show you to your heart's content!"

"You promise?"

"I promise."

Birgitte immediately spun around and looked to the adults.

"Papa, Mama, Aunt Sophia, the Queen is tired. Can we let her get some sleep?"

The adults laughed again.

"Yes, I suppose so, my little darling," Edvar said, "Well Your Majesty, if you'll excuse us, then."

"It's a pleasure, Your Majesty," Anneliese said. "Birgitte, say your goodbyes to Her Majesty."

"Goodbye, Your Majesty."

Elsa smiled and nodded as they made their way, leaving only her and Hans.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Elsa said. "You have a very nice family."

"Don't get your hopes up. What you saw just now is nothing but the best part," Hans chuckled. "Can I get you something? A drink, perhaps?"

"No, it's okay. Just stay here with me, please." After all that had happened in the past during parties, there was no way she was going to let him out of her sights again, lest he disappear and never return.

"Your wish is my command, Your Majesty."

Before the couple could enjoy the moment of quiet to themselves, however…

"Oi Hans!"

The triplets, Benedikt, Matthias, and Werner, swaggered over towards them. From the looks of it, they were inebriated, or at least partially so – their less than perfect leg coordination suggested so. Each of them was accompanied by a woman.

"Here comes trouble," Hans muttered under his breath. He was not smiling.

"Hey there, Little Brother," Matthias said in almost jeering manner. "It's been so long since we last caught up, isn't it? Oh, you're here too, Your Majesty, pardon me. 'Tis I, Matthias, and my wife Lady Caroline of Ebona," he said, snuggling the redhaired beauty beside him.

"I, Benedikt, and my wife Lady Lucia of Iscalius," the other triplet and the equally beautiful brownhaired beauty bowed.

"And I, Werner, and my wife Lady Carlota of Câerleme."

Elsa put up a fake smile as she eyed the three ladies and their husbands. They were just as Hans had described; beautiful and vain. The spare princesses from their respective countries, they could be aptly described by the two words Hans once said: trophy wives.

"Your Highnesses. To what do we owe this pleasure?" Elsa said with a subtle edge to her voice.

"We were just going to say hello to this little brother of ours. Isn't that right, you big oaf?" Matthias threw a wobbly punch which Hans easily dodged. "That was cold of you, Little Brother."

Definitely drunk, but no less offensive, Elsa thought.

"And I've been wondering what happened to your hair, old sport?" Werner said; Benedikt and Matthias snickering behind him. "You look as if you have a chicken's rear glued to your scalp."

"I am the reason for the peculiar change in your brother's colour of hair," Elsa hissed, no longer willing to tolerate the insults to her husband. "He saved my life."

"Ah, and I was just wondering how you two ended up married," Matthias guffawed. "Our Little Hans, successfully seducing a goddess of a queen! That was most inconceivable, don't you think!"

"That I agree," Benedikt chimed. "Unless he had a 'ploy' or 'hidden trump card', as Konrad would put it."

"New Worlder joke! You're getting good at this, Dear Ben!" Werner patted his back.

"We learn fast, don't we Brother?" Benedikt patted back. "Shame the same couldn't be said for all of us."

Elsa looked at Hans, whose face was now the colour of beet. His hands were shaking and he looked like he was ready to jump and kill a man at the next taunt.

"Gentlemen, forgive me for interrupting your amusement, but I do believe we have several subjects to clear up on the ground here," Elsa stepped forward, her voice laden with cold intimidation. "Your brother never seduced me. In fact, I was the one who fell for him. It is to my fortune and joy that he, too, was in love with me. I couldn't have asked for a better partner."

"Really now Your Majesty?" Matthias jeered. "I think-"

"Yes, it is true," Elsa boomed, cutting him off. "And please do forgive me for intruding on another family's personal matter, but in my honest opinion, you are… PATHETIC."

The triplets looked taken aback, so were their wives. And Hans. Matthias looked like he was about to respond, but Elsa did not let him.

"You take delight in torturing and belittling your own little brother, the very person you have to protect and care for as elders, all to satisfy your fragile egos. And what have you achieved in life except making your own family suffer? NOTHING. You are just a waste of space. Another mouth to feed."

Hans looked at Elsa in awe. The figure of his wife was now positively stunning; so ferocious yet so regal. And not even once did he feel the surge of magic coming out of control while she delivered the verbal annihilation. She might not even need the gloves anymore.

"Oh, and it doesn't just end there. The brother you tortured? The one you supposedly crushed as if he was an insect to you? He now rises above all of you. He outranks all of you in the military. And now he even has a kingdom to call his own. Perhaps your manchild minds would need a little while to process this fact: he is a better person than any of you. In. Every. Way."

The speech had ended but the aftershock was still strong. The hall was swept by silence; all eyes were fixated on her. The ones seeing her figure now knew the other side of the Snow Queen. That beneath her beauty and majesty, there was a raging storm. Cold. Fierce. And merciless.

"Need I say more?" she added quietly, but the effect might as well be the same as if she had been shouting.

The triplets were now shaking; their faces red but not, Elsa noted, from the alcohol. A slight twitch of satisfaction formed on her lips as she saw them struggling to come up with a response. Finally, one of the three, Matthias, staggered forward.

"I – we, we apologize for our earlier behavior, Your Majesty," he stammered. "That was out of the line and uncalled for. W-we should have known better than to commit such childlike act."

Elsa glared at the Prince before her and his brothers for a few while. They seemed to cower under the intensity of her stare, and something else. Yet for now, everything was settled.

"I would accept your apologies, but I believe there is still another whom you owe an apology to."

She looked at Hans and back to the triplets.

"We're sorry, Hans," the three of them said in unison. Elsa chuckled inwardly; it was almost amusing to see the three gentlemen acting like children being punished for bad deeds.

"Apology accepted, Dear Brothers," Hans smirked. "After all, we are family."

The crowd around them broke into a cheer. The triplets and their wives hurriedly excused themselves and disappeared from sight.

"That was… brilliant. Simply stunning," Hans whispered as the chorus of claps started to subside. "But I thought you didn't like the attention."

"What can I say?" Elsa smiled. "When you marry someone, it seems inevitable that you'll pick one or two traits from your spouse. In other words, I learned from you."

Hans chuckled and leaned in to kiss her, drawing yet another eruption of cheers. After much bowing and pleasantries, the couple withdrew to the corner of the banquet hall. As unquiet and not-peaceful their surroundings were, they still tried to finish the rest of their dinner in silence. Just the two of them. And they almost did; they were halfway through their cakes when there came another princely figure towards them.

"Well met, Queen Elsa."

It was Prince Erik.

"Hello, Prince Erik," Elsa smiled. "I'm sorry we did not have the chance to converse earlier. Have you finished your dinner?"

"I have, Your Majesty, thank you for asking. I suppose you've been enjoying the rest of the dinner yourself? That… 'mishap' aside, of course."

"I did. The company here is excellent," she glanced at Hans. "And of course the food. This chocolate gateau, especially. Have you had some?"

"I haven't. I have a bad history with sweets," Erik laughed. "In any case, it's good that you've been enjoying yourself. We are pleased to know it. But, Your Majesty, there is another reason why I am coming to you now."

"… And that would be?" Elsa repeated, noting the gravity shift in the Prince's tone.

"The King requests your presence after dinner."

"The King…?" Elsa titled her head curiously.

"Yes."

"It's fine," Hans assured her. "I will be coming with you."

"No, Hans. The King would like to see Her Majesty, and Her Majesty alone."

"What?"

The Royal Couple of Arendelle exchanged stares in confusion.

"His Majesty said this is a private matter," Erik added.

"What is so private that he would leave his own son out of it?" Hans demanded.

"Hans, please understand."

"No, I'm not having any of it. What he'd like to say, he can say it to both of us."

"Hans, Hans, it's fine," Elsa assured. "I'm just going to have a small talk with him. Besides, he's your father; I'm sure he would like to know more about what kind of person his daughter-in-law is. I know this is bound to happen when we are married, anyway."

When Hans still looked unconvinced, Elsa gave him a kiss on the lips.

"Don't worry, I will be back before you know it."

"Prince Karl will also be keeping an eye. In the event that someone… 'misbehaves' again, he will ensure that they will get their just desserts."

"Is that supposed to make me feel safe while she's gone?" Hans chuckled and Erik smiled. "As if the infamous Admiral Westerguard would need somebody to watch over him."

"Well, then it's settled. Let me know when you are ready."

"No need. I'm ready when you are," Elsa said.

It will be just a simple, casual talk between a father and a daughter-in-law… right?

A/N: I actually tried to keep the focus on Hans for this chapter but somehow Elsa managed to take the center stage again... Looks like she's truly absorbed his penchant for dramatics and domination *cough*. Badass Elsa, much? Reviews, faves, and follows will be very lovely. :)