When Anna had learned that her ex-fiancee was returning to Arrendale with everyone she held dear, she was furious. "No! No! No!" She yelled as her face turned as red as her hair. Kristoff placed a firm hand on her shoulder as if reassuring her. Elsa stood still and remained quiet as her sister voiced her outrage. Despite Anna's anger and Kristoff's obvious reluctance, Hans boarded the ship without a word to his family.
The journey home started off in awkward silence. Elsa stayed in the corner of the ship until the ocean's waves made her nervous. She glanced behind her shoulder before sneaking into the cabin. She sat on one of the bottom bunks and found Hans laying on the bed across from hers. His eyes were closed, and his hands cradled the back of his head. Elsa envied his ability to relax. He looked so peaceful as if he was sleeping, and she could barely handle the idea of the majestic mighty sea.
She sighed and Hans quietly asked, "Are you alright, your majesty?"
Surprised that he was awake, Elsa's head jolted up. She gently shook her head as the young prince opened his eyes and replied, "I am not fond of the sea." She had been haunted by her handmaid informing her of her parents' deaths, and the ocean was a painful reminder of her loss. Thinking about their passing made the Queen start to shake. She couldn't even remember the last time she had given them a hug. Every day since she had learned to control her powers, she wished that her father could see how she had grown.
"Before all this madness," Hans replied offhandedly, " I was a Navy admiral. The ocean is like a second home to me."
Elsa laid on the thin stiff mattress and replied, "You're not used to stable living environments then." She looked over at Hans who had rolled onto his side, and she could feel the heat rise to her face.
Hans bit his lip and ran a hand through the back of his red hair. "You noticed that, huh?" he asked and received a nod from the young woman.
Elsa smiled and rested her head on her elbow as she rolled over on her side to face him. Although there were at least nine feet of air between them, she felt too close to him. She wrinkled her nose and whispered, "Your brothers are real slime balls, and John is the worst."
Hans chuckled in agreement as he watched Elsa flip onto her stomach and wrap her arms around a squished pillow. She kicked off her shoes and stared blankly at the wooden walls. When Hans observed the young woman, he felt as if he was finally seeing beneath her cold exterior. Her brilliantly blue eyes seemed so beautiful even under the horrid lighting. Her white braided hair fell over her shoulder, and Hans couldn't deny that he was entranced. He had to look away as if he would be blinded.
Half an hour had passed, and Elsa had finally fell asleep. When Anna, Olaf, and Kristoff had came downstairs, they breathed a sigh of relief. Anna knelt down by her sister and placed a soft hand on Elsa's forehead. "I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier," she murmured before climbing onto the top bunk. Kristoff took the bottom bunk neighboring Elsa's after throwing Olaf onto the top. Once more, Hans felt out of place and stared at the sleeping queen as the three friends discussed her safety.
The next day, Anna bounced around the ship like a hyperactive Boston Terrier. After the crew mates had pried her from the mast, the bundle of energy needed an outlet. Kristoff tried to remind Anna that they would be home the next day. She groaned and whined, "but that's so far away." Finally, she noticed that her sister wasn't on deck and decided to storm into the cabin.
"Elsa, why don't you come join us on the deck?" Anna asked as she took a seat at the end of her sister's bed. Elsa, who had been looking at some old letters, placed them in front of her before fidgeting with her hair.
Elsa replied apologetically, "The ocean makes me nervous."
Anna nodded before embracing her sister. She grinned and responded, "I understand."
The older sister nodded and murmured a quick words of thanks. Her sister looked down at the papers and asked, "So what are you reading?"
Elsa picked up one of the letters , handed it to her sister, and responded, "I found some of our parents' old love letters in Dad's old desk a week ago. They're absolutely beautiful, and you can feel the love."
Anna read through one of her mother's letter to her dad. Every word reminded Anna of her feelings for Kristoff. She couldn't help smiling and feeling like the luckiest girl in the world. "It's just…wow," Anna replied as she touched her cheek.
The two sisters looked at the man across from him. Hans looked as if he was sleeping; however, Elsa couldn't tell whether he was awake or not. She noticed his breathing was deep and steady like the coursing river. "I want something like that," Elsa admitted sheepishly.
"Aww", Anna gushed and clapped her hands together. "Any guy you're interested in? What caused this change?"
Elsa shook her head and replied, "No, I'm just not morally opposed to a relationship." Her sister began chattering about all the qualities Elsa's future love interest might need. The older sibling was more amused by her sister's thought process than even thinking what might be best for her. Little did they know, Hans wasn't sleeping and had already given thought about the best match for the ice queen.