Chapter 4
"What happens if Princess Anna dies..?"
Hans poured a small glass of water for himself.
"What will I do then?"
"There are other options; find a way to bring Queen Elsa back, and marry her instead."
"She's not as easy to approach as her sister."
"You can appeal to anyone, Hans. You know what it's like to feel alone in the world; connect with that."
"She wouldn't go back without a reason. And if her sister died, she'd find further reason not to return."
"That's only in the worst case scenario, however; how would Princess Anna die in the first place?"
"You haven't felt the cold, have you?"
"She's going to be fine; our plan may very well depend on it."
Hans placed the cup down, and turned to face his alter ego. "That bumbling idiot the duke is amusing to watch if nothing else. I would love to publicly humiliate him for his crimes, but he could very well be of use to us."
"Now you're thinking my way. The Duke's guards could be quite powerful if they were on our side."
"Maybe as personal bodyguards," Hans leisurely sipped his drink. "You're right, though; she is not going to die."
The scene stopped.
"Hans, that was attachment I sensed-"
"Shut up,"
An intense atmosphere blanketed the room.
"You still hold on to these feelings? They are a weakness-"
"No, they are not. Love is a gift from God, and I am thankful that He has put Anna in my life-"
"What?"
The voice interjected.
"I knew it… I knew it! You're leaving the plan behind; you've given it up. Have you forgotten why you're here; what you're planning to do? What about your parents who never cheered at anything you did; your brothers who rarely gave you the time of day? And what about your first love-"
Hans' face instantly turned angry.
"You promised never to mention her to me again-!"
"Prince Hans?"
Kai's voice ringing through the quiet corridor was the end of his internal conversation.
"Are you feeling alright?"
Hans relaxed himself in the presence of the servant. "I'm sorry; I was just lost in thought, that's all. How are the people doing?"
"Adjusting the best they can, sir. Still, our supplies in the town are limited. I'm not sure how long the people will be able to last."
Hans pondered this for a moment, then arrived at a conclusion. "Gather all of the kingdom's useful tradable goods, and hand them out to the peasants. Take as much of it that is needed to keep the people in good condition."
"Yes sir," He bowed before running out the door.
"Kai?"
He froze for a moment. "Yes Prince Hans?"
"You think Princess Anna will be alright… right?"
Kai looked into the man's genuine tender eyes for a moment, wishing to relieve him of his worry without being dishonest. "There is nothing to fear your majesty. When she has a goal in mind, Princess Anna never gives up."
That statement struck a chord with Hans in an unfortunate manner. "You're right. I mean, I had that inclination as well."
Kai kept his demeanor, despite the temptation he felt to smile in front of the Prince. "I'll make sure the citizens have everything they need."
He disappeared, leaving Hans alone once again.
"You're right... I was in a sentimental daze, that's all. If I gave up now, then my father would have been right about me all along."
"No… Really?"
"Hey, I figured it out on my own."
"Whatever. The fact is, focus on planning for what might happen next."
"I've never been good at that."
"Never been a better time to learn."
Hans made his way back to the ball room. After Anna's absence, the servants and townspeople had immediately started on gathering supplies to survive the winter. Where there had once been a joyous occasion was now no more than a haven, only existing to ensure the survival of the people.
The faces he saw in the ball room were often red, the castle shelter only renewing their warmth to the slightest degree. One of the younger members of the line, a girl stared up at him, offering a worried expression.
"Is El.. Is Queen Elsa gonna come back?"
He hadn't expected to hear much sentiment for the presently absent Queen. Tightening his lips, Hans knelt down to meet the girl's eyes.
"Don't worry; Queen Elsa is a good person. She'll... She'll listen to Princess Anna. I know she will."
He stood up from his kneeling position, and offered the girl a caring smile. She nodded anxiously in response, and shyly dashed back towards her mother. He couldn't help feeling a sign that he was doing something right.
A couple of guards approached Hans from behind.
"Prince Hans,"
They bowed. "We are still in the process of offering the supplies to the people."
He exchanged a glance with the guard to his left. "However, we were not sure precisely how much we should give."
"Anything we have," Hans stared them in the eye, emphasizing his point. "Bring any food, scarves, anything that can be used to ensure that the people stay alive. Princess Anna gave me a simple task, and I am going to accomplish it." He nodded. "Inform the servants of this development if they are not already aware."
"Yes, Prince Hans," Both left his presence. Hans stood alone in the middle of the ballroom for several seconds, waiting aimlessly. For him, nothing had been decided.
After all of the things he had done in Arendelle, he couldn't slip back into such a simple course of action.
It just seemed out of the question.
"Prince Hans?"
The French dignitary interrupted his thoughtfulness.
"Sir Francis," Hans offered an obligatory bow. "What can I do for you?"
"I would prefer to speak in a more silent venue,"
Hans raised his eyebrow curiously at the dignitary. His posture was straighter, and less relaxed than it had been before. His eyes emanated that the request he was hoping to suggest was serious.
"Alright,"
Hans lead the dignitary to the hallway where the two sister's quarters sat. Although the corridor certainly was not contained, Hans knew for a fact that no one would be entering the area any time soon.
"Now, what was it you wanted to say?"
"Well, 'zis is more of a long term commitment," He clasped his hands around each other. "However, I feel it is in our best interest for me to introduce it now."
Hans leaned against one of the hallway walls, trying to hide his impatience. He had more important things to worry about. "Go on,"
"I was considering, well, if you ponder about the Queen's actions, it might be best for the people of Arendelle, and the surrounding countries for you to marry Princess Anna as soon as she returns home."
Hans' eyes widened for a moment, showing surprise at the dignitary's request. However, that moment soon faded. "That's hardly a new suggestion. Actually, we'd planned to be married soon anyways."
"Yes," He straightened his posture unnecessarily. "However, I feel that in any turn of events, even if Queen Elsa refuses to return, I feel a marriage would be ze best course of action."
Staring at the dignitary with suspicious eyes, Hans forgot his casual prose. "Sir Francis, before I even start, that is a very theoretical stage of events. Princess Anna will probably not return in the first place without bringing back her sister."
He paced further down the hallway, towards the stair case ahead of them. "Second, such an action might only encourage the Queen to remain in isolation. It might make her feel we've given up," He turned back to Francis. "Third, it does nothing to change the fact that Queen Elsa has thrown the land into eternal winter."
"Well," He tugged at his own collar. "That is certainly a reasonable… inquiry,"
He tried to keep his English correct and unaccented. "However, we need to be ready to take whatever means necessary to stop the winter. If Queen Elsa refuses her request, we may have to take more… serious action against her."
Hans knew where Francis was leading with the discussion.
And he hated it.
"If she continues to plague this land in snow and ice, Arendelle's people will not be able to survive. She is a threat to everyone here." His eyes turned somber, yet resolute. "If Queen Elsa cannot be brought back, then we may have to deal with her ourselves. In other words-"
"There's no need to explain," Hans strode towards the dignitary, looming over his significantly shorter frame to emphasize his disagreement. "I know exactly what you are trying to say."
"Then, what is your response?"
"Such an action without proper consent is not only treason, but murder," Hans's eyes tensed further. "I know that you are only talking about theoretical, and that you do not believe such a course of events will be necessary. However, if you continue to discuss these words, I may have to deal with you in a harsher fashion."
Hans loosened his posture. "Do you understand?"
"Y-yes Prince Hans," He stroked his right hand through his hair. "I should never have prompted such a foolish idea."
"The Queen will return," Hans watched the dignitary's every step as he walked down the stairs. "I promise,"
The dignitary had finally disappeared.
"I sensed hesitation. You're reaction was… Uncharacteristic of the Hans they know."
"A man firmly attached to his principles is hardly evidence for deception. Still, that doesn't change the fact I don't think such an action is necessary."
"You can't let your conscience get the best of you," Hans's quiet footsteps echoed down the hallway. "It is a weakness, not strength."
"It is better for our plans if Queen Elsa returns."
"How so? She will never agree to let you win her daughter. Something will have to be done with her."
"That's… That's too long term to be discussed."
"You have to be ready to do anything you need to do."
"What if it may not be what I want?"
"What you're feeling is an emotion; nothing more than an illusion to make you believe there is someone to live for. Living for somebody else's purpose will only bring you pain."
"I… I was partly to blame for failing. I'd said some pretty bad things to them then-"
"NO!"
His darker side roared, bursting with fury.
"They had an obligation to love you. They never showered you with a complaint once. Not, even, once."
Hans let go of the fists he'd reflexively tightened. Lumbering downstairs, he gazed out a window, watching the small pieces of snow fall from the sky.
"She looked isolated. Maybe she feels like me."
"An interesting concept… After all, she may just be-"
"I'm not talking about marriage. I'm talking about a person like me judging someone like her when I'm no different."
"Even from a moral perspective, that's not the way you should-"
"Her isolation had a purpose. She was trying to protect those she loved."
Hans placed his hand on the window.
"If you ask me, I may only have been isolated because of me."
"What is wrong with you? When we began this journey, you knew what you were supposed to do. You knew what our plans were for Arendelle. Now, you've let your sympathies for this Queen, and her charming sister take that all away? Are you forgetting the type of "love" that your parents showed you all of these years? Love will not endure forever. Love will not solve all of the problems of this world. Love will only bring death to you."
"I've heard enough,"
Hans strode down the hallway right to the door, back towards the ballroom.
"I can't deal with this anymore. I am tired of this plan. I love Anna, and I would do anything for her."
"Wait!"
"I haven't lost sight of the plan. I just know that I don't want to be a part of it. Not when there's something else to live for. Not when there's a person out there who truly loves me."
"She doesn't love you, Hans-!"
"Yes she does!" He slammed open the doors to the ballroom, drawing the attention of the surrounding crowd. The pause lasted for a few seconds before the people returned to gathering food.
"Yes, she does,"
The murmurs of the crowd around him died down his final words.
"With her, I can forget those days. When Princess Anna returns, she will be my bride. There will be no murder, no treason, no overthrow. She is the only thing I can hold on to that I know will last. That is all."
"What-what about what you said earlier this afternoon? What about proving yourself to your father?"
He paused for a moment, giving his other just a moment to share his perspective.
"He will never love me again. I need to learn to accept that."
The voices inside his head were gone. He had been so intense, he only faintly remembered what he had just discussed. Shaking his head with dissatisfaction, he walked forward to meet with Kai once again.
He didn't want to admit that he was worried his voice might be right.
He didn't want to admit his disagreement was more from confusion than confidence.