Well, well, well.

Hans had certainly not been expecting this.

He looked into the empty eyes of Anna, the girl that he was so very close to marrying.

"Hello." he said smugly, stooping down and crouching over to patronize her. He ran a thumb across her cheek with a little more pressure than necessary, wiping off a silent tear. "Did you miss me?"

Anna jerked back and squeezed her eyes, trying to control the urge to cry.

"I'd be crying tears of joy too, if I were you. I was when I left Arendelle. Nasty place. Truly needed my help." Hans straightened up and turned around. "Alex, may I speak to you?"

"You're not the one calling the shots here." Alex scoffed.

"Know your place." Adam retorted.

Hans dipped forward, apologizing.

"Go tell him what's going on. I've got the girl." Adam nudged Alex forward.

Alex sneered at the very sight of his younger brother. "We fixed your screw up. Come on, let's talk." he placed a burly arm around Hans' shoulders in what would've been a comforting gesture, had it been anyone else.

"What do you mean?"

"You brought great shame on your family with your inability to marry the girl, but your...other shenanigans haven't quite reached the public yet."

Hans bit his lip.

"And we're going to keep it that way." Alex snapped, turning Hans around the corner. "Announce the wedding, today. Say she came back, begging, knowing her mistake. We'll hold the royal wedding in a week, soon enough before she gets any ideas, but with enough time to throw something together that looks like we've been planning this. Say she's been back for months, that you've been secretly courting. Your love has blossomed, you two are in love, blah blah blah. Whatever it takes to convince the public that you are not a sheer embarrassment."

Hans gulped and nodded. But as soon as his brother turned the corner, a smirk crawled across his face and he backed away slowly. Both kingdoms would be his. Soon.

...

Kristoff pulled into port and instructed his men to tie up the boat - he had more important things to do. He climbed down the side of the boat using the crewman's notches, instead of the waiting for the proper way to unfold, and took off sprinting toward the palace. They had her there, he saw them dragging her away! She was alive, at least she was alive, but she was probably hurt; deeply.

The very thought of that sent Kristoff's stomach into knots and he choked back tears as he continued sprinting to the front doors - the gates were unlocked - what fortune! Finally, an advantage! Good, good; the universe was on his-

"Got you." Adam hissed, grabbing Kristoff in a choke hold. Kristoff struggled and punched at the man, but growing up with 12 other brothers had helped Adam build up a resistance to pain.

"Let me go or I'll kill you." Kristoff snarled, struggling to hit Adam in the face.

"Good try, very cute, but no." he spun around and smashed Kristoff's head into the wall. Kristoff crumpled into dead weight and Adam dragged Kristoff off to a more secluded room, past dozens of winding halls and hundred of foreign rooms. If Kristoff lived through the night, the concussion was not promising, he wouldn't be able to get out of his room. If he managed that, well, he wouldn't get out of the maze of the castle...alive.

...

"Citizens. Residents. As I have come to think of you as, beloved friends.

I have the happiest of news to announce to you! As many of you may know, I set sail of to Arendelle almost a year ago to court a beautiful young lady. As it seemed unpromising after a while, I left to pursue more personal goals. But she returned, apologizing; begging for another chance. We have been courting for about ten months now, and I can truthfully say she has never been more in love with anyone or anything. I have proposed to her, and we are to be married at the end of the week."

At this point, the large crowd, gathered beneath a balcony jutting out of the castle erupted into loud cheering, jumping up and down and clapping. A royal wedding!

Hans held out the palms of his hands to soothe the crowd. "Thank you" he laughed, clasping his hands together. "Thank you."

The crowd began to simmer down and stood to listen.

"Princess Anna, however, is feeling a bit unwell after her long voyage over. Coupled, of course, with the overwhelming excitement of marrying me." Hans laughed, and the crowd laughed with him.

"I love you!" a voice screamed from the crowd and the others laughed and clapped, approving.

Hans smiled and reached down his hand. "I love you too."