"Very funny," Elsa said, crossing her arms. She glared at the handsome redhead. The audacity he had to claim innocence!

"It's not, though," Hans admitted. "It's more confusing than anything."

"Let me get this straight. Did you or did you not leave my sister locked up to die?"

Quietly, he replied, "I did."

"And when you came for me...you were going to kill me."

"I drew the sword, yes."

"And yet you expect me to believe that you never meant to harm either of us?"

He leaned back against the wall, the steel shackles clanging with his movement. His green eyes were devoid of his usual charm. "I never expected you to believe anything. In fact, I'm rather surprised I'm here at all."

"You're not making any sense." Snow began to fall around them. Elsa tried to rein in her emotions, but she was flabbergasted by his aloofness.

"I'll explain as plainly as I can. I arrived in Arendelle for your Coronation last year, and everything was fine. I ran into your sister – quite literally – and I must say, I was smitten." One side of his mouth curled up in a wistful smile.

"Stay away from my sister," Elsa growled, the wind whipping their hair. Hans remained unfazed.

He continued, ignoring her. "When we asked for your blessing, you ran away. Anna ran after you, leaving me in charge. I took good care of your people, by the way."

"Thank you," the Queen said through gritted teeth. Ice crawled over her knuckles, encasing her fist.

"I got worried about Anna, so I came after the both of you."

"Shut up!" Elsa barked, sending an icicle into the left wall. It shattered into a million pieces, and all the men stared at her outburst. Hans' eyebrows raised only slightly, seeming to be mildly amused, which only angered her more. "Stop pretending like you ever cared about her. Or the next one will go through your head."

"And what would that accomplish?"

Many things. He would shut up. Anna could live in peace. Elsa could finally let go of her guilt. There would be one less tyrant in the world. Her dungeon would have an extra room, not that crime was high in the first place. The list could go on of what would be better once Hans was gone for good. But Sigurd put a hand on Elsa's shoulder. She had to calm down.

She took a deep breath. "So you came with your guards. She was gone by the time you arrived. And they tried to kill me, too!"

"Hey," Hans said, raising his cuffed hands, the chains jingling in protest. "I can assure you that those guards were not mine. I told everyone specifically that you were not to be harmed."

"Who did they belong to then?"

"That twitchy Duke, I think. Anyway, I was still fine. I nearly died trying to get up the stairs, but I survived. And it's a good thing, too, because I saved you! One of them had you in his crosshairs, but I deflected the blow. Better it hit the chandelier than your head or heart. I didn't mean for you to get knocked out in the aftermath. I put you on my horse and carried you home."

Elsa shook with anger. Hans' cell was filled with wind, ice and snow, but her eyes never wavered from his. Her blue eyes saw his green ones with amazing clarity despite the angry white storm. His dark red hair whipped about his face, but his body didn't move. How could he be so calm when faced with her supernatural wrath? How could he look so nonchalant when he tried to kill her a year ago?

Realizing he wouldn't get the thanks he thought he deserved, Hans continued. "You're welcome. It was as we were coming back that I got the worst headache. My head was just...pounding! I had you put in the dungeon in the hopes it would contain you and your powers. Clearly, I was wrong," he said, looking around at the reconstructed cell. It looked like she never even broke out. "You did a good job of restoring the place."

Ice creaked and cracked as she flexed her fists. It was as if he knew just what to say to make her mad. It was absolutely infuriating.

Hans leaned forward, and his angular face softened. "When I had a moment of clarity, I visited you."

Elsa's eyes narrowed. She remembered all too well. How terrified she was when she woke up in the dark. Trapped and chained to that pathetic cot. Looking out the narrow window to see the white destruction she had caused. "You came alone. After you came with your guards... After seeing what I was capable of, you came alone."

"I trusted you because Anna saw the good in you. Just like she saw the good in me. Like I said, I couldn't let them kill you. If I wanted you dead, I would have let them kill you on the mountain. My hands would have been clean."

Elsa raised her hand to strike him, but Sigurd grabbed her arm. She shook in his grasp, but kept her eyes firmly locked on Hans. She hated it, but he had a point. If killing her was the goal, why didn't he let it happen when the opportunity presented itself? And when he brought her back, if the whole kingdom chose to execute her for being a monster, why stop it? Why come to her alone for a simple conversation if he wanted nothing more with her? It was the only shred of proof Hans had for his innocence. It was small, but it was something she would keep in the back of her mind.

The Queen ripped her trembling arm out of Sigurd's grip. She straightened herself. "Continue."

"Ah yes, the headache. It hurt so much, it made me angry. I could hear voices, my brothers telling me I was worthless, nothing, pathetic, a runt, even though they were miles away. I heard their voices as clear as if they were beside me. Remembered how three of them pretended that I was invisible for two years. My own family! It made me so mad... More than anything, I wanted them to shut up, to see that I could make something of myself. I realized how the situation was beginning to look, you fleeing on your Coronation Day... Then it all seemed to click together. You were locked up, viewed as a traitor, and Anna was still missing in the wilderness. I didn't expect her to show up, but when she did, a part of me was so relieved. But then she told me that she was dying anyway, and it was the perfect scapegoat. I was consumed with the desire to prove myself. You have no idea what it's like, living in a big family like that. You can get lost in the shuffle. After being in the background for so long, I wanted my own claim to fame. I wasn't myself when I drew my sword on you. When Anna happened to survive and punch me, it was like waking up from a dream. I remembered everything, but it didn't feel real, like an out-of-body experience. I was so happy to see that she was alright, but I realized what I had done. I've been paying for it ever since. I understand if you don't believe me. I wouldn't. But I swear to you, if I had been in control, I never would have hurt either of you."

His green eyes burned, like two fiery beacons in the haze of angry white that surrounded them. The guards huddled closer to Elsa, partly for defense, partly for warmth. Elsa couldn't tell if the roaring in her ears was from her racing heart or the rushing wind.

She remembered when Hans and the others invaded her ice palace. Two cornered her, trying to kill her and almost succeeding. So she almost killed them. It was Hans that had broken through the storm in her head. "Queen Elsa, don't be the monster they fear you are." His words had snapped her out of her anger and fear. He was the only one, other than Anna, who didn't think she was a monster. He had been surprised when she first lost control at the Coronation, but he didn't flee or attack like the others. Even now, in the midst of a thick blizzard, Hans sat completely relaxed. As if the cold didn't bother him one bit.

"Do you believe me at all?" His quiet words cut through the wind, shocking her. She gasped, and the storm halted.

Elsa held her breath and searched his face for any tells. His emerald green eyes were tired, but genuine. It made her empty stomach churn. She knew what she saw last year. She had believed Anna when she told her about Hans' evil reveal before he left her for dead. None of this made sense. This malarkey about it being him, but not his fault... Did he think she was stupid?

"No." She turned around and stomped out of the cell. Sigurd and his men struggled to keep up with her pace. She heard the echo of Hans' door slamming shut, and it resonated down to her core.