Hey guys! Wow! Thank you so much for all the reviews! Seriously, you guys rock! I apologize for not being able to update very fast lately, but I've got a lot going on in school right now, and I'm only going to get more busiy. But I'll try to update one a week if I can. Anyways, thanks again!
Kristoff had been pacing outside of Anna's bedroom door for almost three hours when Elsa came to him, wrapped in her night robe to fend off the cold. When Hans and Kristoff had come back to Arendelle, an unconscious Anna cradled in Hans' arms, Elsa had instantly panicked. A storm had begun to form around her, and the two of them had to talk her down. Still, the storm didn't go away until the nurse had said that Anna just had a concussion and would wake up in a few hours. But the temperature had dropped significantly, and had not warmed yet.
"You should go to sleep, Kristoff. It's late." She mumbled sleepily. Kristoff whirled around to face her. He wrung his hat in his hand nervously.
"There's no way I could sleep- not now!" He exclaimed desperately. "What if Anna wakes? Or worse- what if she doesn't?"
Elsa placed a cold hand on his shoulder. "I will come to wake you up if I hear anything, alright? Hans is in there with her. She'll be fine. But you won't be if you don't get some sleep. You're no help exhausted."
Kristoff looked hesitantly toward the door. He felt awful. He was the one who challenged Hans to that stupid race. It was his fault Anna got hurt. All over a little jealousy.
He nodded solemnly. "Alright. Alright, fine. I need to bring Sven a blanket anyways. He's probably freezing in the stables." Elsa gave him an awkward pat in an attempt to comfort him, and with one last glance at the door, he disappeared.
Now alone, Elsa sat down on the bench outside of Anna's room, her head falling into her hands. Oh, Anna. Please be okay.
Hans watched Anna intently for any signs of movement from his chair beside her bed. Ever since he heard that sickening thump and called out her name, he'd had this horrible sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was a dull ache that burned inside him whenever he looked at her pale face, or when he was holding her and felt her weak pulse. He was… worried about her. But not worried like he would be if he had forgotten something important at home, or worried like when he feared his brothers would hit him for something he did wrong- this was different. He wasn't worried for himself, he was worried for her. He wasn't sure how he felt about that.
He looked down at her white hand laying above the sheets, delicate like a wilting flower. He slowly brought his own hand up to meet hers, and her fingers were clammy when he intertwined theirs together. It felt kind of awkward at first, (after all, he wasn't really the hand-holding type) but it was decidedly nice.
He heard a sound to his right, and his eyes snapped up to Anna's face. He saw her eyes flutter for a moment, and a wave of relief washed over him when her eyes finally opened.
"Anna!" He breathed. He untangled their connected hands self-conciously.
"H-Hans?" She croaked.
He placed a hand on her cheek. "We weren't sure when you were going to wake up. How do you feel?"
"Awful." She admitted. "My head is killing me. W-what happened?"
"You fell off of Absolon and hit your head. I think you were trying to catch up with us."
"I-I was, you were going so fast, and I didn't want to get lost. I'm sorry-"
Hans placed a finger over her lips to silence her. "Don't apologize. It was our fault. We should have waited for you, we weren't thinking."
"What were you doing, anyways?"
Hans scratched the back of his head uncomfortably. "It doesn't matter. It was silly of us. What matters is that you're not permanently damaged. The nurse says you should be up in a few days, and be back to normal in a couple of weeks. But for now you need to just rest."
He adjusted the covers on the bed to cover her more.
"Ug, my head is pounding." She moaned.
"I bet it is. You hit the ground pretty hard."
"What time is it?"
Hans looked up at the clock on the wall, squinting to see it in the dim light of the fire. "Almost two in the morning."
Anna's eyes widened in surprise. "How long was I out for?"
"A little over six hours. I had to carry you back with me on Sitron."
"Oh…" Anna's brow creased. "That's a long time."
Hans laughed despite the situation. He smoothed Anna's hair down, and gave her a gentle smile. "Yeah, but like I said, you'll be okay."
A soft knock came to the door. "Come in!" Hans called, standing up and straightening his jacket. He expected it to be Elsa, but to his surprise it was a maid woman. She curtsied, keeping her eyes low. In her small, shaking hands she held a cream colored envelope.
"Prince Hans, I have a-" The maid gasped when she stood straight again. "Oh! Princess! You're awake!"
"What do you have?" Hans said, eyeing the letter.
"Right! Excuse me, Prince Hans. A correspondence, from the Southern Isles." She handed him the letter. He nodded to her in acknowledgement.
"Thank you. That's all."
The maid looked at the princess, then back at Hans. She hesitated for a moment, but obeyed and exited out the door. Hans looked at the envelope in his hands. It had the royal family seal. He pulled it open with his thumb, and started to read it over.
Anna watched his face as he did, curious. As he read, his brow knitted, and a frown settled into his face. It wasn't good news, she could tell. She did her best to wait patiently, but the suspense was killing her.
When he finished, he cast the letter aside, and put a hand over his mouth in deep thought. Unable to wait any longer, Anna spoke up.
"What is it?" She asked. He paused before answering.
"…It's my father. The King. He's died."
Anna gasped, her hand flying to her heart. "Oh my gosh! Hans- I'm so sorry! Were you close?"
He shook his head. "Heavens, no. I barely talked more than five sentences to the man my whole life. I'm surprised he lasted as long as he did, honestly. I mean, when you have thirteen impatient sons waiting in line behind you, you've got to know you have a death threat hanging over your head."
"You really think your brothers would kill your father for the throne?"
Hans scoffed. "You'd be surprised what lengths we are willing to go to get what we want." Lengths I almost took. Hans thought. "Still, I'll have to return to the Southern Isles immediately to attend the funeral. As a formality."
"I'll come with you!" Anna said, grasping onto his arm. "For support."
Hans smiled warmly at her. Of course she wanted to come with him. But he had to do this by himself. He wouldn't want to expose her to his brothers, anyways. "Anna, you need to stay here and rest. You're not fit to travel by sea. I'll be back in a little while, I promise."
He kneeled beside her bed again, and took her hand. "I have to go and arrange some things for my departure. Are you going to be alright for a little while until I get Elsa?"
She placed her hand on top of his. "I'll be okay. I can't exactly go anywhere."
He leaned down and kissed her hand. She giggled, and blushed. He straightened, and walked to the door. "I'll try to say goodbye before I leave."
"I love you!" She called. Hans' hand stilled on the door handle. When was the last time he heard someone say that to him, let alone mean it? His chest filled with that strange warmth again, and he felt the certain urge to bolt.
"You too." He said, unable to make himself say the words, before he went out the door, closing it quickly behind him.
Elsa sat straight up from where she was sitting when she saw him. "Hans! I didn't expect to see you!"
"Anna's awake." Hans said as he passed her. Elsa watched him in confusion.
"Well- wait, where are you going?" She called after him.
"I've got business to take care of."
Hans' first stop was the stables. He had to make arrangements for Sitron, and there was someone there he needed to talk to.
"Kristoff!" Hans yelled, searching him out. He heard a groan and some shuffling, then the blonde-haired man peaked his head out of a stall. When he saw Hans a scowl appeared on his face.
"Oh. It's you. What do you want?"
"Looks like you're getting that week alone with Anna that you wanted." Hans said. He moved over to where Sitron was staying. Kristoff followed after him in confusion. "I have to go back home for business. I don't know how long I'll be gone,"
He grabbed an apple from the pale that hung form a nail stuck in one of the support beams. Sitron perked up instantly, nickering. He held the apple out and Sitron took it happily. Then he whilred around to face Kristoff.
"If I hear that you even laid a finger on Anna while I'm away, I will personally see to it that you get thrown in a jail cell for treason, you understand?" He growled. "I don't play games, especially not with self-entitled ice men. Do you understand?"
Kristoff inflated his chest, not one to be intimidated easily. "Look, prince-y boy. You may have authority in your country, but you have no authority here to boss me around-"
"Fine. Then from one man to another, I respectfully ask you to keep your dirty grubbing paws off of my future bride."
Kristoff glared openly at the prince, and Hans stared back challengingly. After a few moments of silence between them, Kristoff sighed, backing up. He knew there was no way he could win this argument, no matter how much he hated the idea of Anna with anyone but him. He knew going into all this that she was already taken. He just had to learn to get over it.
"Fine." He ground out through gritted teeth.
"Good." Hans nodded. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to pack my things."
