Author's Note:

Wow, this story has been read by almost 200 people! Thank you so much to everyone who has read it! If you have any suggestions, please leave a review, they help improve my writing!

This story is rated T for dark content and some strong language, just so you know.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Frozen or any of its characters or plots, I only own my twists and changes!


Three summers was all she got with him. But they were the best summers of her life. Now that he had broken the window and taught her how to climb out, she was free to go outside whenever she wished. However, she only went out when Hans wanted to. She still had hopes that someone would open the door, and she wanted to be there when it did. But when Hans was there, he was always able to persuade her to go out. Elsa would wear a cloak, the hood always up over her bright and easily distinguishable hair, with Hans by her side.

Rumors began to reflect their city visits. Some whispers said that the hooded girl was a witch. Others told confidently that princes of the Southern Isles received concubines at a young age, and she was one of them. And then others gossiped that she was a secret princess from the Southern Isles, born from the king's (possibly) cheating wife and a palace servant.

But over time, the window started to become too small. It was during the third summer that she made her last trip with him. Hans was already too big and couldn't get into her room. He had to climb out, carefully scaling the worn bricks under her window.

That day, Hans was waiting, wearing his usual uniform and holding out a gloved hand, grinning at her. She smiled back, but wistfully. She knew it would be her last trip outside with him. But both of them acted like it was just a normal day. Elsa took his extended hand and said, "Shall we?"

"Of course." He smiled at her encouragingly, then climbed down with her and led her into the street. This trip, however, was different, and it wasn't because the summer visitors from the Southern Isles were departing. Today was the usual festival celebrating the end of the summer, but things were surprisingly... tense. People turned to stare at them, but before Hans or Elsa could get a closer look, they'd hurriedly turn away. The music was bright and cheerful, but when they passed the musicians, the volume dipped slightly. It was too little for anyone else to be able to notice, but enough that it was obvious to the pair.

As they walked through the streets, Elsa's usual marveling spirit subdued, Hans suddenly whispered, "Listen, your father knows something's going on."

"What?" Elsa asked, eyes widening.

"I'm sorry, we should have taken more precautions, I would have-"

"Son!" a voice boomed across the square. The very king of the Southern Isles, a widower, was there with Elsa's parents trailing. As soon as Elsa's father saw them, he said something to the queen, and she smiled at him and walked over to the musicians, beginning a conversation with them.

The pair of kings got closer and closer, and Elsa drew away from Hans's grasp, starting to walk quickly away from them. But Hans's father reached them too quickly and grinned at his son. "There you are. I've been looking for you," he said, his smile looking a lot like Hans's.

The prince smiled back, trying to hide his nervousness. The king also looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Stay and talk with us, please. I've heard so much about you."

The way he said it made chills run down her spine. But it was much worse when her father walked up and stared at her. He was shocked at first, but then she saw the shame crawl across his face. That was the worst blow.

"Elsa," he said when he had composed himself. "You're not supposed to be outside."

She nodded solemnly. "I know." She took Hans's hand, hoping she'd have the courage to say what she needed to. "I've been in that room for so long-"

"We should get you inside. Don't want you to get too much sun," he said hurriedly, and before she could say anything else, his arm pulled her into a nearby tavern. Hans and his own father followed them inside.

As soon as they were in there, she glared at her father. "You can't stop me from going outside anymore. And pretending that-"

"Darling, it's for your own good," he replied. She almost believed his concerned face. But she was still so infuriated that they were still pretending that she was their sickly daughter, and she would make sure that the ruse didn't work anymore.

"No, stop ly-"

Now Hans's father interrupted. "I do hope that Hans taking her outside often hasn't augmented her condition."

Elsa's father paled. "Often?"

"You didn't know? He's been escorting her everywhere."

"She... should be fine." He cleared his throat. "As long as she's been wearing a cloak or something similar."

"She's worn one every day."

"Good, very good."

Elsa finally couldn't listen to the bullshit anymore. "STOP IT!" she shouted. Everyone in the tavern turned to look at them, but she ignored the stares, which included Hans's, and continued. "Stop pretending that I'm sick! You might be able to lie to them, but if you expect me to help you with your little charade, then you're wrong! I've been locked in my room for YEARS, and you've never said the REAL REASON WHY! Well, I'll show you all! I'll show you ALL why I was locked up!"

And with that, she made one of the biggest mistakes of her life.

Crystals of ice as large and sharp as spear heads burst from inside her and spiraled around the room. Most were embedded in the walls, but still, a large amount hit the innocent people in the tavern, and the screaming began. She wasn't aware of her mistake until she turned to see Hans, mouth gaping, an immense crystal buried in his chest. Blood was beginning to trickle downwards, staining his pristine white uniform. He slumped to the floor weakly.

"NO!" Elsa screamed, rushing to him. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen..."

But she paused there. As she watched the wound, she noticed Hans's hand glowing, where she had healed him years ago. Frost began edging the gash that the ice had created, closing over it. And the ice began melting away. But a single shard went deeper inside him, and she saw a brief glow near his heart before the frost stopped, and he looked... perfect. Except for the blood on his uniform.

Elsa looked up, grinning at him, but to her surprise, he wasn't grinning back. In fact, he was looking down coldly at her.

He stared at her that way for a while, then spoke. "Stay away from me," he muttered, pushing her away as he stood.

"But Hans," she said pleadingly, "you're okay. You'll be okay, there's no need to be afraid of me!"

"You think that's a cause for celebration?" He gestured around the room. "All of those people are going to die. Unless you melt the ice."

Looking around the room, at the blood beginning to seep into the floor, she whispered, "I... I can't. I don't know how."

Leaning in close, he whispered, "You disgust me." He grabbed the arm of his obviously shocked father and left. Elsa, horrified, was only able to stare at the door, until her father put a hand on her shoulder. "Go home. And stay in there," he said quietly. She nodded, then mutely walked out the door. Looking down the street, she could see Hans, walking away towards the ship he, his father, and a few other siblings had sailed to Arindelle on. She was about to turn and leave when her father hurried out after her.

"We need a cover," he whispered urgently. "And for that, we need..." he gulped, "no witnesses."

In an instant, Elsa understood what he wanted her to do. Rather than accusing him of being a monster, like she would have in other circumstances, she walked up to the tavern wall and placed her pale palm on it. Did this make her a monster as well? At this point, she didn't care anymore. It was all too easy to feel the ice already in there, to cover the walls in a layer of frost, to create the jagged spikes all around. They were extensions of her will now, and she stretched them outwards like her fingers, and felt them piercing human flesh...

Then it was done. She ignored her father planning the announcement of poisonous gas in the tavern, she ignored her mother, who was looking over as if she could tell something was going on. She'd never know that Elsa had a hand in it, however, because Elsa pulled her hood over her head and walked through the streets back to the castle.