~O~
Eight
Elsa grunted and struggled to pull the chains from her, but they held strong. In her present shape, she couldn't just pull them off.
"Papa..." she said, softly. "Why?"
Meanwhile, Sven was charging down the mountain and arrived at the walls of Arendelle. Olaf panted as he raced to keep up with the reindeer.
"I'll meet you guys at the castle!" he yelled.
Kristoff shook his head. "Stay out of sight, Olaf!" he ordered. "You're a dragon. Two would probably send this place into more of a panic than we all need."
"I will!" Olaf walked through the streets of the village.
Kristoff could hear him saying "Hello" to someone, and a townswoman shrieked.
"Dragon!"
Kristoff rolled his eyes and approached the gates of the castle. Two guards approached the scene and noticed that Anna was with him.
"Princess Anna!" they exclaimed.
Kristoff slid off Sven and helped Anna to the gates. She smiled up at him gratefully, but she still felt so weak. She glanced down at the palm of her hand, staring at the hideous spider web of green that had formed around her wound.
"Are you g-gonna be okay?" she asked him.
Kristoff tried not to seem so touched by the question. "Don't worry about me." he assured her. "I'll be fine. You just...get in there and kiss Hans."
His tone did not sound as enthused when he said that, but he didn't have a chance to really say more as handmaids, Kai and a few guards rushed to help Anna.
"Anna!" Gerda exclaimed, "Oh, you had us worried sick!"
"Lets get you inside, my Lady." Kai said.
Kristoff and Sven watched as they led Anna away.
"Get her to Prince Hans, immediately!" Kristoff called.
Kai nodded his head. "We will," he said, "Thank you."
And with that, the gates shut right on him. Kristoff stood there in silence with Sven before letting out a dejected sigh. He turned and walked away with Sven following.
Once inside the castle, Kai ushered Anna into a room where Hans stood with a French and Spanish dignitary. They had seemed to be in discussion until noticing Anna there.
"Prince Hans!" Kai announced, "Princess Anna has returned!"
Hans rushed to her and she fell into his arms. Hans looked startled by the abrupt movement and felt her arms. They were cold and he noticed the web of green forming on her arms.
"Hans, you have to kiss me..." Anna groaned, weakly.
Hans blinked, startled. He glanced at the others watching, somewhat put on the spot.
"What?" he asked.
Anna smiled weakly. "Now." she mumbled. "Here we go."
She leaned up to try and kiss him, but was too weak. Gerda and the others smiled knowingly and began to leave the room.
"We'll give you two some privacy." she said.
Everyone shuffled out of the room, leaving them alone. Hans watched them go before turning to Anna. He looked concerned by the green in her veins.
"What happened out there?" he asked, "Your arm..."
Anna closed her eyes sadly. "Elsa struck me with her powers."
"I thought you said she'd never hurt you."
Anna started to crumble a little, so Hans helped her to a couch, setting her down. She seemed weaker by the minute and he knew it had something to do with her arm.
"I was wrong..." she said, softly. "She's poisoned me with Dragon's Venom and only an act of true love can save me from dying."
Hans nodded, understanding. "Ah. A true love's kiss."
Anna smiled, happy that he understood. She watched as he leaned down, gazed tenderly into her eyes with that lovely smile. He took her chin in his hand, leaned forward. She felt herself shiver with anticipation. Just one kiss and it would all be fixed...
Then, he stopped.
Anna watched as a look came to his eyes. It was no longer tender, but mildly cruel.
"Oh, Anna. If only there was someone out there who loved you."
Anna looked stunned. She watched Hans get up and leave her on the couch, approaching the window and closing the curtains.
"You said you did." She hated how utterly pathetic that sounded.
Hans sighed and shook his head, pacing around the room now. "As thirteenth in line in my kingdom, I didn't stand a chance. I knew I'd have to marry into the throne somewhere - "
"What are you talking about?"
Hans began to put out several candles one by one. "As heir, Elsa was preferable, of course. But no one was getting anywhere with her. Social anxiety and all."
Anna was getting scared. A cold feeling of dread stabbed through her chest. "Hans?"
He turned to her, drawing his sword. His features were much colder. "You were so desperate for love you were willing to marry me, just like that." he said, sneering at the idea. "Well, after the wedding, I figured that Elsa might find herself having a little...accident."
He stabbed his sword into the table for emphasis.
Anna tried to get up, but she fell to the floor with a defeated sound. "Hans...you can't do this," she groaned, "Please, stop."
Hans sighed, shaking his head, pitiless to her condition. "But then she doomed herself, and you were dumb enough to go after her."
Anna moved, a futile attempt to crawl across the floor. "Please..."
Hans chuckled. "And now, it falls to me to be the brave prince who slays the dragon and saves the village from destruction. it's so...storybook, but one works with what one has."
Anna shakily glared up at him. "You're no match for Elsa."
Hans tsked with mock sympathy and bent down to her. "No. I don't think YOU are a match for her." He took her chin in his hand with a little more roughness than before. "I will be the one who will save Arendelle from destruction."
Anna wrenched from his grasp. "You won't get away with this!"
Hans smiled, rose and walked to the door. "My dear Anna... I already have."
He shut it behind him and Anna withered with a moan when she heard the sound of a key locking into place. She weakly crawled to the door, through a haze of pain and yanked on the handle.
"Please...someone help me..." she groaned, hoarse and weak.
She collapsed and ribbons of green swam further throughout her body, creeping up the side of her face.
O
"Queen Elsa is a monster! We are all in grave danger!"
"She will burn the village to the ground!"
"She breathes ice, idiot!"
Hans listened to the arguments outside of the council chamber before he walked inside. He put on his best distraught face and they all turned to him.
"Princess Anna is dead."
The dignitaries in the room all look horrified.
"What? No..."
Hans pretended to stumble, weak with grief. They helped him into a chair.
"She was killed by Queen Elsa," he mumbled, really putting it on. "At least we got to say our marriage vows...before she died in my arms."
The Duke nodded his head with determination. "There can be no doubt now; Queen Elsa is a monster and we are all in grave danger."
A Spanish dignitary looked at Hans gravely. "Prince Hans, Arendelle looks to you now."
Hans nodded, putting on the greatest show he'd ever done in his life. Internally, he was thrilled by how well his plan was unfolding.
"With a heavy heart, I charge Queen Elsa of Arendelle with treason and sentence her to death."
Inside Elsa's dungeon, she was attempting to pull her arms free from the tight shackles. She pursed her lips and groaned out with effort.
If only she could transform...
Elsa closed her eyes and focused with all her might.
"Elsa, move quickly. They're coming to kill you."
"I'm trying!" she growled. "Can't you see I'm trying?"
"They only hold because you believe they do. Come now, Elsa. Are you going to let these small-minded worms kill you? Show them the true glory of the dragon!"
Elsa focused with much effort before shifting her face into her dragon form. She snarled and bit down on her own wrist, just as she could hear the sound of footsteps approaching.
Hans and the guards made their way to Elsa's dungeon.
"She's dangerous. Move quickly and with resolve." Hans ordered.
Suddenly, there was a loud explosion that rocked them nearly off of their feet. They stared at each other only for a second and the guard quickly unlocked the door.
Once they pushed their way inside, they noticed that the wall toward the back that had been open and blood-soaked shackles lay in a heap.
In the distance, they could barely make out the sight of Elsa flying away.
