AN: TWO UPDATES IN ONE DAY JEEZ I AM SPOILING YOU GUYS. No jk, but I just wanted to get this chapter out there so I could build up tension and suspense. WHO COULD THIS MYSTERY MAN BE? Alright, I love everybody who's been following and reading and favoriting it, y'all are great. 3
Disclaimer: I don't own any of Frozen, don't work for Disney and this is a not for profit fanwork. Thank you for reading.
"Where's the Queen Dowager? It's been almost a few days since we've seen her last."
Hans shifted, uncomfortable with lying when Elsa would have his head on a platter if she knew he was. "She's been sending letters and planning our wedding these past few days."
"That doesn't mean she has to be locked away from everyone else."
Hans put up his hands. "It's just how she likes it."
That young guard that had caught Hans trying to escape only a week before came barreling into the room. "Milady, there's a guest here looking for you. A blonde giant of a man."
Elsa nodded, confused. "Thank you, Jansen. You may resume your post."
She looked to Hans, as if expecting him to join her going into the main atrium of the Castle. He offered her his arm and she took it. They both had decided it was best to keep up appearances for the general public, even if the whole thing was a lie.
Jansen had not been kidding; the man in the hall was remarkably tall and clad in a motley assortment of furs, all coated in a thick amount of snow. His hair was a honey blonde, and tied back as if he had not cut it in years. His beard, however, was shorn close to the skin, graying in streaks.
"My queen." His voice was rough, as if unused, but he genuflected just the same as any other subject, if not with more respect than the average citizen.
"Rise, and tell me your name." Elsa spoke, commanding.
"Bjorgman. That's what everyone calls me, my queen."
"Ah.. Alright, Bjorgman? Whats your business here?"
"Prince Hans of the Southern Kingdom, is he here?" Bjorgman looked around, just passing by Hans.
"That's me." He answered, as Bjorgman turned to look at Anna and Kristoff who had just entered the building from outside, where they looked like they just had a recent tumble in the snow, both their faces red as if they had exerted themselves outside, or it was because they weren't expecting an entourage to welcome them back from their romp outside.
"Princess Anna," Elsa called, gesturing for her to approach, "and her husband, Earl Kristoff, would like to welcome you to our kingdom."
Anna curtsied low, and Kristoff bowed. But it was Kristoff who Bjorgman could not take his eyes off of.
"Why was it you needed to find me?" Hans spoke up from beside Elsa, squeezing her hand.
Bjorgman's eyes flicked back to him. "Same red hair as your father, and same green eyes."
Hans was more than just a little confused as well. "You knew my father, I'm assuming?"
Bjorgman clapped a hand down on his shoulder hard enough to sting."Knew him? I grew up with him! Don't you recognize your own brother?"
His face twisted. "What? Meinhard? Is that really you?" He knew the face looked familiar, and he realized now it was because that same childish smile was on the face of a young man in a painting that hung in his father's study.
He enveloped Hans in a bone crushing hug. "I half feared you wouldn't remember me."
Elsa could not tear her eyes from Hans or his brother. "What about 'Bjorgman'? Where did that name come from?"
Hans held his brother out at arms length, getting a good look at him.
"A friend I once knew had that name." He nodded gravely. "Took it out of respect. That and I didn't want any of you finding me until I was good and ready to be found." He hugged Hans tightly once more. "Now I hear you are to be married, little brother?" Meinhard looked to Elsa. "This must be the beautiful bride." She flushed despite herself and some part of her knew it was just flattery; one of the major exports of the Southern Isles it seemed.
"She's my beautiful bride, brother." Some of that jealousy Hans held deep inside began to show.
"And I wouldn't dream of stealing her away. She looks like she loves you plenty. It would be rude of me to break that up."
That made Elsa's face heat up worse. That wasn't even true.
Anna, always the one who loved a good story, led the party to another room to sit and warm themselves by the fire. Meinhard began to regale them with the tale of how he journeyed through the forests and mountains 'til he reached Arendelle. Hans was bored out of his mind, and kept dozing off.
Elsa didn't notice until he had laid his head on her shoulder. For some unknown reason, she didn't wake him, instead she just ran her fingers through his hair and let him rest. She knew he more than needed it.
Anna listened rapturously, never one to miss a good story.
But it was Kristoff whose eyes never left the mountain man in front of him. He sat ramrod straight, at rapt attention, the entire time. He felt as if every time Meinhard looked at him and met his gaze, there was a connection. Somewhere deep down he recognized him, but could not consciously place him. Maybe if he listened more, the answer would become clear.
Anna seemed to have noticed it too. Something about the way the man spoke and presented himself, seemed remarkably familiar. She glanced to Kristoff and squeezed his arm a bit tighter than necessary to get his attention.
Barely pulling his eyes away from the mountain man, he glanced to his wife out the corner of his eyes. "What is it?"
Hans had placed a gloved hand gently on Elsa's lap as he slept, hand bunching around the fabric on her thigh as he dreamed. If she didn't realize he had been sleeping and not just faking, she would have him again. Maybe ruin his other ear this time. Instead she covered his hand with her own, and squeezed gently, prying his hand off of her skirt, and holding it. She could feel where his fingertips had been removed, under the thin leather. To anyone just looking at them, it would have looked like just an ordinary act of affection, but Elsa knew it was just out of necessity. She hoped Hans would see it as the same.
Anna glanced to the mountain man, who had just finished up his story and was drinking some hot chocolate brought in by one of the newer servants, since Gerta had taken leave for a few days. "I feel as if I've met him before.."
Kristoff's eyes widened, realizing both he and his wife felt the same. "So do I."
Hans stirred, only for just a moment, lifting his head and looking to his brother. Meinhard met his gaze, watching them. His expression had softened, seeing them like that.
Elsa covered Hans' cheek affectionately with her hand, frost tickling down the back of his neck, to get him to wake up. It wasn't visible to the mountain man, or at least she hoped not. "I apologize. The prince has not been well recently.
"My queen is so worried about me, wouldn't you say?" Hans brushed his lips against her cheek, and she had to fight the urge to push him away with her opposite hand.
"I'm glad my little brother had found love at last." Meinhard sounded weary. "But I must be going." He stood up, towering over all of them and throwing the room into shadow.
Anna stood as well, sounding a little jumpy. "You must be tired after such a long journey. Perhaps you should.. stay here for a little while longer?" She looked to her sister, a weak smile crossing her face. "Right, Elsa?"
The queen looked to Hans as if confirming whether or not they wanted him there, but really, it was Elsa's choice alone. "We would love for you to stay here as a guest of the kingdom."
Meinhard let out a soft exhale and sat back down. "I guess I'll stay, if it means so much to the brother I've not seen since he was born. In almost thirty years, is it?"
Hans squeezed Elsa's hand tight enough she thought it would break. "Why don't you stay for the wedding as well?"
His brother raised an eyebrow. "When is this wedding?"
Both Hans and Elsa answered in unison: "The first day of Winter."
Not expecting it, they looked at each other. Hans was more incredulous, since he had thought up that date alone on the spot, and the same went for Elsa.
The mountain man laughed, "Not even married yet and they're on the same wavelength."
Hans' grip on her hand relaxed, and he let out a soft laugh as well. "Of course. Elsa and I are so close, we could finish each others'.."
"Sentences." Elsa finished for him.
Anna tensed for a moment, but relaxed as soon as Kristoff covered her hand on his arm with her own.
