This will be quite treat for all you Helsa fans. Oh, and you might hate me at the end of the chapter.
With the first sunlight, the people of the Arendelle castle were already busy for the new day - servants were making breakfast or cleaning up, the recruits were running towards the training grounds in order to be on time for the morning drill and the stable boys were cleaning out the stables and feeding the horses. Amidst the activities, Kristoff arrived with his sled full of harvested ice - ever since the queen appointed him the new Ice Master and Deliverer, his work had doubled. Not only did he represent the ice harvesters when Elsa was making new decisions regarding the trade of reindeer pelts and meat, but he was also still responsible for the ice quota. The suddenly increasing workload caused the young man to stay for a far longer period up in the mountains. While normally he wouldn't have minded that much (after all, reindeers were better than people), he now found himself missing that social contact.
Especially contact with the ardellian princess. The queen had allowed Kristoff to court her sister, be it with the warning not to break her sister's heart like Hans had done. While Anna was grumbling about her sister's distant cold behavior towards Kristoff, the young ice harvester understood the queen all too well.
"She didn't get to know me like you did." hushed Kristoff the firey princess down. "And your last suitor didn't exactly have good intentions."
"But I've learned my lesson! I know you are not Hans!"
"No, I'm not. But she's just weary and concerned for you, Anna - and understandably so. Would you rather that she weren't and shut the door?"
"No, certainly not." admitted Anna.
"Just give her time, ok?" smiled Kristoff as he put his arms arround her and pressed a kiss on her forehead. "She'll come arround."
"I wish I could be as patient as you." muttered Anna as she placed her head on his chest.
"There you go, Sven." Kristoff gave his friend a carrot, before taking another one and biting a piece off it himself. Along with the warning, Elsa had asked to stop "sharing his meal with Sven". Since she had asked it politely and since Kristoff wished to prove to Anna's sister he was not just a smelly brute, Kristoff had obliged and strained from sharing his carrot wtih Sven. The ice harvester led the reindeer into the stables only to frown at the companion next to Sven's place. "Hello?" asked the man soothingly as he went carefully to the hazelnut horse. "It is alright, Sven is not going to hurt you with his antlers." went Kristoff on when the horse kept on whinning and trampling arround his place. Kristoff frowned at the horse' behavior. "Okay... uhm... Sitron." saw the ice harvester when he looked at the name plate. "Just... calm down. I'm a friend-whoah!" the ice harvester backed away when the horse suddenly went on his two hooves and took the door down. "Easy boy! Easy!"
But the horse wouldn't calm down - on the contrary it became more and more agitated by the second as it galloped arround him as if... as if he wanted to show him something. Kristoff knew better than to ignore an animal's instinct and followed the horse towards a dark little ally. "I'm sorry Sitron." said Kristoff apologetically as he watched arround. "I don't see-" Kristoff felt the horse's head nuzzle against his shoulder. And when the blonde man looked once more, his heart stopped. "O my god." whispered the ice harvester, for a moment frozen on the spot as he saw the limp, bloodied body of Prince Hans - nearly invisible to the eye amidst the dark shadows. "Hans! Hans can you hear me?!" The ice harvester sought for his knife and quickly put it against the prince's nose. He was still breathing, sighed Kristoff in relief when he saw his breath appear on the blade. Though, his breath was very uneven. The man placed his strong hands upon Hans' bloodied stomach and winced when he felt the squeashing sound of blood when his hand touched the wound. He needed to close them before he bled to death, but he couldn't do this on his own. And to heave him up and get him to the doctor? Moving him right now could cost him his life. So, the man screamed at the top of his lungs for help, all while trying to keep the wounds closed. "HEEEELP! HEEELP COME QUICKLY!"
"Sir Kristoff?" A lieutenant had heard Kristoff's cries and had come to check on him. "What is the matter- Fetch the doctor to come to the east side, quickly!" The man wasted no time when he saw the bloodied man and called his fellow guards. "Prince Hans is hurt!" The man refrained from saying "stabbed" or "wounded" - gossip travelled like fire and in this tense political mess, one had to be careful with words. After seeing that his men were carrying out his command, the lieutenant knelt next to Kristoff to aid in ceasing the blood loss. "How is he? Sir? Kristoff!" snapped the guard when he saw the glassy look of the ice harvester. The man knew this look all too well: he was going into shock. Being more experienced in seeing blood and death, the lieutenant had none of those symptoms. "Kristoff. Look at me. Everything is going to be alright. Just tell me how you found him. Was anyone here? Did you see who did it?" asked the lieutenant gently.
"No... I found him. Like this." said Kristoff in an indifferent voice - it was a coping mechanism, knew the lieutenant. But the hit would come much, much later. "He's dying. Dying. He's dying." muttered the ice harvester on.
"No, he's not." hushed the guard as he took him by his arms - other collegues had taken over to try and keep the wounds closed with hands or clothing. "Bjorn, bring him to his chambers and get Princess Anna to stay at his side." Right now, Kristoff needed to be surrounded by the people he loved. It would do him no good if he kept dwelling on what he had seen. The lieutenant turned arround to see a light-colored green uniform amidst the dark-green purple ones. "Recruit!" The lieutenant blaffed as he took the young lad out of the surrounding soldiers. "This is no place for someone as young as you." went the man on as he took the struggling lad out in the open.
"Let me go to him you sick bastard! I know him!" yelled Agnarr at the top of his lungs as he clawed and tugged to get free - another coping mechanism, knew the older man, was to fight instead of freezing like Kristoff had in such a situation. As Agnarr kept on cursing and demanding him to let him go to Hans, the lieutenant had enough - shock or not. "Pull yourself together, recruit!" bit the lieutenant as he slapped the boy across the cheek. That seemed to get Agnarr out of his violent state of mind. "There. Are you calm?"
"Yes, sir."
The lieutenant frowned at his respons. "Agnarr" said the man as he forced the boy to look into his eyes. He knew that look - one that stood full of hatred and determination for revenge. "Agnarr, are you calm?"
The crazed murderous look diminished. "Yes.. yes sir." breathed Agnarr out as his body suddenly felt pained and tired.
"Alright. Now go and get the queen for me. Tell her what happened." went the lieutenant as if he were speaking to a young child.
"Yes sir." Immediately, Agnarr ran off and the lieutenant watched the young recruit vanish in the castle - he had asked him to get the queen so the lad had something to do, had some kind of purpose. Likewise with Kristoff, Agnarr would need to keep himself occupied, but where he could unleash his pent up agression and fear.
"Sir? Prince Hans.. he doesn't breathe anymore." came one of the guards to tell him.
The lieutentant felt chills crawl on his back. "God damnit." growled the man as he followed his collegue back to the prince.
"Your majesty! Your majesty!"
Elsa quickly opened the door at hearing Agnarr bouncing his fist at her door. "What is it? Has something happened to my sister? To Kristoff?" asked the queen when she saw the frantically breathing boy.
"Its Prince Hans, your majesty. He was stabbed."
"What?! When? By whom?" Elsa stopped herself from firing question after question. Calm yourself. Control yourself. Maybe.. maybe it was a minor flesh wound, said the queen to herself. Maybe...
"We don't know, your majesty" went Agnarr on with clattering teeth as the room became colder. And colder still, as ice began to spread not only behind the queen's trail, but on the walls and furniture as well. "Kristoff found him. He's brought to your sister to recover from the shock."
The queen forgot all protocol and ran downstairs with the recruit, all the way to the courtyard. "O my god..." Elsa practically shoved the guards aside to tend to the prince herself. "Hans! Hans can you hear me? How is he?" asked the queen to the lieutenant. The queen felt her stomach turn when the man shook his head. "No.." Elsa turned her eyes once more to the pale looking prince. "No, he can't.. you can't be dead!" spat the queen out as she cupped Hans' head. "You will not! I command it, you will not die on me!" Elsa's voice began to break and tremble as her other free hand went to his stomach. But she couldn't - she could command her subjects, she could command ice, but she had no command over life or death. Feeling his blood sticking to her hand was too much: the queen began to sob and cradle his body against hers, into caring if her dress, hands or face got full of blood.
"Your majesty... We have to bring him inside" said the lieutenant softly as he knelt next to her. "So his brothers don't find him here, in this cold ally, but on a proper bed."
"Yes.. Yes I know." said Elsa in between hiccups to get her tears under control. Gently, the queen laid the prince down on the ground once more. But when the guards made their move to heave him up, the queen stopped them. "Wait." Elsa's hands began to glow white-blue before frost began to appear arround the prince's body. Slowly, the blood was removed - not only from his skin, but from his clothing as well. With a final flick of her hand, the queen concentrated on the red lines that were his wounds. Slowly, ice began to penetrate into the prince's body to seal off his wounds. All that was left, were white-blue lines that were a reminder of how he had died. Upon seeing her work, the queen began to tear up once more. "You don't deserve such a death." whispered Elsa as she placed her hand on his chest. "Because you are more than the 13th son of a king - if not for your brothers, you are to me. Despite your mistakes, despite your crimes, I love-" Elsa startled when the words came so quick, so naturally, so crushingly true out of her mouth. But that was not the only reason why she stopped talking, because Prince Hans shot upright, with wildy disorientated eyes and uneven breath. Immediately, his eyes found hers and he felt her cold arms amidst the other guards on him to support him. He only uttered one word. "Elsa."
Elsa let out a choked relieved laugh when she felt his breath and heard his heartbeat thumping against her hand. Hans smiled back before slowly dropping his eyes in exhaustion. "Easy, I got you." whispered Elsa softly as the prince dared to close his eyes. Within a minute, he was asleep - his body was still recovering from the huge amount of blood loss and did whatever it could to spare itself. As the seconds passed, the queen suddenly became aware of all the men's eyes were settled on her and that the whole courtyard had gone eerily quiet. "Bring him inside." ordered the queen as a light blush came on her cheeks as she stood up from her knelt position.
Anna stopped herself from running inside Hans' chambers, not quite sure how she should behave, let alone if she should even enter. In the end, the princess decided to do the latter, only to stiffen at the sight before her.
Hans was laying unconcious in his bed, with an unhealthy sick tan and his chest bare. But even from afar, the princess could see where he had been stabbed - the lines were gruesomely clear. "Oh my god." the princess' hand flew to her mouth at the sight.
"Anna" She could hear her older sister speak, somewhere vaguely in the background as she kept staring to her former fiancé. "Anna!"
Blinking, Anna was managed out of her trance and finally looked to her older sibling. "Elsa... what.. I heard that he-"
"He's alright now." hushed Elsa her sister gently as she took her by the arms. Elsa followed her sister's gaze downwards, to her hands. Oh. It was only now that Elsa realized that her hands, arms and dress were under Hans' dried up blood. She must look as if she came from the grave. "It is not mine. It is Hans."
Anna's eyes travelled to the other guards whom were present - also coated in the prince's blood. "It is a miracle that he survived." stammered Anna as she noted just how much blood that must have been lost.
You have no idea, answered Elsa her sister silently. The queen felt strangely flustered and ashamed of what had transpired in the courtyard. True, they hadn't done anything scandalous: she had nearly said she loved- "It is. But we still need to watch over him - the next few days will be critical whether he makes it or not."
Thundering footsteps made the two siblings look up, to see Hans' brothers walk in the room.
"Sir, with so much people I can't concentrate-"
"We are his brothers!" snapped Christian to the doctor.
With a sigh, the man glanced to the guards and the ardellian royals. "Your majesties, could you retire alongside your men from these chambers?"
"Off course." nodded Elsa in understanding. But just as she were to leave, the twin brothers blocked their way out. "Sir, I need to get passed-"
"In a moment." came Caleb's commanding voice as he walked towards the queen. Immediately, the guards took a step closer for her and her sister's protection. "We need to talk right now."
Elsa narrowed her eyes. "You mistake yourself to be in your own country. While I can show empathy for your worries, you do not talk to me like that."
Caleb ignored her warning and cut straight to the chase. "Our brother nearly died. By your men."
"Your suspicions are incorrect. They may be my men, but they received no such order from me. I ordered to have a trial for him. Why would I come back on my word, spill his blood and then do anything in my power to save his life?" went Elsa on calmly.
Caleb trembled in anger - but she was right. Completely right. "Forgive me, your majesty. I didn't think clearly" apologized the eldest brother as his eyes turned once more to Hans. But when he turned his eyes to the sisters, Caleb's eyes settled on Anna. "You have shown that you can stay objective in these sort of situations. Which I can't say from your sister."
"Excuse me?" exclaimed Anna in shock and protest.
"Your sister acted outside your knowledge and told us about Hans' amnesiac condition. She made Hans remember. And if the rumors are true, she questions your authority left and right. Forgive me when I doubt your sister had nothing to do with this." snapped Caleb as he pointed to his bedridden unconcious brother. "She has the motive, she has the means."
"No! Elsa, no I didn't do this!" said Anna horrified at the accusation. "Please you have to believe me!"
Elsa measured her sister up and down before turning her head once more to Caleb. "Anna didn't do this." She could read her sister well - and the way she spoke, the way she acted was genuine.
"Did she? How sure are you? hm? It is clear you can't control her" said Caleb. When the queen didn't bulge from her spot, Caleb continued. "If you are denying to let us trial her, you are as much our enemy as she is." Caleb's hand curled arround the hilt of his sword and immediately, the ardellian guards did the same. The tension broke however, when they heard Hans groan.
"Hans! Hans, can you hear me? Who did this to you?" Lars, who was closest to his brother's side, immediately replaced the blankets on his head.
"Cutthroats..." rasped the prince out in a whisper. "they said... to come with me..."
"to whom?"
"Anna..." the prince fell unconcious once more and all the eyes turned on the ardellian princess.
"There is the proof." said Caleb as he turned his gaze back to Anna.
"No! I didn't do it!" screamed Anna with tears in her eyes. "Yes, I hate him. I admit to that." went the pleading princess on. "But I would never want him to die on my account."
"Trial. her." ordered Caleb with blazing eyes. "Like you would my brother." But once again, the queen kept stubbornly in front of him. A metallic sound echoed arround the room and everyone's heads turned to the triplets who had their swords in hand. Immediately, the ardellian guards followed their gesture.
"Try it." warned Elsa as her hands began to glow white-blue. "I dare you." To her surprise, Caleb spoke up once more.
"Stand down." bit the eldest to his siblings. Yes, he wanted to see princess Anna on trial, but that didn't mean he wanted to see blood flow - at least, not the blood of his brothers.
Reluctantly, they did as they were told. With a gesture from Elsa, her own guards stood down as well.
"If Hans dies, it is on your hands" bit Caleb to Anna before storming out of the chambers.
The trial was adjourned for another week by the queen so Hans had the time to recover. The real reason was a bit more sinister, and one she hoped would not come to pass: the trial was adjourned in case the accused would die within that crucial time period. Luckily though, it wasn't the case but the tension in the castle had reached its peak. One wrong word, and the threats would become reality.
To keep his hot-headed brothers from causing an all out war, Caleb ordered them to find Hans' assassins. The triplets were quite gifted in hunting and tracking - Now that the trail is still fresh they should make the most out of it. And who knows, maybe it could prove Anna's innocence. Caleb really, truly wanted to believe this but life had made him quite cynical towards others. Sure, Anna is a sweet girl - at first glance. But everyone has a dark side.
The eldest brother glanced outside when he heard familiar voices arrive on the courtyard. The triplets had returned with a few "packages" walking behind the horses. The eldest chuckled darkly when he saw the captured men walk barefoot - it was easy to spot, with all the bloody footprints that were appearing on the stones. That was but an appetizer for what was to come - no one messed with one of his brothers and got away with it.
Every time it was the same - he turned arround and could see the knives come towards him. But unlike before, it didn't stop. It continued, over and over and he just wouldn't die. God please let him die- Hans felt the knife against his throat and just as he saw the arm make his movement to slit his artery-
Hans jolted awake from his nightmare and immediately reached for his abdomen, his heart and throat to check if he was alright. Slowly, reality began to settle and Hans sighed, long and deep, to get his panting breath under control before landing once more into his cushion. The moment he did though, Hans noticed a blue figure next to him. Immediately his adrenaline returned.
"Hans, Hans easy! It is me, Queen Elsa!" said the queen gently when she saw Hans hypervilating once more.
Hans blinked to get his sight clearer, and the blue figure formed into the queen. "Your majesty?"
"Yes, it is me." Elsa paused, contemplating if she should ask or not. "You had a nightmare?"
Hans simply nodded.
"You want to talk about it?"
Hans winced when he relived the knives twisting into his stomach - it even seemed as if his wounds began to tickle at that thought. "No" whispered the prince. "Not yet."
Elsa nodded in understanding, knowing full well he needed time to process. It was only yesterday that Hans saw the men his brothers had brought in, to make sure it were truly the ones whom attacked him. Any hope for extra information was gone when they found it that the men's tongues had been burned out, leaving them unable to speak a word. "I swear, I make those men pay for what they did to you." vowed the queen with thin lips as she put her hand upon his.
Hans frowned at Elsa's tone. "Make them pay?" Such words he was used to hearing from his brothers and father. To hear it from the snow queen however, sent literally chills on his spine. "No. Don't."
"They nearly killed you" bit Elsa out with fire in her eyes.
"They said they did it for Arendelle. It was not for revenge, but for the safety of the people they have sworn to protect" Hans felt the queen's hand fall away, but stopped from letting her slip her hand completely out of his. "A ruler who kills those devoted, does not inspire devotion."
"They may be as devoted as they claim to be, the law is the law. They commited near regicide. The penalty for such crime is death by hanging."
"Then, you'll have to put me among them as well. I too committed treason and near regicide."
Elsa glanced in shock to the prince. "If I were to kill you, it would crush any possible friendship between the Southern Isles and Arendelle."
"It would be equal justice. No your majesty, listen to me!" ordered the prince as he kept her hand in his. "Sons will want revenge for the fathers you put to death. Their brothers, and their children will take revenge once you take them down. It will never end, likewise for your anger and wish for revenge. Me and my brothers are already too far down that path to be saved. Don't follow it. Once, I begged you on the north mountain, not to be the monster they fear you are." said Hans in uneven breaths - he was still weak and in his urgency, he lost control over his breathing. "I beg you this once more. Don't become like us. It is an easy path, yes. But one paved with so much pain. You've already had your share of that."
The fire in Elsa's eyes smoldered now. "I will let them live. At your request." spoke the queen with a stiff voice. "But they still disobeyed my orders. For that, they will be in prison for the rest of their lives."
He had managed to temper her wrath and Hans smiled, unconciously rubbing his thumb slowly on the skin of her hand. "Thank you, Elsa."
A smile now appeared on the queen's face too, but her face hardened when she noticed their hands linked together. "This changes nothing about your judgement" spat the queen as she broke the link and quickly stormed out of the room, unable to see his eyes any longer. Elsa closed the door behind her and placed her hand on her chest to try and stop her panting heart. Go away. But the queen found she couldn't: her feet were glued on the spot.
"I can't be what you expect of me
But they judge me every day for all I do and do not say
Here on the edge of the abyss
Knowing everything has somehow lead to this
And so I pull inside myself
Close the walls, put up my guard
I've dreamt every day for this
Yet why is it so hard?
Cause I can't show you
I'm not as cold as I seem
We're not meant to be, you and I
And it's dangerous to dream..."
Elsa turned arround and placed her hand upon the door. Slowly, it began to reach downwards to the knob.
"I know I'll never see that sunny day
When this trial is finally through
And it could just be me and you
I can't risk to see my reputation lost
And our secret relationship would give such a cost
If only I could open up this door
And say it to you, face to face
Yes, the queen can change the rules
But there are reasons they're in place"
Her hand fell back to her side and the queen closed her eyes to keep her tears at bay.
I can't be what you expect of me
And I'm not what I seem
But I would have loved to know you
Is it dangerous to dream?"
With a shuddering breath, Elsa took a step backwards and walked out of the hallway without looking arround.
I didn't originally plan to put "Dangerous to dream" into this chapter - I wanted to use it much later in the story, but I found this was turning point for Elsa that needed this song. I modified the lyrics so it fits the situation better. What I hoped to get across is that Elsa is torn between her love for Hans and her duty as queen. As queen, she knows that she needs to make sacrifices, but this is a very though one to swallow.
As for Hans: Yes, Elsa resurrected him from death with her magic. Since Elsa and Rapunzel are related, it is not unlikely that Elsa too has healing abilities. Think about it: both princesses can literally create life (For Rapunzel it is Eugene, For Elsa it is Olaf and Marshmallow).
