A/N: Hey everyone! I am so sorry this took so long to post. I hope it was worth it! I'd like to give a huge thank you and warm fuzzy to my friend MrAndersIversen. You are a loyal reader and a talented writer and amazing friend! If my lovely readers would take some time to read his story, Arendelle University, you would rock! If you do read his story message me tell me what you think and I might just shout out to you! Thanks to each and every one of you! This chapter contains a conversation that took place before the story started, but still after the events of Frozen. I put it in italics like I do when a character is thinking. Now onto the story!
"Anna!"
"Yes Elsa?"
"I'm sorry for last night. I didn't mean anything that I said."
"It's okay. You were right. I was meddling in issues that don't involve me. I'm the one who should be sorry. You are constantly under public scrutiny. You deserve to have a life that you lead personally."
"I think we were both in the wrong. I shouldn't have reacted so harshly. You are my sister, and I know you get worried about me. You had the right to ask."
"I just shouldn't have been so forceful about it. Are we okay?"
"Of course!"
"That's so great! I'm glad we're not fighting. As long as you aren't getting hurt then I shouldn't be so concerned, and if something makes you happy it obviously isn't hurting you. It's changing you. For the better." Anna yawned "Oh wow, I'm tired. I think I'm going to go to bed. Goodnight Elsa!"
"I love you, Anna."
"I love you too! I feel really bad about saying you had a frozen heart. I should never compare you to Hans. You're nothing like that murderous manipulative liar!" Anna hugged her sister. Elsa only half-heartedly returned the embrace. She was beyond happy that Anna and she had made up from their feud last night, but hearing Anna's hostile words about Hans reminded her why they fought in the first place. Sometimes Elsa all but entirely forgot that Hans tried to kill them. He was nothing like the man Anna remembered from a month ago. Now Hans was being himself and following his heart. He didn't let the fear of rejection stand in his way.
At least as far as she knew.
Elsa walked out to a balcony and leaned against the rail. She sighed to herself. She watched the sun as it set. The sun was a vibrant orange, but the sky around it was pale blue and filled with pastel pink and purple clouds. Elsa was lost in her deep in thoughts.
This is crazy. This time two months ago I didn't even know who he was. This time just one month ago my sister was in love with him, he tried to take over my kingdom, and kill us. And this time a week ago he was in prison and I was on my way to becoming depressed again. I haven't stopped thinking about him since Anna introduced us. Is that what true love is? Was I in love with him at first sight? Is that really why I didn't bless the marriage? I love him. I know that, but am I in love? Am I being selfish? After all my sister did love him first, but it didn't work out. Was that my fault? I wonder what would have happened had I blessed the marriage, but if I could I wouldn't change it. If I would have blessed the marriage I wouldn't have let Anna back into my life and I wouldn't have Hans. I love them both so much. I just wish I could tell her and she'd understand. How do you choose between the only love you've ever known and the only one who's always loved you?
Elsa was so confused. She loved Hans with all her heart and soul, but why was she so afraid to tell him? The best reasoning Elsa could come up with was that she knew if she admitted to Hans that she loved him that would mean their relationship was real and serious. To her own surprise she wasn't afraid of a serious relationship with Hans. What she was afraid of was eventually she'd have to tell Anna… and the rest of Arendelle. Much of Arendelle didn't understand why Elsa didn't banish him. She had explained it to her people by saying 'I perceive that the punishment this man shall receive in his homeland will be something much greater than banishment.' Anna had been furious that Elsa didn't sentence Hans to banishment. Elsa looked out at the darkening sky remembering the conversation she and Anna had about Hans' lack of banishment.
"How could you not banish him, Elsa?" Anna had said to her. Her turquoise eyes were glossy with almost tears.
"I've never banished someone before, and I…"
Anna cut her off, "Who better to start with than him?!"
"Anna, I just can't!"
"In case you forgot he tried to kill both of us! He's a complete sociopath. He's a danger to Arendelle. He's a danger to everyone!" She had said her voice raising a little every syllable.
"I think Hans learned his lesson. He probably won't have the audacity to return to Arendelle." Elsa said her voice staying at the same pitch and volume level.
"Learned his lesson? Elsa he isn't a child! He's a grown man, and an insane one at that! What if he comes back to Arendelle?!"
"Anna, I'm sorry. I understand how you must feel about this, but please understand that I cannot do it!"
"Why? Why can't you do it?"
Elsa looked up at her little sister with sad eyes "Because Hans saved my life."
"How could he have saved your life?"
"In my Ice Palace one of the ambassadors from Wesselton tried to shoot me with a crossbow. Hans intercepted the arrow so it wouldn't hit me. He brought me back to Arendelle safely. Then when I was locked up Hans was going to persuade them to let me go. If they would have found out that at the time I didn't know how to stop the winter they would have had me killed me, and you know that Anna."
"I see what you mean, but he still tried to kill you."
"To an extent I owe him my life." Elsa said in response.
"You owe him nothing!" Anna said full of aggravation. "Besides banishing him isn't killing him!"
"You know as well as I that if the severity of the punishment Hans' brothers give him will be based upon the severity of the punishment I give him. If I see it fit to remove Hans from my kingdom permanently because he's that big a disgrace then what's to stop his brothers from removing his life permanently because of his disgrace? If I don't banish him and just send him back to his own kingdom they might spare his life, and the way I see it a life for a life."
Anna glanced around the room. She avoided eye contact with her sister. "If that's how you see it I don't think I can change your mind." Anna sighed disappointedly and left her. It was the first time Anna left her alone. Elsa stood in her room alone. With Prince Hans on her mind.
Elsa left the balcony and went back inside the castle. Neither sister had mentioned that conversation since that day. Elsa glanced back outside her window, crossed her arms, and sighed. The sun had set and the sky was now a dark blue. I'll leave to see him soon. There's just one more thing I need to do. The Queen made her way down the hall. As she approached Kristoff's door she pressed her ear to the wood. She heard nothing, which was a first. Usually by this time of night you could hear Anna and Kristoff either up talking, or both snoring a little in their sleep. Anna didn't always sleep in Kristoff's room with him, but it was slowly becoming more and more frequent. She watchfully poked her head in the door. All she saw was Kristoff's empty, made bed. Elsa closed the door, and started to leave the castle. She was going to the only other place she thought Kristoff might be. On her way out she checked to see if Anna was in her room. Elsa smiled to herself as she looked at her sister splayed out across her bed.
Kristoff was in the palace stables feeding Sven a carrot, only to take a bite of it himself as well. He was exactly where Elsa thought he'd be. Elsa entered Sven's stable, "Hello Kristoff."
"Hi." Kristoff seemed a little uneasy, and Elsa understood why.
"It's beautiful out tonight." Elsa said look out at the night sky. It was a beautiful deep navy blue and covered in trillions of shimmery silver stars.
"Yeah it is." Kristoff turned his head up to the sky. "So, what brings you here?"
Elsa decided to be up front about it, "I know… I know you know about me and Hans."
"So, it's true?" Kristoff said. A part of him had still believed Hans was bluffing, but hearing Elsa say it would confirm what Kristoff desperately wished wasn't true.
"Yes, it is."
"Why would you forgive him? Isn't there a part of you that is scared he's just out to get Arendelle for his own?"
"I know that I should be, but I'm not. There isn't a doubt in my mind that the man who tried to murder me and my sister isn't who Hans really is."
"Are you sure?" Kristoff said putting his arm on Elsa's shoulder.
"Yes."
"How can you be so sure that he has really changed?"
"I can't. I can only pray I'm not wrong, but I believe him because I love him."
Kristoff's amber eyes widened. She loves him. "Please be careful with him. I still don't trust him."
"I will. I want to thank you for not telling Anna."
"I'm not doing it for him. I'm doing it for you and Anna. If she hears it from me and not you I know how much more it will hurt her, and I don't want to ruin your friendship."
"Thank you, Kristoff." Elsa grabbed a nearby lantern that was hanging on a nail over her head.
"He told me about you two meeting up in secret at night; are you going to see him?"
"Yes. Goodbye and thank you so much for everything!" Elsa turned to leave the barn.
"Elsa wait!" Kristoff called out. Elsa turned around, her blue eyes meeting his amber ones. "Do you like me, Elsa? I mean as a person?"
"Of course I do Kristoff! You're hard working, intelligent, kind, and I think you are perfect for Anna. You are exactly the grounded person that she needs." Elsa said meaning every word of it.
"Thank you, I know how much you mean to Anna, so getting your approval is everything." Kristoff said looking relieved.
"You're welcome. Good night Kristoff. Good night Sven." Elsa stroked Sven's warm fur. Elsa grabbed her lantern and left the barn. She headed down the forest path to the small cottage where Hans lived. Her pace slowly increased as she walked along the path. She was so excited to see Hans. He had taken sometime to come up with yet another surprise for her.
As Elsa approached the cabin she stopped dead her tracks, she felt her stomach drop. Her fingers released her lantern, and it smashed to the ground. Please tell me I'm not actually seeing this! Elsa stared at the still limp body that lied on the ground ten feet away from Hans' cabin. She sprinted forward. She covered her mouth and felt her throat grow tight. "No!" she whispered.
Hans was lying in a puddle of blood, near lifelessness. He was curled up and his arms were crossed clutching his stomach. Elsa could see his sleeves were drenched in blood. The bridge of Hans' small nose was bent as if it was broken. There were multiple patches of blood on his clothes. He was extremely pale. Elsa dropped on her knees beside Hans' body. "No, no, no, no." Elsa said repeatedly, tears trickling down her face. She pressed her ear to Hans' chest. He still had a weak faint heartbeat. She the pressed two fingers to his wrist. His pulse was feeble but still there. He's still alive!
She removed her gloves as she turned Hans over on his back. She slowly unbuttoned his blood stained white shirt. Who would do this? As she unbuttoned the last button and opened the shirt she stared in complete revulsion at the deep stab wound above Hans' navel. She quickly averted her eyes; she couldn't bear to see him injured. Gathering her strength she lifted Hans up and carried him inside the cabin. She tenderly placed his body on the sofa.
She filled a bowl with warm water and retrieved a rag. She went back to Hans' unconscious body. She opened his shirt again and forced herself to face his wound. Elsa wiped the tears from her face. She knew she didn't have the ability to save Hans. Elsa didn't bother trying to convince herself that he was going to be okay. She knew that Hans was going to die, and she accepted it. If Hans was to die though, she to be by his side in his last moments.
Elsa dipped her hands into the warm water. It felt strange compared to her arctic skin. She rung the rag out and proceeded to clean Hans' stab wound. She rolled up his pants legs and cleaned the blood from his legs. She buttoned his shirt again. She then began to lovingly clean the blood from Hans' face. Hans was monstrously pale, his face was bruised, and his nose was broken, but Elsa still thought he was handsome. She laid down beside him and brushed a strand of rusty auburn hair away from his closed eyes. She stroked his cheek and traced her fingers across his freckles. She ran her fingers down his sideburns. She had always liked them, even though Anna once confided in her that she thought his sideburns were silly. They were unique; they only made Elsa love him more. He looked so peaceful and tranquil. She kissed his lips and whispered to him, "I love you." She laid her head down upon his chest; she closed her eyes and listened to his faded heartbeat.
Elsa laid quietly listening to his heart, knowing that he was holding on to what little life he had left. She thought of him. Her memories of the first time they made eye contact, the time he told he she wasn't a monster, the sad look in his eyes when he left Arendelle to return to The Southern Isles, the day she got him released from prison and banished, dancing around the ballroom on that very first night, him taking her sailing, their first kiss, and that night on the window sill when he had kissed her wounded palms. It all came back to her. I'm going to lose all that soon. He'll never understand how much he means to me, what all he's done for me, and how much I love him.
Elsa laid beside Hans in the last moments of his life. She held his hand and her head was on his chest. "I'm sorry I didn't protect you. I'm sorry I never told you what I was thinking. Now everything I wanted with you is over. I'm sorry you'll never know how much I love you. You'll never know that I'm in love with you." She whispered. Elsa didn't cry; she knew crying wouldn't save him.
She laid beside him and fell asleep as Hans' life slowly came to its end. Silently whispering "I love you" over and over again.
Elsa was awoken from her slumber to a hand touching her shoulder. She quickly jolted wide awake. Her heart was pounding. She tilted her head up and was looking right into Hans' beautiful, dazzling, lively green eyes. Her face was impassive as she stared at the man before her. Hans gave Elsa a genuine smile then timidly bit his lower lip. A wide smile broke across the Queen's face as she wrapped he arms around his shoulders and pulled him in close. "I thought you were dead." Elsa couldn't prevent the tears of happiness from streaming down her face.
Hans brought one of his arms up around Elsa to return the embrace. "So did I, my love, so did I." tears started to fall from the corners of his eyes. Elsa nestled her head into his neck; Hans buried his face in Elsa's hair. They both sat there crying together. Elsa was the first to end the embrace. She grabbed Hans by the collar pulled him in and passionately kissed him. Hans chuckled a little at the suddenness of it all, but he returned her kiss.
When they pulled apart she took Hans' face in her two hands. His cuts and bruises were mostly gone. He had a small scar above his left eyebrow where a deep wound had been. Elsa traced the freckle sprinkled bridge of his nose. It was straightened out. She gently poked it. He smiled at her. It wasn't broken anymore! She slid her hand up his shirt. She didn't feel a stab wound. She felt a scar. She slowly lifted his shirt. The couple marveled at the remarkable scar where Hans' wound had been.
The scar was shaped like a snowflake. They traced it with their fingers.
"I knew it!" Hans whispered in amazement.
"Knew what?" Elsa asked.
"This is proof that you saved me."
"No, I couldn't have. All my magic is ice! There's no way it could have saved you."
"What else other than your breathtaking magic could have done this?" Hans asked touching his scar.
"I… I don't know. I just don't understand how my magic could have done this."
Hans took Elsa's hands. He looked down at her with his big green eyes, "I don't care how it happened; I'm just grateful it did. This is the third time you've saved my life. I guess that makes you my guardian angel!" Hans kissed Elsa's nose.
"Third time?"
"You didn't banish me when you had the chance, and if you have done so Joseph probably would have had me killed. You rescued me from my prison cell, and now you've saved my life once more."
Elsa didn't say anything. She kissed him forcefully yet gently all at the same time. Hans was the first to stop their passionate embrace. He enclosed his large hands around her dainty one and led her to his bedroom. As soon as the door was closed he chuckled mischievously. He pressed his body up against hers. He wrapped one arm around her waist the other was pressed up against the wall, and he kissed her hungrily. Elsa started running her hands across his arms. As composedly as possible Elsa's fingers grazed the hem of Hans' shirt.
"What are you doing down there?" Hans asked planting a kiss on Elsa's neck. This made her sigh.
"This" Elsa proclaimed as she nervously started to pull his shirt off. He assisted her and tossed it aside. Once his shirt was on the floor Elsa stared at Hans' chest. He had just the right amount of muscle. His muscles were well sculpted. She ran her fingers over his chest. They were both breathing heavily and nervously. She pressed her nose into that small notch between his pectorals. With his shirt gone her nose fit even more perfectly.
Hans chuckled sheepishly and looked down at his bare chest, "I've never been really comfortable with my body." Hans started to turn a little bit.
"Why?" Elsa put her arm on his shoulder and turned him back, "It's perfect."
"Well, it is now." Hans placed Elsa's fingers on the snowflake scar.
Elsa blushed.
Hans looked into her eyes, "You're the closest thing to perfection I've ever known."
Elsa didn't know how to respond. She had never seen herself as perfect until now. Hans made her feel beautiful and perfect. He made her feel like she was someone worth loving.
Hans continued to kiss her. His hands had found the buttons on the back of her shirt. He timidly hovered his fingers over the top button. He stared into Elsa's eyes with a look that said 'May I?' Elsa gave him a small nod.
"Are you sure?" Hans asked.
"Yes."
Hans could feel Elsa tense up as he ever so gradually unbuttoned her dress. One button at a time. As he finished they slowly slid her dress down her shoulders. Elsa then stepped out of her dress; she kicked it aside over to Hans' shirt.
Elsa stood against the wall, wearing only a pale blue bra, a white corset, and a pair of pale blue underwear. Hans gasped.
"What?" Elsa asked crossing her arms.
"You're so beautiful!" Hans said, and Elsa believed him.
Hans kissed Elsa collarbone then traced his lips up her neck finally ending on her lips. Elsa giggled as she started unbuckling Hans' belt. She looked up into his eyes, and he nodded at her with a big goofy grin on his face. Elsa tossed his belt aside. Hans picked her up. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist. He carried her to his bed.
The lovers continued kissing each other's bodies. Their hearts pounding with a delicious mix of fear and anticipation. One by one pieces of clothing covered Hans' bedroom floor. They kissed every inch of each others' skin. They worshipped each other. Before they could get carried away the couple came to a consensus that they weren't going all the way.
After several hours of intense kissing Hans was only in his boxers and Elsa was only in her pale blue underwear. Elsa was asleep in Hans; arms. Elsa was asleep facing Hans; his arms were wrapped around her waist. Their bare chests up against each other. Hans loved being like this with Elsa, and not because of her bare skin. He loved it because he has closer than he had ever been to the one he loved most, his guardian angel. When he had his arms around her he felt safe. He felt like nothing could touch him. He brushed a strand of white hair away from Elsa's angelic face. He kissed her nose.
Hans sighed. He pressed his forehead against hers. "I love you so much." Hans said aloud. Elsa eyes fluttered open. "I love you too."
Nothing else was said for the rest of the night by either lover. They fell asleep in their arms. As they drifted off into sleep they both thought the same thing.
You don't know how much you mean to me, my guardian angel.
Some people are meant to cross paths. It doesn't matter what you do fate will pull you two together
Their wasn't a doubt in either of their minds that they were destined to be together. It may not look right to anyone else, and it may not always be easy, but I always felt right.
A/N: My longest chapter ever! This chapter was by far the hardest to plan, and I promise you eventually it will be explained exactly how Elsa saved Hans. The next chapter will hopefully be up a whole lot quicker than this one was! That's all for now my dears! Thanks for reading!
