Chapter 10
"Who the heck is Lady Alexandra?" Anna said, breaking the momentary silence. She looked at Elsa who appeared as equally clueless.
Elsa stepped up to Hans' cell and stood on a spot where the moon shone upon from a small window. Illuminated by the pale spotlight, Hans properly gazed upon the splendor of the Queen's beauty for the first time, and his emotions were rattled unnervingly - something he hadn't experienced in a long time.
"Explain," Elsa sternly demanded, her icy-blue eyes peering down filled with resentment.
Despite the malice in Elsa's stare, Hans grinned, clearly amused by the high curiosity the sisters showed in their unexpected guest.
"She's… just a friend, in a sense," Hans explained, his smooth expression twisting slightly as he spoke. "She's actually my brother's fiancé," he finished, his eyes darkening somewhat.
"This all doesn't make any sense," Anna butted in. "What girl - or anybody really - would want to be friends with you?" Anna looked truly perplexed at the idea of Hans having any sort of semblance to a friend. "And if this, Lady Alexandra, considers you a buddy as you claim, then she has to be as diabolically nuts as you are." Anna concluded, as she paced before Hans' cell like a shark wary of its prey.
"Hmm, she's not nuts, but she's not quite sane either. A bit odd, I must admit," Hans said and shrugged his shoulders with a faint smile still lingering on his face. "But really, I'm positive my brother just wants to further insult me by sending his fiancé to fetch me. It is just his way of saying I'm not worth his time," Hans spat, his lips curling from a secret thought passing through his mind.
"Can't blame him," Anna muttered.
"You're not telling us something," Elsa stated. "I'm sure, Lady Alexandra, hasn't come all this way just to accompany you home."
"There's nothing to tell," Hans chuckled. "It's just like I said. She is simply my brother's fiancé," Hans answered, and stared at Elsa. His eyes then swiveled in Anna's direction. "I can see the photo I've taken of you two has been retrieved." Hans sighed, as he gazed at the picture in Anna's hand. "Happy? You've won. Now, just let me out so Lady Alexandra can take me back to the Southern Isles," he added, tiredly, and hung his head. Although, there was no mistaking the bright glint still prevalent in his eyes.
"Come on, Elsa," Anna scoffed. "Do you really believe a word this idiot is telling us after all the times he's lied?"
"Well…" Elsa paused, thinking of what the best course of action would be. She never thought she'd end up in such a predicament all because she decided to wear a suit instead of a dress to a stupid ball. "We can't expect to just keep him here, Anna," Elsa reasoned. Elsa hated the idea of freeing Hans, but now that he was no longer a threat, there really was no reason to keep him locked up.
"B-but," Anna stammered. "He might just come back with another dastardly plan! Once a villain, always a villain," Anna grumbled, and folded her arms across her chest. "And this Lady Alexandra's background sounds like a character profile out of one of those bad murder mystery novels. Something just doesn't sit right with me."
Elsa bit her bottom lip and looked at Hans as she tried to foresee the future. Maybe, Anna was right. Should she risk releasing Hans? What would mom and dad do? Elsa thought as her eyes flitted back towards Anna. They'd probably execute him - I definitely know dad would, but mom…
Elsa sighed. "Release him," Elsa said, to the guard, making up her mind.
Anna turned to Elsa with her mouth hung open in shock. "What? Elsa!" Anna cried out. "You're actually giving this snake his freedom back?"
Elsa fully understood why Anna would be angry with her decision, so she decided to stay silent. Instead, Elsa looked down at Hans kneeling on the floor and said, "Count yourself lucky I don't order my guards to execute you right now."
Upon hearing Elsa's threat, a flash of fear passed in Hans' eyes.
"But heed my words," Elsa continued, "If I so much as see a flash of your face and sideburns in our kingdom again, I will personally be the one to end your life. Understood?" Elsa glowered at Hans, showing him she meant what she said.
Hans clenched his jaw, but his expression remained neutral. "Understood," he said, evenly. His eyes turned to the floor as the guard unlocked his shackles. The metallic cuffs clacked loudly once they hit the ground, and Hans could finally stand himself up.
He rubbed his sore wrists, but he no longer exuded his usual cocky amusement.
Elsa turned to the guard and said, "Please, inform Lady Alexandra we will be right up to meet with her."
The guard bowed and made his way out of the prison without another word.
Anna stood off to the side, clearly perturbed by Elsa's decision.
Hans took a step out of his cell, and he stood before the two sisters. A slow smile crept across his face. "Would it be inappropriate to say, I actually had a good time tonight? Queen Elsa cross-dressing, devious scheming, and even a personal knockout from the princess herself! Hope we can do it again sometime," Hans finished with a flourish, and his obnoxious grin was now fully back.
Anna stepped up to him, with fire smoldering in her eyes. Despite the fact that Hans was taller, appeared to have no effect on Anna as she growled, "You're just damn lucky, Elsa, is here to hold me back. If she wasn't…" Anna paused, and Hans took a step back. "Let's just say I'd do something very, very terrible not only to your sideburns, but to another part of you that's just as equally useless."
"Anna," Elsa said, gently grabbing Anna's shoulder, and the younger girl turned to her.
"Elsa, it's not too late to just throw him back in the cell, throw away the key, and tell this Lady Alexandra we never even saw him. Hans who?" Anna said, shrugging her shoulders.
"He's no threat to us, Anna," Elsa said, placing her hands upon Anna's shoulders. "He's just a coward who caught a break tonight," Elsa assuredly said, and the doubt in Anna's eyes faded somewhat as she stared at Elsa's confident expression.
"Okay," Anna sighed, looking up into Elsa's eyes. "I trust your decision, Elsa."
Elsa's stomach lurched and she began to grow wary of the future. What if she ended up being wrong and her decision will come back to haunt her? No, she would make sure Hans would never be a threat to them - especially Anna - again.
Elsa retained her calm and cool composure and nodded gratefully to Anna's acquiescence. Anna smiled fondly at Elsa, but her smile turned into a frown when Hans suddenly spoke again.
"I'm sorry to disturb yet another fluffy moment, but shall we proceed upstairs?" He smiled toothily, and it took all Anna had not to sock him again.
"Yes, let us take out the trash, Anna," Elsa aloofly said, and walked ahead.
Anna followed behind Elsa as they made their way out of the prison. While they proceeded down the long hall, Anna would turn around to point and laugh silently at Hans as if to say, 'Ha! My sister called you trash!' Anna then silently moved her mouth to enunciate her new nickname for Hans, 'trashy sideburns'.
Hans did his best to ignore Anna's grade school-like teasing by looking the other way, while scratching self-consciously at his sideburns.
Now upstairs, the bright lights were a stark contrast from the dim lights of the palace's jail. It took a few seconds until Elsa's eyes readjusted to the brightness. From a distance, Elsa could vaguely make out the figure of a woman standing patiently in the center of the ballroom with her own huge bodyguard standing behind her.
There was something quite mesmerizing about the woman, Elsa couldn't help but think. But when they approached the woman and stood in her vicinity, something about her aura made Elsa uncomfortable and Elsa could not figure out a specific reason why.
"How do you do, Queen Elsa," Lady Alexandra courteously said, and curtseyed with her trailing red dress. She repeated the same gesture to Anna.
The sisters were struck silent by her alluring presence - yes, she was stunning, but an undeniable unsettling effect pervaded around her.
"There you are, Hans," Lady Alexandra said, as if scolding a child, turning to Hans who trailed behind Anna. "Your brothers all assumed you must have run off and got married," she said, jokingly.
Anna snorted, and Elsa elbowed her lightly.
"Ouch," Anna softly muttered behind Elsa. "That hurt, Elsa," Anna whined into Elsa's ear.
Lady Alexandra turned her attention back to Elsa and Anna. "My," Lady Alexandra gasped. "Forgive me for being so bold, but you two are so much more beautiful in person," she commented, smiling warmly while playing wither her sleek black hair.
Elsa and Anna blushed simultaneously from the sudden compliment.
"All I've seen, were painted portraits of you two on flyers around the kingdom, but the artists really did not do you both justice - much more beautiful in the flesh," Lady Alexandra, concluded, her hazelnut - nearly golden - eyes gazing fondly at the sisters.
Elsa coughed uncomfortably, and Anna looked away shyly - clearly not used to such showering praises.
Hans snickered and said, "Come now, Lady Alexandra, you know better than to exaggerate."
Elsa and Anna glared at Hans, and Hans stepped back fearfully. Lady Alexandra quickly diverted the sisters' attention back to her.
"Please, excuse Hans," Lady Alexandra said, while giving Hans a reprimanding look. "He can be quite pig-headed when he wants to be."
"Pig-headed doesn't even begin to describe him," Anna mumbled, and shot Hans another threatening glare.
Lady Alexandra was now looking at Elsa with a slight smile on her face. Elsa's shoulders - hell, her entire body - tensely stiffened as their eyes met. "I apologize if he's been a nuisance," Lady Alexandra began. "His brothers are awfully busy, so they decided who more capable to reel back such a troublesome boy other than myself," Lady Alexandra said, her strong-willed personality shining through her initial soft persona.
"Bruno," Lady Alexandra called out to the silent guard behind her. The hulking guard automatically grunted and proceeded to grab Hans as easily as he would a piece of paper.
"H-hey!" Hans cried out, kicking his legs in the air as Bruno lifted him easily off the ground.
Lady Alexandra laughed - a little too hard - at Hans continuing to flail helplessly in Bruno's arms. She was laughing so hard, a few tears fell from her eyes and down her cheeks as she doubled over, clearly out of breath.
Elsa and Anna looked at each other as if to say, 'What the fuck?' They couldn't think of an odder sight they've seen. True, seeing Hans manhandled by a large behemoth was pretty amusing, but not so much as Lady Alexandra seemed to think so.
"This girl seems a little… off," Anna whispered into Elsa's ear.
Elsa gave a slight nod in agreement, and continued to stare at the scene before them - completely weirded out.
After some time, Lady Alexandra stopped laughing, and her demure expression returned. She coughed, "Pardon me, I find it hard to control my laughter sometimes."
Bruno tossed Hans over his wide shoulder and Hans thrashed against his hold.
"Lady Alexandra! Tell this brute to let me down!" Hans yelled out, and pounded his fists against Bruno's back, but Bruno didn't seem to feel his punches not even in the slightest.
"No, Hans, you've been a naughty boy, therefore, you must be treated as such," was all Lady Alexandra said, but Hans continued to struggle against Bruno.
Elsa and Anna didn't say anything - they just stared at Lady Alexandra nervously.
"Thank you for your time," Lady Alexandra spoke to the two sisters, and curtseyed again. She then looked around the empty ballroom and said, "Shame I missed the party. I bet it was lots of fun." She sighed, and continued, "Oh well, at least I still got to meet the queen and princess of Arendelle." She stared specifically at Elsa as she spoke, and Elsa gulped nervously. Elsa became increasingly edgy as time passed within this woman's presence.
"By the way, Queen Elsa, I love the suit you're wearing," Lady Alexandra said, her eyes shining like a fan girl as they surveyed Elsa up and down.
Crap. Elsa completely forgot she was still in her man-like ensemble. She must think I'm some recreational cross-dresser now.
"Although" Lady Alexandra interrupted Elsa's thoughts, "I wish I had a chance to see you in one of your trademark dresses - the silhouette of a dress accentuates your assets much more than a suit," Lady Alexandra said, suggestively.
Elsa blushed and pulled uncomfortably at the collar of the jacket.
Anna gave Lady Alexandra a reproachful stare, while protectively linking her arm with Elsa's.
"Well," Lady Alexandra, sighed." I suppose it is time to take my leave," she said, feeling Anna's intense stare on her. "Farewell, Queen Elsa. Princess Anna."
She turned to her bodyguard. "Come, Bruno. Let us return home before that awful storm earlier returns."
Bruno grunted and followed behind Lady Alexandra with Hans still thrashing on his shoulder while cursing profusely.
Elsa and Anna stared with wide eyes as the trio left. They turned to face each other and blinked once, and then twice, not sure to make of what just happened.
"Well… that was… interesting," Anna said, trying to decipher what she just saw.
Now that Lady Alexandra was gone, the air was lifted from a tension she permeated, but Elsa still felt uneasiness beneath her skin.
"Did Lady Alexandra seem a little… eccentric to you, Anna?" Elsa said, still looking at the doors the bizarre woman just exited from.
"Eccentric? More like loony," Anna corrected. "And did you see the way she was looking at you as if you were a piece of meat. Ugh."
"I'm sure she was just awestruck by my status," Elsa reasoned.
"Yeah, sure," Anna scoffed, "Her eyes were just all over your status," Anna said, obviously jealous.
"May I remind you, she's engaged to a man, Anna. I'm sure awkward females are not of interest to her," Elsa sighed.
"Being engaged to a man, doesn't mean she doesn't have other interests," Anna persisted.
Elsa was growing tired of Anna's focus on Lady Alexandra. "Look, Anna," Elsa softly said, pulling Anna in close to her, which elicited a surprised yelp from the redhead. "Whether she has an interest in me or not, shouldn't make you feel threatened. You know how I feel about you, Anna."
Anna pouted and turned the other way, blushing. "I know, I'm sorry. She's obviously missing a screw or two, but she's just so beautiful and…"
What? That's what's got you so insecure? But…
"But Anna, I love you," Elsa professed, and kissed Anna's forehead.
Anna sighed happily and whispered, "I love you too, Elsa."
Anna shut her eyes momentarily as she tried to suppress an oncoming yawn.
Elsa took notice to Anna's exhaustion and said, "Come on, Anna, it's late. We should get to bed."
Anna's eyes lit up, "Are you saying I can finally sleep over?" Anna asked, moving in close to Elsa.
Elsa was caught off guard by the suggestion. "Um… well, if you'd like," Elsa shyly offered.
Anna smiled and grabbed Elsa's arm. "After such a crazy night, I think we deserve some rest," Anna winked at Elsa, and Elsa cleared her throat nervously.
The two then proceeded to walk with their arms linked together out of the ballroom. Even though Elsa's stomach was filled with butterflies as a result of the way Anna was holding onto her, an underlying feeling of dread refused to be shaken from the pit of her stomach.