A/N: I just want to say again that I really appreciate everyone's support and I wouldn't have made it this far if it weren't for your reviews and follows. I think everybody will really like this chapter, and since the next one is really long, I'm probably going to wait a while to post it (hopefully get ahead again since you guys are catching up to what I've got written!) Anyway, if anyone has something they'd really like to see happen in this story, feel free to give some input. I can't promise that I'll do it, but if there's any really good ideas I might snap one up :)

"Come on Elsa, try it again." Hans' voice sounded anything but patient, even though she knew he had been overly patient with her. But something about having him as her teacher made it even more difficult for her to concentrate. But he seemed quite insistent on it, so every time she made a mistake or stumbled over a word, he was there, breathing on her neck as he leaned over her shoulder.

Elsa stumbled through the sentence again, most of her concentration going towards keeping herself from freezing the book through her gloves. Hans was apparently pleased enough with her pronunciation, and he stepped away again. Half a page and three mistakes later, Elsa couldn't take anymore. She shut the book and set it aside.

"I think that's enough for today." She decided. Hans opened his mouth, looking ready to argue. She sent him an icy glare and his mouth snapped shut.

"Of course. I forget my place." His head nodded in respect to her. Once again with his insolent mockery of respect. His words were smooth enough, his actions flawless. But she caught it in the inflections in his voice, the briefest look in his eye as he turned away. He had not forgotten his place, and saying so was only his reminder to her that he cared little for 'his place'. If it weren't so unladylike, Elsa might have slapped the look off of him.

"It is a common mistake of yours." She said coolly, settling to play his little game of practiced words and veiled jabs.

"Maybe I just think you're cute when you're angry."

Elsa drew back with an affronted look, not sure how to even respond to such blatant mockery. She tried to form a rebuttal, but only found a blush rising to her cheeks. How dare he!

Hans laughed. "Yes, that's the look. Your eyebrows pucker and your mouth gapes open, then your cheeks get all flushed, which is all too obvious with your pale skin. Then your nose kind of scrunches up, like a button." He rocked back on his heels, looking far too pleased with himself. Elsa snapped her mouth shut and did her best to smooth her face into an unreadable mask.

"I don't care for your tone, Prince Hans. Please keep from spouting such forward talk in the future." Her hand flicked in a dismissive gesture, telling him he could leave. From the corner of her eye, she could see that he didn't more. Her eyes rose again, seeing that he was looking at her with a rather amused glance.

"Kristoff invited me to go with him on his next trip." He announced.

That caught her attention, and it caught her off guard. She could only wonder what exactly Kristoff was planning, knowing that he probably trusted Hans the least of all of them. And he consistently made threats about Hans to her and Anna. She didn't know whether to warn Hans or encourage him.

"You know that he harvests ice, don't you?" She settled for. Somehow the picture she had of Kristoff in the mountains, working hard labor alone, didn't seem right picturing Hans there as well. She'd hardly ever seen him do anything that could be considered manual labor. Obviously he had, especially in the time that he'd gone home and been sentenced to the life of a slave. Yet rather than laughing off the notion that he would ever do such a thing, Hans just smirked at her.

"Yes, I know what Kristoff does. Obviously it would be a poor decision to go, as he has offered to kill me several times on your behalf. And I'm sure nobody would ever question my disappearance. And really, my family wouldn't care." His hands clasped in front of him as he spoke, and Elsa fumbled for a reply.

He knows about that? How can he be so sure that his family won't care? Well, she had seen the way they had treated him. Maybe they would only be further grateful to her if Hans were to die under her watch. She was still struggling to find a proper defense, but he looked so incredibly smug that she found herself wanting to say anything that would wipe the look from his face.

"It's alright, Hans. I know you don't wish to do any real work here, you don't have to make excuses. I told Kristoff that you wouldn't want to go." It was her turn for the smug look as she watched his fall from his face. He actually looked conflicted for a moment.

"I've decided to go."

His statement caught her by surprise. Not so much just because he had decided to go, though that was a surprising thought, but because he seemed to decide it merely because she had said that she didn't think he would. Was he really so determined to prove her wrong at every turn? Well, if he wanted to let stubborn pride force him out into the cold to do backbreaking labor for a trip that would last at least a month, more power to him. She would happily remain in the castle and rejoice in his absence.

Though she was slightly worried that Kristoff would do away with him… She would have to speak with him about that before they left. While life without Hans would be more tolerable, she didn't dare give up her good alliance with the Southern Isles, nor the tentative peace that had begun to take hold in the kingdom.

"Your Majesty?" Hans spoke again and Elsa realized that she still hadn't responded to him. She looked away.

"I've no need for you here. If you wish to go, you may." She told him as nonchalantly as possible.

Hans gave a low bow. "Thank you for your leave, You Majesty." He spun on his heels and was gone, leaving only the lingering mocking tone of his voice behind.

Gods, how she hated the man that she called her husband.

What had he done? He didn't want to go traipsing up some mountain to harvest blocks of ice. Why the hell did Arendelle even need an ice harvester anyway? Their queen could make ice with a flick of her hand. She was the Snow Queen!

But no, he thought as he threw a small amount of belongings into a bag, have to keep Kristoff in business. Hans took a step back. His bag was small. Apparently he had to carry whatever he brought, so there was no overpacking. Not that he had all that much, anyway. Sure, he'd been allowed to take some of his old clothes from home so he would have some decent attire, but he wouldn't be wearing those clothes up the north mountain. No, Kristoff had procured some 'better' clothes for him.

They hardly looked better than the slaves rags he'd been forced in his time back in the Southern Isles. But they were thick and warm, and he supposed that was all that mattered. It wasn't like there was anyone to impress on a frozen lake. And it wasn't like there was any point in trying to impress anyone in Arendelle. Maybe it would be good to get away from the castle, though. Away from her. Even after all was said and done, she still looked at him like she was expecting him to pull out a sword at any point and try to finish the job.

That would be a terrible way to go about getting rid of her, anyway.

"Is Kristoff gonna kill you?" He hadn't heard Anna walk up. But she was standing in his doorway when he turned around, looking rather bashful. Hans raised a single eyebrow.

"I certainly hope not. But he did tell me that it could be a possibility." Hans shrugged as if he could care less. He didn't particularly wish to die. That didn't mean he was going to let it show.

"I know that he's talked about it. He has lots of ideas, it's kind of disturbing sometimes, actually. Like, Kristoff would have made a really good serial killer, cause he comes up with really good ways to kill people and cover it up. Anyway, I asked him and he said he hadn't decided yet, so I thought I would ask you, since I feel like you would probably know if someone was planning on killing you. You seem to have a good sense of self-preservation like that. Elsa always says that I don't have one of those. Or like, the little voice in the back of your head that tells you when an idea is bad? Well apparently most people have that, but I've never heard voices in my head, because I'm not crazy."

Anna had paraded into his room, against all propriety, in her tirade. She sat down on his bed, another scandalous move, and peered into his bag. Hans sighed. He wasn't sure how there weren't countless scandals clinging to Anna's name for the way she barged around with no thought to etiquette.

"You know you shouldn't be in here." He told her dryly. She waved him off, pulling out one the shirts he had just folded.

"This thing is huge, are you sure it will fit you?"

Hans marched over and snatched the shirt from her hands, swiftly refolding it. "It fits." He told her, shoving it back into the bag. Anna held her hands up in surrender, rolling her eyes.

"Alright, alright, fine. Don't touch the bag. Somebody's grumpy this morning, geez." She stuck her tongue out at him and Hans just shook his head.

"You never answered my question, anyway. Wait, is that why you're grumpy? I swear, if Kristoff is threatening you, you can tell me. I can tell him to leave you alone, and I can tell Elsa to tell him that he doesn't need to kill you. If all else fails, we can smuggle you out. I know this guy in the guard, and we can totally get you out before anyone even realizes it."

Hans fought at the smile that crept up on him. He'd honestly never thought he would hear Anna offering to keep him safe, and the thought was amusing to say the least. He allowed his face to soften from the glare.

"I'll be fine, Anna. So long as Kristoff believes that I'm not here to somehow steal the throne or get my revenge on Elsa, he has no reason to hurt me." He reasoned, hoping that much was true. It sounded good when he said it aloud, at least.

Anna narrowed her eyes. "You're not here for either of those things, are you?" She asked. Hans gave her a dry look. Anna's hands went up once more.

"Can't blame me for making sure. You've been a giant stinkface before, you could pull that out again for all I know."

A long-suffering glare. "Stinkface?"

It was a tense goodbye. Elsa watched as Anna hung onto Kristoff, doting on him as she reminded him to be careful and started lecturing him on countless different things. She turned back to Hans, still struck by how different he looked in the simple clothes. Kristoff always looked more comfortable when he changed into his rough mountain gear. Hans looked..different. Worlds away from the finely tailored suits she normally saw him in, but not nearly as ragged as the slaves clothes she had seen him in for a brief period.

It was a good look, surprisingly. They didn't fit him quite right, and he kept shifting and tugging at the collar, proving that he had yet to break them in. But it was nice to see him not looking so imposing in his royal clothes. He just looked like a normal man, who actually felt something. Even if that was just discomfort.

"I will see you in a month, I suppose." Elsa said stiffly, unsure of what to say. They stood an awkward distance apart, definitely not what was expected of husband and wife preparing for a long absence. But then, they weren't really husband and wife, were they? A title didn't mean so much between the two of them.

"Give or take." Hans replied in an equally stiff voice. He looked as uncomfortable as she felt, though she hoped she didn't show it as much. Anna interrupted the difficult silence by zipping into the middle and throwing her arms around Hans.

"Be safe, okay?"

Elsa thought no one was more surprised than her by the action, until she saw Hans' face. He looked down at her sister like he had never been hugged before, and she wondered briefly if he had. His hands floated awkwardly at his sides, one of them eventually patting Anna's shoulder while he looked ready to bolt at any moment.

"Okay…"

Elsa moved away, too disturbed by the sight to stay much longer. She had always known Anna to have a forgiving spirit, but apparently she had gone beyond just forgiving Hans. She actually cared about him, which struck a chord of worry in Elsa. But then, Anna cared about everyone. She knew the name of every servant that worked in the castle, it was just the way she was. Elsa tried to quell her worry with those thoughts, but found that some of it still clung.

"You've got your worried face on." Kristoff interrupted her musing. Elsa looked up at him and forced a smile. She would actually miss him. His presence was always steady and reassuring and she could count on him to keep an eye on Anna and keep her from doing any of her really crazy ideas.

"I'll be fine." She told him, patting his arm. He nodded, then leaned down a little to catch her by surprise and wrap her in a hug. Elsa laughed a little, patting his back and taking comfort in the way his huge frame almost entirely enveloped her.

"You know that I don't want you to kill him, right?" Elsa clarified as Kristoff pulled away.

"Of course." His mouth spread into a reasonable smile. He winked at her. Elsa sent him a warning look.

"Kristoff, I mean it. I can't handle the consequences right now if Hans were to die." She told him pointedly, actually finding that she was a little worried.

"I completely understand. There's no way Hans should die in a way that could be questioned as anything but accidental." He grinned again.

"Kristoff! Hans needs to come down from that mountain. Alive."

He winked again. "Alive, right. Coma's are terrible things, too. Awful how you can't speak. Or move. It would be so tragic if something were to happen to Hans he fell into one."

Elsa tried to glare, biting back a smile. "Behave yourself. I expect Hans to return in the same shape that he left in."

Kristoff glanced over at Hans and nodded. "Right. So, puny and an asshole. You realize that means I can't let him do any work, right?"

Elsa swatted his arm. "Oh, go on with you. And watch out for your own skin, while you're at it. Anna would be heartbroken if anything were to happen to you." She told him.

He smiled, kissing the top of her head. "Of course she would." He ushered her towards Hans, after that, waving the two of them out.

"Now you two leave for a few minutes while I give my wife a proper goodbye. I know how you are about physical affection, and I don't want to listen to groaning because I kissed her."

Hans rolled his eyes and walked with Elsa outside of the castle courtyard where they had gathered for goodbyes. Once again in awkward silence, Elsa linked her gloved hands together. Her eyes looked everywhere but him, until she heard him clear his throat.

"How about a kiss for good luck?" Hans asked, a familiar smirk on his lips. She made an affronted noise, finally looking at him.

"I don't think so." She scoffed out. He made a tsking noise and stepped closer. Elsa raised her chin defiantly, refusing to let him force her to take a step back.

"Hardly a fitting goodbye for a married couple. It's almost as if we don't even love each other." His voice sounded every bit the part of a doting husband Elsa was certain he was trying for. Like dripping honey.

"We don't." She answered coldly, not in the mood to play his game. How long were Anna and Kristoff going to take? The sooner those two came out, the sooner Hans would have to leave and Elsa would be left in peace.

He took another step closer, hand rising and sweeping across her cheek. "Now that's too bad."

Elsa swatted his hand away, but his other hand caught her wrist and held it tight. He returned his other hand to her cheek, barely brushing his knuckles across it. The action sent cold shivers down her spine and Elsa tried to jerk her hand away. But he was stronger than her and she feared to use her powers because her emotions were rising and she just knew that she would explode into ice if she got too upset.

"Hans." There was warning in her voice as she glared at him. Blood rushed to her cheeks when he completely ignored her and she saw his gaze drop to her lips. She swallowed and tried again to pull away, feeling her pulse pounding in her ears.

"Hans, don't." Because she had never been kissed before, because it was him, because she was absolutely terrified of what was about to happen. But then, she was always terrified.

He shifted closer, hand dropping and curling around the back of her neck to tip her head up. She was going to kill him.

Then his lips crashed over hers, successfully drowning out all other thoughts besides him. Elsa leaned away and he followed, pulling her into him. It took a few seconds, but Elsa felt her arms relaxing, swept up in the moment and the feel of ice flooding her veins. He pulled away just as suddenly, leaving Elsa disoriented and reeling. It was snowing lightly around them.

"I think I got some luck from that." Hans commented smugly, releasing her. Elsa fought to keep from stumbling, eyes shooting the side when she heard the sound of Anna and Kristoff's voices coming closer. hey had finished their goodbye. Which meant that she didn't have time to chastise Hans for his forward actions.

"Your lipstick is smudged." He said quietly, thumb wiping across her bottom lip quickly. Elsa gave him her most withering glare. She wiped at her own mouth, patting her hair, her clothes.

"Hans, wait!" She whispered hurriedly as he began to turn away. Up on her tip toes, she swiped at the lipstick left on his mouth, not wanting to face questions from Kristoff or Anna. She wasn't ready for those questions. Although, it wasn't like she had asked for the kiss. Her thumb paused on his lips, realizing what she was doing. Elsa jerked away, feeling her cheeks flush madly.

"You have some on your lips too." She tucked her hands together, refusing to look up at him again. He chuckled, hand raising to wipe it off.

"I'll see you in a month, Elsa." Kristoff and Anna rounded the corner, keeping her from saying anything else and leaving her with one burning question the entire time she watched Hans and Kristoff leave.

Was that the first time he just called me Elsa?