Kristoff and Anna weaved through the tight crowd of beautifully dressed dignitaries, looking for Hans in particular. After all, he may as well know.
He led the princess behind him, and saw Hans standing by the buffet table where he last saw him, but this time, the prince had a warm smile on his face, as if finally relaxed. "Pardon me," Kristoff said to the people in his way, carving through the immense crowd to get to Hans.
"Excuse me, Hans!" He called out from behind a portly man, and Hans let him and Anna through, the warm smile remaining, even after their sour experience hours earlier.
"It's me again." Kristoff stumbled over his own words, wishing it wasn't so hard to talk to the thirteenth prince. "I'd like to introduce Princess Anna of Arendelle." He indicated the bubbly girl, who curtsied and smiled, "Your grace." She nodded politely.
Hans nodded and Kristoff continued. "Hans, I'm sorry for what I said," "No, no. I was wrong Kristoff." The prince started holding up his gloved hands in an apologetic manner. Kristoff tried to finish what he was saying but Hans stopped him.
"You deserve to go where you want. I just was concerned that you were making the decision rather hastily." Hans finished with the same warm smile.
"Yeah, well," Kristoff started to sweat, rubbing his hand to the back of his head. "About that." He started uneasily. "Plans tend to change when you meet the girl you're going to marry." He rambled on.
The happy look Hans once held was replaced by a face that showed visible confusion and concern. His cooper brown eyebrows stitched together and his mouth opened slightly.
"Marriage?" He asked, rather taken aback by the news, the shock still fresher than a fish freshly caught.
"Yes!" Anna squealed and pressed her head to Kristoff's shoulder, who couldn't look any happier himself, except for the time that he-
"I wanted to ask for your blessing, because I trust you." Kristoff peered into Hans' bewildered eyes.
Well forget his thought on Kristoff being hasty. He must be out of his mind! Hans thought to himself and squeezed his fists tight as the bewildered face fell to one of concern.
"I'm sorry. I'm confused-" He started.
"Well of course I'll need a few days to plan the ceremony; wait where would we have the wedding?" He asked his fiance, suddenly thinking of a million possible places they could go for a romantic wedding. "I could get us a chapel; or wait! The farm you have sounds like a quiet place," She thought for a second. "Wait, we could get married here!" The princess perked out of her three seconds of thought. "That, is a perfect idea!" Kristoff laughed happily, getting more perky and bubbly than his fiance.
"Hold on-" Hans tried to slow them down. But Kristoff and Anna continued their conversation more with each other than him.
"Where would we live? Would we live on my farm?" Kristoff suggested. "I wouldn't mind." Anna thought again for a split second. "Wait, my parents wouldn't want that! You could live with me, I'm sure!" She offered and wrapped her arms around Kristoff, who nodded jubilantly in agreement.
"Stop!" Hans held his hand up to silence them and raised his voice slightly. Kristoff and Anna looked surprised at Hans' sudden outburst. "No one is getting married, especially here." He tried to explain as calmly as possible.
"Why not?" Kristoff's happiness darkened like an oncoming stormcloud.
Hans took a deep breath, and bit the inside of his cheek. "May I speak with you, alone?" He eyed Anna. "No," Kristoff said just as shocked. "What you can say, you can say to us both." Hans tried again. "Please. As a friend." The pair grew silent.
"You heard my answer once Hans, I'm not changing it." Kristoff looked worried.
Hans looked at Kristoff painly. "Fine." The prince lowered his eyelids in a regal manner. "You can't marry a girl you just met."
Kristoff and Anna both stared in shock as if just told the entire realm was going to explode in five seconds. The princess snuggled closer to Kristoff, whose face was turning red as a tomato.
"And why is that?" He almost immediately took it back, knowing how stupid that response was.
"Because love doesn't work that way, Kristoff." Hans chuckled at the notion.
"And since when hasn't it? Look at the King!" The man exclaimed indicating the King and Queen who were gazing into eachothers eyes lovingly. "It's true love!" He raised his voice in shock.
"Kristoff, there's no such thing as true love." Hans rolled his eyes.
Kristoff looked as though Hans had told him Santa Claus didn't exist. He scoffed, his brown eyes sinking deeply into sadness. "Why can't there be?"
"Kristoff from a friend-" Hans started to reason, but Kristoff cut him off.
"Well that's food for thought! Since when are we friends?" The iceman raised his voice in anger.
"I'm sorry," Hans matched his tone. "I thought you wanted my input on this marriage!" He wagged his index finger in Kristoff's face, people were staring now at the pair.
"Well not if you're going to criticize my choices. I thought you'd be happy for me!" Kristoff scowled at the other man. "You need a dose of reality." Hans frowned deeply at the blonde.
"And you," Kristoff pointed at the prince and jabbed his chest. "Need to have a heart!"
Hans' mouth dropped open, then the shock merged to a solid and deep scowl. He rolled his eyes again. "You asked for my blessing, but the answer is no." He said, defeated. "Now," He took a deep breath, wanting to get away from this man quickly and avoid losing his cool. "If you'll excuse me," He started to walk towards the doors.
Kristoff was floored. Letting go of Anna, he followed Hans' walk quickly. Who was this man to say there was no such thing as true love?! Hans was keeping something from Kristoff, and he didn't like it. He was playing with fire now.
"Hans, no! Wait!" He grabbed the prince's hand, and the charcoal gray glove slipped off into Kristoff's large hand. Hans' face flushed white as flour, and he turned around and made a desperate grab for the piece of fabric, but Kristoff pulled away threateningly. "Hand over the glove!" Hans pleaded, and by now the entire ballroom was staring at them both.
"Hans, please, please, I can't lose you anymore." Kristoff clasped both hands together in a sorry and pathetic motion, his brown eyes brimming with tears.
Hans bit his lip, his gloved hand now on the door handle. He looked at Kristoff, his only friend. He looked at Anna, who was behind Kristoff with a small hand on his muscular shoulder. His gaze shifted to the guests and dignitaries, confusion forged onto the many hundreds of faces. Then, he looked at the King and Queen, Erik was shooting daggers at his brother.
A change of heart now would be a death sentence.
Hans didn't respond, clicking the door handle. But Kristoff came closer. "What did I ever do to you?" He begged.
"Enough, Kristoff." Hans replied annoyed.
"No, why? Why do you shut the world out?" Kristoff motioned to the crowd.
Hans let go of the handle when he saw Erik storming through the people in an angry manner. "Why do you shut me out?" Kristoff indicated himself.
King Erik was twenty feet away from him, his face bright red. Hans felt the heat rising high within him, the fire blazing through his heart, the smoke began to escape from his free hand.
"What are you so afraid of?!" Kristoff's angry voice tore through Hans. Erik was ten feet from his youngest brother. Everything was closing in, every eye was on him. The thirteenth prince squeezed him eyes shut, trying to suppress the power he wielded. But it wasn't enough.
He gritted his teeth, turning to face the crowd, beads of sweat dripping down his white face.
"I said Enough!" He spread his free hand through the air. But with it came an unintended problem. A wave of red flew from his bare hand, the blazing fire releasing from his palm, the flames creating a crackling barrier around Hans.
Pure bewilderment filled almost every face in the ballroom. All except Erik, who brought a hand to his face, like he realized that he had left his crown somewhere other than his head.
"Hans." Kristoff said breathlessly, staring at the prince in shock as the fire began to die to smoldering ashes and smoke, the wooden floor of the ballroom blackened to a crisp. "Sorcery!" The Duchess of Weselton exclaimed. "I knew there was something amiss here…" She looked at the last prince. Hans grabbed the door handle, bringing his gloved hand to his heart as he pushed the door open and ran out of the party…
