Even for all his hard work, Hans couldn't get past his brother's defenses. Each attack was countered, followed by a series of moves so fast it was hard to keep up. Franz was right. He still was his better when it came to swordfighting. Fear gripped the prince's mind as he took on a defensive stance, parrying like a madman. Desperate, Hans did a move he learned in Corona, hearing his brother hiss when he drew blood.
"Damn you!"
It had worked. realized Hans as he saw his brother's wrist turn red. He had found a way to hurt him. However, Franz launched another attack on him. The prince shuddered when he felt Franz' blade inches from his throat - it had been way too close for his own liking. Hans diverted the sword from his body and leaped a few paces back. The two stared to one another, contemplating on the other's move.
I'm sorry. I truly am.
Despite their regrets, their swords clashed once more. Upon seeing Franz' wounded wrist, Hans realized he could make use of it. "You're getting weaker, Franz. That wound is going to cost you. do you feel your blood dripping down?"
"Shut up!" growled the older sibling as their pace increased. Yet, Hans saw a slither of fear manifest in his brother's eyes. He was getting through - now he had to keep this pressure upon him, to make him doubt even more.
"You say you are my better... but is that truly? When was the last time we sparred? 2 years ago... in that time a lot can happen." went Hans on as he did a fast series of attacks. He knew he couldn't keep this up forever, but his plan had worked. Franz' stance became more defensive, jumping away from his swings.
With a new surge of confidence, Hans went completely offensive now. Who knew. Perhaps, his swordmanship had whined due to his lack of confidence in himself, just like Franz now. Maybe, he was that good. As he parried, the prince saw his sibling make a move he knew very well. He had practised this with the Northern king once, such a long time ago on the square.
put your sword stuck arround the hilt... turn your hand... and...
TJAK! the sword clattered away from Franz' hand and instinctively the prince searched for his dagger in its hilt. He stopped mid-movement however, when he felt Hans' sword against his throat.
"Don't" spoke Hans softly as he saw Franz' defiance. Now that the duel was over, Hans suddenly realized it had gone completely quiet. Meaning that either Benedict or Haljarson had been victorious. He remembered he had heard someone scream... it didn't matter now. He had won from his brother. Euphoria surged through the youngest prince as he stared to his sibling. The realization that he had the power of life and death, made him shudder. He could end this, here and now. It wasn't as if he was going to spare you, when it was the other way arround! With growl, Hans pushed his sword closer to his brother's throat, making blood drip down on the floor. Do it! kill him! It wasn't as if he cared about you!
But isn't he right? Hans swallowed as he thought of his brother's words. Look at how far you are willing to go, so your view becomes the right one. The prince's hand that held the sword trembled. You would have killed a brother for power before and now you are on the brink of doing it.
Franz could only stare at his younger brother who was struggling with what was right and what was wrong. Would he have hesitated if their roles were switched? The answer took far longer then he liked. He would have contemplated on killing his brother as well. Did that make him any better? He had done far worse, yet he judged Hans for his crimes, instead of listening to his reasons.
I do it to protect the people...
And what of your brother? doesn't he need protection? Doesn't he need comfort and support when he needs it the most?
What did they do this all for really? The fighting, the arguiing... since when had that become a number one priority?
The pressure on Franz' throat was released ever so slightly as both brothers came to that same conclusion. But as he did so, Hans noticed a movement from his brother's hand. what was he... Hans' eyes stared back up as new betrayal and shock flared up in his eyes. I thought... The prince stopped his train of thought when he saw Franz' eyes. They didn't stand hateful towards him as they had been once before. No, they stood... frightened. Since when was his brother frightened?
"Get out of the way." It was spoken so softly, Hans nearly thought it was his imagination. But then he heard the whizzing of a sword coming towards his back, and then his mouth split into a grin, releasing his brother from having his sword at his throat. As Hans turned his feet, causing his body to get sideways from both Franz and his attacker, he could see Franz take and throw his dagger, that planted himself inside Haljarson's throat.
Within seconds, the minister was falling on the ground like a rag doll. He wasn't yet dead however, and Franz stood up to stare down at the man. "The only one who may kill my brother is myself" said Franz with dark eyes. After that, he pulled the dagger out, causing blood to splatter on the floor and his face. Both princes watched emotionlessly as the minister's life dwindled away untill his eyes became dull at last.
As his brother stood up, Hans couldn't help himself and clutch his sword tighter. They had been allies - for now. But how long would it last?
Franz' noticed the increasing tension in the air and sighed. "Can you remember when we actually trusted one another?"
"Once... before you went into the Navy." replied Hans as the tension kept brewing in-between the two. "You saved my life and that of Rhun's." Hans could still remember it clearly. When Rhun had taken Hans' first horse to ride out, he had come back with a wounded one instead. Hans had been so furious at him that he had spilled the beans about Rhun's affair with a barn girl. They were still young back then, him arround 14 and Rhun being 19. enraged by Hans, Rhun then sabotaged Hans' carreer to join the Council as minister.
Afin, you know what would happen: from one thing, came the next act of revenge. Quite simultaniously, the two brothers decided to kill one another. And they would have succeeded too if Franz hadn't arrived to stop them from doing so.
"what is the meaning of this? Put your sword down now!" But when they didn't, Franz took his own, keeping Rhun at bay first. Hans, thinking that his brother was on his side, quickly ran towards Rhun to finish him off, when Caleb joined in to take their youngest sibling down as well.
Soon, Hans had to give respite against his more buffy opponent. And as for Rhun, he was held at sword point by his older brother in case he had but the slightest intention of defiance. "You are brothers, not enemies on the battle-field" said Caleb with angry eyes as he heaved Hans up. He held a firm grip however.
"He made Yellow a cripple!" screamed Hans who was still full of adrenaline from the fight before.
"And you spilled the beans about that whore!" retorted Rhune back. "Now father has promised me to a queen I never wanted!"
"Quiet, both of you!" snapped Franz. "You beheave like 5 year old children. What-ever one did to another, these wrath actions will stop now! Apologize."
Both brothers scolded at their eldest sibling, neither wanting to appear weaker then the other.
"Fine, if you so wish to fight, then I'll take my sword" threatened Caleb when neither Hans or Rhun decided to give in.
Now that, caused both brothers to pale and they quickly apologized, although it wasn't from their heart.
Franz hummed at the memory. That had been the last year he had trained his youngest brother. Jurgen had taken over as master of arms when he left to serve the Navy, although Franz often came back to visit the family. As the years progressed however, they became less and less. "Yes. When I left, I... I got a sense of importance suddenly." murmured the prince as he recalled his feelings from that time. "My.. sorry, our father suddenly saw me standing there amidst my other brothers. So, I did what everyone else did: keep him impressed so one day he would turn the throne over to his most favorite son. Ridiculous really. We all know that Caleb will inherit it, but father always kept talking about giving it to another. And so we kept on dreaming, kept on hoping... We all became affected by that sheer possibility to have that power. Well, all but you, so I thought. which is why I forced your hand to plead my case to Queen Elsa. I was so focused on proving my worth, I shaped you, just like father shaped me. I'm sorry."
"You don't need to be. You may have given me the nudge in the back to obtain power, but... I lost myself in it and went too far in proposing our brother to be killed. I realize that now." said Hans softly. "And I don't blame you for doubting my intentions, nor attempting to take my life."
"Goddamnit, it shouldn't even BE that way." growled Franz as he returned his sword back into its sheath. Hans did the same and the brothers stared to one another. The tension had ceased now; but fully trust one another? Not yet, not now. Perhaps, it would never come to be.
They weren't friends nor enemies and for now that was already a great accomplishement. As Hans closed Benedict's dull eyes, the two brothers felt the strange shifting in their dynamic. It had somehow become more balanced. Franz didn't attempt to order him arround, nor did Hans follow him without thinking. They allowed themselves to become equals, instead of attempting to be the dominant of the two.
"What was it that you searched for?" asked Franz while he closed Haljarson's eyes as well. He didn't like that man, but he disliked the dull eyes of the dead even more. They always managed to haunt him at night. Quickly the prince turned his head towards his brother.
"Inger's remains in the Duke's chambers" retorted Hans as he turned his attention towards the huge locked doors. "Upon encountering Queen Elsa, she.. made a living snowman."
"A what now?!" brought Franz out, hoping he had misheard it.
"You heard me. His name is Olaf, he can talk, he has a concience... a true living being made out of magic."
Franz' eyes widened at the revelation. "So you think if she can create a snowman that she can restore Inger as well?"
"Its still a theory but..." Hans shrugged his shoulders before taking his sword out, putting it in-between the door and the wall to wreck it open.
"Why didn't you tell the Duke?!" asked Franz as he saw his brother's face become red from the effort.
"You think he would-nnng- listen to me? Even if he miraculously listens, He won't ever let the queen come closer to him or his daughter's remains. Which was why I was planning to bust Elsa out before her trial. But then...you know, stuff happened and I needed to improvise. ah, god damnit! get open!" screamed Hans in frustration when the door wouldn't bulge.
"Let me." offered Franz as he took a large sprint. This time, the door fell down when the prince's feet clashed upon it. "There." coughed Franz. "Man, the duke really needs to let his bedroom be cleaned up."
The two men glanced to one another when they heard the guards approach, obviously stirred by the huge battle noises. "And it seems, I need to clean up his men" spoke Franz as he dashed out the room to give Hans the time to find what he was looking for. "Let's see how well they fare against a prince of the Southern Isles"
"Only one, I hope" retorted Hans as he threw all the clothes out of the closet.
Franz chuckled at his brother's remark before launching himself upon the 4 guards in front of him. 3 he managed to kill. The fourth one was scrambling away from him and Franz cursed finding his dagger sheath empty. It still stuck inside that of Haljarson's throat. THe man didn't have the time either to swing his sword into the man's back. Already he could hear another wave of guards come towards him from the opposite direction and he turned his back to face them.
Just after Franz had ran off to find his brother, the Duke and Johann encountered the King of the Southern Isles, who was wobbling on his feet. a CRACK could be heard, from deep down below, and the duke growled. If it was the witch-queen who caused it then...
"Check the dungeons immediately and see if the queen is still shackled up!"
"Good lord" Quickly the two men hurried to help the old King to the Council room. Immediately, shocked murmurs arose upon seeing the King's state, and questions were fired in a rambling mess.
"Quiet everyone!" ordered the duke. "We won't get our answers if we keep squabbling like chickens!" The man turned his head towards the King once more. "What happened?" pressed the Duke on, even though it was clear who was the cause of his changing hair color.
"I went to see Queen Elsa... to confront her about my son's condition. I have to admit I lost my temper and..." The man winced when another spasm went through his body, and his breath came in clouds now. "So did she. I was blasted across the cell and.. I felt something pierce my heart." With a growl the King tried to stand up once more, but failed when his legs gave out. He had never felt so cold before...
"There can be no doubt now. Queen Elsa is a monster and we are all in danger as long as she lives" spoke the Duke.
Just when the King wanted to answer, a panting guard burst into the council room.
"What is the meaning of this?" blaffed the Duke at the interruption.
"Forgive me Lord Duke but... both Prince Hans and Prince Franz broke into your office and killed a few of my collegues."
Franz?! The king sat up straighter when he heard his son's name being mentionned. "Lord Duke, this has to be a misunderstanding. My son would never-"
"I heard from other sources that Prince Hans and even the Princess of Arendelle herself are plotting to sabotage Queen Elsa's trial. It seems your son has joined their treacherous ways. But visiting her majesty, while your sons are plotting to free her... It is needless to say I doubt your loyalty towards this Council. "
"For God's sake! you think I'd be willing to let myself be bewitched?" exclaimed the man in his defense.
"No.. but you could have attempted to bust her out. I'm terribly sorry, your majesty. I just can't overlook the fact that.. traitor blood could be 't worry no harm will come to your sons, same as for you if you cooperate without trouble."
The King narrowed his eyes, ready to angrily retort at the Duke's clever words, when another spasm came over him. Snowflake patterns began to appear on his hands, and his beard became stiff under the frost that came over his face. "Guards, please escort King Michael of the Southern Isles to his chamber. And while you are at it, bring the Princess here for interrogation."
Hans rumbled in another nighttable, and screamed when he found an urn-like object. "I got it!" screamed Hans as he took his sword in his other hand before sprinting out of the room. After a few minutes of fencing, the last man fell down, leaving the hall quiet once more.
"Great" grinned Franz as he saw the urn in Hans' other arm. "Now, we need to find-"
Hans' eyes widened when he saw one of the guards come arround the corner, who threw his dagger towards his brother. He could not even scream a warning, because he knew he would be too late already.
Franz noticed his brother's fright and had already half-turned on his heel when he saw the incoming danger soaring towards him. And then it suddenly stopped. Franz blinked, to see the dagger frozen into place before falling on the ground. As it did so, the frost spread further towards the man who had thrown it, inceasing him completely in Ice.
Both men turned arround for the one responsible for this magic. When he saw it wasn't Queen Elsa, Hans raised his sword towards the girl. She may have saved his brother's life, but She did not know who she was... and therefore, he could not know who she was as well.
"Hans put your sword away!" hissed Franz as he pushed Hans' sword downwards, away from the Ice Maiden.
"How can we trust her, if she can't trust herself?" spoke Hans as he kept half an eye upon the startled Ice Maiden in front of him.
"She saved me from those two thugs of Weaselton, as well as hypothermia before bringing me here in Arendelle" said Franz in defense of his rescuer.
"Hi!" waved the Ice Maiden in a disarming smile. "I'm afraid I can't properly introduce myself but... who are you?"
"I'm his brother, Hans."
"Oh, so you're Hans!" clapped the Ice Maiden in her hands from excitement. "Franz told me a lot of you!"
The way she could be so deadly, yet so kind, was something that cost Prince Hans his words for a while. "Really?" asked Hans finally as he glanced to his brother, who strangely enough... hold on. was he blushing?! Franz was blushing in front of a girl? "Why didn't you tell me about your girlfriend, brother?" teased the youngest prince. Hey, his brother had done that a lot to him.. he simply returned the favor.
"Wha- Hans, she's not my girlfriend!" stammered Franz, who's cheeks came as red as his brother's hair. "I..I mean.. not that I don't want to.." went the prince on as he didn't want to offend the Ice Maiden. "Its just... I..." He needed to shut up, really.
"Oh, I'm so sorry I made you uncomfortable" said the Ice Maiden in all sincerity as she took Franz' hand in hers. Hans had the biggest difficulty not to laugh on the ground at the situation. Then, the Ice Maiden saw the urn Hans held in his arm. "Where did you get that?"
"I took it from the Duke's chambers."
"You stole it?" asked the Ice Maiden sharply.
"I lend it." corrected the prince as he put the urn out of her reach. Once again, the Ice Maiden tried to take it from him but failed at her second attempt. However, due to his uncomfortable position, the urn fell.
Hans screamed when he saw it shatter in a dozen pieces across the floor. "Look what you have done!" bit Hans as he pushed the Ice Maiden away from him before putting his sword at her neck.
"Hans!" spoke Franz in shock when he saw his brother holding her hostage. "Don't!"
"She erased Elsa's only chance to get through this trial alive!" barked Hans back as tears swam in his eyes.
"I know!" pleaded Franz as he took hold of his brother's shoulder. "I know." said Franz once more to calm his brother further down. "But killing her is not going to help The queen. She is out there, afraid and alone. They are possibly opening a hunt upon her at this very mo-" Franz stopped mid-sentence when he saw something blink from the corner of his eye. The shattered ice pieces that had been contained in the urn, began to give up a glow, before flying towards the Ice Maiden.
"What-"
"I don't know" answered Franz amazed as the pieces imbedded themselves into the icy form of the girl. "But, if I have to take a guess..." Franz sprung forward when the Ice Maiden lost balance, catching her in his arms.
The girl's eyes flickered open, searching and looking arround in her environment.
"Inger?" brought the prince out in a mere whisper.
"move on!" the guards pushed the King of the Southern Isles further on, ignoring his whimpers of pain. As they walked arround the corner, the king tensed his muscles up. It was quite small with all the furniture and such. The perfect place to escape. Quickly, the man put his right foot in front of his left guard, who lost his balance temporarily. Immediately, Michael didn't waste any time and crashed his elbow in his nose.
a scream went through the king's throat when the second guard put his sword arround his neck. "Go ahead, I beg of you." growled the man as he felt the cold spread further across his body. The man heard the whizzing of a sword and he shut his eyes for the inevitable when-
a scream that wasn't his own pierced his ears and the King opened his eyes to feel a liquid drip into his collar from behind. "Come on!"
almost automatically, the king stood up and followed his rescuer inside the chambers before the first guard could regain concious. When they were all inside, Kristoff pushed all the furniture he could move towards the door so no one could enter. "there." No doubt the Duke would come by with reinforcements once he heard of the dead guard and the escape of the Southern King
"Are you alright, sir?"
"I have been better..." breathed the King. the man swallowed deeply - he had offended this man. He had every reason not to aid him and yet he had saved his life. The king felt his cheeks go red from shame. "thank you" it was a mere whisper that his voice could produce right now.
"Your majesty, I don't mean to be rude, but..is your hair whiter then before?" asked Anna as she helped the man up from the ground.
"It is, your majesty" comfirmed the King as he was helped to one of the many chairs. "Your sister, she... she struck me with her magic."
"Can you be specific?" asked Kristoff as he narrowed his eyes attentively to the man's body. He had seen once how the trolls helped out Princess Anna... they could do so again.
"It was arround here" pointed the King to a place closeby where his heart should be.
"The heart is not so easily changed..." thought Kristoff at his father's words.
Anna meanwhile, gasped. "Oh my... now that makes that riddle everything clearer! Only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart! I thought it was meant figuratively for my sister at first but... what if it is literally as well?"
the King snorted at her words. "Your majesty, forgive me the scepticism. An act of true love? that is something for fairy tales, not the real world!"
"What is real, is that you are becoming a popsicle." said Kristoff with a sharp voice. "Even if her majesty may not be right, it is something to hold on to and stay alive!"
"Stay alive for what?" asked the King bitterly. "Everyone hates me. My sons, my so called allies, my people..." the man shook his head, but in doing so, a spasm went through his body. His sons... With a trembling lip, the King tried to remember their faces and names but to his horror he could barely make them apart. Was the blonde one Rudi? Or Jurgen? And was Franz 5th or 8th in line?
He didn't even know his own kin...
"Well... Elsa was the one who struck you right? Then she's the one who can undo it as well. We simply need to reach her" theorized Anna, not wanting to give up yet.
"And how are we going to reach her, your majesty?" asked Kristoff while he pointed to the door that had begun to bounce by the guard's combined strength to get in. There were no windows or doors that led to another room. They were trapped here untill they managed to break in.
Everyone frowned when the bouncing on the door just stopped for a second. After that, screams could be heard, yelling in horror before the trampling of footsteps made the terrified voices fade away.
The three looked nervously to one another. what had caused fully trained, armed guards to flee? Was it a flesh-eating monster? Anna dismissed nearly the thought, but seeing how her sister can control Ice, and that Trolls exist... Would it really be impossible?
"uhm... what to do, what to do?" panicked the feisty princess-regent as she paced arround.
"We fight" growled the King as he stood up on wobbly feet. He would not be seen as a shivering coward behind a girl. The three heard the scratching increase on the door lock, as if someone was trying to break it. Then, it stopped and the door swung open till it bounced against the furniture Kristoff had put up.
"Oh! Are we redecorating?" gasped Olaf as he wurmed himself through the small door way. In doing so, the snowman's texture molted, leaving him completely disformed. "oh no, I'm out of shape again!" Anna could only stare before letting out a blood curling scream, running towards the snowman to pummel it to death. "There is absolutely no need to resort to such violence!" said the snowman a little frightened at the princess.
"Your majesty no!" stopped Kristoff as he caught her wrist in time. "Olaf is a friend."
"Olaf?! He's.. he's alive.. that thing has a name?!" exclaimed Anna as she didn't keep her wide eyes away from the living snow creature.
"I believe I am alive." Olaf paused. "Am I?"
"He was created accidentally by Queen Elsa." explained Kristoff as he put Anna's hand down that held the candlestick. "He's harmless really."
"Oh, Elsa?!" brought the snowman out in his giddy way. "I saw her not far away from the castle! She was in quite the hurry to be somewhere, so I let her go"
"You let her go away?!" hissed the King of the Southern Isles as he used the table as a mean of support. "You fool! She could ha-aaagh!" The man's feet couldn't hold his weight anymore and the King fell down on the ground.
"We need to get you to my sister...and fast" said Anna worriedly as she saw snowflake patterns appear all across the king's face. Kristoff meanwhile, was taking all the furniture away so the princess along with the heavily supported King, could pass by.
"You're... quite strong for someone so small, your majesty." gasped the King in short breaths. "Are you sure you don't have powers like your sisters?"
Anna chuckled at his question. "No, your majesty. I am completely ordinary; unless you find climbing trees unusual in this world."
They turned another corner but the four stopped when they saw gigantic ice spikes appear in front of them.
"uuhhhh.. the other way" pointed Olaf behind him. However as they turned their heels, they saw themselves trapped as the ice spikes had spread across the floor on the other side as well.
"Anyone a plan B?" asked Kristoff as he shielded the others from the approaching ice spikes. Not that it would help in the end. their space became smaller by the second. Soon the ice spikes would pierce through their flesh and end their lives.
The king bit his teeth when he felt his boots becoming stiff and hard. He had only so little time left... To be suddenly confronted in the face of death, the King was reminded once more of how little attention he had given the simple things in life. He had been so focused on reputation and power.. and what was that worth in the end when your life was dwindling away?
Nothing.
How would he love to have a good glass of wine from Corona, or taste those Krumkakes he didn't wish to eat at Queen Elsa's Coronation, or see the snowflake patterns appear on a window... Now he would never- The king stiffened when he looked at the window they stood nearby at.
"The window!" cracked the King out, his voice barely audible above the sounds of moving ice coming closer towards them. "The window, get it open!"
Anna looked from the King towards the small source of sunlight in this building and cheered. "you're a genius!" Immediately the girl let go of the old man, who fell on the ground with a hard THUD. "Oh! sorry! I'll just- Kristoff, help me to open it!" screamed Anna as her face became red as her hair from the effort.
"There!" with a crash, the window shattered into pieces when the ice harvester made his axe meet the glass.
"You couldn't have been a little more gentle with it?" snapped Anna while she began to heave the King along with Olaf towards the window.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures, your highness. Its only glass, it can be mended!" Kristoff pointed to the approaching ice spikes. "Unlike us."
With a growl the princess heaved the King up the edge of the window.
"We'll need to slide!" said Olaf as he took hold of his butt when the ice spikes threatened to pierce him.
"alright... alright..I'm ready. I'm ready... I was born ready" murmured Anna as she went back and forth, keeping herself on the edge. Oh god would it be safe for her? If she landed wrong, something horrible could happen to the baby...
"Then go!" snapped the King. Before Anna could protest, he slided off, taking a screaming princess with him down below. By hearing Kristoff scream as well, the King knew he had dared it too.
Finally their speed slowed down, and the four lay there for a moment to catch their breath. "Queen Elsa?!" screamed the King with a rasped throat. "Queen Elsa, where are you?!" The wind hit their bodies the moment they walked out of the castle, making their bodies swing back and forth. It was so harsh it pained their lungs to breathe.
Kristoff looked behind to see Olaf being shattered by the harsh wind. "Olaf!"
"Keep going!" screamed the snowman before he was blasted out of sight.
The ice harvester turned his head once more ahead, feeling the snowflakes itch on his face and the wind knocking him nearly out. Foot by foot, the ice harvester closed in on the heavily breathing King and put the man's left arm arround his broad shoulders.
"Elsa! where are you?!" yelled Anna, coughing as the cold air made contact with her throat. "Elsa!"
"Well, where is she?" snapped the Duke as he saw the lonely guard stand in the doorway.
"The Princess is not in her chamber m'lord" stammered the guard.
The Duke of Weaselton wanted to angrily retort to get on with the search, when another guard stormed inside the Council room.
"m'lord! The Queen... she has busted herself out... the walls of her dungeon have collapsed and she's free of her shackles"
Enraged the Duke forgot all about the Princess of Arendelle, the King of the Southern Isles, and yes even his sons. That wretched queen had managed to escape... Who could deny now that she was guilty of her crimes? Why else would she run away a second time? "Why are you standing there like that? Alert the guards and find her!" growled the man as he stormed outside the Council room.
"And... what should we do once we have found her?" asked the guard for more specifics."
"Kill her on the spot." gritted the Duke his teeth as he walked to the weapon chamber. I promise you, Inger.. I will see you revenged. And this time, no law, no council or supporters of the queen would stand in his way.
She was alive... Hans could only stare at the girl in Franz' arms. Inger was alive and breathing and...A smile came up the prince's lips. Good lord this changes everything.
"Can you stand?" whispered Franz softly as he supported her by the shoulders. Hans couldn't help but raise his eyebrow at his brother's voice. It was... soft and caring. Not at all like the confident casanova he knew him to be. When Hans offered his help to aid Inger, Franz shook his head indicating that he had no need of his assistance.
"Yeah, I think so." spoke Inger as she kept clutching her head. She knew who she was, but the memories were still fuzzy and out of order in her mind. When she tried to concentrate on getting the order right, a blinding headache stopped her from trying. "Its... just headache... my memories are a bit jarred."
"What do you remember?" asked Hans after Franz had taken Inger to a chair nearby. "I mean... how come you are still alive? We all saw you-" Hans stopped when a lump in his throat prevented him from speaking further. He didn't wish to upset Inger either. With her still trying to cope with her memories it was unpredictable on how she would react to everything.
"I remember the ice crawling on my skin..." shuddered Inger as she recalled the memory. "at first I didn't pay any attention to it, because I was so focused on the ring you gave me. But then... it began to envelop my arms, my head... I felt myself being shattered across the floor. Some of my pieces fell into the frost the queen created and.. Its hard to explain but...I bonded with it. I began to gather myself piece by piece, searching for the memories across the whole land.." Inger then turned her attention back towards Franz. "But when I couldn't, I came back to see how you fared."
Franz blushed at her remark. "The Ice Maiden once asked if I would love you with your memories restored. I cannot answer that question yet, for I do not wish to associate you and your former ego - it wouldn't be right. But.." Franz paused for a while. "After the storm has set, and after I have mourned who you once were, I would love to get to know you better."
Inger smiled and kissed quite unexpectingly the prince's cheek. "I would love to get to know you too, Prince Franz."
Franz blinked surprised, as he noticed the innocent, enthousiastic look the Ice Maiden used to give him. Perhaps, not all of her alter ego had vanished... the man shook his head. He didn't want to pretend to be with a fantasy woman of his dreams. She was Inger, not the Ice Maiden.
Inger noticed the confused look of the man and stepped away a little bit to become more comfortable with the situation.
"So, how did you meet up with my broth-" Hans stopped mid-sentence when a red-hot pain cursed through his whole arm. As his eyes watered from the pain, the prince saw something flicker at the window.
A girl, with hair as black as a raven, with lips as red as blood and skin as white as snow...
"Mirror, mirror..."
"Someday, my prince will come..."
"So this is love.."
"who's is the fairest of them all..."
"So this is what makes life divine..."
"mother knows best..."
"Soon I'll have that little mermaid..."
"Show me the girl..."
"And the ocean will be mine..."
"Its a scary world out there..."
"Its useless... she'll never see me as anything but a monster..."
Hans groaned as he tried to shake the voices away from his head. He only succeeded slightly. It was like he was standing in a crowd and he had to focus on a single conversation.
"Franz..." the prince looked to his brother, who had become sickly pale. "Franz, what's wrong?!" yelled Hans as he saw frost decorate his brother's cheeks. "What did you d-" the accusation died on his lips when he saw Inger...melt. The texture of her body became water-like, more fluid as a snowman in the summer. "What is going on?"
"Its a bit of a fixer upper..."
Hans shut his eyes when the voices returned in their full strength.
"take this apple, and all your wishes will come true..."
the apple! The object made the prince's mind trigger a forgotten dream about a vain Queen, a mirror and her trying to cheat Death himself...
The throbbing in his hand became unbearable at this point and the prince stretched it out to get the uneasy feeling away. Yet it didn't.
The mirror... Snowwhite... oh god... what if it hadn't been a dream? what if the trolls had lied about the mirror's properties?
The Mirror reveals what your eyes can not see...
Hans scratched his hand, but stopped when he noticed it was glowing softly. Oh no.. that's not possible! How could it possibly be inside of him? Brunhilda pulled it all out didn't she? And if not, shouldn't he see only the worst in others?
With trembling hand the prince took out his knife. Vaguely he could hear his brother yell something - something about him being insane. Good. Perhaps he was already. Hans screamed when he cut through his glowing hand, grimacing in pain as he forced his knife to go deeper.
"God, Hans what are you doing?!" exclaimed Franz as he pulled the bloodied knife away from his brother. "I did not just save you for you to bleed to death!"
Hans didn't pay attention to him and pushed his finger inside the gaping wound, twisting and searching for what he didn't hope to find. Slowly the prince took out the glowing mirror shard from his hand.
"What the..." Franz looked baffled to the mirror shard before glancing to his brother. "How did that-"
"A shard from the Mirror of Truth..." said Hans absent-mindedly as he bandaged his hand with a piece of his clothing. Hans's eyes widened and he took up the piece once more. The mirror could not lie nor deceive him. If he could...
"Mirror, mirror on the wall... Show me who's the cause of it all." murmured the prince as he held the shard before his eyes.
As the man focused on the shard, the world arround him dissappeared, he saw the Troll King Pabbie along with the other Children who were busy repairing the Mirror...
The final piece... where is it?! I need it, I need it!
My queen, soon you'll be beautiful again... be patient...
It was a lie. Everything they did, they did it to help themselves and they had all been played the fool. But why would they need Elsa for if they had already the children?
"Mirror, mirror in my hand, show me why they need the children of the land"
Hans could only stare at the Truth that the mirror showed him. Franz, who had watched with him over his shoulder, widened his eyes at the gruesome sight that could become reality.
The Snow Queen meanwhile, was unaware of all the commotion that was transpiring in the castle. Being alone in a cell gave a prisoner time to think about all sorts of things. In case of the queen however it wasn't exactly soothing. And it didn't became much better either when the King of the Southern Isles paid her a visit, causing her to strike his heart.
No! she did not do that! It had to be quite the chance for her to hit his heart precisely right? I mean, it had to be his lungs, or just his ribs.
Yet, the fear stayed, lingering over her like a cloth during the rain. The queen tried to think of something else, anything else to keep her thoughts as calm as possible. Anna. That normally helped. But then she was thinking once more of the baby inside Anna's womb and the stress began anew. how was she? how was the baby? how did she do it as Regent? oh, its going to be such a strain on her pregnancy!
Once more Elsa shook her head. No, think of something else. Hans. the queen smiled when thinking of the prince, and the cracking of her shackles stopped at last. He had helped her numerous times in controlling herself... perhaps she doesn't need the Mirror after all? But then the queen thought of the glass shard that got into the prince, and how it changed him. She had gone too far with this. The shards were too dangerous, collected as they all were in the Valley of the Living Rock. Before, they were still floating arround the wind, doing no harm whatsoever to the people. but now...
The queen paced arround, as far as she could possibly go with those shackles as her worries didn't cease. And since she had no information about the current situation, her own pessimistic vision got the overedge. "no, no!" whispered Elsa as she saw frost crawl across the cell room. But the more she tried, the less effect it had. And by not succeeding, it only fuelled the frost to crawl out of control even further.
She had to get away from here. Before it hurt Anna, or Hans or anyone else she owed their lives to. She would gladly make herself a guilty criminal if it meant that she could save them.
With a huge CRACK, her shackles broke, followed by the wall behind her, that led to freedom. Upon seeing the snowy thick landscape, queen Elsa's distress grew in her heart. She was responsible. She had done this.
"Queen Elsa?"
Alarmed, Elsa looked behind her, to see a guard glancing into the small window of her cell.
"Halt, stop!"
Run. The queen took up her dress to run faster as she went across the icy fjord. No one should ever find her. In that way, she would never hurt the people again. At least untill the Children were done with her Mirror. But if she wished to keep ahead, she would need for her followers a distraction... the storm became heavier now by the queen's command, who hurried herself to the Valley of the Living Rock.
She did not know how long she fled. It could be minutes or hours... She lost all track of time as she sped herself forward. However the distraction and disorientation that she had made for her potential followers, also worked in a disadvantage as well for her.
Although she wasn't fazed by the cold, she could feel herself struggling to move forward. If only she could understand her powers better! Whatever the trolls had meant by "an act of true love", it really didn't make any sense to her.
Elsa glanced arround, her braid swaying in her face as she did so. She had a feeling as if she were being watched. "hello?"
In the decreasing and increasing flow of the howling winds, the queen could hear something in-between it. A soft swirling sound that came right towards h- And then the arrow came to view and she raised her hands in reflex to shield her face.
TSJAK!
With panting breath the queen looked up to see the arrow inches from her face.
"There she is! kill her!"
"Lord Duke, ple-" Elsa stopped at the last word. She wasn't in the place to beg for mercy anymore.
zfff! zfff! once again the arrows flew towards her as she ran, missing her barely. "Please just stay away from me! Take care of my sister!" begged the woman as she held her hands raised up in her defense.
"You dare asking me this?" spat the Duke as he reloaded his arrow. "You, who killed my daughter in cold blood? You ran away twice from me, Snow Queen. I've tried to do it by law...but seeing how you defy it again and again... why should I?"
"Lord Duke, I found a way to stop this winter." pleaded the queen on. She didn't wish to fight the father of whom she had murdered. She didn't want to hurt anyone. "The trolls made a mirror which can take my emotions away-" a gasp tore from her throat when the duke shot again. She managed to block it, nearly piercing through her abdomen.
"Why should I believe you? So you can run off scot free?"
"Yes!" screamed Elsa back. "I don't know if the winter is going to stop if I were to die. If it doesn't you are stuck for eternity in a frozen wasteland! Its better to keep myself away from the people as far as possible. Once the winter is gone, you may trial me. I won't resist any longer then."
"I don't care what happens to the rest of these people." snarled the Duke. "I only wish you dead at my feet!"
More arrows were fired this time - the Duke had gone with a handful of guards by horseback. Elsa defended herself as much as she could, but she could only keep this up for so long. She would have to go offensive if she wanted to live on.
"Stay away from me!" A last warning that was what she would give them. But when they didn't stop and crossed the proximity she was comfortable with, the queen let out ice spikes in arround her.
The attacks went back on forth between the Duke and the queen, keeping itself at stalemate for this moment.
The Mirror didn't take emotions away from its human owner... Once complete, the life force of the ones who put it together would be sucked up by Snowwhite herself, who was still residing inside the glass. If Elsa were to complete the spell, she would die along with the Children.
And since Inger had been linked to Elsa in terms of magic, who in return had saved Franz from hypothermia with the same source...
"O god." whispered Hans as he saw the Truth displayed on the Mirror. Now he knew why both Inger and Franz were in such pain.. they were on the brink of dying. Hans ran to the window, to see a storm cloud his view completely for the fjord. However he could still make out what was happening on the courtyard. Soldiers were arming themselves, with as head piece the Duke himself. Shit! they were going after Queen Elsa!
The prince found himself at crossroads as he viewed his brother and Inger. He knew he had to stop the Mirror from being complete. 12 lives would be gone if he didn't do that, with an immortal tyrant as Arendelle's ruler. But if he didn't go after the queen.. who would say the winter stopped? thousands could die if he took the assumption that it would.
"We need to go to the Mirror to stop it from being complete" brought Franz out as his hypothermia came up again.
"No. You and Inger will go." corrected Hans as he helped the two up their feet.
"What? Hans, no! I will not be seperated once again-"
"If I go with you, they will have the last piece in their hands" shot Hans back as he showed the glass shard. "I'll go and save the queen. Its better if we split up to have a bigger chance of succeeding."
Hans stumbled backwards when his brother came towards him. Old habits died hard. What if he stopped him from following his plan? Yet to his great shock the prince felt his brother's arms clasp arround his neck in a bear hug. Slowly Hans relaxed against his touch, hugging him back, abeit a bit uncomfortably.
"Don't you dare to die without my watch" growled Franz as they parted. "I still need to beat you up before you go in the afterlife."
Hans chuckled as he saw his brother take Inger's hand. Immediately after, they vaporated into snowflakes out of the window. Right... He needed to get out of here as well. He already could hear the guards coming back to the Duke's room with reinforcements. Hans glanced back to the window, to see the snow fall being thick enough to slide him downwards without any risks. The prince let himself slide downwards, just when an arrow passed barely his head. He didn't have time to enjoy the slide downwards however. He could already hear that he was being followed and so he sprinted back up towards the stables. Come on... where was she?! Hans' eyes travelled across the different places, searching for a particular mare. "where are you? your mistress is in trouble." spoke Hans out loud, hoping the mare would answer. If Elsa could create sentient beings, it made only sense the horse could understand him as well.
A whinny echoed against the wooden walls and Hans sprinted towards the sound. "Thank you" smiled the prince as he freed the mare from her prison. Just like Elsa, the ice mare didn't like to be scooped up in one place for too long. And since it had begun to like Hans due to his respect towards her, it held very still and let him mount her.
"Please..bring me to Elsa" whispered Hans in her ear. He held on to her mane as her ears peaked up at his request. After that, the horse shot forward, galloping towards the gates while Hans fended off any guards who stood in his way. It wasn't simple however, as they blocked the horse from riding on, making it easier for the men to pull Hans down.
Or at least, they attempted to pull him down. Enraged by hurting her friend, the mare bristled, causing the guards to be blasted away by the winds she produced. Those who weren't, were quickly kicked with her hooves.
"Remind me not to get on your bad side" commented Hans as the horse spurted once more forward, out of the palace gates.
The mare rumbled at his comment, but unlike Sitron she didn't answer him as she was too focused on finding her mistress. Hans released the pressure he had held upon her and let her gallop freely into the storm, trusting her instincts. "Elsa?! Queen Elsa where are you?!"
A scream echoed, but Elsa paid no attention to it as she had to focus on another attacker. This time, her ice wasn't quick enough to stop the sword and she screamed in agony when she felt herself being cut. With tears in her eyes the queen raised her other arm, causing the man to be pierced by various ice spikes. The man she had disposed off earlier, she let him drown by cracking the ice underneath his body.
Another gasp tore from her throat when she felt an arrow graze her hip. It wasn't deep, and it hadn't hit any vital organs but it caused the blood to flow in an alarming rate. Elsa knew she would have to bluff to win this fight and not rely on her powers alone. "Stop attacking me or I'll make the ice crack underneath your feet." snarled Elsa as she let her hands glow white-blue.
This made everyone hesitate for a moment, before the Duke countered her argument. "The ice will crack further on, taking yourself with us!" Yet more guards were hesitating on risking their lives here, while instead being with their families to aid in the harsh environment.
Angered by their defiance, the Duke took out his dagger from behind. since he was behind two guards, it wasn't noticed by the queen who was viewing the others.
"Stop!" a harsh knock on the head made the Duke fall down on the frozen fjord, making him see stars for a moment.
Elsa looked with wide eyes to the prince who dismounted her ice mare. "Hans! what are you doing here?!"
"I couldn't just let them kill you. Elsa, there is something you need to know. Whatever the trolls told you its-"
"Watch out!" The arrows that were meant for the prince got stopped by the ice shield that appeared in front of him. Elsa looked in wonder to what she had created. It... It protected Hans!
Immediately after the arrows embedded themselves into the shield, Hans ran out of his protective space and launched a series of attacks upon the men. Upon seeing the crossbows being loaded once more, Hans retreated, giving Elsa the chance to deflect them.
The Duke stayed aside, watching their tactics from afar. "You! Get behind them and split them up" growled the man to Johann of Frankmark, who had come with him to capture the queen.
Hans noticed a few guards going to the right and cursed. They would be surrounded soon. The man went forward to fend the guards off, trusting Elsa to deviate the arrows away from them. However, four men was simply too much for the prince to handle, and Hans screamed when he felt Johann's sword break through his defence, piercing just above his heart. Another swing from the sword made the prince fall down completely as he clutched his bleeding wound with his free hand. A third swing knocked his weapon out of his hand and Hans stiffened at the cold metal touching his neck.
"Hans!" The queen had heard him scream and she turned her head to see Johann on the brink of killing the Southern prince. At the same time of her exclamation, the storm stilled at once, causing everyone to stop and take the sudden weather change in. She stretched her hand out in order to blast the winning opponent away when a movement from the corner of her eye prevented her from helping Hans.
In her concern for Hans she had completely forgotten about her own opponents, who made use of her distraction. Elsa did what she could to parry and counterattack but they were simply with too much to let her guard down and save Hans in the process. One moment of weakness, and they would kill her, leaving the possibility that Arendelle would stay a frozen wasteland forever.
The trio blinked when the storm stopped in a blink of an eye and they glanced arround to take in the huge waste that was the Fjord. The King had begun to tremble in between Kristoff's and Anna's hands as the frost crept further on from his finger tips to his forearms. He couldn't even move them anymore, so stiff had they become from the cold. As for his feet, his steps had to go in small paces as his knees began to get difficulty to bend them properly.
"There! there she is!" yelled Anna when she found her sibling who was trying to fend off her own guards. When this was over, they would really recheck them all.. thought Anna as she pulled the King with her. Worriedly, the princess looked to his face. It had already a ice blue tint.
Upon seeing the Queen, Hans' father smiled at the prospect of being saved, or at least his final hope to be rescued. "But.. how do I get passed them?" brought the King out when he saw the fighting men.
"Don't worry, your majesty, I'll clear that up for you" replied Kristoff as he let go of the King before taking out his axe. Anna stayed behind to help the King forward, when a familiar scream made the King stop completely.
"Your majesty? What is it?" asked Anna confused as she felt resistance to go on.
The king didn't answer her question, as his view was completely dominated by seeing his youngest son disarmed. Even from here, the man could see the red color upon his grey coat. "Hans..." The king glanced back to the queen a few metres away from him, relieved of the attacking men due to Kristoff holding them at bay.
The queen didn't know how to lift this winter. So how could she know to lift a curse as small as this? The man's eyes went dull at the realization. He had known it. But due to Kristoff's and Anna's optimism he had pushed on. He had dared to believe, ever so slightly that it could be possible be to be saved.
He was dying anyway. And his son would too, if he didn't do something. The king wurmed his hand free from that of Anna's, ignoring her shoutouts. With a strength he never knew he still had, with a speed he thought couldn't be acchieved anymore the King ran towards his son, placing himself in-between the descending sword that was about to kill his child.
"NO!"
Before he realized what happened it had already passed. Hans looked up, with squinted eyes from the pain, and desperately hoping it was a hallucination of his. But then he heard Johann fall on the ground with a loud THUD. He heard the soldiers' shocked murmurs and Anna's footsteps coming near.
"No... no god..." Hans rolled over and groaned as his wound began to send bolts of pain across his whole body. After that, the prince heaved himself upright, seeking support from the ice statue that was once his father. "No... Father.." The statue was even too cold for him to touch and Hans withdrew his hand from it, bursting in tears instead.
"You never were my father..."
That were his last words to him. The prince sunk back on his knees, screaming out his pain and grief across the whole silent fjord. For a moment it seemed the fighting would actually stop simultaniously with the King's sacrifice. But then, the shock turned back to anger for the Duke, who pointed his crossbow once more to the approaching queen. "Don't step further you freak!"
"No stop don't hurt her!"
Everyone's heads, save for a still grieving Hans, turned to the new voice who placed herself in front of the queen. The Duke looked baffled to the girl who would take the arrow for her own.
"Step aside child!" threatened the Duke as he kept the crossbow on load. One twitch and it would fly straight into the heart of the queen once this obstacle was out of the way.
"No! I won't let you hurt my mother!" bit the child back with a stubbornness that all youth possessed. "She stopped me from freezing to death."
To the Duke's astonishment, more children ran towards the Snow Queen, making a shield of human flesh arround her. the man's arm trembled slightly at the determant faces. He didn't want innocent blood on his hands.. his arrow was only meant for the queen. "Get...get aside!" ordered the Duke once more, his voice wavering. The child who stood in front, had just the same eyes as Inger...
"Brunhilda! O god, is that you?!" A woman ran towards the children, taking her daughter into a crushing hug. More parents came closer, hopeful to see one of their children whom they believed dead. Soon screams of joy were filled in the air, paired with tears of relief as the parents hugged their children as tightly as they could. Yet as they pulled their children behind their backs, the parents looked with fright and anger towards the Snow Queen.
"You kidnapped them!"
"You monster!"
The parents would have lynched the queen then and now if the bulky ice harvester didn't come forward. Intimidated by the huge protector, they scrambled backwards a little bit. "The queen saved them from being frozen to death. If you don't believe me, ask your children!" said Kristoff's loud voice across the crowd.
"Then why didn't she return them to us the moment she helped them!" accused Solveig's father as he pointed his finger to the Snow Queen. Murmurs of agreement came up once more, demanding an explanation.
"I didn't return them to you because I needed them to work on a mirror." said Elsa as she kept her head down. "That mirror can stop my powers from hurting anyone else ever again, and make an end to this winter."
The children twitched in their parent's grip, wanting to go back to their 'mother'. "They don't remember us!" said the mother of Tyra this time. "They don't even recognize us! What is the reason for that, Snow freak?!"
"I... I didn't want them to miss you while they were with me. I can restore them now if you'd let me."
Kari was the first to run towards the feared Snow Queen, despite her mother trying to stop her from reaching the blonde woman. "I want them back..but no matter what, you'll always be my mother"
Elsa smiled and she had to surpress her tears at the girl's comment. After restoring her memories, Kari ran back to her mother, taking her for the first time in days in a real hug. The other children followed suit, with less and less reluctance from their parents when they saw that their queen didn't harm them.
"This doesn't matter!" spoke the Duke with a heated face. "She ran for her crimes and hurt the King of the Southern Isles himself to acchieve that!"
Murmurs rose up once more as they were reminded of the queen's horrifying act. But just then a gasp came from the closest people arround the frozen statue: the frost began to melt from the body, revealing healthy skin underneath. When the King was finally thawed out, he shuddered from the uncomfortable stance he had been frozen in.
"Father..." Hans looked up when he felt a movement at his head, not believing his eyes. New tears dwindled down on the man's cheeks as the two took each other an a crushing hug. "O god, can you ever forgive me?"
"No. Can you ever forgive me, for not treating you like the son you are to me?" asked the elderly King as they parted from their embrace. Hans opened his mouth to answer, when his knees buckled under his weight. "Hans!" The king could barely catch his son when he fell down like a ragg doll, noticing the increasing red color that painted his grey coat. The man was barely concious as his face became as white as snow. Rapidly, to stop the threatening flow of blood, The King wrapped a piece of clothing arround his son's stomach. It only helped a little bit. Already the clothing turned into a more darkish spot where the blood was spilling out.
Suddenly surprised screams went through the crowd and everyone turned to the commotion, to see the Trolls come forward with the nearly completed Mirror.
Oh no.. what had happened to Franz? and Inger?! Hans attempted to sit up when the dizziness became too much, forcing him to lay down against his will. Yet, the surprise quickly vanished when a sudden CLICK was heard nearby. it was one he knew very well: that of a crossbow.
"Bring Inger back or I'll blow her brains out!" threatened the Duke with tears in his eyes. The happy reunion of the children with their parents, the King's revival and the decreasing hostility towards the queen had hurt him very personally. It was too much happiness arround him, while he had to grief his daughter's death.
"Lord duke! put that down immediately!" roared Kristoff in anger. However with the crossbow so closely to Anna's head, the man knew he couldn't risk to atack him and losing her, or the baby as a consequence.
"I don't take orders from you!" bit the Duke back. "I still am the highest voice in The Council. So you'll answer to me!"
"Lord Duke.. I feel your pain" commented Gran Pabbie as he stepped forward. "But it can be eased, for we can give you all what you want. When the mirror is complete, her majesty will be bereft of her powers.. and with her powers gone, all shall be as before. Queen Elsa will be an ordinary woman, and you'll have your daughter back."
"But what of our Children?" asked a concerned parent.
"They would indeed die without Elsa's magic sustaining them." said Gran Pabbie to ease their fears. "But we have the same abilities as her and it will serve as a substitute."
"No!" screamed Hans quickly. "He's lying! The Mirror is not your salvation its your destruction!"
"Why would that ever be our destruction?" frowned Elsa to the prince. The duke as well stayed quiet.
"There is a Queen.. a very powerful one, trapped inside that thing" rambled Hans quickly on before the troll king could stop him - or, god forbid it, that he would fall unconcious at this very moment. "If you complete it, Snowwhite will return to wreck havoc on the land. The trolls used you so she could harvest your magic for herself!" screamed the prince hysterically.
Heavily breathing, and with a red face, Hans smiled triumphantically to the troll king, who didn't seem shocked by his revelation. If anything, he seemed content, and Hans felt a chill go up his spine. He hadn't won at all.
"Your majesty, didn't Prince Hans cut himself by one of the Mirror shards?" asked Gran Pabbie as he stepped towards the southern prince.
"He... he did indeed. But it was pulled out." added Elsa quickly after.
"Not entirely... I can still sense a piece left inside his hand."
Hans gritted his teeth when he realized what the troll was doing. By letting the people think that he was under the mirror's influence, he lost all credibilty towards them.
"Is that so?" said Elsa as she strode towards both the prince and the troll King. "May I inspect your hand, prince Hans?"
"Your majesty.. Don't do this. You must feel this isn't the right way." pleaded Hans as he clenched his hand into a fist. "The trolls manipulated you by bringing your fears to the surface as a child and they are using the same trick once more. "Elsa, please don't!"
"Your hand" spoke the queen as sharp as ice while she stretched her hand out so Hans could lay his in hers. When Hans didn't bulge, the Snow Queen took hold of his wrist, causing ice to crawl all over. Unable to keep back his instincts, Hans opened his fist, allowing the queen to take the shard from him. Once more, Hans' eyes travelled across the crowd, hoping his brother or Inger would show up to testimony that he spoke the truth. But that hope vanished when he didn't see a trace of them.
"Anna asked you everyday to build a snowman, your favorite sweet is chocolate and you love geometry!" yelled Hans as Elsa came forward. Each step she took towards the mirror made him become even more frantic.
The moment the piece locked with the edges of the incomplete mirror, a glow emitted from it, repairing itself in the process. And when the final pieces melted together as one solid glass mirror, the Snow Queen was unable to move from her spot, nor could she scream from the pain that cursed through her. As her whole body began to get enveloped by that same glow as if it she were obtaining a second skin, the queen's head rolled backwards, showing ice blue eyeballs instead.
"Elsa!" Rapunzel rushed forward at seeing the terrifying state of her cousin, only to be stopped by flynn who wrapped his strong arms arround her. "Flynn let me go!"
"We can't do anything blondie... I have a feeling that if we intervene we'll end up like this." said Flynn to calm his wife down.
Now, screams emerged from the Children, who clutched the place close to their hearts as if they were trying to claw it out. Their parents fell down to catch them before they hid the ground, while the children wretched in their arms uncontrollably. And then, their flesh began to tear off. Blood and muscle got peeled off there-after, followed by the internal organs. It was done in a blink of an eye, before anyone had time to process what had happened. Anna felt a bile rise in his throat as she saw the small skeletons of the children in their parent's arms... hold on.. where they still moving?! God don't let them still be alive after all this torturous pain?! As for the Snow Queen herself, the symptoms were in a less rapid pace. " what is the meaning of this?" screamed Anna as she stepped to the troll. "You said it would help her, not kill her." More people managed to get over their shock, turning to rage instead and walked behind the princess, ready to lynch the troll king.
"Isn't that the same?" asked Gran Pabbie with an emotionless stone-like face.
"What? Off course it isn't!" sputtered Kristoff angrily as he waved to the tormented people arround them. "You can't just sacrifice a dozen lives for-" And then they all simply froze into place, unable to move or speak.
That was except for the Duke of Weaselton, who blinked twice to make sure it was absolutely real. "What.. why did you do that?" brought the Duke finally out.
"I believe in human terms there is the saying "the enemy of my enemy is my friend". I wish to have Queen Elsa gone just as much as you want." said Gran Pabbie as he waggled towards the short man who still held Anna under shot. "And.. pointing that crossbow to him isn't needed anymore either. she won't escape unless I want her too" smiled the troll darkly to Ardellian princess.
The Duke pointed his crossbow away and indeed, the princess didn't run or attack him as any other would have done. "I want Queen Elsa gone as well for what she did to my daughter... but..." the man shuddered at seeing the screaming children. This was going to far. To kill so many just for another to be hurt... hadn't he gone on that same path by ordering Franz to be killed if he were to delay his mission for finding Queen Elsa? True, it wasn't straight out murdering him... but it had been into the same direction nonetheless. Was he any better then the Queen herself if he allowed this to continue? What would his daughter say if she were alive? She would be horrified of the man he had become. "I can't see them suffer for my revenge." said the man as he threw his crossbow on the ground. "Its.. Its wrong."
"I see." mused Gran Pabbie. "I see clearly now. You humans say one thing, then another. I thought you were different. But in the end..." Before the Duke could run, rocks swirled towards him, evelopping his body completely and crushing his bones. "You betray, always and whenever you can." spoke the troll without any emotion as he watched the duke's eyes slowly dim out.
"Now that is a bit too harsh to put an entire race across one side, when a human saved you from getting lynched." replied a sweet voice suddenly. The pressure upon the Duke vanished slightly as Gran Pabbie's concentration was broken by the interrupting voice.
Elsa squirmed in front of the mirror, from which a leg came forward, somehow even paler then that of the queen's. Slowly, the rest of the body came through, revealing a woman with black hair and lips as red as blood.
"Your majesty." gasped Gran Pabbie as he bowed as deeply as he could - which meant him almost rolling himself into his rock-like form. it would have been comical if the situation hadn't been so precarious.
"oh do stand up" waved Snowwhite with a careless gesture.
Hans' breath stocked when Snowwhite turned her head towards him, just for a second. She was... beautiful. Even more beautiful then Elsa, he was ashamed to say. Not a single freckle was on her skin, making it look like the finest porcelain. Her hair was practically glowing, even though there were no ice crystals in it like the Snow Queen. it was draped arround her shoulders, slightly wavering in a still air. and her eyes... he could get lost in those ocean-blue. Suddenly those eyes vanished from his view and Hans blinked confused, wondeirng where they had gone. The enchantement that the Blood Queen had put over him loosened its hold when he saw Snowwhite step to Elsa.
"So...pretty..." purred the black-haired woman as she took hold of Elsa's chin. The blue-white magic arround the Snow Queen had almost been drained by Snowwhite. And after she had her magic, she would suck her life-force away till nothing was left of her just like the Children.
"Get away from her!" brought Hans out, hoping to draw attention away from the queen and lengthen her life.
"Oh..." gasped Snowwhite as she saw the Southern prince now truly stand amidst the crowd. "my dear Hans... you're hurt." When she reminded him of the stab wound Johann had given him earlier, the pain came back prince grimaced from the throbbing pain and instinctively put his hand arround his bleeding hip.
"Hans... don't look at her, look at me" pleaded the king desperately as he patted his son's cheek to keep him awake. "You're going to be fine. Just... look at me."
Yet, the King couldn't prevent Hans' gaze to get drawn back to the beautiful queen, for himself had just as much difficulty not to get enchanted by her.
"Such love for one another..." cooed Snowwhite as she saw the wounded prince in his father's arms.
"Leave us alone, witch-queen!" snarled the man. if his hands weren't occupied with his son's body, he would have taken his sword to get her to the afterlife.
"But he's dying, your majesty!" Spoke the black-haired queen, comfirming his greatest fears. "Can you save him from Death?"The King stayed quiet at her question, silently comfirming it. "I can" went Snow-white on with still a sickly sweet voice.
To the King's horror, he felt his son twitch in his arms to get loose before crawling towards the Blood-queen. "Hans..." brought the King out. "Don't.. please... If there is one thing I would have done differently, I-" With a mere flicker of Snowwhite's hand, the man lost his speech completely.
The southern prince only seemed to crawl quicker towards Snow-white at his father's words, leaving an eerie trail of blood behind him on the ice. Snow-white chuckled at Hans' desperate pale face and knelt on her knees, to take the prince in her arms like a mother would take a child. "Do you want to live, Hans?"
A weak gurgle from Hans' mouth was comfirmation enough for Snow-white, who smiled pleased at her new Prince. A hand was placed on his chest, and Hans gasped from the strange sensation of having his wounds healed. heavily blinking, Hans stared into the queen's beautiful eyes, drinking in once more her face. He didn't want to die.. he was that much of a coward, now that he was finally faced with the Grim Reaper. He would take any chance to save himself. And who wouldn't when they were offered such a chance?
Elsa meanwhile, couldn't move from her spot as she saw Hans into Snowwhite's arms. Her blonde hair had turned silvery grey now, and her once youthful face had become dusted with lines, along with wet tears for Hans' second betrayal. What had you expected? He would always chose power over her! "Hans..." The prince didn't seem to hear her. Either that or he pretended it.
"Do you want to have power, Hans?" whispered the Blood Queen further in Hans' ear. "I can share it with you..."
"Yes..." brought Hans out as he smiled with an adorable smile to the woman before him. "Yes, I want it please!"
"Then finish the spell, my beautiful prince...By fairest blood its done..."
"And only by fairest blood is it undone" murmured Hans, before leaning in to kiss her. His eyes met that of Elsa's, and the Snow Queen frowned confused at his silent message. His eyes weren't filled with hatred or glee, but with misschief and a certain sadness. Hold on.. what was he doing?
As Snowwhite closed her eyes before kissing him, Hans rapidly took out something shiny out of his sleeve before raising his free hand that was arround Snowwhite's shoulder. "however... there is only one problem..." His movement made Snowwhite aware that something was off and she turned her head to see Hans place the final piece inside the Mirror of Truth. "I don't wish to share any of it."
"NO!" With a face contorted from rage, Snowwhite turned her attention back to Hans, who was giving her a dashing smile before they both vanished into the Mirror.
There is nothing more powerful then the love of a parent for a child. For those who were hating on the Duke.. he was consumed by vengeance, just like Elsa was consumed by fear, The King being a control freak, Anna by being impulsive, Hans by power or Franz by being stubborn. Neither of these characters are all good or all evil. They are just flawed and it makes them human.
The voices Hans heard were quotes from past disney movies. I chose them carefully, because they all feature glass or a mirror in it. take a guess which ones. The reason why Hans could withstand the Mirror now, and not in the beginning, will be explained later.