Chapter 20:

Reunion

A/N: Enjoy!

One afternoon, Elsa put the finishing touches on the latest trade agreement with the kingdom of Labraza. She had heard good things about the kingdom, and after several weeks of correspondence, she was positive that they could provide Arendelle with many important goods, such as the wood for the new orphanage. In the last letter that she received from Labraza, King Luke offered his deepest condolences on the death of Anna, and the recent attack from Richard. As much as Elsa hated to be reminded of these two things, she knew that the king meant well. She also learned that King Luke had a daughter named, Ruby. He told her that Ruby had been affiliated with the Westergards in the past, but hadn't had any contact with them for quite some time. Elsa advised King Luke to keep both Ruby and the rest of his kingdom away from the Southern Isles. After all that they had done to Arendelle, they weren't to be trusted. King Luke agreed, offering his full support to Arendelle should the Southern Isles ever try anything again.

As Elsa sealed the letter in the envelope, she looked out her window at the fjord. There docked at the mouth of the harbor was a ship, which carried the Southern Isles flag. Immediately Elsa grew concerned. She had specifically warned Richard, and wrote to his father as well, that no one from the Southern Isles was welcome in Arendelle. Judging by the sudden appearance of one of their ships, it would appear that the Westerguards ignored her warning. She could only imagine what conniving plan they had concocted this time around. Whatever it was, it certainly wasn't good, and it was bound to hurt her and the people of Arendelle. Without thinking twice, she summoned the captain of the guards to round up his men, and go down to the dock and confront the trespassers. Elsa decided to go along with them. While she knew that her army could very well handle themselves, she thought that her presence might instill the fear of God in them, showing them that she meant business.

Elsa rode on horseback, following close behind Captain Stephen as he led an army of men toward the harbor. Elsa kept her calm, royal demeanor, not wanting to show the Westergards any fear whatsoever. She was going to really drive home the message this time around. She was going to let the people of the Southern Isles know that they are not welcome in Arendelle, and any further attempts to interact with the kingdom, would be seen as an act of war.

As they approached the ship, Elsa saw several Southern Isles guards standing on the dock. She noticed that they weren't armed, which was odd. If they were here to cause trouble surely they would have brought weapons.

When they arrived at the docks, Elsa dismounted her horse, and calmly walked over to the men.

"I thought I made it clear that Arendelle no longer wishes to have any correspondence with the Southern Isles," she stated firmly. After Prince Richard's recent assault, and the kidnapping of my sister, the Southern Isles has proven to be an untrustworthy country. I do not normally condone violence, but I will use it if it is necessary. However, I'm willing to give you all one last warning in order to prevent that from happening. I suggest you take it. Leave now, and no harm will come to your people. Refuse, and I will order my men to attack. The choice is yours."

Captain Stephen's army raised their rifles and crossbows, ready to spring into action the moment their queen gave the word. Elsa looked the men straight in the eye, not blinking once. Time was running out, now was the time the Southern Isles made their choice.

One of the men stepped forward. He bowed to Elsa, and softly spoke.

"Queen Elsa, we mean Arendelle no harm," he said. "We come to return something that belongs to you. Or someone I should say."

"What might that be?" Elsa asked directly, irritated that the man was wasting her time.

The men stepped back, and pointed toward the ramp of the ship. Elsa followed his gaze, and nearly fainted when she saw the person running down the ramp. Anna!

This wasn't real. It had to be a dream. Anna was dead, her body forever lost at sea.

"Elsa! Elsa!" she cried, tears pouring from her eyes.

Now she was hearing things too. Why must the universe be so cruel to her? As Anna approached Elsa, she wrapped her arms around her and squeezed tight. That's when Elsa realized that this was no dream or a mirage. Anna her sister was right in front of her, alive!

"Elsa, Elsa! I'm here, I'm here!" Anna cried into her sister's dress, letting the tours pour from her eyes. Elsa gently moved Anna's head to face her; gazing longingly into her teal eyes. Even though her hair and clothes were filthy, and she had many cuts and bruises, Elsa instantly recognized her sister. With that, the Snow Queen burst into tears of her own.

"My God, Anna! How…how are you alive?" After all this time," she stammered. "We thought you were dead!"

Anna could tell that the revelation of her survival came as quite the shock to Elsa. The poor woman could barely stand as she continued to gaze into Anna's eyes.

"It's OK, Elsa. Don't cry, I'm here, and I'm safe," Anna reassured.

"But…the boat was destroyed…everyone aboard drowned…how did you survive?"

"Elsa, I'll explain everything later, right now there's more important matters to attend too.

"What could that possibly be?" Anna, you're here, you're alive, and that's the only thing in the world that matters."

As if on cue, a large man came down the ramp, carrying a man wrapped in bloody blankets. At first Elsa didn't recognize who the man was, but when the large man brought the body in front of her, she lashed out in attack.

"You… you son of a bitch! I'm going to kill you!" Elsa screamed, hurling herself toward Hans's body. Snow started to pick up around the harbor, coming down faster with every second. Anna grabbed Elsa with all her might, trying to calm her sister down.

"Elsa, Elsa, please listen to me! I can explain everything later, just get him to the infirmary immediately.

"The infirmary? Anna have you lost your mind? This is the man who kidnapped you, the man who tried to kill me, the cause of all our problems! He belongs in a shallow grave, not the infirmary!"

"Elsa, for the love of God, listen to me, there's so much that I have to tell you. A lot has happened these past few months, and you need to hear it. Please, I know this looks awkward, and you have every right to be furious at Hans, but just get him to the infirmary so the doctors can treat his wounds. He's been hurt very badly! Please Elsa, listen to me! I'm your sister! Don't you trust me!"

Elsa continued to stare at Hans, lying helplessly in the man's arms. He was barely breathing, only minutes away from death. As much as Elsa wanted to jam an icicle through his twisted heart, she knew that Anna had a good reason for all of this. She trusted her sister, and agreed to her demands.

"Fine. Get him to the infirmary," Elsa ordered Captain Stephen. "I'll be along shortly."

Captain Stephen escorted the men of the Southern Isles to the castle, urging them to hurry along several times. Elsa continued to hold onto Anna, embracing the feeling of her skin against her. So long had she wanted to hold her sister, but couldn't because she feared of harming her. When she finally reunited with her, she could finally enjoy that feeling again, only to have it taken away only a year later. It would seem that fate didn't want the two sisters to be together, even though both of them really did. Elsa had finally given up on the fact that she would never see Anna again. She reluctantly accepted to return to that cold, and lonely place where she longed for her sister's love, but couldn't have it.

And now, here she was, in her arms once again, this time for good. Elsa squeezed tight to her sister, not wanting to let go of her for a second. There was no way in hell she would lose her again…not after all that has happened. She would die if anything were to happen to Anna again. The pain would be too much to bear. Elsa was a strong woman, but she was only human, and a human could only take so much heartache in one lifetime. But that didn't matter now. Anna was alive, and here in her arms. She could feel the touch of her skin, see the liveliness in her eyes, and most of all, she could hold her again, something that she never took for granted, and never will.

A few days later.

When Hans opened his eyes, he looked around the room, confused as to where he was. Was this heaven? If so, then he had to say it looked pretty nice. The room was filled with many beds, each with their own dresser. The walls were painted light blue, and were adorned with many pictures. He could feel the sunlight coming from the window behind him, basking his skin in a ray of light. Hans shifted in his bed, trying to get a better view of his surroundings. He found that the slightest movement sent a shock of pain throughout his body.

Looking at his right arm, he saw that it was heavily bandaged as was his chest. Very gently, he ran his fingers across the bandages, wondering who had put them there. As he continued to examine himself, he didn't notice someone enter the room, and walk towards him.

"Ah! You're awake!" the voice said.

Hans looked up, and was stunned to see Queen Elsa standing by his bedside.

"Quite the close call you had," she said. "The doctor said that the bullet missed your heart by just a few inches. We honestly thought that you weren't going to make it. Fortunately, we have excellent physicians here in Arendelle."

Hans didn't respond. He continued to look at Elsa, still wondering if this was all just a dream. Elsa noticed his concern, and sat down on the bed beside him.

"Quite the adventure you've had, Hans," she said. "I bet your wondering why and how you're here in Arendelle now."

"I'm in Arendelle?" Hans asked in disbelief.

Elsa nodded. You arrived a few days ago actually. Since then, we've been treating your wounds here in the infirmary."

Hans was baffled at what he was hearing, and even more so by the calm demeanor Elsa presented towards him. Didn't she know that he was the one who kidnapped Anna?

"Why are you doing this? He asked. "Why are you helping me, especially after all that I've done?"

"It wasn't my idea to keep you alive," Elsa stated firmly. "You can thank my sister for that one."

"Anna?"

Elsa nodded. "When she arrived back in Arendelle, she told me all about the past two months she spent with you on the island. The island that was your brother Richard's I should say. She told me how you saved her life several times. Once from a cougar, and the other from your vile brother. Now I thought this was very interesting, seeing as how you were the one to put her in harm's way to begin with. I must ask you: why did you do it? Why did you help my sister? Was it because you knew that your plan to hold her for ransom had failed? Or was it something else?"

Hans decided that he might as well tell Elsa the truth. He knew that it wouldn't save him, and quite frankly, he didn't care. Elsa deserved to know the truth.

"I've done some terrible things to the two of you," he said. "Things that are unforgivable. But I'm not asking for forgiveness, because I know that I don't deserve it. Over the past two months, I got to know your sister more. I got to see just who she really is on the inside: A kind, gentle, confident, and optimistic woman who cares for many people, especially you. You were what kept her going, what made her determined to get back home to you. When I saw the devotion that she had for you, I began to feel remorse for what I'd done for the first time in my life. I saw just how evil my actions truly were. I separated two sisters, who had already spent most of their lives apart, all to fulfill some selfish goal. But there's more." Hans stopped talking, taking a moment to wipe the tears from his eyes.

"I grew to love your sister. I mean truly love her. Before I was only using her for my own selfish purposes, but the more time I spent with her on the island, the more I fell in love with her. I realized what I fool I had been: to take advantage of someone so sweet and innocent. I had my chance with Anna, but I blew it. After I poured my soul out to her, apologizing for my actions, she actually forgave me. I couldn't believe it. After everything that I had done, Anna was willing to start fresh with me. How?"

Elsa smiled. "Anna has a big heart," she explained.

"Indeed. I saw that in that moment. I saw just what a wonderful person Anna is, and what a despicable person I was. I'm just as bad as Richard."

"Hans, it's true that you've done some terrible things. Things that I will probably never forgive you for. But I know that you weren't always like this. People aren't born bad, there are outside forces that influence them. And I think I know what influenced you."

Hans looked into Elsa's eyes; he could tell that she was serious.

"You and your father never really got along, did you?" she asked.

"That's putting it kindly," Hans scoffed.

"Why do you think he treated you this way?"

"Hell if I know. I always wondered that myself. He and the rest of my brothers have treated me like dirt all my life. The only person who ever truly loved me was my mother. But she's gone, so now I have nobody who loves me."

For the first time in her life, Elsa pitied Hans. On the outside he appeared to be a cold, calculating person, but on the inside, he was just a man psychologically wounded from many years of neglect and abuse. King Daniel, and his brothers were definitely responsible for making Hans into the man he is today, but nonetheless, that didn't excuse his actions.

"Hans, what your father and brothers did to you was awful, and I'm truly sorry that it happened. But you don't have to let bad experiences mold you into something ugly. If anything, you should use them to make you stronger. Look at Anna and me; we had a terrible childhood. Growing up without each other, wanting nothing more than to be together, but we didn't let it destroy us. Even after thirteen years, Anna remained the happy-go-lucky girl that she always was. Even I still possessed the qualities I had as a child. I just kept them buried deep down. I realized that I was letting fear control my life, and that was wrong…so very wrong. I learned that love was the key to controlling my powers, and that I didn't have to let fear rule my life anymore. I knew that the past is in the past, and that's all there is to it. You have to focus on the here and now, and look to the future. Don't worry about what happened yesterday. It's behind you, and it will always be behind you. You can't change it, but you can learn from your mistakes. Do you understand?"

Hans shivered at Elsa's words. They rang in his ears like a thousand bells. Every word she said was true. Instead of overcoming the obstacles in his path, he let them consume him, until it transformed him into something ugly. The same fate had befallen Elsa, but her outcome was much different than his. After overcoming her fears, Elsa took control of her life, and became the best person she could be. If only he would have realized this sooner. Then maybe, just maybe, he and Anna would be together.

"I've arranged for a ship to take you back to the Southern Isles in the morning," Elsa said, changing her tone of voice. She was much sterner now.

"I will personally escort you home, and hand you over to your father. He is already aware of your survival, and of your current whereabouts. I would like to speak to him face to face before I return to Arendelle."

"As for your punishment, after much consideration, I have decided to pardon you for your crimes."

Hans looked up in shock. There was no way this was happening.

"But….Your Majesty…I"

Elsa held up a hand. "Let me finish, please."

"I will pardon you for your crimes on three conditions. One: You are never to set foot in Arendelle ever again. Two: You are to cease contact with Anna as well as never see her again. You've done enough damage to her for one lifetime, and I will see to it that you hurt her no more."

"What's the third condition?" Hans asked, already dreading what it might be.

"I will reveal that tomorrow when you return to the Southern Isles," Elsa said.

Hans opened his mouth to argue, but he quickly realized that it was best that he didn't say anything.

"For now, rest. I will come get you in the morning."

As Elsa started to leave the room, Hans finally summoned the courage to speak to the queen.

"Queen Elsa!" he called.

Elsa turned around, eyeing him curiously.

"Yes, Prince Hans?"

"Could I please just see Anna for one last time?"

His request was simple, but at the same time it was overwhelming. For a minute, it was stone silent in the infirmary as Hans waited to hear Elsa's response to his request. He would understand if she said no, but a part of him hoped that she would say otherwise.

"I'll think about it," Elsa said softly, before turning and leaving the room.

After she left, Hans fell back onto the bed, crying heavily. He wished that they would have let him die.

A/N: That was a fun chapter to write, especially the little heart to heart between Hans and Elsa. Will Elsa grant Hans his wish to see Anna again? What is the third condition to Elsa's pardoning of Hans? And what are Anna's thoughts about the thirteenth prince after this whole ordeal? Stay tuned.

PS: Sorry for the lack of Kristanna, I promise to include that in the next chapter.