Many of you have guessed correctly: Yes, Hans has decided that he will be taking the last dosage of the poison. It seems fitting. However, that isn't all! That is just one part of his "master plan."

I meant to answer this question earlier, but never got around to it. There isn't a sequel in the works, but I WILL be starting another Frozen fanfiction after finishing this one. I might take a 2-week break before that. Feel free to PM me if you would like a synopsis of the new story!

Chapter 25:

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" Elsa asked anxiously from the other side of the cell door. Tendrils of frost were slowly creeping across the dungeon floor, as she twiddled her fingers nervously.

Hans nodded and pulled the almost-empty jar of white powder from his pocket, then proceeded to mix it into a glass of water. Just as he began lifting the glass to his lips, Elsa interjected, "Hans, you know how I feel about torture."

The thirteenth prince shook his head firmly. "This isn't torture. It's justice. Besides, it can't be torture if it's consensual." Hans sighed, "Which is more than I can say about the things I've done to hurt you, and all those poor innocent people who never asked to be poisoned."

Elsa looked him in the eye with a pained expression. From the moment she saw him on his knees, sobbing helplessly and begging Grand Pabbie to take his heart instead, she knew she had forgiven his every offense against her. The pitiful remains of his severed finger only reaffirmed that conviction. But it was clear that Hans was far from being able to forgive himself. There was no point trying to change his mind; rhetoric and reasoning could persuade the head, but not the heart. Perhaps only time and contemplation could heal those wounds. She laid a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "If it becomes too much to handle at any point, just let me know and I'll bring the antidote down." The remaining antidote was stored in a small glass vial, preserved in a block of ice. It was locked away in a safe inside Elsa's room, beyond the reach of meddlesome eyes and tampering fingers.

Hans insisted, "No matter how hard I beg and cry, promise that you won't give me the antidote until I'm just a few hours away from death. It's only fair that I go through exactly what I inflicted on those poor people."

"But what about this?" Elsa pointed at his severed finger, then vaguely gestured with her hand to signify all the cuts and bruises and missing teeth he had incurred upon returning to Arendelle. "That has to count for something."

Hans waved his hand dismissively and gave a sarcastic snort. "That doesn't even count for two seconds of this lovely poison." He hesitated, remembering that there was something he still needed to ask her. "By the way, have you written to my father?"

Elsa nodded. "Yes I have. He sounded skeptical, but at least he's willing to consider. Hans, this is probably the greatest idea you've ever come up with." Then her cheeks grew warm with bashfulness. "But you did go way overboard singing my praises."

"Nonsense." Hans tilted his head back and emptied the entire glass. Elsa turned and ran from the dungeons, slamming every door in her wake, knowing that she wouldn't be able to listen to his screams without running back to put an end to his misery. She wouldn't be able to restrain herself from blasting open the dungeons and forcing the antidote down his throat. But it was what he truly wanted and it was the only way for him to feel absolved, so she had to respect his wishes.

The past few weeks had been a hellish nightmare for everyone involved. More than two-thirds of the kingdom's citizens knew someone who had been poisoned. They all needed a break. Elsa indeed had something wonderful planned, and was putting on the finishing touches.

Word had spread throughout kingdom of the great sacrifices she had made to save her people, and of the much greater sacrifice that nearly came to pass. All of Arendelle knew of how she prepared to surrender her heart for the salvation of the masses. Of the blood and tears she shed, of the terrible tragedy that nearly claimed her life, and of the great love that miraculously allowed her to reclaim it. Elsa had wished to keep the antidote's ingredients a secret. Knowledge of such a thing would surely elicit discomfort and disgust from those who had ingested the concoction. But it was naïve at best to attempt such a hopeless endeavor. She found it mortifying that the whole kingdom now knew that the antidote's chocolate fragrance was begotten of the Snow Queen's blood.

Being heralded as a hero also made her bashful and uncomfortable. She had done it out of love for her people and a sense of responsibility towards their well-being. Nothing more, nothing less. But she could hardly step outside the castle gates without people groveling at her feet, shedding torrents of tears and blubbering effusive words of gratitude. When the occasion arose, she didn't know what to do but to smile and respond with some contrite statement accepting their thanks and wishing them well.

Her mind snapped back to the present. Elsa leaned back in the chair of her study, whistling softly as she continued making lines and curves and other geometric constructions. A neat pile of parchment sat under one elbow. It was a plan for expanding Arendelle's system of higher education, which she had been working on for quite a long time, and was rather proud of how it had turned out. Her advisors agreed that it was a clever idea, but questioned its necessity. Arendelle was already quite advanced in trade and technology for their time, they argued, and their standard of living was already very high. Why improve something that was already good? She reminded them that they could be even better. Continuous development was necessary to help a kingdom grow and prosper. Social and scientific progress was evolving at an unprecedented pace in the eighteenth century, and Arendelle must have educated citizens with marketable skills and up-to-date knowledge.

With a smile, Elsa deposited those documents into a locked drawer. Now was not the time for work. There would be plenty of time to convene with the council on those matters. Now was the time for fun. To be perfectly honest, she was dying to have some genuine, carefree fun after all that had recently transpired.

Elsa giggled mischievously to herself, then conjured up a small icy ramp with a sequence of loops and turns, and a few angled beams to support the structure at various locations. Satisfied with her improvisation, she proceeded to roll a marble down its length. After traversing the entire path, the shiny ball flew off the end of the ramp and landed in an empty mug across the table, just as she intended. The job was done. She pocketed the marble with a smug little grin, and began filing away page after page of seemingly random sketches and computations.

BAM! The door smashed against the opposite wall, as someone vigorously flung it open. "Excuse me," she didn't bother turning around. "When I'm working, I'd prefer—"

A pillow collided hard against the back of her head. Standing in the doorway was Anna, with arms folded and an impish grin on her face. "So," Anna began in a drawling tone. "What's this little surprise you've been talking about? Or are you just doing math for fun because you're totally lame?"

As discreetly as she could, Elsa tucked the papers out of sight. Her "secret project" was essentially finished and ready to implement, but she was feeling tired and wanted to take a nap first. "Um, how about later this afternoon?" She politely covered a little yawn.

"Come on you stinker! You said it would be done by now!"

"Oh, but I didn't say right now. I said today. Who's the stinker now?"

Anna put on the puppy dog face that everyone knew Elsa could never resist. Not surprisingly, it was Anna who had started the trend and made it public knowledge. With a sly grin, the princess used another one of her infamous weapons. "You promised! Queen's word is law. If you don't get your ass over here right now, you're breaking the law."

Elsa shook her head with a chuckle. "Okay, I'm making a new law. Article five, section ten: Anyone caught making the puppy dog face shall be sentenced to life in prison." Anna persisted, and the blonde felt her insides melt into a pile of slush. "All right, I'm coming."

"I win!" Anna grabbed Elsa by the wrist and yanked her out of the chair.

"Ow ow ow! Slow down!" Elsa tried to free herself, but the feisty redhead was far too strong. Anna dragged her down the stairs, tripping at least half a dozen times, and they continued running out the castle gates and through the streets. I'm going to die for real this time. Elsa thought to herself, as she threw out a hand to stop herself from smashing into a lamp post. I'm being dragged through the streets by the clumsiest person in Arendelle. Citizens stopped to gape and stare at the eccentric sight. Elsa blushed as she did some stupid-looking dance move to barely avoid running into a wall. "Don't mind me, please."

Finally, they arrived at their destination, at a large open space in the middle of town. A massive crowd of people waited eagerly. "I've got her!" Anna shouted.

"Anna," Elsa hissed quietly. "Did you seriously invite the whole kingdom?"

"Most of it. Hey, wasn't that the point of this whole thing?"

Elsa shrugged. "I guess so." A sudden wave of confidence and empowerment washed over her, as she remembered why she was here. Bringing joy to the people was a pleasure, not a chore. Together they had been to hell and back, and together they had emerged victorious. Broken, but not beaten. Damaged, but not destroyed. Now was the time to celebrate. To forever put that nightmare to rest. To show the world why Arendelle's national symbol was a crocus. To prove that through love and resilience, any storm could be weathered.

With a vigor and enthusiasm she never knew she was capable of, Elsa focused her mind and thrust her hands forward. Out of nowhere appeared a thin bridge-like structure that meandered through the air like a long icy snake, held high above the ground by sturdy but elegant trusses. It formed a long winding path with circular loops and ramps that must have extended for miles. Attached to the track were a number of carts that moved automatically, each accommodating six riders and replete with safety features. The ride passed through icy tunnels and caverns, each decorated on the inside with music and imagery and sculptures of varying themes.

Elsa paused for a moment before creating about a dozen replications of the original structure. She added some variations to each one, slightly altering the length, shape, speed, and aesthetic features of each ride. That ought to make things a little more interesting.

Not everyone would be up for so much action. Surely some people would prefer a slower and more relaxing pace. Elsa quickly crafted several enormous revolving wheels of ice that stood orthogonal to the ground. Chairs were fixed along the entire circumference at regular intervals. The wheels spun very slowly, giving people a fantastic view of the city and surrounding scenery as they made their way up and around the circle. Satisfied with the progress, she proceeded to design some smaller rides that would be more suited to children.

Finally, it was finished. In less than ten minutes, an entire amusement park had been constructed out of perfect, flawless ice that glowed with all the splendor and radiance of diamonds in the morning sun. The crowd stood still, utterly transfixed by the magnificent creation that stood before them. Their eyes glistened with wonder and awe as they beheld the exquisite architecture, the intricate detail, and the seamless synchronization of all mechanical parts. No one moved a muscle for several minutes, aside from those who had involuntarily dropped to their knees, utterly overwhelmed.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" Anna shouted. "Let's go!" With a loud whoop, she hopped onto the nearest ride, and soon everyone followed suit.

Soon the seats were filled, and thousands of eager people crowded forward to form lines at each ride. Elsa placed her hand on a switch.

"Are you ready?" The people roared in approval. She thrust the lever forward, and the rides sprang to life. Pure ecstasy overwhelmed her heart as shrieks of delight filled the air. They had finally gotten the happy ending that they had long deserved, and was so long overdue.

"Frosty?"

A slight tug on her dress interrupted Elsa's musings. She looked down to see Isabella's bright green eyes gazing into her own.

"What it is, sweetie?"

"Thank you."

Ten days later

Hans lay gasping on the floor of the dungeon, an empty wineskin in his right hand. Finally, after nearly ten torturous days, his self-imposed punishment was over. Elsa knelt by his side, watching him with utmost concern, her eyes glistening with sympathy and tenderness. After several minutes of coughing and wheezing, he managed to speak. "Oh gosh, that was terrible!" He had recovered to full health, and there was no longer a blemish on his body. But every inch of the dungeon walls were coated with blood, and there was plenty of evidence that he'd attempted suicide at least a hundred times.

Elsa was also relieved that it was finally over. Even from behind all those closed doors, she could still hear his agonized screams echoing violently throughout the dungeons, and they chilled her to the core. Night after night, she would bury her head into the pillow, attempting to shut out the ghastly cries. She desperately wished she could ease his pain, but she had to honor her promise. Hans had asked her not to offer him any antidote until his full sentence had been served. "Your willpower is astounding."

Hans shrugged and remarked in a matter-of-fact tone, "Don't forget, I'm not off the hook yet. That was the punishment. There's still the restitution."

Elsa became nervous at the mention of his final endeavor. "Hans, do be careful. I don't want you to get hurt."

Hans chuckled bitterly. "I think it's you who needs to be careful. You thought I was a pervert? Well, you haven't met my brothers yet."His tone became very grave. "What I'm about to tell you is dead serious, and I mean it very literally. By agreeing to help me, you've put yourself at risk. The moment those pigs set foot in Arendelle, you must be vigilant at all times. You cannot let down your guard for one second. Never turn your back and never let them out of your sight. If they try anything, and I can almost guarantee that they will, don't hold back. Blast them into the Ice Age if that's what it takes."

Hans glanced at his pocket watch and rose to his feet. "Looks like it's time for me to get going. My ship will be here in less than an hour. Good-bye Elsa, I shall see you again on Saturday." He took both of her hands into his own. "I cannot thank you enough for all you've done for me."

As he made his way down the dock and boarded the ship that would carry him home across the fjord, Hans cast a wistful glance over his shoulder. Arendelle's coastline gradually vanished beneath the horizon. His adventures in that magical land had thrown his worldview into disarray, torn asunder all his delusions, and demolished his sanctuary of pride and ignorance into a pile of rubble. He was forever a changed man, and now he was a man on a mission.

Night had fallen by the time his ship sailed into the main harbor of the Southern Isles. The castle was barely discernible through the mists and darkness. It was time to face the demons of his past. Father, you're fighting a battle you cannot win. The flames of revolt will never die as long as you keep treating your subjects like slaves. Hans stood by the water's edge and gazed longingly into the night. Somewhere across the fjord, across that vast expanse of impenetrable blackness, was what he had been missing all his life. Father, I know the solution to your problem.

Yes, Elsa built an amusement park out of ice! That's why she was making all those sketches and doing all that random geometry and physics for no apparent reason.

So, what is Hans planning to do? His warning to Elsa sounds quite disturbing as well!

Stay tuned!