Elsa's too angry to hear the odd tinkling sound as her ice creeps along the sideboard she's holding on to after she backed into it. The pinprick sensation in her fingertips, however, she notices. Just as the ice continues its faint whining and crackling in rapid succession her eyes shoot wide.

The realization hits her hard, with a sharp inhale she focuses for a heartbeat and catches herself but can't find the warmth in her to thaw it. Her head drops and she looks down, the ice has stopped its march to conquer the top of sideboard, but it's not receding.

Her eyes dart to Hans then to Eric, neither seem to be paying any attention to her or the tabletop winter she's created as her hands pressed to it behind her.

Instead they are exchanging defensive barbs lowly as the truth has finally spilled out.

Hans' natural talent for debate and rhetoric, skillful and keen sense for logic and reasoning, and his preparation and training as a litigator are all proudly displayed in his precise questions that direct the conversation, leading Eric to unexpectedly admit to his mistake.

Frustrated and embarrassed, Eric admitted to accessing the security system at the Westergaard property (the software not terribly sophisticated, he mentioned as if to insult). "I needed to be able to see and track the Princesses throughout the property and Mr. Westergaard had limited the number of Royal Guards he would accommodate during the party. When I was able to hack into the system, I had found my solution to ensure Elsa and Anna's safety while meeting the restrictions placed upon me."

His failure to be forthcoming with the truth weighs heavily on her chest as she watches the man who has been her knight in shining armor, at her side and her protector for the last few years, crumble before her.

Eric insisted that he had reached out the head of the Westergaard security regarding his ability to hack into the system (sharing the weaknesses he was able to exploit - in the interest of collaboration and partnership with the Westergaards). Eric assured Hans that he had received permission to view the live footage and recordings to assist the Norwegian Royal Guard.

"Verbal permission. Nothing in writing," Hans clarifies slowly as he leans forward, his elbows pressing into his knees and his expression unreadable as he glanced at her. Something shifted, as if his mind was racing ahead of the story and piecing together what he knew, what he didn't, and where this fits.

"I was able to follow Elsa to your door, switch cameras and adjust the orientation to see her inside your room. But I swear, as soon as I realized that she was there to, umm," Eric blushed as he stumbled over his words poorly as he tried to explain, "…that is was private, I flipped the feed off and informed the Westergaard security that I was logging out the system and camera."

"Wait, hold on," she interrupted as her mind grasped at fleeting thoughts. "You took the pictures?"

"Not exactly…"

She cut him off with a flick of her wrist, and out of the corner of her eye she caught that terrible way Hans flinched, as if expecting – oh.

Her stomach churned at the voyeuristic images that Eric's words had conjured in her mind and in a flash she found herself on her feet and walking away. The twinge of freeze in her bones threated to thrive and bloom with every word spoken, triggering the sensation of an avalanche beneath her feet.

She glanced back over her shoulder as she stopped at the sideboard, finding herself feeling absurdly responsible for the entire situation and mortified. And she can't fix this, adding to the edge of hysteria that choked and clawed at her throat.

Eric and Hans are watched her intently, Eric remorsefully meeting her gaze before sighing and dropping his head down while he ran his fingers forcefully through his hair. Hans had drawn himself back up and unlinked his fingers, a prickle of something crawled up her spine as he pulled his lips thin and furrows his brow – "Please, continue," Elsa said steadily, motioning to him to continue as she turns back to the window and thinks of glaciers melting.

Eric tried to explain how Hans' father sent the original photo to him followed by a furious phone call disputing Eric's claim that he had permission to access the system and threatening to bring charges against him. Eric furiously blasted back at him, "Filming then publishing photos taken in violation of Princess Elsa's privacy is going to land you in jail." Mr. Westergaard had scoffed at the threat and warned Eric not to play games with him. "He boasted how 'Westergaards know how to control women, as evident in the photos the world would see…Hans fucking the future Queen's brains out'. There was no way Princess Elsa would ever leave Hans' side after giving it up like that to him in front of the world. Hans would be sitting on the throne and I'd be sitting behind bars." The sour expression he wore as he spoke triggered a wave of nausea to curl in her belly and forced her to turn her head away.

Elsa glances back to the barbed ice as she hears Hans scoff at something Eric has said, something she hasn't heard.

Elsa blinks, thinks of Anna's bright smile and Hans' laughter as she tries to thaw the ice again unsuccessfully. Instead, visions of frozen fjords littered with wooden ships scattered and stuck in jagged ice cloud her mind as she starts towards the door before she's actually settled on it, her hands fisted and cradled to her chest, impulsively trying to flee…

"Elsa?"

She stops in a heartbeat before snapping her chin up and towards Hans, once again her own strength doing nothing but making her feel weak.

She watches the concern flicker in Hans' eyes before he glances back to the sideboard as Eric stares at her uncertain and embarrassed. Hans' voice is calm and assertive as he provides her escape, "We've made you late to the rehearsal, haven't we? It's almost nine."

She releases the breath she didn't realize she held as she stared at Hans, amazed at how quickly he manages to assess and act on what is happening around him while appearing perfectly in control of himself. Her blank expression doesn't seem to register with Eric as he reiterates Hans' words with an apology.

Elsa nods dumbly, Hans suddenly at her side and wrapping arms around her as he whispers, "I'm not so sure Eric is to blame here, he made a huge mistake but…this sounds like my father manipulating to get what he wants - to gain power."

She shakes her head, not exactly hearing his words. Instead she's focused on the panic swirling and the frost that begins to paint the fibers of the rug they are standing on, "Please, I can't thaw it. Just kiss me…"

Her heart surges violently in her chest as he obliges without question or remark, his kiss smeared firmly across her lips as she gasps and the heat finally burns hot enough in her veins to thaw the frozen fractals that have decorated the room.

She pulls away and steadies herself before dropping her hands helpless her side.

She glares disappointedly at Eric, "Follow."

The anxiety sits as churning turmoil in her stomach. It fails to dissipate into the soft morning air as she pounds a path to the chapel with Hans and Eric falling in step behind her, causing her to focus on the coarse grey cobblestones under her feet (and keeping them ice-free).

It's not until she's climbing the steps of the chapel that the muted scuffle behind her registers. Before she can think better of it, like the crack of a whip she snaps her head over her shoulder as the frost rushes out from under her toe that is pressed to the step. Elsa catches sight of Hans and Eric shoving each other juvenilely - Eric has a fist raised and ready as Hans' knee is up and aimed forward and shoving at Eric's shoulder. Both seem to notice in unison Elsa's gaze fixed on them and freeze.

Hans has the gall to feign surprised innocence, a poorly hidden twist of his lips betraying him as he quickly brings himself to attention (and out of Eric's personal space). Her eyes narrow as her jaw unhinges itself slightly. "Sorry," Eric coughs quietly as he transforms into an impersonation of a statue with arms pulled tightly to his side, looking sheepishly at her and fighting a smirk of his own.

She scowls, catching the words under her tongue that include the threat of freezing them into ice cubes, clicking her teeth sharply instead as she storms forward, grabbing Hans by the wrist and pulling him and his smirk with her. Eric chuckles at Elsa's grip on Hans' wrist, like he's a naughty child being removed by an angry parent. Hans glares back at him, clearly unamused as he apologizes quietly into the ear of a very cold little blonde.

Elsa pauses at the top of the steps as Hans reaches past her to open the door. He takes the opportunity to press his lips seductively to her neck, his mouth a wet tease (and she lets him because of how tightly wound she feels) before meeting her darkened eyes. "You're going to need to calm down, you're too cold. Literally," he says in a mockingly serious tone that he uses to irritate her, she decides. He drops his gaze down to her feet, leading Elsa to follow his line of sight. She spots the layer of clear ice just as a harsh grunt and thud is heard from the base of the chapel steps.

"OUCH," Eric groans, splayed out on his backside as his head smacks the cobblestones.

Elsa's face falls in muted horror, realizing the ice trails down to the base of the steps and he's slipped on her ice, "ERIC!?"

He throws his arm over his face to block the sun out of his eyes, cursing under his breath with a huff.

Elsa's heart sinks as the freeze tears at her fingers, trying to surge despite her hands being balled tightly at her sides. Her worried eyes dart to Hans as she whispers, "What have I done?"

His gaze is intense like he's trying to read her, gentle and calm as he releases the handle of the door he was holding and quietly assuring her, "You didn't mean to. It was an accident." He kisses her quickly and that spark of heat she needed to thaw the ice takes hold as Hans whispers, "You can tell Eric now, or thaw it and tell him later. But I think it's time that he knows." Hans pulls himself from Elsa's embrace to check on Eric but stiffens suddenly before looking back to Elsa with curiosity (she's busy staring at ice). He takes her jaw into his hand and directs her view to the base of the steps.

Eric isn't alone.

There is a beautiful young red head sitting at Eric's side, intimately curled into him as she leans over his chest to tenderly caress his cheek and brush the hair from his forehead.

Unable to prevent her words from spilling from her lips she whispers, "What the?"

The girl is singing quiet declarations of love as Eric helplessly smiles lost and genuine at her with a love-struck expression. His hand gently takes hers as he reaches up to cup her cheek, "It's you…the one I've been dreaming of. You're real."

Elsa's confused eyes won't cooperate and look away as she turns her head towards Hans, "Who is that?" No response comes and she finally tears her eyes from Eric and his mystery girl to glance at Hans who appears as dumbfounded as she feels.

Hans quietly drawls, "You don't think that he's dreamt of…"

"No…" Elsa breathes as her eyes dart back to Eric.

The girl smiles affectionately as she gently nods her head, "Prince Eric?"

He laughs brightly as he grins, "Prince?! No, just Eric."

Her silvery laughter carries through the courtyard before she bites at her lip and lowers her chin coyly, "You've never been JUST Eric to me. You're MY Prince, in my dreams…"

"I don't know your name," he replies with a husky whisper as he slowly pushes himself up with one arm, close enough to share her breath.

Hans grabs Elsa's hand with a chuckle, "She's his match!"

Elsa's brow is pulled tightly, "Or he hit his head harder than we thought."

The girl's face falls with Eric's admission, disappointment in her voice, "You don't know who I am?"

His gaze falls to her lips before meeting her eyes again, "Not exactly. Some nights you're a headstrong mermaid, a daughter of King Triton and I'm battling a sea witch to save you or you're saving me from drowning. Other nights you're my wife and mother of my daughter. But regardless, you've always been with me, singing in my dreams and nameless."

Elsa feels Hans squeeze her hand tightly and she turns her head to find him studying her with helpless wonder and pulling her into his arms, "I didn't know your name until I saw you on the news a few years ago and the reporter said it. I literally fell off the treadmill and sat on the floor watching you like an epiphany."

Elsa finds herself unable to resist Hans' bizarrely contagious excitement as he presses soft lips to her cheek and settles behind her with his chin on her head. Breathlessly she whispers, "How is this possible? And how old is she, anyway? She looks younger than Anna!" She can feel Hans' warm chest pressed into her back as he huffs his silent agreement and his arms tighten around her. She glanced back to Eric and is shocked.

HE'S. KISSING. HER.

"We should maybe break this up. I can't have the head of my personal guard making out with random potentially underage nameless girls that he's never met before in his life…at the bottom of the steps of the chapel."

Hans chuckles from behind her, "You're a stick in the mud sometimes…"

Eric's pulled back from the girl, excited revelation in his eyes as his breath comes heavy. He takes both her hands between his and whispers, "Ariel…your name is Ariel."