A/N I am excited to spend vacation with out of town family over the next week, which means I will not update over the weekend. I offer this now as a peace offering :)

The Trolls: These ancient creatures might be found in the Valley of the Living Rock, but only if they want to be found. Trolls are masters of minerals and yielders of the night sky. They are also overbearing, loud, meddlesome, inappropriate, and heavy-really heavy. But they mean well and love well." ―Official Disney Bio


Dr. Pabbie paces before the group gathered in Elsa's sitting room, leaving Elsa perplexed regarding his serious tone and somber disposition. He met her outside of the council chambers to escort her to her private chambers with a simple, "Your Highness, the time has come for transparency and explanation, I fear."

Elsa presses her lips together as Hans grips her hand tightly, whispering into her ear, "I'm not entirely sure what's going on, but feel free to kiss me passionately should you need to."

She huffs a laugh she was unaware she was capable of as she shifts closer to him, "You're pushing your luck, sweet Prince."

His wet mouth presses behind her ear with a chuckle as Dr. Pabbie begins with, "I'm afraid the magic has weakened over the centuries."

Her eyes dart up to the old psychiatrist as he waves his arm before them and is transformed into a small, wide, stone troll.

Memories flash vividly as Hans stiffens beside her.

Get the fiancé out of the way and the whole thing will be fixed!

An auburn hair Prince is on his hands and knees on the mossy ground of the Valley of the Living Rock. Anguish and resignation, the likes of which he had never known, dropping him to the ground. Bile surges up Prince Hans' throat as he struggles to control himself, the shock in finally knowing the truth driving him mad. The sympathy in Queen Elsa's eyes, the remorse etched upon the faces of Princess Anna and the blonde man beside her (her husband, he was told), and the synchronously blinking eyes from the mass of on-looking trolls do little to comfort him.

Prince Hans had sailed upon the request of the Kingdom of Arendelle years following his transgressions at the time of Her Majesty's coronation. His father acquiescing to the request in large part due to his apathy as well as morbid curiosity. The personal correspondence from Her Majesty, The Snow Queen of Arendelle explained simply that new information regarding the events following her coronation had been brought to light and the Kingdom of Arendelle wished to host a visit from the thirtieth Prince to strengthen relations with The Southern Isles and offer opportunity for all parties involved to reconcile, if this was amenable. His father had laughed wickedly when he spoke with Hans as preparations to sail were made, convinced it was either an attempt to have Hans returned to face trial and death or something far more torrid from the still unwed Queen (unwed for a reason; respectfully feared by most of rulers and nobles for her powers). The King scoffed at the correspondence, "The frigid Virgin Queen has grown lonely and idle, looking for a pet who's not afraid to touch her. Enjoy yourself, Hans."

Queen Elsa stood to the side and whispered softly, "I'm so sorry…"

The Prince's head throbs as he coughs violently before lifting his chin and managing angrily, "Get the fiancé out of the way...I was cursed."

The Valley is silent as he tried to calm his breathing, "So I'm not in control, of anything?" His eyes dart frantically to the old troll and back to Queen Elsa, "I simply spend my life in breathless pursuit of meaningless goals?! Trying to reflect and anchor myself to something larger that I've deemed significant…that's actually not? I'm a mirror?"

The old troll sighs as he places a stone hand upon the shoulder of the thirteenth Prince of the Southern Isles, "I'm so sorry, young Prince. Your fate is like that of the fractured looking glass. Your choice is simply what to reflect. Nothing more, nothing less."

Hans clenches his teeth together, unable to suppress the growl of frustration that stirs from his throat as he bows his head and his stomach churns.

Grand Pabbie lumbers heavily to the Queen, waving his hand into the night sky. Immediately it illuminates brightly with contrasting shadow of Prince Hans and a shattered mirror, "Your Majesty, I cannot undo the curse - what the other meddlesome trolls did was inappropriate but cannot be undone. I can promise that it will not happen again and we will put aside our magic and remain secluded from the world. I can offer a second chance to Prince Hans, to live a life without the weight of his history burdening his choices. Or yours."

The young Queen narrows her eyes as she squeezes her hands together anxiously, gaze darting between Kristoff and the elder troll, "I don't understand. Kristoff said the trolls made a mistake and cursed Hans during the winter I caused following my coronation. Kristoff promised that you could fix this. Hans' actions were not his own, but rather influenced and persuaded by the intentions of those around him after he was cursed."

The elder troll replies simply, "Yes. But I cannot erase the past. However, you may choose to face the future, together."

She approaches Hans cautiously, an unsure hand delicately reaching for his chin as she kneels beside him. She glances back at Anna as her fist coils and darts back to her chest nervously, unsure if her actions may be construed as inappropriate and not wanting to upset her pregnant sister. Anna frowns but nods her head, encouraging Elsa as Kristoff wraps his arms securely around Anna's slight frame and swollen belly, whispering apologies and insisting that she allow Elsa and Grand Pabbie to make things right. While his family did not act out of maleficence, their magic resulted in a series of unfortunate events that almost caused the death of the Queen of Arendelle and destroyed the life of the youngest Prince of the Southern Isles.

It occurs to Elsa that before her is the man who inspired her Kingdom and her people to persevere in the face of horrific adversity, a disaster inflicted upon them by her, and he led them successfully – avoiding loss of life and minimizing damage. He charmed her sister into a betrothal in a single evening, and stopped HER from becoming a murder with a single sentence. She may control the elements of winter, but she finds that she struggles to be half as effective a leader as he was. Selfishly she is drawn to him even though years have passed since she last laid eyes on him. She finds his pull, what he can do and where his potential lies, irresistible.

She raises his chin with her hand and he gently tips his head into her touch before his eyes, green like spring, sharp and frustrated, meet hers with a twist of his lips.

Her breath catches in her chest as he meets her gaze. "Would you change your fate, Prince Hans?"

His looks at her through thick eyelashes, seductive voice so quiet she finds herself watching his mouth to understand him, "Only if it would allow me to have you, My Queen…" He pulls his chin towards the elder troll, "Change my fate and make me hers."

She blinks, startled by his brazen confession. Years of whispers fill her ears like ghosts haunting…

The Virgin Queen.

Frigid.

Cold.

Untouchable.

Her mind races as her eyes dart over his form, muscular angles and strength combined with formal grace and she feels something strange coil and ignite in her. Her heart races as thoughts flood her imagination, meeting his gaze again with a blush evident on her cheeks. "You only wanted me because I was the heir, because I am Queen."

"Untrue."

Embarrassed and mortified she pulls closer, "You don't fear that I will freeze you at the slightest touch?"

His voice come smooth, caressing down her spine like a feather, "I've already had the honor, Your Grace. You were curled tenderly in my arms the entire ride back to Arendelle from the North Mountain." He wets his lips and drops his gaze to her mouth and back to her shocked eyes, "I must confess, I pressed my lips to your flesh and suffered no ill effects aside from the burning lust to become yours, My Queen."

Elsa stutters an exhale as he quirks his mouth, "Surely you must know how desirable you truly are, Elsa."

The flush rises brightly across her fair completion as she startles, turning to Grand Pabbie, "He doesn't mirror me, does he?"

"It is your magic that prevents him from being able to do so, Your Majesty."

Her eyes snap back to Prince Hans as she questions slowly (possibilities beginning to align themselves), "With me, he is uninfluenced and himself?"

Grand Pabbie nods, "Yes, I believe so."

Elsa rises and turns to Kristoff and Anna as she worries her lower lip before raising her chin and declaring, "He stays with me, if he is amenable. It is the only way for him to have an opportunity to live his life without the influence of the curse brought on by Kristoff's family."

Anna begins to argue before Elsa finds her anger and jealousy pooling tightly. Anna stands beside her husband, looking down at her former fiancé…Anna's wanted and loved. Something that Elsa feels she has never experienced.

Don't I deserve companionship? To feel the touch of a lover in the dark of night and the joy of bearing a child born from the passions of the flesh…

Grand Pabbie seems to understand Elsa's silence, gesturing with his hand to conjure the flickering images into a looking glass, "Your Majesty, your powers. Will you want them?"

Elsa blinks confused, unsure of what he means and feeling as if things are unraveling too quickly for her to understand, "Excuse me?"

He waits patiently for Elsa to reply, triggering the freeze to tear at her bones and she quickly angers at what she feels is a ridiculous question as she meets Hans' gaze intently, "Would I choose to live my life without my powers? To be free of this curse? I want to be touched and loved and not fear hurting those that dare let me near them."

Anna quietly calls Elsa's name like an apology and Elsa shuts it away as she ducks her head and closes her eyes to the tears pooling.

"Done."