"This is a very, very, very bad idea." spoke Hans for the millionth time that very day.

"Hans, you're acting as if you're sent for the chopping block" sighed the queen as the ice palace came into view.

"Barely any difference." mumbled the former prince as he reluctantly dismounted Sitron. "May I remind you that that... thing nearly dragged me down the abyss?!"

"That thing is called Marshmallow." replied the queen sharply. Although she tolerated him, that didn't mean he could insult her creations as he pleased. "And besides, YOU cut off his leg."

"Indeed I did." came the man's bitter reply as he swallowed his defense down his throat.

Elsa however, had noticed he'd taken the blame to make an end to the dispute. After all these months, she'd observed how he would always go into a defensive state of mind to hush whatever possible conflict would come up. "Hans, I'd rather have someone speak his honest opinion and be frank rather than keeping it to himself to lick my heels."

"Its not to lick your heels." spoke the prince still in his defensive mode.

"No, its not." the queen paused in her words only for a heartbeat. "I didn't tell anyone we were going here."

"Who's to say I won't cut your throat the very next night thanks to that information?" the prince kept his face blank, although on the inside he was shaking. What would she do with him? Was it to gain an edge on the southern isles? Did she wish to know the infantry and marine strength?

"You don't have the eyes of those who have already spilled their first blood." said the queen after a long pause. She knew it was a heavy risk - another reason why she had never told anyone about this trip. Many of her advisors had giving her counsel to make the prince fear his punishement. "I know you're not a killer, nor do you wish to be."

She knew herself what the reprecussions were of installing so much fear: It would fester inside the mind untill the person reaches his breaking point. And when said breaking point arrives, its reaction would differ by personality: fight, flee or freeze.

However, Fear was something both she and Hans were too familiar with and therefore had lost its efficiency. Yet the difference between her and him was the lack of trust the man had in others. And why should he, when no one would give it in return?

"Marshmallow?! Marshmallow, where are you boy?"

Hans glanced aside before turning his attention back on binding the horses into a comfortable icy stable that Elsa had created for them. Sure it was -5 degrees, but it would stay that way during the whole night when the temperature could drop to minus 25.

"Marshmallow, where are you?" called Elsa again out, getting worried about her snowy bodyguard while Hans slowly walked towards the queen due to the heavy knee-high snow.

The prince was about half-way the distance between the queen and their horses when he heard their animal companions suddenly whinny and stamp with their hooves. That wasn't good. "Els-" Before he could warn the queen for potential danger, the man was suddenly heaved up. "-aaaaah! put me down! put me down!" he wasn't quickly afraid of heights, he wouldn't otherwise be in the navy. But ever since his near fall at the abyss he was more cautious when it came to high distances above ground.

"HM?" Marshmallow turned the prince in his snowy claw and roared in anger when he saw the man responsible for cutting of his leg. "BAD MAN!"

"I-" another coughing fit due to the snow that had been spit out by the snowy body guard came up. "I don't mean to hurt you again, sir- ahem- snow- uuuh..." stammered Hans as he saw Marshmallow's eyes turn to slits. His spikes seemed to diminish in ferocity however as the bodyguard seemed open for conversation. "Snow beast?" finished the prince with a tiny voice and smile.

Not good. Hans paled when he saw Marshmallow's spikes come up and he felt the arm move backwards to propell him away like one would a spear.

"MARSHMALLOW!"

"Hm?" the snow monster turned his head at the familiar voice and his spikes retreated a tiny bit when he recognized his creator.

"Put him down, NOW!" bellowed the queen as she pointed her finger to the ground.

"BAD MAN!" gave Marshmallow his stubborn reply.

"I don't care, you put him down. DOWN!" asserted the queen her authority once more when Marshmallow hesitated.

"momma-"

"Don't you 'momma' me, Marshmallow. He's not to throw away. He's here as my guest." spoke Elsa in a simple tone to her creation. "Now put him down. Slowly. Yes, that's a good boy. very slowly."

Marshmallow's spikes vanished now completely and a whine escaped the bodyguard's throat as Hans quickly ran behind the relative safety of the queen. If he weren't his new playtoy to be thrown arround, the prince would have had pity on the depressed, sniffing creature. "Thank you." breathed Hans out in short gasps, only now releasing his lungs from the pressure.

"Your welcome. You're okay?"

The prince simply nodded and after a weary glance to Marshmallow he turned his back to the creature, very so often looking back to be certain that the bodyguard wouldn't attack him from behind.

"Now, I want you to tell that... Marshmallow isn't the only one residing anymore."

"Really now?" came Hans' restrained voice. "There are more?"

"uhhh.. Lots and lots more, actually." said Elsa nervously as she opened the icy doors.

Hans' mouth dropped when he saw thousands of tiny snowmen gliding of the stairs or bouncing off one another like canon balls. At noticing the two humans however, their tiny heads turned and a big smile appeared on their faces.

They screamed in excitement - if you could call it screaming, in their strange little gruffy language - when they saw their mother again and immediately raced towards her to delve her under kisses. The snow tickled at her skin, and the snow queen had to giggle at their show of affection.

Those who weren't able to get to the queen yet, focused their attention to Hans.

"Oh no...I don't really like warm hug-" before he could finish his sentence the prince too was smothered on the ground by the enthousiastic creatures whom were jumping all up and arround him.

"Alright, alright!" stopped Elsa the snowgies from hugging her and Hans to death. "That's enough everyone. Give me and my guest a bit of space to breathe."

They obliged, safe for a few who would stubbornly stay upon their mother's shoulder or stuck at Hans' leg and feet.

A bit worried, the queen glanced to the man besides her, thinking how he might dislike the snowgies for their outgoing behaviour. Instead, she saw the prince smile and giggle alongside the snowgies, very so often petting a little one on the head when the creature climbed off his body.

"They like you." smiled the queen at her companion next to her.

Hans' eyes dulled slightly. "Not at all. They like me because you are here." said the prince softly as he tried to pluck a snowgie from his hair. He did succeed only slightly as the snowgie was quite comfortable in his new accomodations and wished to stay where he was. As he pulled, he accidentally pulled too hard and lost grip upon him. "No!"

Elsa watched with amusement as the snowgie fell upon the ground, not at all bothered by the long fall. "Anna and Kristoff have seen them do much mischief when I created them on Anna's birthday. Its the first time that they are so calm with someone besides me."

The two reached simultaniously for the fallen snowgie, only realizing their hands were engulfing the little guy in a little nest. "I... uh... I go and get the blankets and food." said the prince after blinking and realizing what akward position they were now in. Slowly the prince let the snowgie 'step over' to Elsa's two hands before running faster than usual out of the door.

I realized I hadn't written in any Marshmallow or Snowgies in yet. I've plans for the snowgies to have a much bigger role, be more misschievious and actually play matchmaker for Helsa XD