MONSTER
"You can't run, princess, the big bear is coming to get you!"
Little Brienne shrieked. She was running towards the dark woods across the meadow, bright with the afternoon sun. Her legs were starting to give out. Just when she reached the edge of the forest, she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Got you!" exclaimed the monster gleefully.
Brienne giggled as she turned towards him.
"Uncle Hans, no fair!" she said. "I was getting tiiired!"
Hans laughed and picked her up. "I think it's time for the princess to be a good girl and eat the delicious things Aunt Elsa prepared for her."
Brienne scrunched her nose. "I'm not hungry. I already ate." she announced, her chin up in the most petulant fashion.
"That was yesterday." Hans retorted. Brienne blew raspberries. They reached Elsa in the meantime.
Elsa laughed while shaking her head. "I thought the Queen of Arendelle would raise your Grace to behave better."
Hans grinned. "The blame lies in us, though. We are the ones that actually spend time with her."
Brienne froze. When Hans put her to the ground next to the picnic basket, she just stood there, head hanging low. Elsa noticed something was off. "Bri?" she asked, leaning forward and cupping her face. Hans, too, grew serious and knelt beside her. "What is wrong, princess?" he asked, tilting his head to the side, a concerned smile on his face.
Brienne raised her head. Tears were swimming in her big blue eyes, so similar to Anna's. She drew a big breath. "You are…" she started, glaring at Hans. "You are a monster. You ARE!" she cried. She turned around and started running back to the woods, knocking the picnic basket off in the process.
It was Hans' turn to be frozen. He was too bewildered to run after her, now dangerously close to the wild forest. He flinched, then relieved to feel Elsa's hand on his shoulder.
"You should go after her."
"She doesn't want me. Maybe I am a monster. Please Elsa, she will get lost in the woods. You go get her."
Elsa smiled reassuringly. "You do love her. Be there for her, thick and thin." Hans sighed and smiled.
Elsa hugged him. "Remember, it's up to you to decide if you are an irredeemable monster."
Hans chuckled. "That means a lot, coming from you." he said. Elsa winked. They both rose, Elsa's hands ran down Hans' arms and squeezed both of his hands. Hans caressed her hands back for a moment, before hurrying after Brienne.
He entered the thick foliage. The air got slightly chilly as he stepped inside. He couldn't see the little girl anywhere around the tall trees that blocked almost all sunlight.
"Princess?" he called out. Only scuttling and rustling answered him. "Brienne?" he tried again.
A faint sniffing sound came above him. Just as he looked up, a mass of blonde curls shone in the sunlight before disappearing behind a thick branch.
Hans smiled mischievously to himself. He leaned his back to the tree and seemingly began talking to himself.
"When I was a boy, my brothers and I used to play hide and seek in the woods. One day, Lars and I ran away rather recklessly, to escape from Gangulf. He was usually looking for the rest of us with a large branch in his hand, and we were not keen on being too closely acquainted with it. We tumbled headfirst down a large hole in the ground, probably a hunter's trap hidden by leaves. All night we hollered and screamed for someone to take us out of there. No one came."
The trees rustled above him. He did not look up.
"The pair of us were united against the world, we spent many a night in each other's rooms when we couldn't sleep, playing games. We often wondered why no one else joined us. That night we felt it most keenly, seeing only the stars accompanied by hooting of the owls and howling of wolves."
"Wolves?" he heard someone whisper above him. This time he did glance up, but couldn't see anything. He sighed, fixing his eyes above.
"We took turns sleeping. In the morning, I saw someone standing above us. It was Gangulf. I was scared, I thought he was there to do some more mischief."
"But he was your brother!" Brienne emerged, but flinced back a little when Hans turned towards her.
Hans continued. "Yes, he was. I never fully realized that until that day. He stared us for a minute, then offered the long, thick branch he carried round him. I couldn't move. 'Don't be silly.' he said. 'What would be the fun of messing with you if you were left down there all the time?' We didn't really have a choice, so we climbed out of that hole with Gangulf's help.
On our way back home, we didn't talk at all. Uncharacteristically, Gangulf did not try to hit us or play any malicious pranks, we were just walking side by side, could not even look at each other."
Brienne sat on the branch just above Hans. He pulled himself right next to her. She did not object.
"But… was it just your brother? Didn't your mom and dad wonder where you were?"
Hans shook his head side to side. "And did you and Uncle Gangulf made up after that?"
Hans laughed. "Well… I would like to say yes, but one praise from Father was enough for him to play 'pranks' to me again." Bri pouted, the hugged Hans. They stayed still for a while.
"Uncle, would my mom and dad came to look for me if I was lost here in the woods?" Brienne asked suddenly. Hans was taken aback. He placed his hands on her shoulder.
"Bri, the Queen and her King Consort may be busy people. But I know them enough to say that your mom and dad will absolutely tear down the forest to find you. They want more than anything to be there for you."
The princess looked thoughtful. She then met Hans directly in the eyes. "Then why don't they?" she asked simply.
Hans smiled. "Think of the kingdom as having hundreds of thousands of children. They have to make sure everyone is all right. So they leave their most precious person to the best people ever, me and Aunt Elsa. They know we would never let anything happen to you."
Brieene grinned widely, showing off her loosening buck teeth. "Hey, don't flatter yourself. The best person ever is me." "Sure, princess. In your wildest dreams." Hans retorted with a smile.
Brienne grimaced. "Can you not call me that? I am Bri."
Hans said: "Fine, Little Miss Briencess." Brienne poked her tongue towards him, and Hans picked her up to get out of the forest. They saw Elsa standing in the middle of the meadow, leaning forward as if unsure to enter the forest. She immediately ran towards them when they emerged.
"Are you two alright?" she asked a bit breathlessly. " Any… monsters out there Bri?" she continued with a slight wink. The girl shook her head.
"I'm all right. Don't know about this dunderhead."
"Hey!" Hans said, nudging Bri slightly. He lowered her to the ground. She ran directly towards the picnic table.
"What is there, Aunt Elsa? I'm starving!" Elsa raised her eyebrows.
"Well, that's a first! Take a look, it's a family favorite."
Brienne peeked inside. She shrieked excitedly. "Chocolate eggs? Cake? Aunt and Uncle, you are the best people!"
They were gathered round the table. For once, Bri made short work of her sandwiches and was busy picking flowers before they closed their petals with the sundown.
Elsa glanced at her husband. He looked at her inquiringly when he caught her eye. "Hans…" she began. "Do you feel ready to have children?"
Hans leaned back, unable to say anything and stared at Elsa. He finally found his voice "You mean…" he almost croaked.
"Hans, I wanted to ask you. Can we really do it?"
He pondered for what felt like hours. His eye fell on his niece. "Before Bri came along, I was terrified. I was convinced I didn't have it in me to be a father at all. I am still not sure. Elsa, you are okay I think, but as for me… Look, I still have no idea on how to relate to people genuinely. I can't bear the idea of being a bad father. I would never, ever forgive myself if I, even unwittingly, caused my child pain." He turned to look softly at Elsa, inquiring:
"Why are you unsure? You were always the better one of us."
Elsa smiled ruefully. "Let's just say I have my share of monsters under the bed. You know that. There was fear in me, so much fear. It nearly destroyed everything I held dear. It still did not completely go away. It rears its head if something goes even slightly out of control. Then I think of you, my sister, Kristoff and Brienne. I remind myself that I am not alone. But I'm still not sure if it will be enough to keep my child safe from myself."
Hans was now tearing up. He sighed, then leaned forward to take Elsa's hand.
"Whatever happens, we can find the strength to move forward. As long as we are in this together. As long as we reach out, we can find a compromise." Elsa nodded. They both turned to look at Brienne, who finished picking up her flowers. A chilly wind swept over them all.
"Well, we don't want to catch a cold." Hans said as he rose.
"That won't be a problem for Aunt!" Brienne exclaimed. They all laughed. As Hans and Elsa walked towards the castle with Bri in the middle, they shared a contented look as Elsa rubbed her belly. That day, the charade night would be a little more exciting than usual.