Well, I got hit by the writing bug and with my resolution of making sure to write at least 400 words a day, this little baby was born. I don't know how long this is going to be, but I have a plan.
I'm a shameless Helsa shipper. I know who I am. I believe in redemption arcs! I believe he was robbed! I will go down with this ship!
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the stuff I create, and to be honest, Disney owns most of the things I love anyway.
Lone Ship
Elsa smiled as she dismounted Nokk.
"Good ride today, my friend," She presses her forehead against the bridge of ice horse's nose and thaws it, "see you later." The horse lets out of whinny before jumping into a nearby stream. Elsa laughs and turns her attention to the Northuldra's settlement. It had been almost a little over a year since she had abdicated the throne of Arendelle to Anna. The winter chill was settling in, but it had never bothered her and the Northuldran people seemed to be acclimating fine. As she enters the settlement, she is greeted by Honeymaren and Karena, another Northuldran.
"Elsa! You're back, how was family game night with Queen Anna and Kristoff?" Honeymaren ushered her friend over to her by the fire.
"It was fine," Elsa settled down next to the two, "she is mainly freaking out about her wedding,"
"How many more months now?"
"Six, but you think that it was happening tomorrow with how she is acting,"
"I hear weddings are stressful to plan," Honeymaren smiled.
"I can confirm that," Karena replied, "I don't know how you guys do weddings down in Arendelle, but up here they are quite an ordeal. I remember Gunner's and I wedding lasted five days and took months to prepare,"
"Most weddings aren't as in-depth as what Anna has to plan, but hers is a royal wedding. Plus, she's the queen," Elsa leans back and one of the reindeer calves snuggles into her lap, "so it has to be a grand event," as Elsa pets the small reindeer in her lap, Honeymaren notices her friend's expression fall.
"Is that what was going to happen to you?" Elsa quirks an eyebrow at the brunette.
"What?"
"When you got married…when you were the queen. It would have been a grand event since you were Queen and all," Elsa let's out a chuckle.
"Technically, I'm still a princess. My marriage is going to grand whether I want that or not. Especially with Anna planning it. However, that would involve me courting someone,"
"What do you mean?"
"Royals have to court before they can marry. Supervision, exchanging of letters, visits to kingdoms. A whole lot of pomp and circumstance," Elsa stills her hands.
"And you never courted anyone?"
"I never found anyone not that people didn't try," Elsa meets her friend's eyes, "no one ever really spoke to me like I was something other than a title though, but now that I'm up here…maybe there is someone here for me," Elsa stands up and starts making her way to her tent. "I'll see you in the morning ladies."
"Goodnight Elsa!" Elsa tied her tent flap shut before letting out a sigh. Suddenly a gust of wind snuck its way into her tent.
"Oh, hello, Gale. What is it?" Though the wind spirit couldn't speak, it's whistles and whirls spoke volumes, "it's nothing, Gale. Just something discussed around the fire that gave me pause. It made me wonder if there is anyone out there for me. Good night, Gale. Happy flying." As quickly as the spirit came, it left. Leaving Elsa with more longing in her heart.
"Maybe a good night's sleep will do me some good." Elsa quickly changes into some sleeping clothes before settling down for the night. As her eyes shut, her mind conjures images of her and a no face person. The only thing that she could see was he had a strong build and striking red hair.
"Yelena! Someone get Yelena!" Elsa is startled awake by voices piercing through the chill night. "Yelena!"
"What?" Elsa groggily conjures a simple dress before stepping out of her tent. The reindeer herders were all standing in the middle with some carrying a man on a sled, but he was so bundled up that Elsa couldn't see his face.
"Ryder," Elsa taps the young man on the shoulder, "what is going on?"
"While we were up north by the dark sea, we found a man, half-conscious and freezing in the water. He's beaten up pretty badly,"
"Well, if anyone can help him, Yelena can." Ryder nods as the leader comes out.
"What is the meaning of this Ryder?" The elder Northuldra looks at the young man in front of her.
"We found a man, breathing but barely,"
"Get him into the community tent," Yelena ushers the young men into the large tent as they lift the unconscious man after her. "Elsa, Honeymaren, help them,"
"Yelena…I might not be the best…" Elsa gestures to her cold hands.
"You can help get the furs, start a fire. We need to warm him," Yelena looks at Ryder pointedly, "strip him, too." Ryder blushes.
"Yelena…I don't think a man should do that…" Honeymaren laughs and punches his arm.
"Don't worry, Ryder, Elsa and I will handle it." Elsa quickly follows her friend's blush. Honeymaren tugs her into the tent as the other men leave. Honeymaren quickly strikes up a fire as Elsa gathers the furs. The brunette gently starts unwrapping the man from his wet furs and starts taking off his clothes by rolling him towards her.
"Elsa," Elsa turns to Honeymaren, "I need your help with his clothes." Elsa purses her lips and takes a deep breath before kneeling behind him. As his clothes slowly peel off his damp skin, Elsa watches as they reveal scars; some healed, some fresh.
"My God," Elsa lightly traces the scars with her cold touch, the man shivers, and Elsa quickly recoils.
"Elsa," Honeymaren breaks her focus, "we need to cover his bottom half with furs to keep his dignity," Elsa nods as she gets up to fetch the furs. Honeymaren gently places the unconscious figure onto his back.
"This poor man," Honeymaren brushes a loose red curl out of his face, "what horrors has he seen?" Elsa turns back towards them and lets out a gasp while she drops the furs. "Elsa!" Honeymaren quickly gathers the fallen covers, "what are you doing?" Elsa feels her heart stop. Her breathing quickens. Her eyes dart from his face to the door. "Elsa?" Honeymaren gently touches her shoulder.
"I…I know him." Elsa finally crocks out. Elsa quickly runs out of the tent deeper into the forest. Honeymaren quickly finishes her task at hand before running after her friend.
"Ryder," Honeymaren runs towards her brother, "where did Elsa go?"
"That way, why what's wrong?" Ryder looks at his sister with concern as she looks in the direction he pointed, hoping the Elsa didn't venture too far in this late in the night.
"She ran out before we were done," Honeymaren looks back at Ryder, "she said she knew him."
"Well, we need to look for her. The healers can take care of him while we look. No one should be out this late even magical spirits." Ryder and Honey grab their stuff as they quickly follow their distressed friend.
"Elsa!" Honeymaren called into the darkness.
"Elsa! Come on, I'm tired," Honeymaren elbowed her brother in the side.
"Must you?"
"Well, must sheeeee run into a dark forest late at night?" Honeymaren rolled her eyes at her younger brother.
"Elsa, please! Let us know you're okay," Honeymaren heard nothing but the static noise of the night.
"Wait…listen," Ryder and Honeymaren listen attentively to the sounds when they hear muffled cries. They look at each other before heading off into the direction. Next to a small stream, Elsa sat petting Bruni, the tiny fire spirit, and Nokk, who stands nuzzling her from the side.
"Elsa," Elsa looks towards her friends as the other two spirits disappear. Honeymaren and Ryder run-up to their friend to see her tear-streaked face. "Oh, Elsa,"
"What happened, who is that man?" Ryder takes Elsa's hand.
"His name is Hans Westergaard," Elsa takes Honeymaren's hand in her other. She looked up to meet the other young woman's eyes, "he tried to kill me and Anna four years ago."
Yelena looked at the three younger people in front of her, and then back down at the young man lying unconscious in the tent.
"Tell me your story, Elsa," Elsa takes a deep breath and Honeymaren squeezes her hand in comfort.
"The night of my coronation, Hans proposed to Anna, which was absolutely ridiculous," Elsa untangles herself from her friends and begins pacing the floor, "I mean it was a red flag to me, and I told her no because who marries a man that they just met? Then my powers were revealed, and Anna put Hans in charge while she looked for me," Elsa looked down at the broken man who was lying with no awareness of the outside world. Elsa knelt next to Hans, she hesitantly reached out to him. Hans grunted and shifted, Elsa gasped and recoiled, but watched as a tear ran down his cheek. Elsa brushes it away and revels in his warming skin, "he took care of my people. Kept them warm. Kept them safe from my mistake,"
"Elsa, everyone makes them. You fixed it and now you are stronger and more in control," Honeymaren smiles up at her friend.
"He saved me," Yelena's eyebrow knitted together.
"You said he tried to kill you,"
"He did just later," Elsa took a deep breath before continuing her story, "Hans came to my ice palace to try to get me to end the winter, but some men from Weselton were trying to kill me. Hans saved me. Made the crossbow bolt miss me, carried me back to castle,"
"It sounds like he was helpful, young spirit,"
"I was preferable," Elsa drops her hand from Han's face.
"What does that mean?"
"I was Queen. Hans wanted a kingdom. He was supposed to kiss Anna, it was supposed to unfreeze her,"
"True love's kiss," Ryder nudges his sister with a giggle.
"But he didn't. He took away all the warmth in the room and left her, and then came looking for me. Told me Anna was dead, and then he raised his sword to end my life. Anna saved me, punched him, and I had him sent back to the Southern Isles to be dealt with him,"
"That's the whole story,"
"That's everything,"
"What would you like us to do, Elsa?" Elsa is taken aback by Yelena's question.
"W..what?"
"He hasn't wronged us. It isn't the Northuldran way to turn away an injured soul, and we are more than capable of caring for him and sheltering him, however, he has wronged you," Yelena gestures to the young man on the floor. Elsa studies him. His hair is longer than she remembers and has stubble on his cheek, but it does nothing to cover the scars. His signature sideburns are gone. He looks different than the man that sat in the ship's brig four years ago. "He has many injuries from what our healers can tell. He will take a long time to heal. He has a few broken ribs, some healed breaks in his hands, arms and legs, he has whip marks, knife wounds, burns…"
Oh, Hans. Elsa tunes Yelena out, she just studies the man next to her who has endured things that she couldn't even imagine.
"Elsa?" Honeymaren's sweet voice breaks her out of her reverie.
"He can stay," Elsa looks at the other three with tears in her eyes. "He can't survive on his own, and I don't want to be the cause of his death like I was the cause of his torture,"
"Elsa, you didn't cause this," Honeymaren quickly goes to her friends and brings her into a soft embrace. Elsa rests her head on her shoulder and covers her hand with hers.
"I sent him home, Honey," Elsa finally lets some tears fall, "I could have charged him in Arendelle, which was my right, but I was too scared to hold a life in my hands, so I sent him back. I knew what was going to happen. His eldest brother, Caleb, had written to me what his punishment would be,"
"What?"
"He didn't go into detail, but he said that Hans would be stripped of his titles he had earned, but he stated that their father was letting him keep the title of Prince but it would be more of mocking title. No one would respect him or see him as an equal to any royalty because of his attempts at regicide. Then he told me that each brother would inflict a punishment that they saw fit for the attempted murder of two allied monarchs…" Elsa trails off before looking back at her would-be murderer.
"That's all?"
"That's all Caleb told me,"
"You can't blame yourself, he sent you that letter after…"
"He sent me that letter before I sent Hans away, Honey!" Elsa shifts away from Honeymaren, "I caused this just like I caused the winter just like I caused the near destruction of my home,"
"Elsa," Elsa's eyes shift to Yelena, "my young spirit…you ended the winter, you stopped the flood. We've been spending the last few months working on not letting your mistakes define you. So, what can you do to right this one?"
"Make sure he heals," Elsa shifts the furs further up Han's body.
"His damage will run deep,"
"So, did mine, but love thaws a frozen heart. If he can find a family with us, here in the forest, I think Hans will be at peace."
"So be it." Yelena nods and exits the tent followed by the other two. Elsa grabs a cloth from a bowl of water and wipes the sweat from his brow.
"I'm so sorry, Hans, I hope we can both come to understand each other."
"Hans, don't you see?" Hans' eye shift to her older brother, Tomas, seventh in line, "Father doesn't want the runt anymore,"
"So," Hans' eyes then shift to the twins, Rudi and Runo, circling around him like vultures, "we decided to help with that."
"Mother won't…"
"Mother isn't here right now, Hansie," Tomas grips his shoulder, "and we did everything we could to save you from drowning," a cynical grin splits across Tomas' face, "but the waves of the dark sea were too rough, and you were lost." Hans' eyes widen in fear at his three older brothers.
"But…"
"Bye-bye, Hans." With that, the twins shove him over and he couldn't even get out a scream before he hit the icy water.
Ugh, I love this story. I stand by my ship! Fight me, but if you don't know me…I am a fragile baby bird. Please be kind.
I hope you guys enjoyed it! Let me know what you think, please!
Love,
KMA
