5

They approached the image of the young boy cowering in the corner visibly weeping and it was hard for the sisters, despite the fact they knew this was Hans, to not feel pity.

"This must be when his three brothers pretended, he was invisible," said Anna.

"They did?" asked Elsa

"Yes, he told me about it, he seemed fine with it saying it's what brothers do."

"He doesn't look like it's fine here," Elsa responded then looking up saw a troubled look on Anna's face, "what is it, Anna?"

"Ahh, I sort of said and sisters to, then described how we were close until the night of the accident, in my defence I didn't know why then."

"It's okay Anna, I understand my secret was kept from you, wait a minute."

As Elsa spoke the image of two older children came into the room depicted.

"Hey do you hear something?" giggled one

"No, I don't, there's no one here to see."

Then three more older brothers came in and all three seemed to join in the prank on young Hans pretending they couldn't hear or see him.

"Wait what," said Anna

Suddenly young Hans screamed out "Stop it, I'm right here."

The oldest child then spoke up, "Hey did you hear that?"

"No" replied one.

"I didn't think so," responded the oldest, "there's no one here."

"I am here Klaus!" yelled Hans.

"No, no one's here, let's go play in the courtyard," replied the one Hans called Klaus.

With that they all left the room and Hans curled up even more in the corner sobbing even louder.

"Anna," said Elsa, "why did you yell out?"

"He told me it was only three of his brothers, but there were at least six of them there. Damn he lied again, because it looks like they were all in on it, there has to be more to this."

With that a new image appeared.

It was Hans again, but a little older, maybe eight years old and he is suddenly surrounded by five of his brothers.

"Hi guys," he says with a smile which quickly fades.

"The only reason we are talking to you is because father says we can't make you invisible anymore," said one of his brothers, "but we really don't want to, do you know why we don't want to talk to you?"

"Why?" asked a nearly weeping Hans.

"Because," started another brother, "you killed our mother, it's your fault she's dead."

"I didn't do no such thing!" screamed and emotional Hans

This exchange brought looks of horror on Anna and Elsa.

"Yes, you did," responded another brother, "she died sixth months after you were born, it was your birth that killed her, if you hadn't been born, she would still be alive!"

"I didn't kill her!" yelled Hans again, his voice trembling with anger, hurt and tears.

"Murderer!" screamed another brother.

Then suddenly came a booming adult voice. "Boys! Enough!"

A tall, handsome and imposing figure walked in amongst the boys. "You boys, go to your room!" He boomed and the five brothers scattered.

"I recognise him," said Elsa, "that's the King of the Southern Isles, Hans' father, I remember him visiting father a long time ago."

"Daddy," came the trembling voice from Hans, "Daddy, they blame me for killing mother."

"Hans," came a stern voice from his father, "I can't fight your battles for you, you need to stand up to your brothers and don't whimper and cry like a girl. Be a man, stand up to them, how many times do I need to tell you?"

"Yes father, but they still keep blaming me.."

"I know they do Hans,' interrupted his father, "all you need to know is that it wasn't your fault, your mother died of something completely unrelated to your birth, now, dry those tears, stand up straight and act like a Prince of the Southern Isles, I want to hear no more of this."

"Okay Daddy I will try," came a totally despondent voice.

Anna turned to Elsa, "I am beginning to see why Hans turned out so bad."

"Me too." Responded Elsa

That image then flurried away and was replaced with a young teenage Hans amongst his brothers.

"What's happening guys?" asked the young Hans.

"Klaus is engaged to Princess Ingrid of Newhaven; she will be his Queen one day."

"I will marry Princess one day too," responded a confident Hans.

"What," replied one of his brothers, "Hans, your thirteenth in line, you're never going to be King, or anything else, just a minor Prince. No Princess will be interested in you unless a kingdom is desperate. Especially a Prince who killed his mother"

"I'm not a nothing Prince and I didn't kill mother!" yelled Hans angrily.

"Yes, you did, she died not long after you were born, you're responsible, that's why we all made you feel invisible."

"I didn't kill her; father has already said to all of you that she died of something else!" he cried with some anger and venom.

"I don't care what father says, if you weren't born, she would still be here and as I said you will never marry a Princess, unless the kingdom is desperate to marry off a loser Princess as well."

"Yeah," teased another brother, "maybe Arendelle."

"Yes," laughed another, "maybe the oldest one there, she's been locked up for nearly four years now, they say there's something really wrong with her."

"I heard she almost killed her sister." Said another

Anna was getting quite annoyed with what she was hearing now. "Obviously. I needed to punch his brothers too!" she said under her breath.

"It's okay Anna, these are only memories and who cares what they thought back then."

"You're probably right Elsa, but it is making me mad."

They continued to listen to the memory.

"I can see you now Hans," started another brother laughing, "walking down the aisle with the oldest Princess of Arendelle, one loser with another, hell, I can't even think of her name."

"Her name is Elsa!" responded Hans, "and her sister's name is Anna and so what, if I marry Elsa, I will become King of Arendelle unlike the eleven of you, I wouldn't care about her past."

It became quite visible in the snow image of a change in Hans's look, his face became more determined and with some pride though slightly sinister as if he started plotting something in his head back then, but suddenly, the image faded away.

"Oh God Elsa," came a frightened voice from Anna, "he started plotting this when he was thirteen, and it was his brothers' idea, how bad can that family be?"

"I know Anna, we were so lucky to have Momma and Papa, Hans was teased and mistreated from a young age and then made to feel guilty about his mother's death, is it any wonder he ended up so twisted."

Another image started forming, this time, Hans appeared as they had come to know him fully grown sitting at a desk making notes when one of his brothers came in.

"Hans," he started,

"Yes Klaus" responded Hans.

"Father and I have to go to Arendelle, something terrible has happened."

Hans face suddenly brightened up, "what's happened brother?"

The King and Queen have been lost in a shipping tragedy; their ship went down in the Southern Seas."

"Oh, that's terrible," responded Hans, "that means the two Princesses are orphaned."

"Yes, especially when they have had such a sheltered life, you know with Elsa virtually locked away from everybody."

"True, so when are you leaving?"

"This afternoon on the high tide, we'll be gone for a few days."

"Okay, well I guess I'll see you when you get back, give the Princesses my deepest sympathies."

"I will."

Prince Klaus then left the room and a smile came onto Hans's face "Well I've got three years before Elsa turns twenty-one and become Queen, this tragedy should fit perfectly into my plan, just need to refine it a bit more." He said to himself.

Elsa and Anna watched as Hans got up and start walking out of the room then disappear deeper into Ahtohallan, where Elsa had seen their Grandfather disappeared to last Autumn and she knew what that meant.

"Wait what," said Anna, "we have to follow to see what he does, we have to see what that plan was."

"No," said Elsa firmly, "we can't."

"Why, why not Elsa," protested Anna.

"Because,' responded Elsa, "that's where it's too deep and you will drown, it's where I went to discover the secret about Grandfather."

"But I have to find out, I have to find out more. I have to know why he tried to kill us and ruin our lives."

"I know, but we can't do it here, Ahtohallan has showed us as much as she safely can."

Anna looked at Elsa pensively, then a determined look came on her face.

"Well, if we can't find out from here, there's only one way we can."

"How's that Anna?" asked Elsa.

"I'll have to ask him."