18

Hans was marched back to his room, quite pleased with himself as he knew he had upset Elsa. It was only a matter of pushing the right buttons he thought to himself, to get her as angry as she was when he saw her dealing with Wesselton's two bodyguards.

He wanted to get her angry at his Kingdom and hopefully she might hurl a much bigger snowball than the one that hit him a few years ago. The thought of his brothers being buried under snow made him smile to himself, revenge swift and cold.

"Hans!" came a voice as he got to the top of the stairs.

"Oh Olaf," he replied, "I was surprised you weren't in the throne room asking me questions with the others."

"Elsa and Anna thought it would be best if I didn't because I might get a bit angry at you."

"Hmm, I can see that, I hope you're not angry at me, with the exception of what I did four years ago?"

"That depends," Olaf retorted, "did you hurt or upset Anna or Elsa?"

"Well, I did tell Elsa the mean things my brothers use to say about her and I think that upset her, trust me, which I know is hard, I didn't mean to upset her but I thought that it was important she know the truth about how they felt about her."

"Hmm, I suppose you're right. I'll check on her."

"Yes, you should, I understand that you are very good at cheering people up."

"Yes, yes I am Hans."

"Tell me, what do you know about this place Ahtohallan?"

"It's Elsa's home now, it's where memories are stored for the Fifth Spirit. I haven't been there myself but Anna and Elsa tell me it's wonderful."

"It sounds like a wonderful place, tell me, and I know this maybe hard, but is there any way you could get me any books, or some other written record about Ahtohallan, I would like to learn about it so I can understand more. I think it would make me a better person and hopefully help Anna and Elsa plus help me express the guilt and how sorry I am for my actions here last time."

Olaf looked at Hans with a serious a frown, but this melted into a half but serious smile.

"Okay, I will see what I can do, if it will make you a better person towards Anna and Elsa, but if you hurt them again"

"I know, I know and thank you."

Hans continued to his room while Olaf made for the library to see if he could find some books about Ahtohallan.

Elsa briskly walked into the games room with her arms folded and head down quickly followed by Anna and Kristoff.

"Elsa?" began Anna.

"Anna," she replied before Anna could finish, "I'm alright, I'm fine."

"No, you're not Elsa," spoke Anna with conviction, "I'm your sister, I know you too well."

"Okay, yes, I am a little upset, I maybe the Fifth Spirit, but I am still human. I thought I was over those dark times in my life and that thing out there just goes out of his way to remind me of those times. His brothers are no better than he is."

"Maybe worse Elsa, after all, it was his brothers who made Hans the monster he is.'

"Look, I will be okay, just need to compose myself because I wasn't ready for that, I mean both he and Wesselton tried to kill me and thinking about it, just makes me mad. I'm glad that snowball I sent when I was sick hit him."

"Elsa, wait a minute," started Kristoff looking at Anna, "Grand Pabbie said that Hans was searching for revenge on his brothers, right?"

"Yes, that's right," answered Anna.

"So?" asked Elsa.

"Well," began Kristoff, "this could be part of his plan."

"What could be part of his plan?" enquired Elsa.

"To upset you, get you angry," he turned to Elsa, "Elsa what happened up at your Ice Castle when Hans got there?"

Elsa, went silent for a moment as she had never talked about that day and buried that terrible memory deep inside her. Then a hurt look came across her face as she remembered one of the worst memories of her life.

"I remember hearing a commotion outside the castle when Marshmallow started to roar and I looked out and saw the Arendellian guard and others fighting him. I closed the doors but as I was walking back into the castle, I saw Wesselton's two guards racing up the stairs towards the doors. I panicked and ran up the stairs to the upper chamber but before I knew it, they had caught up to me. I pleaded to them but.." Elsa started sobbing and Anna raced to her side to comfort her.

"He shot at me with his crossbow, he tried to kill me." She said sobbing, but suddenly composed herself and gave a reassuring look of confidence to Anna.

"But my magic stopped the arrow dead, and then we had a short battle and I remember getting so angry that I actually wanted to kill them." She suddenly paused.

"Oh my God! That's when Hans saw me and told me not to be the monster that they think I am. He saw me so angry that I was willing to kill and he stopped me from doing it."

"Yes, and he is trying to get you angry again so that maybe you might just use your powers on the Southern Isles," began Anna, "or at least sabotage their attempts to re-establish diplomatic relations with us."

"Oh, I think he wants me to use my powers, Anna." Replied Elsa with assertion.

"Yes," started Kristoff, "what I've heard of him and what I have seen, I would definitely say that's his plan."

"Pabbie said we have to try and get him to give up his wish for revenge, because he will keep trying and probably keep trying to use us." Said Anna.

"Pabbie said that?" asked Elsa already knowing the answer, "and I imagine as long as he has these desires for revenge, he will be a danger to Arendelle." Elsa paused, "Hans also mentioned that he sent me letters which I never received and I assumed that mother and father withheld them from me because they feared that it might affect my powers."

"Yes, yes, maybe Kai may know something about that Elsa." Spoke up Anna

"Yes, he just might." Responded a hopeful Elsa.

Anna then stepped outside and asked one of the Palace staff if they could ask Kai to come and join them in the gaming room.

It took about ten minutes for Kai to join them in.

"Yes, your Majesty what can I do for?" he asked.

"Kai," started Anna, "we have just been interrogating Hans over the incidents that happened four years ago and he mentioned something that I am hoping you may be able to shed some light on."

"I'll try your Majesty."

"Kai," began Elsa, "Hans stated that he sent me letters to me when I was about ten years old and again after Mother and Father died. I never received any of those letters and we would like to know if you know anything about them."

Kai went silent and got a nervous look on his face.

"Kai?" asked Anna to which Kai sighed.

"Yes, Queen Anna and Elsa, I knew of them."

Both Anna and Elsa looked at each other with surprised looks on their faces.

"Kai," asked Elsa, "you have been loyal to our family for many, many years, please tell me what you know?"

"Okay," he sighed, "yes, the letters began arriving when you had just turned ten years old Queen Elsa, now myself and Gerda were the only staff members who knew about your powers then and the real reason you and Queen Anna were separated. Your parents were very concerned that these letters from Prince Hans may upset you, or get you very excited and therefore lose more control of your powers and put more people in danger of them.

Your parents, were terrified of your powers after you accidentally struck Queen Anna with them and they thought it was by pure miracle that Queen Anna wasn't more seriously injured. Both King Agnarr and Queen Iduna instructed me to make sure you never saw the original letter, or the any of the ones that followed.

I continued this instruction after their deaths when more letters arrived from Prince Hans addressed to you Elsa. I'm truly sorry if I have upset you."

"It's okay Kai," said Elsa, "you were just following Mother and Father's wishes. Do you have any idea how many letters Prince Hans sent?"

"Yes, the letters continued right through until you were 12, about thirty-six in total I believe and after your parent's death, there was another six of them."

"Wow," said Anna, "Did our parents read any of them and divulge what was in them Kai?"

"I don't know if they read any of them your Majesty, they just instructed me that Queen Elsa was not to see the letters and I disposed of them accordingly, again, I am sorry if I wronged both of you."

"No Kai," responded Anna reassuringly, "but at least you have proven for once Hans was actually telling the truth."

"Yes Kai," added Elsa, "you did what our parents asked you to do and have proven Hans is telling the truth about something."

"I'm reassured," said a relieved Kai.

"Actually, there's one more thing Kai," began Elsa.

"Yes, Queen Elsa."

"Hans informed us that his brothers, well, let's say they didn't have many kind words for me when I was locked away, which has been a little upsetting for me to hear, did you hear of any stories of unkind things being said about me at the time?"

Kai, looked down and sighed heavily.

"Unfortunately, Your Majesty, yes, a few of the kingdoms thought you had a psychological condition and were a little unstable which is why they thought you had been separated from Queen Anna and locked up in the Castle. The Southern Isles was one of those Kingdoms which disturbed your father the king because Arendelle and the Southern Isles had always had a very good relationship. Wesselton was another kingdom that weren't exactly kind in their comments either."

"Why doesn't that surprise me from Weasletown," replied Elsa.

"He still is a weasel if you ask me your majesties," replied Kai, "and always has been, your father never fully trusted him, if you ask me, he is just as much a threat as old Hans out there." Said Kai.

"Don't worry Kai," spoke Anna, "I don't intend to re-establish trade relations with Wesselton for a while yet despite his crawling and thank you, that should be all, Elsa?"

"Yes Kai, if we have any more questions, we will ask you."

"Very good your Majesties, I'll continue with my duties." And with that Kai left the room.

Anna turned to Elsa, "Well what now?"

"Well, Anna, we let Hans know we are onto him about his desire to get me anger so he can carry out his wish of revenge on his family."

"Yes," began Kristoff, "but we also have to figure out how we get Hans to release his desire for revenge as Pabbie said, there's a lot of anger there and that still makes him dangerous and unpredictable."

"Agreed," replied Anna to her husband, "who knows what else he might try, he is determined to bring harm or humiliation onto his brothers. Last time it was simply look at me, I successfully married into a throne and he turned totally psycho in that quest at our expense. There has to be a circuit breaker somewhere for his anger."

Hans bided his time in his room, actually he was quite bored, but it did give him time to think. He would pace, go to out on the balcony and see just how far the drop was to the ground, far too high to jump that was for sure.

He was still pleased with himself for upsetting Elsa and hopefully getting her a little angry. Hopefully he could exploit that anger to his advantage and to the fate of his brothers. However, he did realise that getting Elsa angry may not be enough, in fact it might not even work and there was the possibility that they might figure out what he is trying to do.

Hans was determined not to lose it like he did last time, though no one would have anticipated the events of four years ago. It still frustrated him, why couldn't Elsa just be a little unstable in the mind, he would be married to Anna and maybe he wouldn't have had to do anything as Elsa instability would have made her unfit to rule and Anna would have taken over and he would be king and he would let his brothers no about it and remind eleven of them that they weren't as good as he is.

But he did need a back-up plan, he had to think and hope that Olaf would bring him back something worthwhile that he could study about that place the sisters talked about up north. There may be something there he could exploit to his favour. Of course, he needed to know where it was first as there was a lot of up north and he knew the seas can be treacherous in those areas.

Hans though had confidence in himself to get there, he knew that he was by far the best sailor amongst his brothers, in fact, it was their constant abuse that drove him to be better at everything than them. He was a better sailor, better horseman, better shot, had better swordsmanship and did he enjoy beating his brothers whenever they contested in any of those fields.

In many ways, trying marry into Arendelle's throne was just another contest to beat his brothers, but he became obsessed with it, frustrated with it, that it did turn him into a monster and he knew that monster was still inside of him waiting to get out. But he was better prepared this time, he wasn't chasing marriage and he wouldn't allow himself to get so frustrated this time. If one door shuts, another will open.

Suddenly there was a cheerful knock at his door, "Come in," he called out.

The door opened and in walked Olaf, still looking serious and mistrusting.

"Olaf, good to see you again, did you find me something to read?" he said smiling and pointing at the large book in his arms.

"Yes, yes, I did, but you have to promise that you don't intend to hurt Anna and Elsa?"

"Olaf, I have no intention of even trying to do what I did last time and I am truly sorry for that. Nor do I have any intentions to bring them harm this time"

"Mmmm, you sound sincere, so okay, here's your book, you should find some references to Ahtohallan in it."

"Excellent, you are a good person, no wonder everyone likes you."

Olaf smiled, "well thank you."

"Oh look, I got you to smile, maybe we could build some bridges later?"

"Bridges?" Enquired Olaf.

"Yes, it's a phrase meaning to form a good relationship."

"Oh, well, maybe, I still don't trust you, but I am giving you a chance to prove those feelings wrong."

"That's fair and I will do my best to allay your fears."

"Good, now I have to go talk to Elsa and Anna."

"Okay and thanks again for the book."

Olaf left the room and Hans sat down at the desk in the room and opened up the book.

"Now," he said out loud to himself, "let's learn a little bit about Ahtohallan and how I may be able to use it."