27
A thunderstorm rolled through Arendelle like a prophecy of foreboding events to come bringing with it some wind, rain, lightning and thunder. Even though Elsa was the Fifth Spirit she had no control over the actual weather, but she could bring some calm inside a storm, but she couldn't stop it altogether.
Fortunately, the thunder rumbled a little off to the distance of the Castle so there weren't any big loud claps of it due to lightning striking in close proximity. Surprisingly, some residents of Arendelle slept right through it and by morning there was no sign of the storm and the kingdom woke to another sunny if a little wet morning.
There was no meeting scheduled that day with Hans and after breakfast a nervous Elsa approached Hans's room wondering what she was doing. To be honest, she was scared she might lash out at Hans and cause him some harm and there would be no act of true love that could save him. But she knew that she was in control now, especially since she had become the Fifth Spirit.
She approached Hans's door with the two guards stationed outside keeping guard.
"Good morning your Majesty" they greeted.
"Good morning," she smiled, "I'm here to see Prince Hans."
"Very good your Grace."
She approached the door and knocked three times, "Prince Hans."
Hans was inside just finishing his breakfast and was both shocked and pleased when he heard the knock and Elsa's voice.
"Come in Your Majesty," he said with high spirits.
Elsa opened the door and there he was, the man who tried to kill her, lied to her, lied to her sister and left her for dead and tried usurp the throne of Arendelle. Yet, she managed to smile.
"Good morning, I trust you are well this morning," she said in as diplomatic a voice she could muster.
"I'm well and very surprised but also very happy to see you," smiled Hans while he to tried to be diplomatic, "I imagine your sister put you up to this?"
That statement sort of broke the tension a bit.
"Yes, she did" half smiled Elsa, "trust me, I don't really want to be here, no offence."
"None taken Queen Elsa, I fully understand how you feel, I would feel the same towards me if I was you." Hans paused for a second and did see a little half grin on Elsa's face, "I am about to go out for a morning walk, maybe you could join me? Having this little talk might be a little easier for you outside."
"That sounds a bit better, okay." Responded Elsa still not sure of this.
"Excellent," smiled Hans trying to turn on a bit of charm, "great, here comes the rest of my escort."
Two more Arendellian Guards joined the two keeping guard and Hans motioned to Elsa, "after you your Majesty."
They exited the room but just as they were exiting some palace staff came to the door carrying bed linen and towels.
"Good morning your Majesty Queen Elsa," said Gerda
"Morning Gerda," smiled Elsa.
"Excuse me Prince Hans," said Gerda coldly but respectively, "we're here to bring you fresh bed linen and towels."
"Thank you, Gerda," replied Hans trying to be diplomatic, "I appreciate that."
Elsa, Hans and the four guards left the room, but Hans did a quick glance back towards the palace staff and suddenly became curious in the bed linen and towels. It was a momentarily glance and thought, but he turned his attention back to Elsa and he had to be extra thoughtful here because here was a huge opportunity for him to get some precious information regarding Ahtohallan and the Northuldra. Plus, a few other things that he was curious about with her.
"That was a bit weather we had last night," he started and then thinking what a lame way to start a conversation.
"Yes," replied an unimpressed Elsa.
They walked outside the castle and some of the citizens of Arendelle were shocked to see Elsa with Hans and couldn't understand what was happening, though, they believed there must be a good reason for their former queen to be with the usurper.
Then Elsa turned to Hans with a distrusting expression, "look Hans, I don't know why I am doing this, I would be more than happy to see you leave and never see you again, but we can't because I agree with Anna, you're a threat to Arendelle.
However, I do suppose I have to thank you for stopping me from killing Wesselton's men because who knows what I would have become if I had done that, even though you did admit to trying to drop my ice chandelier on me."
Hans wasn't offended by this at all and answered, "look Queen Elsa, I know we will at best acquaintances let alone friends, but I don't know what you want of me? A memory that I have no memory of that will magically make me not want revenge on my brothers? Unless you can take me to that place called Ahtohallan I am never going to remember whatever it is I am supposed to remember."
"Hans," began Elsa forcibly, "I can't take you to Ahtohallan, the spirits won't accept you, you're not family, it's that simple. Plus, whatever your memory is it is in a section of Ahtohallan that is dangerous, I know I went there and ended up like Anna when I froze her heart and I'm sorry I am not going to take that risk for you or will allow Anna to take that risk."
"Then we are at an impasse aren't we." He answered sharply.
"I guess we are, but maybe there's something that can be done to help you remember and I will try and seek an answer for you." Responded Elsa.
"Well, I appreciate that, plus, for what it's worth, I am sorry for four years ago and for trying to drop that chandelier on you."
"Why would you do that Hans?" asked Elsa with a little anger.
"Oh, that's easy to answer Elsa," replied Hans with a little arrogance, "I saw your Ice Castle, which I will be honest, I would love to see it again because it is so impressive. I saw that monster snowman you made and then saw you have Wesselton's men in very compromising positions and about to die so the last thing I wanted was a vengeful, angry, merciless person with incredibly powerful ice powers loose. I mean, you could have frozen all of us just like that," Hans snapped his fingers with that last statement.
"So, I thought it might be better to have you killed by what looked like an accident, for the benefit of Anna, but when you survived, I knew I had to keep you alive, again for the benefit of Anna and my desire to marry her and hope you could end the winter. Which I honestly thought you could do."
Elsa looked at Hans with a little disdain, "you know it's a little hard to hear that I was just a tool in your desire to marry my sister. I have to wonder if you have any decency at all Hans."
Hans smiled back, "at that time Elsa, I didn't and readily admit that. I was obsessed with my revenge and the only way to do it in my mind was to marry Anna so I did everything to try and make that happen, no remorse. Of course, at that time, I didn't know that you had accidentally frozen her heart, which as I said during your questioning, I was not going to be able to cure with true love's kiss, because, I didn't love her. I liked her, but didn't love her."
"So, what would have happened to me if you could cure Anna and I could reverse the winter?" asked a serious Elsa.
Hans sighed as he looked down at the ground, "I am ashamed to say this, but as I told Anna back then, I would have tried to organise an accident for you."
Elsa was now a little furious, "an accident!"
Hans, tried to calm her down, "I did say that I regret that Elsa, believe it or not I admired you, even back then. Not just because of your powers and that ice castle you built with them but the fact you put your people first by trying to get as far away as you can so that your powers would no longer affect Arendelle. It was quite admirable, especially because I was, at the time the exact opposite."
These words sort of calmed Elsa down a bit, "Admirable, well that's interesting coming from you, but what about now? Are we still the exact opposite?"
"To be honest," started Hans sincerely, "still more opposite than on the same side. I know my drive for revenge is hard for you to understand, I know what I did here makes me untrustworthy to you and I know there's very little I can do to make you think better of me. Maybe if we can unlock that memory, you say I have it might help?"
Elsa sort of rolled her eyes, "Hans, I can't take you to Ahtohallan, the spirits won't allow it. If I could, I would."
"I know,' replied Hans, "I just wish it was different, to be honest, if you could take this desire for revenge out of me, I would be grateful."
"Then just let it go Hans," said Elsa with sincerity.
"I'm sorry, but for now, I can't." he replied feeling sullen, "by the way, did Anna tell you about Wesselton?"
"Yes, she did," replied Elsa surprised with the change of topic, "I appreciate your father telling him no."
"Well, it was a bit more colourful than no, I can tell you one thing, "said an amused Hans as he remembered the conversation, "from what I heard, he didn't have much success in recruiting other kingdoms to go along with him. Apparently, the main reason they didn't want to join in his crusade against Arendelle was because of you Elsa. They didn't want to tempt your powers."
"I didn't realise my powers were so intimidating," responded Elsa, "I didn't want to be intimidating, it was never my intention. All I wanted was to have control and not hurt anyone, especially after I accidentally hit Anna all those years ago. Though when I think about it and what I put our kingdom through I am not so surprised."
"Well," started Hans, "your powers are intimidating because I am intimidated by them plus astonished by them at the same time. Your ice castle is just so impressive and as I said, would love to go there again just to appreciate it."
This compliment caused Elsa to do something she thought she would never do to Hans, she smiled at him.
"Thank you, Prince Hans," she said with appreciation, "though I don't think Marshmallow would be too pleased to see you."
"Marshmallow?" he asked.
"My giant snowman, you did cut off his leg," answered Elsa.
"Oh yes, him." He replied, "he too was also very impressive."
Hans had deliberately led Elsa to the harbour where he stopped overlooking the entrance to Arendelle harbour.
"Well, here is where it all started," he began, "this is exactly where I bumped into your sister and again, I am truly sorry for what I did."
"Hans," interrupted Elsa, "I know this is the place and honestly, I don't want to remember. Which begs me to ask, why would you bring me here?"
"Sorry, Elsa," answered Hans, "but being from the Southern Isles, I just like the open sea, the salty air and the sound of the waves. It's the only thing about home that I actually enjoyed."
"Look Hans," started a now slightly annoyed Elsa, "I know your story, I know your brothers messed you up, but that wasn't an excuse to try and kill us like you did last time, or get me angry enough to take out your revenge for you on your brothers." She paused catching her breath.
"I am grateful that you stopped me killing Wesselton's men, though you did try to kill me there to. However, this drive for revenge is destroying you, I mean, you attempted to murder the two of us so you could prove a point to your brothers. You have alienated yourself from everyone. You seem to like the Northuldra people, but you have burned that bridge. It's time to let this nonsense go and live a life.
All this is going to do is give you misery. If you change your course then maybe, just maybe, we might forgive, we won't forget, but we might forgive. Now if you excuse me, I do have duties to perform."
Hans looked at Elsa, slightly stunned by what she said, "okay Queen Elsa," he sort of muttered out, "I do appreciate the talk and I will take it into consideration."
Elsa was walking away as he said that and only acknowledged it with a shake of her head. For Hans, deep down he knew she was right but at the same time, it fuelled his frustration and anger towards basically the world now. He looked towards where they were constructing the new railroad tunnel and started walking there with his four guards.
He had a few questions for the railway workers if he could get their attention and if they would talk to him. As he walked away from the harbour, he looked around and glanced at the Queen Elsa sitting at the dock and thought about his plan B. To succeed he had to be quick and silent so that by the time they realised he was missing he would be long gone and they wouldn't be able to catch him.
A small smile appeared on his face as he day dreamed about succeeding and the wrath that success may rain down on his brothers. It would also bring a little bit of revenge against Arendelle but at the same time clear them of any involvement because he knew that if his plan worked, he would be solely to blame and that's what he wanted. He would enjoy having his name go down in infamy.