Frederick looked to the prince, his expression in question, "what do you mean resign?"
Hans nodded his head slowly, his brows knitted together.
"I can't let you leave now. Give me until spring and I'll have everything ready for your leave."
Hans looked down and sighed, "why?"
Frederick shook his head, "because of the Duke."
The prince nodded and took back the sword he had laid on his fellowmans desk.
"Why do you want to leave? you're the highest paid gaurd here."
Suddenly there was a smile on the older mans face and a twinkle in his eyes, "lady troubles?"
Hans chuckled at his unexpected comment. "Not exactly. More like my daughter doesn't have a mother, and it's difficult for someone to care for her."
Fred pulled his lips back and nodded, "I'll see if I can swap through some of my men, to replace you sooner. But the queen is the one who chooses in the end."
Hans furrowed his brows, "I would like to be replaced without her knowing. She's been kind to me, I wouldn't want to disappoint her."
The older man nodded and stared off into the door, "I'll speak to Kai, and get back to you."
The prince accepted and began out towards the door, pulling on his belt to tighten the sword back in place.
"Just don't let the queen know."
The blonde man hummed a yes and Hans walked out the door.
Xoxoxo
He squeezed himself through to the queens room, wanting to go unnoticed, but to his surprise he walked in on the princess and the queen the two holding each other's babies.
"Oh I'm glad you're here!" Anna suddenly jumped up in almost dance, leaving his daughter in the bed as she slept. "When will we celebrate the christening of your daughter!?" She smiled and looked back to her sister who held sweetly at her nephew. "And I thought long and hard, even if you can be a jerk sometimes, I was thinking, that since you and Elsa are so comfortable around each other, then..."
Anna almost waltz around as she held Hans bare hands, "we want you both to be our sons godfather's!"
Elsa stood in surprise waking the little baby in her arms.
"Wait, what?" Hans suddenly asked, "queen Elsa, and I?"
Anna nodded excitedly, "I talked it over with Kristoff he seems to be fond of the idea, since he really doesn't talk to other men much."
"And though I disapprove of how you speak to my sister, I would love it if we exchanged our children, well in the christening."
He looked to Anna strange, a couple days ago she was threatening him, and now she wanted for him to be her son's godfather?
"There is no one better than my sister, and her most trusted gaurd." She looked to him seriously, "after Kristoff talked about you, he sees you as his only friend, sort of " she giggled, "and I know Elsa is the smartest person ever, if she fully trusts you, then I should too."
Hans tilted his head to look at the queen and Elsa giggled.
"I don't know what to say."
Anna walked him over to the bed and smiled while she sat, "then say you'll be my son's godfather."
Hans smiled suddenly, genuinely, "I'm not too sure it's the best-."
"I'm sure the priest will make an exception, seeing as your late wife... Well... And Elsa is the queen and all. I mean, wait Elsa you are ok with this are you not?"
The queen nodded her head, and shyly looked down to her nephew, "I am..."
Anna clapped her hands together and the prince smiled towards her, she was always so full of energy, and such a forgiving person. Elsa was right, that's why he had taken advantage of her.
He clicked his tongue, he wasn't like that anymore. Even if he was still lying to everyone about his identity. But to his defense, this time it was for the sake of Arendelle, or so Elsa had convinced him.
"When will we celebrate?" Anna asked excitedly, "tomorrow?"
Elsa looked at the princess almost as if scolding, "Anna these preparations take time, the priest might even deny prince-"
Hans eyes went wide.
Anna stared confused at her sister, "prince?" Who hid her anxiety very well.
"I meant sir Berry Van Buren..."
She kissed the small prince in her arms and laid him next to Gretel.
"Oh, yeah." Anna felt Hans go stiff, but she shook it off.
"I'll let the council know our plans, AND DON'T WORRY, I won't let them convince me of having someone else but you two to be My son's godfather's, just so they can get everything ready for the ceremony."
Anna rushed to the bed and reached out to swipe up at her baby, pulling him close.
"Now excuse me." She walked out hurriedly running out to the door.
"Anna the baby!" Elsa called out after her and Anna looked back and nodded, walking slower as she left.
Hans closed the door and turned back to look at his wife.
They had not talked much about them, as a couple, or what happened between them two, mostly because it was a touchy subject for Elsa.
He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
He was going to leave maybe, if she was decided on not having them her family. But it seemed that things were getting more complicated than he wanted them to.
"Queen Elsa, I don't think I should-"
"Neither the council, nor the priest will allow you, I promise."
She turned her attention towards the little baby girl on her bed, and Hans walked on closer to them.
"Isn't she beautiful?"
He eyed the queen slowly and smiled, "she is indeed. She takes after her mother."
Elsa blushed and turned to face him. "Listen prince Hans, I... About what happened the other day... I, we, us..." She sighed.
He furrowed his brows. "It can't be?"
Her eyes were to him suddenly glossy, "I'm very sorry... But the kingdom, the neighboring countries-"
He shook his head and raised a hand to quiet her. " and without a title I'm worth nothing to your council."
She closed her eyes, and he went on, "and neither is your daughter."
"No! How could you say that?" She furrowed her brows.
It seemed that every time they spoke about the relationship it ended in fight.
"It's the truth, because if I had a title, or a clean one, you wouldn't have hesitated to have introduced me as your husband, or your daughter as heiress!"
The queen stood up sizing up to him. "No, you're wrong, there is nothing wrong with you, except that you're the very man that-"
"Saved your life at least 2 times now? Or, the very man that, I don't know, has taken everything that you've thrown at? Your humiliation, your rejection, the very man that has been there, seen how others try to woo you and says nothing FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR DAMN KINGDOM!"
"You know what? Yes I'm that very man! The very man who has changed from hell to heaven! I've done so much for your comfort that I'm starting to loose myself!"
He began to point an accusing finger. "I am through with this Elsa! I don't care about your stupid formalities, or the crown, I've promised to stay faithful, when you're out there accepting any man's proposal to see you alone!" He went and gently picked up his daughter.
"You say I'm selfish, but you only do what is right for your image, even if it means hiding your daughter." He began out the door with an angry expression on his face.
"Wait, Hans!" She began after him and when he stopped she stopped.
"You know what Elsa? You're used to people chasing after you."
He walked out the door ignoring her calls after him.
He waited a little while outside her room, to give her a chance to reconsider, but when she did not come out he began towards the exit.
There was a lump in his throat, he would not stay. Walking straight to Fredericks office he dropped off his sword and recognition letter and walked on out, holding his beautiful baby in his arms, not daring to look back. Because he knew that if she was somewhere in site, he would go back to her.
Xoxoxo
Elsa ran from corridor to corridor, he couldn't have gone far.
He just couldn't have!
There was tears running down her face, and she didn't care if her councilmen saw her frantic, or if they saw the ice forming in the grond, much less if the Duke wanted to take her out for a walk.
She wanted to find her husband, that's all she wanted, before it was too late.
"Where is he!?"
Frederick suddenly appeared in the hallway, holding his helmet at his hip, "queen Elsa?"
She looked around until she saw the gaurd at the staircase.
"Berry Van Buren, m'lady, has resigned."
Her eyes went wide, "what!?"
Fred nodded his head and licked his lips, "he said that there was no one to watch his daughter back home, that his wife is dead. That he is sorry to depart so suddenly."
He pulled on his papers and sword, "he said he would return the armor soon."
Elsa shook her head, "where is he?"
The captain settled his helmet back on his head, "he returned to his home."
Elsa was suddenly aware of her councilmen who were ushering to each other, and nodded her head towards her gaurd.
Suddenly regaining composure she nodded, "I understand, well then, excuse me."
Xoxoxo
Hans turned the steed back towards the castle, his hopes of seeing something from the queen, even one gaurd sent after him.
But there was no such thing. He only saw the cold town of Arendelle, with it's homes covered in snow, and the castle tall and proud just like it's queen.
He felt a pang in his heart. He wanted to run back to her, to see her, to hold her. To help her see things as he did, but she was never going to. She cared too much about what others thought of her.
He turned around, his body covered from head to toe with a big coat, and his daughter snuggled inside too.
Maybe he would go away, home, he would stay away from the temptation of seeing the queen. That way he would forget about her.
That way he could heal from the terrible wounds life had brought him.
The horse slowly galloped, and the prince slouched, tears falling from his green eyes.
He was finally defeated.
Xoxoxo
Kristoff nodded and Anna beemed a smile, "ok so now that everything is all set with the priest, we just have to tell the council, just so they can begin to prepare for the feast!"
She excitedly squealed making the little prince cry suddenly.
"Sh, sh, sh, sh." She began cooing him and he settled down.
They were walking in the long corridors of the castle and walked straight to her sisters room.
She knocked five times, and called on after the queen, "Elsa?"
She pushed the door open and the two walked inside, finding her sister sitting at the edge of the window staring out towards Arendelle.
"Umm?"
Kristoff elbowed Anna, and Anna looked to him scornful, but went on. "Elsa, is everything ok?"
The blond closed her eyes, "no Anna, he left..."
The ice harvester turned to his wife and Anna looked to him too.
"What, who left?"
"Berry Van Buren..."
"But he'll be back tomorrow. What's wrong, what happened?"
Elsa handed Anna the resignation letter, and Anna looked confused.
"What, why?"
"I... Can't tell you."
"Elsa, you're scaring me."
"It wouldn't matter anymore. He's gone."
Kristoff furrowed his brows, "Anna we should let her have her space."
The princess began out of the Queen's room, her big husband behind her.
After minutes of silence and walking towards their room Anna spoke up, "what do you think happened?"
Kristoff began to undress himself, readying for rest, "I wouldn't know."
She looked down at her son suddenly, "does this mean we have to cancel the christening?"
Kristoff looked to the princess and shook his head, "maybe we should go talk to him ourselves. After all Elsa looked completely devistated for his leaving."
Xoxoxo