Hans stood at the end of the ballroom his eyes were to the princess and the prince. He would see couples come and go to congratulate the princess of Arendelle for the christening of her son.
There was a small band playing in the corner of the room and the queen was sitting at afar, listening and watching of the event.
Hans played with the wine in his glass and drank from what was poured to him. His daughter was with princess Anna and prince Kristoff, their son was with them as well.
Hans chuckled at the sight of them. They had no idea they were holding the true heiress of Arendelle.
"Hello gaurd."
Hans almost choked on the wine, he had not expected anyone to near him, the attention was to the presumed heir to the throne, the little prince of Arendelle, his Godson. He turned to where the voice had come from and to his surprise his father greeted his sight.
"Your majesty," he slightly lowered his head to aknowledge the man, and the king chuckled.
The two Westergaaurds stood there in silence side by side, after the greeting, something that was very strange to the prince. A butler passed by and offered more wine to Hans and the king of the Southern Isles; the prince took another glass, but the king didn't. The prince lifted his the glass to his father and the man nodded silently with cheers.
Hansel smiled towards his son with a raised brow. "Have you paid thought to my offer?"
The prince looked around not really knowing what to answer, his eyes skimming through the countless heads of the guests until landing on the queen herself.
His heart clenched with his eyes on the woman, he loved her like no other, and then looked to his father.
"I don't think-"
The king chuckled and followed the princes gaze towards the young queen. "If you magically become a royal... You might have a chance with the queen."
"I have a family." Hans retorted suddenly, angirly, and took a sip from his glass. He did not know why his father would persist.
"But that desire of yours says otherwise gaurd."
Hans suddenly closed his eyes as his heartbeat increased. His father was a keen man, he knew that nothing ever escaped him. What did he want with him, what were his intentions. Why did he want alliance from so many kingdoms!? For power?
King Hansel smirked devilishly, "so she is important."
Hans shook his head and looked away from the man, trying hard to pay no mind to his words. "Tell me king, what will you gain from this?"
The very man looked out to the crowd with a small smile on his face; Hans couldn't decipher it, was it treacherous?
"If you accept my offer I will tell you everything." He placed his hands behind his back and walked out towards the corridor of the castle. He didn't look back towards Hans fully convinced the gaurd would follow.
The prince stood in his spot not daring to move or go after his father, he would not betray her again, not the queen, not the kingdom. His eyes were glued to Elsa; and his heart clenched. With a sigh he looked over towards his daughter who was happily bouncing on her godmother's hip and turned to his father's back.
He knew that the king meant no good and yet there he was, tempted. Another sigh escaped his lips, there was no other way. Elsa would let him be her husband. Not in a million years, she was a queen not a princess and she was more loyal to her kingdom than to her own love. He did not stand a chance against another with a title, would he not be a royal...
Was this Gods way of testing him now?
The prince lowered his head and placed his wine glass on the edge of a nearby table. With one last glance toward the queen and a heavy feeling in his heart he walked off following behind his father.
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He felt like a coward.
He felt he had betrayed the queen once more, he felt he'd betrayed the love of his life. This time, though, it was for her, for her love, for her hand in marriage, for her heart. This had nothing to do with her throne.
His heart was pumping fast inside his chest, but only now he didn't know if it was because of the king or because he felt like a traitor to Elsa.
He stood in the room that was assigned to the king and stared up at the very man that had given him life.
"I'm glad you accepted my offer. You and your daughter will come to the Southern Isles with us at the end of the coming week. I expect you to be there or I personally will go to seek you." The king chuckled softly and turned to face the outside window which was pulled back by the curtains. His elder eyes to the beautiful fjord that docked with Arendelle.
"I don't understand why you need alliance from Arendelle, more than what you already have, your grand-daughter is bethroned to the prince." Hans looked around trying to decipher why his father was so desperate for quick alliance, but he could not figure it out. "Up to what I know the Southern Isles is a leading country full of iron and gold."
The king turned to face his son and shook his head. "Yes we are indeed a great country. Alas that does not mean we don't have enemies. I need alliance fast with Arendelle, because I fear that soon enough some kingdom will declare war on our lands."
Hans looked at his father shaking his head, "what are you on about your majesty?"
"Arendelle and The Isles both have something in common, our enemies."
Prince Hans shook his head he hated it when his father spat out puzzles.
"The Duke of Weselton has formally sent a letter." The king rose his index finger. "One letter."
"The countries are at peace!" Hans countered his father's fears.
"Weselton has a new crowned king, and he will stop at nothing to see the Southern Isles dead, with the queen I can save my country!"
The prince did not believe his father. "The Southern Isles shares Weselton as an enemy with Arendelle, that is the only thing it shares. These countries are completely opposite. Nothing in the Isles compares to the greatness Arendelle is! that's why you want Arendelle, you're so power hungry you will stop at nothing to have every kingdom under your influence-"
The king spun around quickly and with the back of his hand slapped the younger man across his face.
The prince stared surprised at the king, as his cheek stung.
There was a finger in his face suddenly, it was pointing dangerously at him. "You will not raise your voice to your superior, gaurd!"
And then Hans remembered. He knew this was a bad idea now he remembered why he had denied his father the first time. "I do not need any of this. I refuse your offer." He made quick towards the door but his father quickly grabbed onto his arm. "You cannot refuse, you are a Westergaaurd I see it in you. I will not let you waste this chance just because you refuse. You will come with me and you will do the job that that useless son of mine could not do!"
This ticked the prince, "what!?"
"You will marry the queen to become the king of this country!" The king breathed heavily, and Hans stated back at his father. "All I need is a fast alliance with Arendelle! This threat out there is for the Southern Isles only!"
"What has the Isles done!?" There was a moment of silence and Hans could see his father's eyes go puzzled.
"My late son was promised to the princess of Weselton." Hans eyes went wide and he looked to his father with curiosity.
"When I took back my word to have him marry her, so he could try and marry in Arendelle... When that Duke came here... the princess hung herself."
"What!?" Hans looked at his father, King Hansel had gone mad.
"My son did not know about the arrangement." He breathed heavily. "When we heard of the queen of this place, I wanted to try and have him marry into the crown. We never told him. Seeing Arendelle was in desperate need of revival and exploitation I demanded the marriage from him."
Hans shook his head, "and because of the death of the princess of Weselton they want to attack the Southern Isles?" It made no sense to him it was too much time.
Hans still could not understand why that desperate need of alliance. He knew his father and the ability to lie as quick as no one else.
And then it hit him. "The Southern Isles has nothing more to offer in trades, does it?"
The king took in a sharp breath and quickly turned around to not face him.
"No iron. No gold." Hans came level to level with his father. "No nothing. Am I wrong?"
"Everything you've told me is a lie. The Duke, the death of that princess."
The king did not look to his son.
"You want to explore the lands of Arendelle and take it's riches so your country could "stay" the most powerful." Hans shook his head, "you need Arendelle."
Hans narrowed his eyes and remembered the rumors of the princess of Corona and twin theives. "You tried to get the riches from Corona as well, did you not?"
"You will be a part of it." Suddenly the king looked to him. "You marry the queen through the Southern Isles and my country only takes what it needs."
"I don't need that proposal." Hans countered heading towards the door once more.
"This is the only way you will be king!" Hansel countered back, desperate for the man's loyalty to him.
Hans quickly looked back to his father. "I am not your son. I don't ambition power!"
The king's light eyes went weary, "this is the only way you will have the queen at your side."
Hans faced his father looking him dead in the eyes and laughed. "I don't need a title to be with the queen."
King Hansel smirked suddenly, "maybe you don't need a title to bed her, but to marry her you do."
Hans breathed heavily through his nose, his blood boiling. His hands were in fists by his side.
"It's true, and you know that gaurd."
Suddenly Hans felt defeated. His father was right.
"So what do you say?" Hansel stretched his left hand out towards the prince.
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Elsa skimmed around to look for her husband, he was nowhere in sight. Her daughter was crying loudly and Anna had no idea what to do anymore. She had tried feeding her, rocking her, and everything that she could think of to calm a crying child.
Elsa had tried to hold her, but when Sparks of flying ice daggers sprung from her, she denied holding her daughter again.
"Where is Berry Van Buren!?" Anna looked to Elsa who honestly shook her head.
The queens eyes were teary. "I will go look for him."
Suddenly Gretel began to calm down, when she heard the voice of her father coming along.
"What's the matter?" He looked worried at Anna and the baby in her arms looked at her father and she pushed her little arms out towards him.
Hans chuckled slightly and quickly grabbed on to her. Anna pouted but then laughed. "She really does love you."
Hans looked to her now and then with a quick gaze towards Elsa he replied. "I'm the only thing she has."
The king of the Southern Isles suddenly walked into the room, he held a glass of wine in his hand. With a wide smile he looked out to the crowd. He held a spoon in his hand and lightly clicked it against the glass to reach the attention of the guests and the royals themselves.
The room with it's guests along with the musicians went silent, the king had their attention. "Hello good evening everyone. Today Arendelle received the holy Spirit with the christening of it's prince. I, King Hansel of the Southern Isles would like to congratulate the princess for her son."
The crowd around him clapped in agreement and joy, their faces with smiles.
Anna blushed suddenly at the nice gesture of the king. She nodded her approval towards him and the king proceeded to smile.
Hans turned to face his father and his jaw clenched.
"My grandfather passed this down to me," he held up a diamond ring, "and I would like to hand this over to the future husband of my granddaughter."
The crowd once again clapped, they knew that the two kingdoms were finally at peace once again.
"Long live Arendelle!" The people once again cheered on, "long live the Southern Isles!"
There was a look of mischief in his eyes and Hans closed his eyes in defeat.
He looked around and his eyes caught on to Elsa's, he would do the least to tell her he would go away.
He walked over as the guests and the hosts cheered in Union, Elsa held a smile to her face.
When he reached her line of vision her smile faded.
"Is there something you need?" She asked coldly. He couldn't blame her, the last time she had seen him he had told her he never wanted to see her again.
"Elsa, I-"
Her eyes were cold suddenly, "that's queen Elsa to you."
He nodded his head and bit his lip, their daughter was looking to him with big eyes. "Queen Elsa... I need to have a word with you. In private."
The queen took in a deep breath and shook her head. "I think that you have said to me everything that was needed to be said."
With a look of dignity in his eyes he nodded his head. "Next time you see me... I won't be the same person I am now."
Her eyes narrowed, "what?"
"I tried Elsa... There's no other way."
There was a moment of silence until the princess interrupted their talk.
"Berry, Kristoff would like for you to accompany him, he has a surprise for you!" Anna was a little tipsy and he could see a maid running behind to catch the small prince.
With one last glance toward the queen he walked away with his daughter.
Elsa felt a heavy feeling in her chest and kept her eyes glued to the back of her husband.
"Elsa, are you alright?" Anna looked to her sister with a worried expression.
"I'm not too sure, Anna."
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