Guys, I'm so sorry this took so long. I wanted to update on Valentine's Day, but it was a struggle. Life has just been getting in the way and exploding. Don't become an adult, kids…it's all a lie. Then the way that I wrote out this outline was ACTUAL GARBAGE…not really but different from what it was supposed to be. It also kept taking weird turns that I hadn't planned on, so I had to compensate for said unplanned turns. Also, I have been doing a lot of research with other chapters and that took a lot of time. ALSO, I hate writing Caleb…makes me feel gross.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the stuff I create, and to be honest, Disney owns most of the things I love anyway.
Plots of Treason
Caleb Westergaard lets out a heavy sigh as he lounges on the couch in his library. He wasn't as fulfilled anymore now that Hans was gone and there was no one to torture.
"Maybe I can go execute some town folks? Father wouldn't protest," Caleb quickly flops to another equally relaxed-looking position, "but that just sounds boring. Maybe I should have kept Hansy here a little longer. He was more fun to play with and now all those fishes are having the fun. Tragic really,"
"Your majesty," Caleb looked over to the door to see his steward, Victor, waiting quite nervously at the door. I don't know why he's so scared…I haven't punished him in almost two weeks. Note to self…punish Victor for something. Caleb smirked to himself at the thoughts, but his attention is quickly caught again by Victor clearing his throat.
"Yes, Victor? Get on with it,"
"A letter, your Highness," Victor scurries to him with the lavender envelope, "from her Majesty, Queen Anna of Arendelle," Caleb bolts upward and meets Victor at the door, ripping the letter from his hand.
"Took her long enough. It's been almost two weeks!" Victor bows and stays facing downward, afraid to look up at the Prince. Caleb looks at the man with an angered look on his face, "is there something else?"
"No, your Highness,"
"Then leave! You're useless to me," Caleb shoves Victor away from him, shaking his hand as though he has touched filth.
"Yes, Sire. Ring if you need me." Victor bows one last time before practically spiriting out of the room. Caleb smirks before ripping apart the envelope. His eyes graze over the Queen's script before an evil smirk splits across his face as he reads the invitation to Elsa's birthday celebration.
"Oh, Anna, so trusting. I can see how Hans seduced you so quickly," an evil chuckle comes from his throat, "so desperate to be seen as a good Queen that you would go to the wolves. What a stupid little girl." Caleb quickly writes a reply to the Queen of Arendelle before heading over to the tower to meet with Jurgen, the fourth brother of the Westergaard family. As Caleb rounds the corner, he sees Victor chatting with a maid, which if he remembers correctly is his mother's handmaid and Victor's wife.
"Victor!" Caleb sees Victor and his wife visibly flinch and it brings him glee.
"Yes, your Highness?" Victor timidly walks up to the prince.
"Please make sure that the letter on my desk gets sent to Queen Anna as soon as possible,"
"Yes, Sire, is there anything else?" Caleb smiles and his eyes flicker up to Victor's wife. She's a pretty thing, a little younger than he is, but not by much. She has lovely brown curls to go with her large brown eyes.
"Yes," Caleb saunters up to Victor's wife, "send your wife to my room later tonight,"
"Your highness!" Caleb can see the visible grief on his steward's face.
"That's an order, servant!" Caleb caresses the woman's cheek watching her tremble in both disgust and fear, "wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her now, would you?"
"No, Sire."
"So just make sure she's in my room after dinner," Caleb turns back to Victor with a sinister smile, "and you're welcome to stand outside to figure out how to properly please her." A sob racks trough the woman's body as she runs to her husband's waiting embrace while Caleb marches on to his final destination. God, it's good to be the one in charge.
Jurgen's long blonde hair flops in front of his eyes as he pours over the tombs of magic in his hidden room in the South Tower. He jumps as he hears the door open but breathes a sigh of relief when he sees that it is only his older brother, Caleb.
"Brother," Jurgen nods towards his elder before turning back to his book.
"Brother," Caleb looks over Jurgen's shoulder to see him reading a book of runes that he didn't understand, "interesting read?"
"I'm reading about a mysterious magic wielder with the ability to give their summoner whatever they desire,"
"A genie? Like from that Aladdin story mother used to read to us? That's child's play,"
"No, unlike the genie's magic, it comes with a price,"
"Ah so like Rumpelstiltskin," Caleb rips the book out of his younger brother's hands, "what are you reading? Children's stories? Leave those to your three sons, Jurgen, even though even they are too old for fairytales," Caleb goes to throw the book into the fire.
"No!" Jurgen takes the book back with a snap. Caleb rolls his eyes and goes to inspect the jars that ladened the walls of Jurgen's secret room. Though magic wasn't forbidden in the Southern Isles, it was greatly frowned upon. However, that hadn't stopped Jurgen from studying it beginning at the tender age of seven. Any book of magic that he or his brothers could get their hands while they were traveling immediately found their way back to this room hidden behind a faux wall in the west wing of the castle. "She is said to be a powerful enchantress that can control any form of shadows. Physical shadows. The darkness inside of people,"
"Oh?" Caleb turns back with a genuine look of curiosity on his face.
"When she is summoned, she is willing to make any amount of deals, which manifest in the form of a chain and a lock that hang on her neck. Once her end of the deal is fulfilled the lock-in broken, a matching tattoo appears on both people's bodies to signify the connection, and the other party is indebted to her,"
"Interesting. Hypothetically, how does someone summon her?" Jurgen looks up at his brother as he begins to circle the room.
"It's too dangerous, Caleb, she's tricky. She has insights into the future, the shadows of the unknown as it's referred to in here, and she words her deals to best suit her rather than her summoner,"
"Well, I guess then we'll just have to be smarter than her,"
"I don't think…"
"I didn't ask you to do that," Caleb grips Jurgen's long curls, yanking them back. Jurgen yelps in pain and tries to pry Caleb's hand off, "I just asked you how do we summon her,"
"There are ingredients for a…" Caleb yanks again to cause another anguished cry to leave Jurgen.
"Do you have them?"
"Yes, but I…"
"Get them," Caleb shoves the younger one onto the floor, and Jurgen quickly scrambles to the wall to pull the ingredients. He puts the vials on the table located in the middle by a small cauldron. Caleb picks them up, inspecting them. "What are these things?"
"This one," Jurgen picks up a round vial with black smoke, "is shadows from the Dark Kingdom, and this one," Jurgen picks up a cylinder filled with a plant, "is black ivy from the Hidden Valley of Death. Finally, this one here," a red heart-shaped vial, "is the blood of the Queen, herself,"
"How did we get her here?"
"We need someone with magic," Jurgen flips through the book, "they have to perform a magical rite…"
"Well, we don't have time to find someone, so you can just do it,"
"Caleb…I can't. I don't possess any magic so I can't do the rite, and I don't know to ramifications of not doing…"
"Do the spell then, Jurgen," Jurgen looks nervously at his older brother, but follows his instructions. Despite Caleb and him being forty-five and forty-one, respectively, Jurgen still tended to curl into himself around Caleb as all the Westergaard brothers did. Small ingredients are added with the three main components and with a few stirs clockwise and counterclockwise, Jurgen looks nervously back at his brother.
"It's done," Caleb looks around.
"I don't see her, Jurgen, where is she?"
"The person who wishes to make the deal needs to say the spell to summon her," Jurgen jots down the spell in common tongue for his brother, handing it to him, "just say the spell, and she should come if she's already been summoned and her deal has yet to complete,"
Caleb cleared his throat, "O, walker of night, taker of the sun. I call on you and your power to strip the world of the wretched. I ask for a trade, something given freely and without duress. Shadow Queen, I summon thee." Caleb and Jurgen look around the room, eyes straining to notice any change. A low chuckle comes from behind them, and the brothers turn to see a woman sitting by the window in the wisps of shadows.
"Two princes," she stands, gently lowering her gown, "how lovely," the men study the woman in black. Her black hair falls in waves down her back while her bright gray eyes could quite possibly pierce your soul if you cross her. She has a scar over her left cheek and eyes that are covered with smudged black makeup, but despite the flaws, she was a beauty to behold. Her dress hangs off her shoulders but cascades down her body to the floor like a blackened river. Caleb notices that she already has a lock around her neck, which proves Jurgen's earlier statement about her being in another deal, and one other necklace with a black stone that settles in between her ample breasts. The stone has a strange aura to it, almost hypnotizing.
"Oh, great Shadow Queen," Jurgen kneels in front of the woman, "I am Jurgen Westergaard and this my brother…"
"Caleb," the woman smiles and goes over to the decanter of red wine that Jurgen keeps, "I know a lot about you two. You are not the first Westergaard I've dealt with,"
"Who…"
"Oh, no," the Queen takes a sip of her wine, "he didn't make the deal, but he has to deal with the ramifications of it,"
"Your majesty,"
"Zilla," Zilla turns backs to the men, "just Zilla. I mean I don't see the need for such formalities when I'm among friends,"
"Jurgen, you may leave now," Caleb shoos his brother.
"But…"
"Leave! You are worthless to me now!" Jurgen glares at his brother but does what he says regardless. Caleb watches him go but turns back to the woman when she starts to click her tongue in a disapproving manner.
"So rude, Caleb," Zilla takes a few steps closer to the prince, running a finger down his chest, "and after all, he did for you. If he had tried to summon me when I wasn't already in your realm, the shadows would have torn him apart. You're lucky the right…people…summoned me four years ago. Didn't Mother ever teach you that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar?"
"I choose not to learn much from my mother,"
"Why? Mothers are a wealth of information," Caleb leans in closer, so their lips are but a breath apart.
"Women are weak," suddenly a constriction begins to form around Caleb's chest causing his breathing to become non-existent. He falls to the ground and looks up to see a black smoke swirling in her hand.
"It looks like you are the one on the floor gasping for air, dearest Caleb, not me," with a wave of her hand the smoke was gone along with Caleb's constriction, "you summoned me because you are too weak to do your task on your own, so are woman really the weak ones or is it men who have the inability to listen?"
Caleb coughs and stands to face her again, "how dare you, I'm a Prince!"
"And I am a Queen, so I win. What do you want, or I will leave without a second thought?"
"I want the thrones of the Southern Isles and Arendelle," Caleb looks at the woman and watches as she smirks and chuckles to herself taking another sip of her wine.
"Is that all?"
"Why? Is it funny?"
"Oh, it isn't. I'm just laughing at the irony of this meeting and my other deal in progress," Zilla gently caresses the lock around her neck, "so just two little thrones?"
"Yes, I am willing to make any deal for them," Zilla glides up to Caleb, looping her free arm around his neck.
"Anything?"
"Yes," Caleb shutters as Zilla's lips ghost down his jawline.
"Two deals are a heavy burden, Your Highness,"
"I can bear any burden,"
"Very well," Zilla steps back, waving her hand to summon two documents onto the table. "For the Southern Isle crown, it's a fairly easy deal," she turns her back to the Prince as her fingers caress the parchment, "your father's throne for being at my beck and call for," Zilla eyes him, hungrily, over her shoulder, "anything that I may need,"
"Easy enough," Caleb comes up behind her, pulling her closer, burying his face in hair. Zilla smiles while turning herself around in Caleb's arms.
"Arendelle, however, will be a little trickier to acquire," Zilla picks up the document, "your blood will mingle with the blood of the Arendelle royals that I can guarantee, solidifying your claim to their throne,"
"I'm sensing a but here,"
"But I want the throne," Zilla pouts up at the older man, "as payment for making your bloodlines run together,"
"I want the throne, Zilla," Caleb grips her wrists, causing her to drop the document and her wine. "You can't take it when you've just given it to me,"
"But I'll be on the throne," Zilla causes a swirl of shadows, prying herself from Caleb's grip, "and I'd be willing to do anything for you that will be mutually beneficial for us," her fingers popping the buttons of his uniform shirt. "I can marry your son, further solidifying your reign over Arendelle,"
"Won't he already have to marry one of the Arendelle royals first to have bloodline converge. My brothers are already married to their own thrones and my son, Vlademar, is my eldest," Caleb helps her take off his shirt. He buries his face in her neck causing her to let out a moan as he sucks and nips the tender flesh.
"Accidents happen all of the time, don't they?" Caleb rips the gown off her body and is greeted not by undergarments but her nude body. Caleb jaw drops as he looks over her pale skin. Zilla laughs, closing his mouth, and bringing his eyes to meet hers, "do we have a deal, Your Majesty?" Caleb captures Zilla's dark lips with his, pushing her against a wall. He lifts her causing her to wrap her legs around his waist.
"Whatever you want," His hands work at the ties of his pants.
"Then sign the documents." Caleb lets out a groan and deposits her on the table. A wisp of shadows causes almost everything to leave the cluttered table except for the two papers and a quill that Zilla picks up and twirls it in her fingers. Beckoning for him to take it from her.
"Fine." Caleb snatches the quill and signs his name on both papers. He throws the quill aside and pushes Zilla down onto the table, his hand on her throat, and quickly enters her. Zilla smiles as she feels two more delicate chains add themselves to her neck.
Sioban sat next to her husband's bedside. She watched his chest give uneven and wheezing breaths. He had taken ill quite suddenly three days ago. Just die.
"Sioban," the redhead looks up at her husband's face, "come here,"
"Of course, Olav," Sioban pulls herself up off the chair to lay on the bed, her head resting on Olav's chest.
"Where are our sons?"
"Caleb is beginning preparations for his coronation,"
"Bit premature, don't you think?"
"You taught them to see any opportunity for power. This is Caleb's," Sioban feels a tear betray her as it slides down her face. "He is next in line, so it's his birthright, and the doctor says he doesn't know if there is a cure for you,"
"Such cynicism, my Queen,"
"What do you expect?" Sioban sits up, untangling herself from her husband's embrace and wiping away her tear. She looks down at her husband, who wears a shocked look on his face, "for the last fifty years, Olav, you have treated me like nothing more than a woman to bear your children,"
"You are my wife and Queen, Sioban. That was your role, and we have twelve beautiful…"
"We have thirteen!" Sioban glares at Olav, "we have thirteen beautiful sons, each of them worse than the other. Hans had a chance; he was a good boy. Kind, empathetic, but you berated him until he became just as bitter and power-hungry as you. You took my baby boy away from me, and for that, I will never forgive you,"
"He was never supposed to be here!"
"He was or else we wouldn't have been blessed with him six years after Filip," Sioban goes to the window, looking over the gray sky that always seemed to linger in the Isles, crossing her arms over her chest as a form of protection.
"He was a mistake, and you know that,"
"He wasn't the mistake I made," Sioban looks over her shoulder to the frail old man on the bed, "my mistake was getting on a boat from Ireland to marry a crowned prince of a small kingdom,"
"I am your King! How dare you speak to me…" a fit of coughs leaves Olav's chest, and Sioban uses the opportunity to lean in close to him. As soon as his fit subsides, Olav meets his queen's bright blue eyes.
"And I am your Queen, who you treated like nothing more than a breeding machine since the day you took my virtue, and I cannot wait to bury you in the ground." Sioban turns with a swish of her gown and exits the room, ignoring the calls of her husband. She was done playing the part of the dutiful and loving Queen.
Olav looks at the shut door that his wife had just slammed behind her.
"Ungrateful bitch," a low chuckle captures Olav's attention, and he turns back to look at the foot of the bed. A smoky shadow inches it way up to his bed until above him is a woman of great beauty with piercing gray eyes. Her black hair creates a veil around them. Olav feels an unfamiliar panic rise in his throat, "who…who…"
"My name is Zilla, Olav,"
"It's King Olav, you witch," Zilla laughs, her fingers caressing the older man's jaw, causing him to shiver.
"Not for much longer," Olav eyes go wide.
"Guards! Guards!" Olav begins to thrash under her.
"Shhh. Shhh," a finger goes over Olav's lips causing him to stop his fight, and his green eyes return to hers. "Don't ruin our fun, Kingy,"
"What do you want? What can I do to make you leave me be?" Zilla clicks her tongue.
"See," Zilla grabs his face bringing it closer to his, her necklaces bushing against his chest, "I already made a deal with Caleb and I really enjoy the thought of having a younger king at my beck and call,"
"Caleb?" Zilla smirks.
"He sold his loyalty to me in return for your throne, isn't that fun?" Zilla strokes the king's face with her thumbs, "your son is doing exactly what you trained him to do, take power by any means. I would have been here a few days ago to finish the deed, but Caleb and I were having so much fun,"
"But I…"
"Shhhh, just breathe deep, it will all be over soon, Olav." With her final words, a cloud of smoke comes out her mouth and the king, who rather unwillingly, breathes deep. Zilla sits up, still straddling the old man, and watches as he struggles to breathe as the poison filling his lungs. Then finally, his movement stops and the light leaves his eyes. "Long live the King." Zilla extracts herself from his body and quickly disappears into the shadows.
Less than three hours later while delivering his dinner, Britta found her father-in-law dead in his bed, and now it was her turn to play the part that Sioban had set down.
Hans hears the clack of the wheels as the ropes once again tighten. He grimaces as his limbs and muscles get stretched a little more.
"How are you feeling, Hans?" Hans looks over to see his raven-haired brother, Tomas, standing with his hands on the wheel of the rack. His green eyes glittering with a sickening glee as he watches his little brother tense in pain. Hans could feel the sweat dripping from his brow, he looks around at the four corners to see the red rope marks from the binds around his wrists and ankles. Another click causes his body to be stretched a little further. It had been a little over a half a year since he had been first branded by his brother, Rudi, and since then they had only redone the brands twice. Between his weekly chores in the stables, where a mysterious giant snowball had thrown him into a large pile of manure, his sporadic punishments, and the daily acts of humiliation his brothers inflicted on him…the time between Rudi and Tomas hadn't been terrible to Hans. Another relief was that Runo had been away for a few months so the amounts of cuts he had received had been small which helped with some of his healing processes. Hans clenches his teeth again as Tomas turns the rack wheel again. "I can't hear you!"
"It's been three hours, Tomas, can't you just get this over with?"
"What would be the fun in that? But if you insist on being ungrateful that I'm taking it slow, then why don't we speed up the process?" Tomas quickly turns the three clicks, and Hans feels a pop in his shoulder. He lets out a yelp when the pain suddenly shoots down his body. "Oh, what happened? What broke? This new toy that Father had built is so delightful,"
"My shoulder…it dislocated,"
"Oooohooo," Tomas claps in glee, "the rack is supposed to weaken your muscles making it much easier for this to just POP out of place,"
"Tomas," Hans looks up at his brother with pleading eyes.
"Nuh-uh," Tomas wags his finger down at his brother, "you want this to go faster, Hansy, so let's see how many more we can do before you break!" Tomas does a few more rotations before both of them hear the sound of breaking bone. Hans looks down at his freshly healed leg, and he knows that the sound had come from it. "Oh my, thirteen rotations, isn't that fun. Always the unlucky thirteenth, am I right, Hans?" Tomas glides down the stairs, and Hans feels tears prickle the sides of his eyes. "What? No scream? That is no fun!"
"I'm fine,"
"You always ruin my playtime, Hans, I always did love hearing you scream," Tomas looks over to the candelabras that lined the musky dungeon and smiled. "Do you remember that time when you were five and I was fifteen, and I accidentally knocked that candle down and all the wax spilled onto you? You screamed so beautifully then; I wonder if you will now?" Tomas picks up one of the candles, some of the wax coating his own hand, but he doesn't even flinch. Hans looks on with panic in his eyes and he tries to get out of the ropes but with a dislocated shoulder and a broken leg. There wasn't much that he could do as the wax pours onto his exposed abdomen.
"Hans?" Hans looks up from the clothes on his lap to see Elsa looking at him with concern. The two of them had been mending some of the clothes for various workers in the village. Her pale hair was done up in a single braid and her outfit more resembled a tunic and leggings than her extravagant fifth element outfit. She looked like she was in normal Northaldran garb except hers was made of ice rather than furs.
"Yes, Elsa?" Elsa sets her mending to the side and kneels in front of him. Her blue eyes seeking out his green, but he can't bring himself to meet her gaze.
"Hans, look at me," Hans simply shakes his head and he feels Elsa take his mending, as well. Her cold hands circle around his stubbled chin, bringing him to face her, "please, talk to me,"
"It's nothing to worry about," he quickly shakes her and walks over to the fire. He picks up a freshly skinned wolf pelt and begins to tie it up so it can start to dry. In the last two weeks, Elsa and he had grown quite close. Exchanging stories, hers from childhood, his from his daring adventures as an admiral. In that time, his feelings for Elsa had shifted slightly, but he couldn't get the voice out of his head telling him that he wasn't worthy of her friendship, let alone her affections. Elsa appears on the other side of the tanning rack, resting her hands on the top branch.
"Hans, please don't shut me out," Hans laughs as he pulls the strings tight.
"Ironic coming from you," Hans goes to turns away from her, but Elsa runs around to captures his hands with hers, bringing him close. The force she pulls with, however, causes him to stumble, forcing him to grab onto her for support. The two figures find themselves together, noses nearly touching. Hans feels a heat rise to his cheeks and a nervous giggle escapes without his permission, "um…I'm…yea I'm sorry about,"
"No, no," Elsa's own cheeks match his in color as she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, "it was my fault. You know…should know my own strength," Hans nods before pulling at the front of his vest, steeling himself, and beginnings to walk away again. "Hans,"
Hans feels her delicate cold fingers lace with his, "Elsa…"
"Talk to me," Hans slowly turns back to her, keeping her hand in his.
"Your ears shouldn't hear what I have to say,"
"What happened? Where did you go?" Elsa's eyes are an ocean of worry while she looks at her friend, "one minute you were laughing telling me a story of how Gale was messing with Ryder, a twig snapped, and the next it was like something flipped and you were staring out into the distance with no expression,"
"Like I said you don't need…"
"But I want to," Elsa pulls him into her tent, shutting them out from the rest of the world. Elsa sits down on the floor of furs and cushions, gesturing for Hans to join, "and I've found that talking about things can help ease a burden,"
"Elsa, you don't need to hear about what happened to me," Hans once again turns to leave her, but Elsa crawls to him, pushing herself up to her knees and looks at her from her lower position. Her hands once again take his, and his eyes go wide at their position. It wasn't the first time that he had had a woman in that position, but this time it was different. It was Elsa. "Elsa, get up. A princess shouldn't be in that position," Hans tries to pull her up but for a small woman, she was surprisingly strong when resisting.
"Not until you sit down and talk with me,"
"I can handle it on my own,"
"Because that's been going great. The fits of rage, the nightmares, the constant zoning out, the days that you can barely eat or get out of bed," Hans feels himself lower to Elsa's level as she points out all of his behaviors, "you haven't even been here two months, and this whole community is worried about you, Hans, just talk to me. Maybe we can figure this out, together,"
"It's nothing,"
"It isn't nothing," Elsa takes his face in her hands, her blue eyes filling him with love, "and you aren't alone anymore,"
"It's just so horrible, Elsa, the flashbacks," Hans feels the tears start to form in his eyes, "I'm so happy here, so why does my mind keep going back? I don't want to go back," suddenly the dam breaks and Hans lets out a sob, placing his head in Elsa's lap, curling into a ball. Elsa strokes his hair as he cries, humming quietly and gently reassuring him of his tears. After what seems like hours, but in reality, it was no more than ten minutes, Hans comes down to the cool touch of Elsa's hand stroking his jawline.
"Shhh," Hans can barely hear her over his staggered breathing, "it's okay, Hans. You're safe. I'm here," Hans reaches up, weaving their fingers together.
"I know," Hans' voice is hoarse from his cries, "I know, Elsa,"
"Talk to me," Elsa maneuvers the two of them so that they are laying on the bed, facing each other. Hans looks deep into her blue eyes and the feeling of calm wash over her. Elsa reaches up and wipes away the stray tears. Hans' eyes flutter shut as he leans into her touch.
"Elsa…"
"Please, Hans," Hans sighs and looks back at her.
"It started shortly after I got home. With Filip, it was some new compression torture, he put two-hundred and sixty pounds of stones on my chest," Elsa's hands run down to his sternum.
"Runo started his punishment immediately after and it lasted until the day I left,"
"What was it?" Han rolls up his sleeves, showing some of the cuts that littered his body. "The cuts…?"
"A thousand of them," Elsa's fingers lightly trace some of the scars, "not all at the same time which I think was the worst part. Never knowing when they were coming. For a while, it was one a day, but he wanted to make sure that it lasted till Caleb's punishment. There was always a doctor waiting to bandage me up or fix anything. Soren was next,"
"They went in order?"
"Twelfth to the first. Runo was the only exception," Hans watches her face as she looks down at her fingers tracing over his arm, "Soren put me a hanging cage, that was too small for me, with no food and little water,"
"Hans…"
"They wanted me to suffer but not die. I wish they would have,"
"I don't," Elsa's eyes lock with him, "then I would never have gotten to re-meet you,"
"I'm not worth meeting," Hans lowers his eyes, "I never was,"
"I think you are. You've grown and changed for the better,"
"I'm glad someone thinks so,"
"We all do, but this isn't about now. I want to know what got us here,"
"Rolf just beat me, Rudi branded me, Tomas put me on the Rack re-breaking my leg from Rolf, Franz flogged me, Henrik did some water torture on me…Elsa you don't need to…"
"I want to," Elsa runs her hands through his hair, soothing him, "I want to hear your story, Hans,"
"It's not pretty,"
"No story ever is," Hans looks up and sees her small smile, "there was one time when Anna was a baby, barely five months, but she cried all of the time. I grew to hate the sound and hated her for making it. My nanny and parents were doting on her all of the time because as I said she was constantly crying. Thus me, being a three year who had been the focal point of everyone's lives until she showed up, created ab ice barrier around her bassinet so that for just a few hours no one could hear her, and they could pay attention to me again,"
"How did that go over?"
"I got in trouble. My parents were understanding though, but they gave me a lecture about how it was my job to protect her because I was her big sister and that was my job,"
"I wish my parents had been like that,"
"I know,"
"Not to be rude, but what was the point of your story?"
"I love Anna. I would do anything for her, but there was a time where I didn't want her and wanted her gone. Then when I hit her in the head with my powers…"
"The white streak?" A lightbulb going off in his head.
"Yea, it was an accident that happened one night when we were playing in the ballroom. She was jumping too quickly between my snow piles then I slipped then my ice hit her,"
"Then you locked yourself away,"
"Then I locked myself away and I was separated from the people I loved the most,"
"She came back eventually,"
"She did, but Anna and I's story isn't pretty. It's messy and tragic filled with many twists and turns,"
"But no torture,"
"No, no torture, but still not pretty. I just want to know your story, no matter how unpretty it is,"
"Elsa, this isn't a story about petty older sisters and accidents. My brothers tortured me. They hurt me to the point that I wanted to die,"
"I know, you've said it before," Hans looks at her confused.
"When?"
"When you first got here. You had a lot of nightmares," Elsa looks down, once again taking his hand into hers, "you asked for us to just let you die a lot,"
"You should have," Elsa's eyes flicker up locking with his green gaze, pressing his hand into her heart.
"Don't you dare, Hans Westergaard, you are valuable to this community,"
"If I was dead, they would have never known that,"
"I don't think so. I feel like we would have always felt like there was a part missing,"
"That's ridiculous, you can't miss what you never had,"
"Fine, I like having you here, Hans, you are valuable to me," Hans feels his heart skip a beat at her words and a smile grace his lips. The thought of her having any sort of feelings beyond friendship made his heart soar, but his smile fades as he thinks about what brought him here.
"Why? I tried to kill you, Elsa. I tried to kill, Anna,"
"Do you think you are the same man who did that? Who tried to freeze Anna to death and behead me?" Hans takes a minute to think over her question.
"No," Hans looks at their hands, "I don't think I am. Whatever darkness was inside me…I don't think it's there anymore. Maybe it was the humbling of servitude, the constant pain, but I don't think I'm the same person,"
"I don't think you are either. You have shown yourself to be kind and compassionate here with the Northuldran. You've been trying to be a better person,"
"Thank you, Elsa, you mean the world to me," Elsa smiles softly at him.
"Hans?"
"Yes, Elsa?"
"Do you want to go for a ride?"
"One problem with that idea, Elsa…we don't have a horse," a smirk appears on her face as she pulls herself away from him. Hans feels disappointment fill him as her presence leaves his side. Elsa holds her hand out to help him up. He looks at it curiously but takes it regardless. The two exit the tent, Elsa's hand pulling him along to a small stream and Elsa sings a haunting melody. Suddenly, out of the water comes a horse. "It's…it's made of water…"
"This is Nokk, they're the water spirit," Elsa touches Nokk with her hand, turning it to ice. "So, do you want to go for a ride?" Hans is still speechless, so he simply nods. Elsa's face splits into a grin as she mounts the spirit, once again holding her hand out for his. As soon as Hans slides in behind her, they take off. Hans' arms encircle her waist and he feels his cheeks flush because of her closeness. The cold air whirls around them as they gallop through the forest, off on an unknown adventure.
Anna's eyes graze over the reply from Caleb.
Her Royal Majesty Queen Anna Agnarrdatter Førdendal Nordberg of Arendelle,
I would love to attend your sister's birthday. It is an honor to the noble kingdom of Arendelle for such a blessed event.
However, my family has once again suffered yet another tragedy. My father came down with a mysterious illness and passed away quite suddenly, so I will be representing the Southern Isles as it's King. Along with myself, two of my brothers will be attending along with my eldest son. I look forward to meeting you and your sister and starting a new story for our two kingdoms. Until the celebration may God smile upon you and yours.
Sincerely,
His Royal Majesty King Caleb Westergaard of the Southern Isles
Anna lets out a breath that she didn't realize she was holding in. That was one worry that she could check off her list.
"Your majesty," Anna looks up to see Kai in the doorway, "the council is ready."
"Thank you, Kai, I'll be there shortly." Kai bows before leaving the Queen. Anna folds up the letter, before steeling herself, and following the loyal steward.
Elsa and Hans crested over the top of the mountain, overlooking the sunset that was dancing across the waves of the Dark Sea.
"That's Ahtohallan," Elsa nods towards the opposing glacier in the distance.
"It's a…" Hans looked at Ahtohallan with wonder. He had heard Elsa talk about Ahtohallan as the source of her powers without going into great detail. Hans suspected it was because she wanted a place all her own, and it was sacred to her more than anywhere north of her home of Arendelle. It was beautiful much like the person whose magic stemmed from it.
"A glacier, a river of ice," Elsa looks behind her as Hans marvels at the structure that meant so much to her.
"One day, when I've earned your trust, you'll have to take me there,"
"Deal," Elsa dismounts Nokk and then helps Hans down.
"First time riding a spirit," Hans strokes the horse's nose. Nokk nuzzles into his hand, a sign of trust and friendship for the horse. Elsa is taken aback by the gesture since Nokk had never taken so quickly to anyone while in their physical form.
"They like you," Hans smiles as he continues to focus on the iced water horse, pressing his forehead to his nose.
"I have a way with horses. Mine was my only friend growing up,"
"…Sitron," Elsa walks up and strokes Nokk's neck.
"How is Sitron by the way? I imagine he is still in Arendelle,"
"He is," Elsa smiles at Hans, "I rode him sometimes when I could find some spare minutes,"
"I'm glad he was still taken care of,"
"Of course, he was, we would never punish him for…"
"My sins?"
"Yes, he's a good boy, did you raise him?"
"From a colt. He was the only colt that my mother's horse ever had. Sitron was my only salvation in the Southern Isles,"
"That's why they made you a stable boy,"
"It would have been bearable to have Sitron there,"
"But he was here," With a whinny, Nokk disappears down the hill leaving the two alone.
"Yea, he was here. For the best, probably, who knows what my brothers would have done to him if he had been with me," Hans turns from Elsa, going to the edge of the cliff, looking over the grueling sea below. "Just think this was supposed to be my grave,"
"No," Elsa walks up beside him, putting her arm through his and resting her head on his shoulder, "it was the beginning of your journey,"
"And where did your journey start?" The two of them sit on the edge, legs dangling over the edge.
"Last Autumn I heard a voice calling me, at the time I just felt like it was something familiar, but it led us up North to the Enchanted Forest. It had been covered in mist for thirty-four years, but it just separated for me. Pulling me in, and then we found the Northuldran,"
"And some information about your mother," Elsa purses her lips and nods.
"We journeyed farther North and found their ship. The waves had capsized their boat and they were lost," Hans goes the rest on her knee, squeezing it gently, "I sent Anna and Olaf away and started towards Ahtohallan by myself,"
"Why? You and Anna have always been stronger together,"
"Because I knew it was something that I needed to do by myself,"
"Did you find the voice?" Elsa nods with a smile.
"It was my mother,"
"…how?"
"Water has memory,"
"Her love for you ran deep,"
"Mother's loves always do." the two lock eyes and something begins to pull the two together. However, Hans feels a panic rise in him and he pulls away, a blush covering his face. He looks away to see the last of the orange light leave the skyline. Elsa looks at his profile and feels the disappoint bubble within her as he distances himself.
"Oh wow." Elsa follows Hans' eyes and sees the stars begin to start to appear. Hans scoots back and lies down, pulling Elsa with him. Elsa snuggles into him with her head resting on his chest, a position they found themselves in many times, but this time felt different. It felt like coming home. Hans starts to tell her about the stories of the stars and how they had helped him navigate the seas. The Aurora Borealis appears in the sky but a shadow dances among the typically bright lights. However, eventually, the soothing sounds of the sea and the late hour sends both of them to sleep.
Hans opens his eyes to the light the Aurora Borealis hovering above him still.
"And then Yelena was telling me that she needs my help in the mediation between the two," Hans looks down to see Elsa, still curled up on his chest, causing a warmth the bloom in his chest at her closeness.
"Don't you already do enough?"
"What do you mean?" Elsa looks up at him, her eyes locking with his.
"You help Yelena with running things,"
"Well, I know how…"
"You help Honey with trades,"
"I'm good at…"
"You help people around the settlement,"
"It's the least I can…"
"You're helping Anna with her wedding,"
"She's my sister…" Hans lets out a laugh.
"You also answer every question she has,"
"I was Queen for…"
"You are the protector of the Forest," Elsa props herself up onto her elbow, looking down at him with an annoyed look dancing on her face.
"What's your point, Hans?" Hans rolls his eyes and gets himself up to her eye level.
"When was the last time you didn't worry about everyone else? A time you were completely selfish?"
"I don't have the luxury to do that," Elsa looks away from him and quickly stands, putting distance between them. She leans her back against a tree overlooking the raging sea, hands crossed over her chest like a protective barrier. Hans stands and goes to stand next to her, looking down at her face that remains fixed forward.
"Why not?" His voice is soft and the tenderness causes her to look up at him.
"I have people counting on me, Hans,"
"You can't be everything for everyone," Hans takes her hand into his, "you need to take a break,"
"I don't know how…"
"Well, snowflake, lucky for you, I'm somewhat of an expert, I can teach you," Hans smiles down at her, "my father said it was something I excelled at,"
"You aren't selfish, Hans,"
"Don't let my sudden personality change fool you. I'm a very selfish person,"
"Well, how you advise me, oh Great One?" Elsa quirks an eyebrow as Hans laughs.
"Tell me something you want?"
"I don't…" a bright blush blooms on her pale cheeks.
"It's okay to want something, Elsa, no one will fault you. Just do something you want," Elsa's fingers gently run up his form arms causing a chill to run up his spine. Their eyes both look down at her delicate fingers tracing over his shirt.
"I can't want what I want," Elsa's eyes roam back up to his face.
"If you want it," Hans' eyes go back to hers, scooting closer to her small form, whispering in her ear, "just take it,"
"Maybe you can show me," Elsa arches her body closer still, "show me how to be selfish," Hans threads his fingers through her pale golden hair.
"Well, first, you determine what you want,"
"Uh-huh," Elsa's eyes flutter shut as she presses their foreheads together.
"Then take it. Damn all the consequences," Elsa quickly captures his lips with her, causing Hans to moan in relief. The heat of the kiss quickly envelopes the two, and Hans pushes Elsa flush against the bark of the tree. Elsa gasps as the harsh wood digs into her igniting a rush of pleasure and pain to course through her body. Hans takes the opportunity of her open mouth to plunge deeper into her mouth causing a battle of dominance to between their tongues. Elsa arches further into his touch, pressing even more of their bodies together.
"Hans," a strangled gasp leaves her lips as she pushes him back. However, instead of the ground, his back hits the soft emerald comforter of his bed in the Southern Isles. His mind is quickly drawn back to the pale goddess climbing back up him, capturing his lips with her refreshingly cold mouth. Hans runs his hands down her body, running up under the icy tunic over the leggings underneath. Hans feels the ice start to melt away to reveal her smooth skin.
"Elsa," Hans gasps as he flips the two of them, reversing their position, his hips thrusting forward. Elsa moans as her hips rise up to meet his as her hands grip his biceps. Hans looks down at her with amazement. Her hair splayed out beneath her, body flushed from the growing heat of the room. He smiles capturing her lips again, her finger working on the buttons of his cotton shirt, quickly stripping it from his chest. With a wave of her hand, her outfit stars to melt away. Hans' hands run down her chest to assist in the removal.
"Oh, Hansy," Hans' blood runs cold as he is ripped away from Elsa's body, "tsk tsk tsk, you aren't worthy of someone like her,"
"Hans!" Hans watches as Elsa, wrapped in the emerald green comforter, fades as they pull him from the room, "Hans! Hans!"
"Hans, darling," Hans snap open to see Elsa leaning over him. He tries to get away because his head hasn't caught up to reality, but Elsa holds him down. "It's okay. It was just a nightmare,"
"They took you away!" Hans buries his face into her neck. "They took you away from me,"
"I'm right here," Elsa holds him close, stroking the back of his neck, "I'm not going anywhere,"
"Please don't leave me," Elsa takes his face into her hands, making sure his eyes lock with hers, smiling down at him.
"I'm here," Hans smiles back, but when Elsa's face falls, he looks at her with confusion.
"…Elsa?" He searches her face for the sudden change in her mood, but his confusion is quickly answered when her lips cover his, both of their eyes fluttering shut. Hans revels in the cold touch and holds her tightly at the waist. As the kiss builds, her hair falls around them like a golden veil, hiding them from the outside. However, as quickly as it started, it came to its natural end. Hans' eyes flutter open and he is met by Elsa's panicked expression, "Elsa?"
"I have to go." Elsa pulls herself as way from him, he tries to grab her but she's too quick. By the time he gets up off the ground, she's gone. Leaving him alone on the top of a cliff overlooking the sea that matched the turmoil overtaking both of the royals.
Caleb walked the length of the boat looking over the dark water of the winter sea as it leaves the port of the Southern Isles.
"Caleb," Caleb's eyes lock with Runo's.
"Yes?"
"We are ready to hear your plan." Runo gestures behind him to Jurgen, Henrik, and Vlademar waiting for him.
"I'll meet you down below." Runo nods before all four of them head down.
"Don't forget, my king," Zilla appears in a shadowy swirl in front of him, her hand pressing to his heart where her mark was. Her two locks glittering in the soft winter sun, "whenever I need you."
"I'm yours." With a smile, Zilla disappears as quickly as she appeared. Caleb smiles and heads down to meet his brothers and son.
Phew. My god did this take a long time to write. I hope it was worth the wait. Let me know what you think!
Love,
KMA
