Hans had no idea how much time had passed when something woke him. As he tried to get his bearings, he jolted and felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Johannes? Are you okay?" The deep concern in Hania's blue green eyes took Hans' breath away, and then his eyes widened in recognition.
"HANIA!" Johannes shot from his bench, grabbing his sister up in a giant hug. "And Jojo!" He set his sister down and swept his niece up in a giant swinging hug, grinning as she squealed in joy. "Hey, for two you're pretty big!"
"Guetth how big I yam Unca'!" The two year old squealed and Hans raised a brow, kneeling on the ground to stay eye level.
"How big are you, Princess?" His warm tone made Annaliese Johana giggle and she shook her head as she scrunched up her nose.
"Me no pwintheth. Mommy da pwintheth!" Hands on her tiny hips, Annaliese shook her finger at him and then spoke again, eyes twinkling. "Me so big… ride goaties!"
Hans lifted a questioning eye to his sister. She chuckled and lifted her daughter up to her shoulders, explaining "I let her ride the goats in town. She talks about them all the time now… I think she wants one."
Hans shook his head, rolling his eyes. "You loved animals growing up, too. I'm not even surprised. She'll get one if I know you… which I do." he elbowed her in jest and jerked his head, leading them to the room they would use while they visited. He had hardly shown off the nursery to little Jo when one of Zian's guards burst through the door, quickly announcing himself.
"Johannes, his Majesty needs you right away!" The urgency in the guards' voice worried Hans, and he quickly nodded to his sister and niece, rushing off towards the throne room.
"My king, you summoned me?" Slightly out of breath, Hans bowed quickly as he saw the throne room held more than just his brother. Zian and the Master Builder turned to him, the former giving a tight smile.
"Johannes. Grave news, I am afraid. There was a heavy storm on the West Isle two nights ago. The dam nearly has burst through. The potential loss of life and crop is too great to wait any longer. You are to leave immediately for the repairs. I know our visitors just arrived and we've other important dignitaries arriving later this week, but there is nothing that can be done. I will speak to Hania about perhaps lengthening her visit, or maybe once this situation is not so dire, I can send you north for a few days time for a bit of rest, but this must be taken care of immediately. The head chefs are preparing provisions and a ship of supplies and goods are being readied as we speak."
Hans bowed his head, forcing the grimace of disappointment off of his face. After a few heartbeats, he straightened and nodded, face carefully neutral, bowing halfway and retaining eye contact. "As you command, Your Grace." Turning sharply, he left the room and prepared for the voyage.
It had been four days since Hans had left the Main Isle, and he was beginning to wonder if the West Isle was cursed. They had been nearly there when the storms began and delayed their ship by more than a day, and when they finally docked, Hans had stripped himself of his boots and torn his pants into breeches; the mud so deep and thick from the rains that he had been given little choice. He and the Master Builder and Foreman had gotten to work at once, having looked at and finalized the plans for the new dam while traveling
.
Rain. Rain, rain, rain and more rain. And when it didn't rain, the storms brought forth buckets of fist-sized hail and wind fierce enough to knock over a full grown man. Hans glanced up at the sky, grimacing as he tightened his gloves. Grabbing tight onto the length of rope before him, he nodded to the foreman and the foreman let out a call, alerting the men at the top of the scaffolds of the upcoming load. Hans, the Foreman and the Master Builder clasped onto their rope parts, pulling hard as the pulley system brought up the wheel-less wagon inch by inch towards the men above Hans.
From up above, lightning struck and men rolled and moved out of the way as a tree was suddenly downed from the force of it. Widening his eyes, Hans lunged out of the way as the flaming timber fell his way. By the time it hit, the rain had doused the flame, but the giant log was still in the way of progress.
"Get me an axe, Foreman, Builder, you two regroup the men and return them to their places! I'll get this log chopped up into kindle before you've got the next load of supplies up!" the Master Builder nodded and threw Hans an axe as the foreman began to tie new supplies together. Hans began chopping, grateful not only for the three pots of coffee he had drank earlier, but for his time in the East Isle.
"Queen Elsa. I- Forgive me, I was uninformed that you would be accompanying your ambassador to our country." Zian recovered from his shock quickly as the Ice Queen entered the room, bowing and waiting for her approving nod before rising.
"Yes, well… my attendance was unplanned when we sent our letter requesting the audience. Princess Anna insisted one of us accompany our consul and I felt as queen, it should be me. Especially given the history now between our countries."
Zian nodded, and gestured to the adjoining conference room. "Might we go here? Whatever you might discuss, it may be better to do so privately."
The relief in Elsa's face did not go unnoticed, and after he shut the door to the room, Elsa sat, letting out a breath before placing her hands on the table before her and closing her eyes. "I came to discuss your brother, Hans. Without you visiting my kingdom, my explanation will not make sense, but it seems as though Hans was in fact innocent of his crimes against my land and my family."
Zian couldn't do anything but stare. "I… I… what? Explain. Now, if you will." More falling into his seat than sitting, he steepled his fingers and waited for her to go on.
Elsa glanced away, brows knitting together as she faced him again. "As I said, a full explanation is unclear until you come to my kingdom, but there has been recent evidence that your brother's actions… were not his own."
"You believe he was influenced, then." The king's sharp tone caused Elsa to flinch inwardly, but outwardly she kept steady and nodded.
"Something like that, yes. I recently came across information that a body within my land put a type of… hex, I suppose you could say, on him. He did the actions accused of him, but was not of his own mind. I swear to you, I knew nothing of this until last month, at which point I immediately sent you my letter informing you of this visitation."
"I'm sorry, did you say hex? Like a curse? Queen Elsa, you must know that such things such as magic and hexes do not exist, it's impossible!"
Elsa raised a brow and lifted her left hand, flicking it sharply and eyeing him as gentle snowflakes swirled around. "You may wish to rethink your idea of impossible, King Zian."
Zian stared at her, unamused. Just then, it hit him what she had said about Hans and his eyes widened, trying to hide his shock and horror as he thought of conversations from the last years.
"I do not remember most of what happened. It seemed as though a mysterious force had taken hold and I had no choice but to-"
"A Jotun took control of my body and mind, and possessed me. I watched from the sidelines, out of control of my own body and mind."
"You're supposed to believe me! I'm your brother!"
"I did not deserve this."
"I did what I was accused of… but I didn't have control of it. It was like… there were two of me and I couldn't control it, I wouldn't have done any of that!"
"Why is it that I am ridiculed for having been controlled?"
"I've already lost her once due to… actions I could not control."
"I don't know how else to explain to you what happened- telling the truth got me nowhere! No matter what I say, you never try to understand."
Bowing his head, Zian hid the tear that slid down his face. "He… he was right. My gods, he was telling the truth. He was always telling the truth. Oh, my God." Zian stayed still, unsure exactly how to process this information as his brother's voice rang over and over in his head, proclaiming his innocence. Elsa watched him carefully, and as he quietly processed the information, she spoke softly, eyes downcast.
"Arendelle cannot apologize enough for what has occurred. We brought back double the monetary gains your kingdom afforded us since Hans' sentencing, and while I am here we will draw up a contract ending that cost to your land. We are also open once more to trading, and I will do so for mere 5 krone on the .50øre, should you wish to do so…" Elsa trailed off, seeing the unfocused look in the king's eyes, and she bit her lip, reaching forward and lightly tapping his arm. "King Zian? Are you well?"
The man shook his head, clenching his eyes shut and then opening them with an exhausted sigh. "I do not know what to say, Queen Elsa. To you, or to him when he returns from his service on our West Isle. He has long since maintained his innocence, and at this point, he's over the hardest points of his punishment. Three years have gone by… he has four years of service left, perhaps a bit less if I took account of the traveling he has done through the kingdom." Zian rubbed his face, looking far older than thirty as he thought of his brother. "What was the point of telling me this, Elsa? Why did you not stay silent?"
Elsa looked uncomfortable, shifting in her seat before she answered. "When the late King Anders responded to my proclamation of Hans' crimes, he included a list of all that he had sentenced Hans with, from the stripping of title and branding to the years of servitude. While I was at the time furious with Hans for what he had done, I found your father's decisions overly cruel and regretted being so upfront with his crimes. When the evidence I came across caused me to realize he was merely a puppet in another's hands, I was mortified that a man had physically and emotionally suffered because of my kingdom. I had to at least have a chance to set things straight."
Tapping his fingers on the table, Zian shook his head, still overwhelmed and frankly, wishing he had a barrel of mead in front of him. "What has become of your sister? What were her opinions of his treatment and of him in general, even through these last years?"
Elsa sighed, tucking a bit of hair back into her braid. "I left her unaware of all that my letter to King Anders entailed, and of Hans' the years she has dealt mostly well with the scars she bears from Hans while he was under the spell, and married a good man half a year ago, though given these circumstances I am unsure if her marriage will hold. She spoke very little of Hans or of his treatment of her, preferring to handle it herself. However, upon finding out that he had been so very wronged, she wished for things to be fixed as soon as possible. She was deeply grieved when I spoke of Hans' punishments."
"I wish you had not come." Zian felt empty as he spoke, and his brow furrowed as his frown deepened. "I can do nothing about his punishment. A former king issued it, and our laws decree I cannot dismiss another king's law without discussing with him my reasons for doing so. As children, we are taught that the king's rulings and legal findings are to be respected even after death."
Elsa's voice broke, her voice displaying her feelings as a thin mist of ice covered the table. "Surely your court-!"
Zian winced and shook his head again. "They will uphold the decree of my father. I will search our law books for any loopholes or exceptions, but my current knowledge of laws tell me there is little I might do to ease the rest of his sentencing. My brother…" Zian paused, gripping the table as his heart clenched in pity for the man who had been so wronged. "He still loves her. Your sister, that is. You said she was unhappily wed?"
Elsa nodded, hesitating a moment before speaking. "They were quite happy, however he held ties to those who wronged and cursed your brother. Allow me to be clear; he knew nothing of the plot between the group who cursed Hans. But he has known them many a year, and so he is being held responsible through association in her mind. I do not know what will become of them."
Zian pinched his nose, holding back a groan. "I understand. Queen Elsa, I do not know what to tell you. There are those who would wish and even find it fair and within rights that I wage war against you and yours, yet I will not." Holding up his hand as she went to speak, he continued. "Hans made me swear some time ago never to do so, on account of your sister. He didn't want her hurt. Besides that… I find us both victims. Disregarding the how, He nevertheless has done wrong to you and yours, and you have wronged he and his." At hearing his refusal to wage war Elsa had thinly smiled, until Zian continued, his voice sharpening and he clenched his fists, shuddering a breath, "However, aside from easing your conscience I do not see much accomplished here today. It has now been three years… and he will have to suffer through the rest of it until the seven years is up. The only thing you have truly accomplished is giving me the burden of deciding whether to tell him and our mother or not."
Zian stood, heading for the door. Before he walked out, he stopped and looked back. "Queen Elsa, you and your ambassador may stay until your ship has restocked its supplies. After that, I expect you to leave and cease all communications. I thank you for your honesty and candor with this situation."
When the door slammed shut, Elsa flinched. "That could have gone better, but at least there will be no war. Even with our extensive military force… a war wouldn't have helped with our trade partners." She sighed heavily, standing and motioning her companion to do the same.
Zian sped through the halls, tears running down his cheeks as he rushed to his room. He knew it was unbecoming for a king to show emotions like that or be upset like this, but all he could think of was how he had refused to believe his own brother time and time again. Getting into his room and sitting on his bed, he put his head in his hands, trembling and trying not to completely lose it. A gentle knock on his door drew his attention, and he looked up to see his mother and sister leaning against the door and frame, both of their eyebrows knit together in concern.
"What has happened, Zian? I have not seen you this upset in forever." Alvilda strode forward, settling on the bed beside him and placing a comforting hand on his knee.
"Yes, Zian… you lit out of that room like you were aflame. Weren't you in conference with the Ice Queen? What could she have possibly said that has you this upset?"
Zian moaned wordlessly and looked up to the two females, trying to find the words to say. "She brought to my attention that we have made a very, very grave mistake. Tell me, Maman, did Father ever send a party to Arendelle to get reports on what happened? Did he seek any other information than what was provided by the letter the queen sent? And where is that blasted letter anyway?!" His anger had soared, and the two women looked beyond shocked.
"Zian what in the Islands is this all about?" Alvilda tilted her head, confusion clouding her eyes. "To answer your question, no. He never dispatched anybody to the kingdom and we took the letter at its word, what with our guards sending their own information to back it up. Now, what is this about? Are they pressing further for a more intense punishment?"
Hania paled and collapsed into a chair, fanning herself as she glared daggers at her brother, growling out her response before her brother could even breathe. "They wouldn't dare. Zian you tell me right now what is going on!"
Zian glanced at her, slumping his shoulders and sighing. "I don't know what to even say, Hania. No, Maman, it wasn't further punishment in Queen Elsa's mind, but the opposite. She wanted us to acquit him."
"Wh...What?!" Alvilda gasped, and Zian winced. Hania had jumped back to her feet in surprise, eyeballing him once more as he continued.
"The royalty of Arendelle have discovered some kind of evidence showing that Johannes was in fact under a spell of some sort. He knew what was happening, but the way Elsa phrased it, it sounded like he didn't have any control over himself…" He dipped his head back into his hands, rocking slightly as he tried to ward off the anxiety he felt growing. Hearing the large gasps, he winced and continued, "We all know the law. The Court and the Council will uphold it, and claim no exceptions especially for a disgraced prince. They will find it unsurprising -convenient, even- that this evidence has now materialized. Our Court attendees are not overly thrilled with my being king even after all the time that has passed, and could use it as an excuse to force me to abdicate, though if I did God only knows who would take the throne. They might say that I am more fond of my familial relationships than I am the kingdom, and that I can't be trusted to make the wisest decisions that would favor the kingdom."
"Zian," Hania spoke, her voice trembling with rage as she gripped the edges of the chair, "This kingdom could burn to the very ground right now and I would not care. Back yourself up. What do you mean 'not in control of himself'! Are you saying we… Are you saying he… that, that we…" Suddenly she looked ill, and she slunk back down into her chair, trembling and skin paler than a ghost.
Zian nodded as he took notice of his mother's clenched fists and stark white knuckles. Taking her hands in his, he spoke again. "He's been telling the truth this entire time. We punished him for something he did not consciously do, and he has shouldered the burden and shame with more grace than most kings could. I can't do anything about his sentencing… and I don't know whether to tell him or not." Zian hung his head, running his fingers through his brown hair. "I can't change his sentencing… Why should I cause him more grief? He would only be stuck not only knowing his own innocence, but also knowing that I am aware of his innocence and still cannot free him of the chains our father set upon him. I fear it would drive him mad… in all honesty now knowing what I do, I do not know how he hasn't gone mad already."
Alvilda's hand stayed clasped at her chest, shaking and eyes hollow with regret and a level of brokenness Zian had never seen. Her mouth moved without sound, and she slowly rose, going to the window silently, clinging to the window sill and looking out.
"I didn't side with him… why didn't I side with him?" Although she spoke her question in a whisper, the silence in the room made it seem like a shout. Zian glanced her way, and she spoke again, proud shoulders drooping as she continued to stare out the window, trying to keep her tears at bay. "I'm his mother! I should have sided with him! I should have believed him! WHY DIDN'T I BELIEVE HIM?!" She shrieked and doubled over as if in pain, sliding down the wall and onto the floor as her children rushed to her.
"Maman, you can't… don't blame yourself! Nobody believed him, he kept maintaining that he didn't mean to do what he did, but we all just thought he was being Hans." Zian clutched his mother to him, curling up beside her the same way she had when he had been scared of thunder as a small child. He kept a tight hold on her, making eye contact with his sister as their mother trembled and sobbed brokenly.
"I'm his mother… I should have… I… oh gods." Her voice cracked and the dowager began sobbing silently, her entire body wracking with the force of her sorrow. Hania leaned forward, stroking her mother's shoulder.
"Oh, Maman. Oh no Maman, it isn't your fault, it isn't!" Hania's eyes filled with tears and she curled in on herself as she began to cry. "We all went by the letter and what it said. All of us kids and Father… we just thought he'd taken a turn down the wrong path. None of us would have ever imagined… this."
The royal family had no idea how long they stayed on that floor, snot running and tears flowing. As Alvilda, Hania, and Zian each calmed down they sat back and sighed, each trying to think of how to handle the massive amount of information they'd been given.
Alvilda reached for her son's hand, and after a few minutes she spoke, her voice clear and strong; free of the brokenness displayed only moments before. "I will not tell him. If it is your wish, Zian, then I will not stop you, but I see no benefit in telling him since we cannot change his fate. Islanders don't forget, after all. The citizens won't forget the crimes he was convicted of, and while they've begun to accept him again, there would likely be chaos and riots if you were to try and pardon Johannes. If it were me, I would let him be." She stood, brushing herself off and straightening her dress, heading for the water basin on the bedside vanity. After washing the tear stains from her face, she spoke again. "We've watched how hard work has turned him into a better, confident man. Why waste that now?" Alvilda sighed, looking older and more troubled than Zian had seen her in years. She nodded to her daughter and son before thinly smiling. "I do not have the answers to this one, my son. I can only tell you I am glad it is not I who makes these decisions anymore."
As she turned and left the room, Zian let out a ragged sigh. "Hania? How do you feel? Out of all of us, you and he were closest growing up."
Hania fidgeted with the hemline of her dress, looking away and setting her jaw. "We've always been honest with each other, Zian. I don't think I can look him in the eye now, knowing what I do, without telling him. I agree that him knowing we know would do him no good, and yet I do not think I could bear lying to him for the next four years just to save him a bit of peace of mind. I recognize you may have to, being king; but I am not queen, I am only his sister, and I will not swear to lie to him. Nor can I promise to stay away from him in the coming years. He is too dear to both myself and Annaliese for me to make that sacrifice. I'm sorry, Zian." Standing, she left the room without another word, leaving her brother alone.
Zian stared at the open door, wishing one of them would walk back in and tell him what to do. When he was younger, his parents would often remind their children that love could open all doors and take you places you never imagined, but now it seemed as though the only thing love was doing was closing everyone off around him. From his mother and sister to his younger brother, to Zian it felt as though he was suddenly left in the dark and had no light to guide him to the next right decision. Forcing himself to stand, he looked out the window, knowing that somewhere in the distance was Hans' ship, and wondered if Hans could feel that everything and yet nothing at all had changed.
A:N/ I get the distinct feeling a great many of you will not like how I dealt with this, as many of you were out for Elsa and/or Anna's blood. However, I feel it is important to remind you that they were mere pawns in the game the trolls played, they knew nothing of what had been done and so I do not find them at fault the way they would have been had they known. Elsa seemed OOC in this, I think, but I haven't had a l;ot of experience writing her as her regal self- normally when I write her character she's in emotional distress, and here that isn't fitting, but I gave it a shot. I tried in the last bit of this to focus on the family closest to Hans and how they would feel, and this would in real-life be earth shattering. Imagine you had a relative accused and prosecuted for double murder, only to find years later they didn't do it? Here, that is the equivalent, and so I tried to both show the family broken by the discovery while still upholding their characters as who they are- strong and sturdy people who can't afford to let themselves break for long, being as they are royals and held to a higher standard.
Also, this is my last school term so I doubt there to be an update in this story until after graduation, as the next four weeks are going to be slammed; but hey, who knows?
Also, up above where Elsa makes the remark "5 krone on the .50øre" it's the american equivalent for "$5 for every fifty cents"- the reverse of the saying 'pennies on the dollar'- so she's offering to trade very cheaply with him, where he would profit more from it.
As always, read and review, please! Critiques always welcome!