Chapter 3: Welcome to Rheland

Calm waters and sunny skies made the three-day journey between the Southern Isles and Rheland a smooth one. The ship's crew were all in high spirits and enjoying the professional, yet laid-back atmosphere the queen's solo presence offered compared to the times she was joined by the king. Prince Hans on board didn't faze the men either. He either spent most of his time on deck enjoying the ocean breeze or below in either his small cabin or with the queen.

"I know I've said this several times now but thank you for letting me come along." Hans said as he lounged in Charlotte's state room. He had his feet propped up on a trunk and he fiddled mindlessly with a button on his sleeve. "I'm sure it wasn't easy to grant me passage."

"You make it sound like it was such a chore." Charlotte glanced up from the book she was reading at her desk. "All I did was write to King Wilhelm."

Hans raised a curious brow. "What, no coming to blows with Freddy? No lasting arguments, swinging arms and refusals of future conversation?" he paused and glanced upwards, pondering what he just said, "or… whatever marital arguments are like…?"

Charlotte only laughed and leaned back in her chair. "No? He may be the king, but he does not control me. It was my decision to free you. And it was my decision alone to request your invitation." She straightened up and placed a page marker in her book. "Was Frederick happy with me? Not in the slightest. And we had our feuds. Some more heated than others-"

"And he let you win?"

She raised her brow. "Are you saying I cannot prevail in a battle of wit and words against my own husband?"

"I—no…" Hans stopped to rethink his answer. "Just… he's used to getting his own way all the time. Eldest brother and all."

"I can assure you, he does not. Neither of us would be here if he had the final say in everything."

Hans couldn't help but smile slightly. "So… are you looking forward to getting away from Freddy for a while?" A scoff escaped his lips before he could stop himself, "I know I am."

Him and the other eleven…

"I wouldn't say I'm looking forward to getting away from Frederick…" Charlotte answered thoughtfully, "he is my husband and I love him. I'll miss him," she smiled with a bit of a twinkle in her eye, "though… I do think I'll enjoy getting a bed all to myself again. He does tend to hog most of it. And the blankets," she couldn't resist a slight giggle, "and my—"

"—O-okay, I get it." Hans shuddered and averted his eyes from her for a moment, trying to shake off the unpleasant images that were trying to sneak into his mind. "But… you know, his greediness doesn't surprise me. He does have a bit of a superiority complex."

"I think your entire family suffers from that."

Hans shrugged. "Well… it clearly doesn't bother you since you married one of us."

"Yes well… no family is perfect. Their mistreatment of you bothers me very much." Charlotte replied and turned in her seat to face him better. "I'm appalled at some of the things your brothers get away with."

"They're roughhousing." Hans answered with a nonchalant shrug. "It's what all brothers do."

"Hans, I have brothers as well, and I can assure you, they are nothing like yours."

Well… it helps when you're not treated like the devil incarnate in your own home… Hans thought to himself. Where the very nature of your existence was at the expense of someone else. Where you're not scrutinized for every little thing you do…. His mental list of grievances could go on and on, but he wasn't really in the mood to dwell on it too intensely. This was his chance to get away from his brothers. He couldn't even recall the last time that chance came up. Not even his travel to Arendelle for Queen Elsa's coronation granted him true freedom from his family. As the official representative of his father, he had the weight of the diplomatic mission on his shoulders. That offered him little time to truly kick back and relax.

Arendelle…. Hans sighed. Who would have thought that three days could lead to just over three years of absolute torture—physically, mentally, and emotionally. He was certain that there were still marks on his body somewhere that would never truly fade out after dealing with multiple rounds of punishments. Though perhaps the biggest slap in the face came from Queen Elsa herself when she penned her extremely damning letter about his actions and character—as if he were the one who started that whole winter mess. He didn't create the eternal winter. He didn't try to kill off two of Duke Spencer's bodyguards on the North Mountain. He didn't turn the fjords into a frozen wasteland and trap every foreign visitor in the kingdom. Yet… he was portrayed as the sole perpetrator, for what? Caring for the Arendelle citizens? Trying to save the kingdom? And—

"Hans!" Charlotte's voice and the sudden snapping of her fingers near his face yanked him from his thoughts. "Are you going to answer me or not?"

His cheeks reddened slightly, and he offered a sheepish expression in return, "sorry. My uh… mind wandered. What was the question?"

"What are your plans for your stay?"

Hans was confused by the question. "Aren't I supposed to follow you around like a lost puppy? Y'know… so you could be keeping an eye on me? That's what you seemed to tell Freddy anyway."

"Hans." Charlotte said with a sigh and stood up from her seat. "I'm not here to be your sitter. Yes, you made grievous errors in Arendelle, but that was three years ago. I trust by now, all of the lectures and punishments have sunken in, that your actions are not to be repeated again." When he didn't answer right away, she put her hands on her hips and stared him down. "Well?"

Hans swallowed. "Yes. Y-you have my word. I won't do anything to embarrass you or the family."

"Then I grant you the relative freedom to do as you wish during your stay. You don't have to accompany me to every engagement I attend if you don't want to. And if all you desire is sit in your bedchamber or out in the castle gardens, so be it." She replied. "Just keep in the back of your mind that as your queen, I still have the final say in your comfort levels here, and everything you do will reflect back on me, and word will reach your elder brother eventually. So…"

Hans let out a sigh and looked up at her. He already promised to behave. What more could she possibly offer?"

"…let's consider this trip a test, shall we?" Charlotte continued, "Perhaps if your family can see that you've turned a new leaf, they might make similar efforts in your regard."

…oh god… Hans tried so hard not to snort rudely. "Charlotte, I think you underestimate the hatred my brothers have for me. I could turn myself around enough for two lifetimes and they would still treat me like a squashed bug under their boots."

"Don't you want them to change?" She asked.

"Well, sure. I guess." Hans shrugged. He never really gave the notion that much thought before. "It would be nice. But to be honest, it'll take everything short of a divine miracle." He replied without much enthusiasm. "Doing something just for them doesn't seem worth the effort. We're talking what, twenty five years of abuse and neglect? It's not something I can just sweep under the rug once they start being nice to me."

"Then don't do it for them, Hans. Do it for yourself. Let the change happen because you wish it. You'll be away from your toxic environment for a good month. Find your strengths again. Find your passion—" she turned her head towards the window as the ship's bell could be heard. They had arrived at port. "Just use your time wisely. That's all I'm suggesting."

With the royal vessel officially docked, Hans and Charlotte disembarked to be greeted by King Wilhelm's youngest child, sixteen-year-old Princess Josephine and her guarded escort. With so many visitors arriving around the same time, the royal family divided up to greet and bring everyone back to the castle. After pleasantries were exchanged, Josephine led the queen and prince to her waiting carriage.

With Oskberg located in the central region of Rheland, it took over an hour for the royals to reach their destination. Charlotte and Josephine spent a good portion of the ride getting to know each other and conversing about the sea voyage and the upcoming festival events. Hans, however, remained quiet, only speaking when directly spoken to. When the women's conversation drifted towards less interesting topics for him, he decided to gaze out the window and take in the scenery for a while.

"You're awfully quiet, Prince Hans."

Princess Josephine's higher pitched voice pulled him back to the present and he glanced over at her. "I'm sorry, Milady." He replied politely and offered her an apologetic look. "I suppose, I'm just a little weary from the voyage."

Josephine's eyes grew wider as she latched onto a conversation with him, "Really? How long was it?"

"Three days," he replied.

"Oh my!" She gasped, placing her hands against her chest to emphasize her shock.

Hans was slightly taken aback by her overly dramatic reactions to most of his responses throughout their rather awkward conversation—at least, it felt awkward to him. And he tried so hard not to show discomfort and groan when he noticed how her cheeks flushed when her brown eyes locked with his green ones. On top of that, she kept running her fingers through her curly brown hair. He recognized that maneuver, one the fairer sex always seemed to do when in the company of men that they find appealing.

…Lord, please don't let this girl try flirting with me. I will lock myself in my chambers all month if I have to….

Glancing over to his sister-in-law, he only saw slight amusement on the queen's face. His heart sank. Here, he was hoping Charlotte wouldn't prey on his discomfort. Frederick wasn't supposed to rub off on her that way. Bu then her hand reached to the side and pat his and he felt marginally better.

The remainder of the carriage ride seemed to drag on for Hans, and he was never more thankful to see the large magnificent castle looming over the city of Oskberg. Once inside the castle gates, the carriage crossed the large cobblestone courtyard and stopped before the steps leading up to the castle. Queen Helene stood on the bottom step and offered the official welcomes to Rheland. They didn't remain outside for long. After the exchanging of pleasantries, she ushered her guests inside so they could unpack, relax and freshen up some before dinner later that evening.

When Hans made it to his assigned bedroom after seeing Queen Charlotte to hers, he was surprised to find one of the castle's manservants already there and eager to help get him settled. It worked out for the prince. He didn't bring a personal servant from home—he never had anyone assigned to him, the pitfalls of being the thirteenth-scoundrel-member of the family—at least here he wouldn't have to unpack everything all by himself. Once his luggage arrived, the servant got to work, and Hans took the opportunity to get a better look at his lodging. The room itself was a decent size—in fact, it seemed larger than his own bedroom. Everything from the walls to furniture to the lighting made the space warm, inviting and cozy. Yes, he would definitely enjoy his time here.

The sun peeked out from behind the clouds and shone right in from the balcony window, garnering the prince's attention. He started to cross the room, sidestepping the rushing manservant to glance outside. He had a garden view—a square outdoor space surrounded by castle walls on all sides. Perfectly trimmed trees, hedges, an abundance of flowers all surrounded by cobblestone pathways. In the center of the garden was a large round fountain. A very picturesque scene. Hans had been in the castle for maybe an hour at most now and he was already wishing he didn't have to go back home. Between the warm atmosphere, the scenery, the very pleasant nature of their hosts, Hans was certain that the kingdom of Rheland was absolutely perfect. What a stark contrast to the cold grey stone castle of the Southern Isles and its cruel residents. A place that lacked any sort of color or excitement—at least from his perspective. With his castle—and by extension—the entire kingdom surrounded by sea, he felt extremely isolated, and with his recent punishments, far more alone than he had ever been. But not here. He recalled on the carriage ride here that there were fields that butted up against rich farms and thick forests, with mountain ranges in the distance. The land itself seemed to extend on as far as the eye could see. Even the villages they passed through were humble and lively.

With a smile on his face, Hans stepped out onto the balcony and leaned against the railing. Charlotte said I didn't have to follow her everywhere. Which works wonders for me. I think I'd love to spend an afternoon or two just relaxing outside—

"Prince Hans?"

The unfamiliar voice startled Hans, and he turned around to scan the room for the source. In the doorway was a tall man with short curly brown hair and dressed in a sharp belted navy tunic and matching pants. He was leaning casually against the doorframe as if greeting a longtime friend instead of a stranger.

"Hello." Hans said with a raised brow, and he slowly approached the newcomer. "Have we met?"

"No." The man offered a soft smile and straightened up. "But I feel like I've known you extensively over the last thirty minutes."

Hans opened his mouth to respond but nothing could quite come out. He had too few pieces that didn't fall into place.

"I'm sorry?" Hans scratched his cheek. "Could you—"

"Oh of course, how awkward of me." He stepped into the room and offered his hand. "Crowned Prince Oscar. Welcome to Rheland! On behalf of my father, King Wilhelm, I do hope you'll enjoy your stay."

Hans immediately bowed his head in respect and eagerly grasped the man's hand for a firm handshake. "Thank you. It's an honor and a pleasure to be here for the festival." He made sure to give props when it was due. As the crowned prince, this man outranked him in every possibly way just short of being a monarch, and after his last visit to a foreign kingdom, he was determined this time not to foul anything up.

Oscar nodded and gestured to the armchairs by the fireplace. "May I?"

"Oh! Yes, of course." Hans nodded. The two men walked over and sat down. "You uh… said you knew me extensively?" Of all of the reactions Oscar could have given him, he didn't expect laughter. "Um, what's so funny?"

Oscar only shook his head and held up a hand to give himself a moment to regain his composure. Then, leaning back in the chair he gave the foreign prince an amused look. "My sister, Princess Josephine. Ever since mother escorted you and Queen Charlotte to your rooms, she's grabbed me aside and talked my ear off about the handsome stranger she shared a carriage ride with—"

Now it was Hans' turn to laugh, though he tried not to make a spectacle about it. "But…," clearing his throat, he continued, "I… we only engaged in one short meaningless conversation—"

"And that's all she needed to convince herself you're a walking god among men." Oscar's mouth formed into a smirk. "She's actually begged me to come here and speak with you, just to get information to relay back to her. I'll admit I've not come to spy for her, I just wanted to meet you myself."

"Trust me, I'm no god. Far fro—" he paused, replaying Oscar's words back in his head. Something didn't sit well with him. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying the princess is sixteen and you're the first strikingly handsome—" he paused, seeing Hans' cheeks flush, "—her words, not mine—the first foreign prince to share close quarters with her."

Hans wasn't quite believing this, and he fought to keep his face from reddening further. "I can't be the first foreigner she's ever seen."

"No, but you're the first man to not be my father's age. Or older." Oscar leaned forward more onto his legs and stared Hans down sternly. "She seems a bit smitten with you. Josephine has lived a very…" he waved one of his hands as he tried to form the right words, "…very sheltered life. This is really her first chance to mingle with outsiders. I suppose, as her older brother, I want to make sure that she won't be initiating—"

"Stop. Please." Hans interrupted with a raising of his hand. "Before you go any further and make this any more awkward…" he sat up straighter in his seat, "I don't have any interest in your sister other than polite conversation about the kingdom or the festival. I'm just here to get away from my family for a month, and to take in some culture. That's all."

"Well then, that's quite a relief to hear." Oscar leaned back again and clasped his hands over his lap. "You've got quite the reputation, and I was beginning to worry when I heard you were attending."

Hans' brow furrowed and he could feel his heart sinking, and he had to avert his gaze away. So, this Prince Oscar, and possibly the rest of the royal family, knew about his tremendous fall from grace. That would mean that he would have to be extra careful about his movements and what he did during his stay.

But…if they knew about what happened—what I did in Arendelle—why would they let me come in the first place? I tried to kill a queen…for various reasons…. No sane monarch would let someone like me enter their realm with that record on my name. So, what's going on?

He was almost afraid to ask but knowing the whole truth about what being in this kingdom would entail was important to him. After all, one wrong move and Frederick would hear about it, and Hans knew he'd never see the light of day again. "What reputation?"

"Why, your skill for bewitching and stealing the hearts of delightful fair maidens."

W-what? Hans was stunned. Of all possible things, how did that trait get attached to his name? He certainly didn't make a name for himself in that regard back home. It certainly wasn't for sexual prowess. Anyone who's ever attended a Southern Isles ball would know he couldn't keep a girl's interest for more than fifteen minutes. On the flip side, he's only ever entered a brothel once, and that was really a scheme orchestrated by his brothers to embarrass him. Wounded pride aside, nothing came of it. He's certainly never had romantic or intimate relations with the fairer sex—

Then it hit him all at once. There could only have been one event witnessed by several different kingdoms to grant him such a ridiculous reputation.

"You mean… with Princess Anna?"

Oscar's smile turned more into a smirk. "You did seduce the fair princess of Arendelle in a matter of hours and get her to accept your hand in marriage."

"I wouldn't call it seduction."

"Oh?" Oscar leaned forward again with interest. "And how would you phrase it, hmm?"

"I'd say the attraction was mutual." Hans tried to play it cool and merely shrug it off, but that uneasy feeling was coming back. Why can't I go somewhere where I can escape my mistakes for a short while? Why must everything pull me back to Arendelle somehow?

"It must have been some attraction." Oscar stood and began pacing in front of the fireplace. "What about your proposal?"

Hans' brows furrowed once more. "What about it?"

"Is it still in effect? Are their wedding bells in your future?"

Now it was Hans' turn to rise to his feet and cross his arms. He was starting to not like this crowned prince. "With all due respect, the status of my relationship with Princess Anna of Arendelle is none of your concern."

"On the contrary, Hans, Princess Anna is very much my concern." Oscar replied. "I'd like to pursue her, but I'll back off if she's already been spoken for."

This surprised Hans. In fact, this entire conversation with the crowned prince was one awkward topic after another. "Just how much do you know about her?"

"I've visited Arendelle fairly recently. Anna and I worked closely together on a number of engagements." Oscar replied with a bit of smugness in his voice. "Very closely."

And now he knew why he had a lousy feeling about this man. Not that Prince Oscar was doing anything wrong. Princess Anna truly was—is—a rather eye-catching princess and her position as the crowned princess of Arendelle would attract plenty of suitors, Oscar included.

Princess Anna of Arendelle…. Hans sighed quietly. God, she was something else….

Anna wasn't the first girl Hans felt an attraction to. Ever since he turned eighteen, he had attended countless balls held in honor of at least one of his brothers—between marking their coming of age, or because the king really wanted them married. Usually, there was one young woman that Hans found himself fancying. And if he was lucky that evening, he even managed a waltz with her before his relatives came along and practically seduced her right from his arms. Why should a lady settle for the thirteenth in line with little extraordinary talent when stronger, suave men higher up on the pecking order were available? But not Anna. She was the first one—the only one—to find him breathtaking; interesting; desirable.

She was the one to throw everything off-kilter. One thing he didn't anticipate was falling hard for the kingdom's crown princess. Their tumbling about in that shallow rowboat was pure accidental, but that was the best accident that could ever have happened to him. Of course, he was a nervous wreck, barely even managing to get coherent sentences out of his mouth—he even stumbled over saying his own name. But she stumbled, too. She called him gorgeous, and that one phrase of hers, that single moment, burned bright in his memory.

"Hans?" Oscar's voice broke the younger prince from his thoughts. "you didn't answer my question."

What was the question? Hans thought to himself, replaying the conversation in his head until he caught up. Right. Our relationship. "Well, it's a non-issue. Princess Anna and I are no longer engaged. It was called off years ago."

Well, that's not entirely true. The engagement was never formally disbanded, but then again it was never formally accepted either. Queen Elsa never gave her true blessing, only a mis-guided begging during her attempted flight. She didn't really want me to marry Anna in the first place, just to be her caretaker since she was running away. And after the thaw, everyone saw Anna knock me into the fjord. Combine that with my father's intensive punishments and it seemed logical that Anna and I would never meet again.

"That works well for me." Oscar mused. "Anna is a lovely woman. I just hope things won't become uncomfortable for you."

Hans shook his head. "Why would it?" He wished the crown prince would just get to the point instead of keeping him hanging.

"She's coming to the festival." Oscar replied simply. "Surely you knew that."

"W-what?" This was definitely an unexpected turn of events. How did he not predict something like this would happen? An interkingdom even? Surely someone from Arendelle would come.

Hans began to internally panic. He wasn't prepared nor ready to see Anna again. What would he say? What would she say? Or do? Would she strike at him at her first opportunity? Would she get a glimpse of him and try avoiding him as much as possible? He could almost feel phantom pain in his nose from where she punched him years ago. That's one experience he didn't want to have repeated.

"…is she here now?" Hans asked while trying to keep his nerves in check.

"Not yet, but she'll possibly dock later this evening. I plan on using my time wisely over the next few weeks. Especially since the ice queen won't be leering around corners attempting to spy on us." Oscar continued, paying little to no attention to Hans' reaction, and growing discomfort. "Though, since she's seemed to fancy you for a time and you two have had the chance to get to know each other—"

Not really… Hans thought to himself. Our time was cut short thanks to her sister's freak winter accident…

"—I was hoping you could give me some advice."

"You want me to help you court my former fiancée?"

"You said there was nothing between you anymore?" Oscar responded, crossing his arms over his chest, "Or is that not true."

"Trust me. Anna and I are done." Hans said with a sigh. Saying it hurt more than he anticipated it would, "it just seems like an odd request. You can't charm her on your own?"

"Oh absolutely, I can." Oscar replied with an arrogant air of confidence. "I just want to make sure my efforts prove successful. You had her wrapped around your finger in what, two-three hours?"

"Again, I didn't manipulate her." Hans replied dryly. "Look. You want my advice? Just be honest and be yourself. Oh, and don't get her mad. She's petite, but she's got a terribly strong swinging arm, and she won't hesitate to break your face if provoked."

Hans found little chance to relax once Prince Oscar left. All he could think about was how disastrous this little vacation of his would become. And he became furious with himself for not inquiring about the guest list ahead of time. While he didn't plan on attending every outing with Charlotte, he did intend on seeing the beauty of this new kingdom, but now all that seemed desirable was to lock himself away in his room—to hide from Princess Anna, and by minor extension, Princess Josephine, if the young princess tried to act on her developing feelings. But, if all he was going do to while in Rheland was sit around in his room, he could have just stayed home.

Attending dinner that evening was nerve-wracking at first, at least until he realized that Princess Anna had not yet arrived. Knowing she wouldn't reach the kingdom until much later, he was able to relax significantly and actually enjoy the meal. The food was delicious, as he anticipated, and it only further cemented his belief that Rheland was indeed perfect. Representatives from Vallacia, Osterheim, Malengrad and Maldonia were also present, and he welcomed conversation about their own kingdoms. At least the topics weren't about him and his failures.

Solace came that night after everyone parted ways, and he returned to his bedroom. His sleep attire was already laid out on his bed, but he wasn't ready to turn in quite yet. Some fresh night air was calling to him, and he moved over to the balcony doors, opening them and stepping outside. The air was cooler than he anticipated but it felt good against his face. Casually, he leaned on the railing and looked down at the gardens below. Everything was calm and quiet, the only sounds coming from the fountain. With a pleasant smile on his face, he closed his eyes and let the soft sound of trickling water fill him with a sense of peace.

Then he heard voices from down below, and the serenity was ruined. With a huff, Hans opened his eyes and glanced downward to see who was unknowingly intruding on his meditation. On the far side of the garden was Prince Oscar. Naturally, it would be the crowned prince to inadvertently ruin yet another part of his first day here. But Oscar wasn't alone. There was another voice coming through the shadows. Hans was curious, and he waited for the prince to approach one of the lamp posts so he could get a better look. Whoever it was, it sounded like a woman. His sister, Princess Josephine perhaps?

Oh no. No, no, no! Hans' heart sank yet again. The moment he was dreading was finally here.

It was Princess Anna of Arendelle. She had arrived.

Part of him wanted to turn tail and bolt back into his bedroom. He didn't want to see Anna or even think of her. Doing so would remind him of his failures, of the past he could never escape from.

The other part of him wanted to observe Prince Oscar and his interactions with the princess. The man came to him for advice earlier. Hans hoped that meant he was already having issues with Anna. The spy in him won out. Turning around briefly, he closed the heavy drapes in his room to minimize the light coming from his vantage point. The last thing he needed was for Anna to spot him.

Hans watched the pair walk about the garden paths for several minutes now, and he was starting to regret his choices. They only appeared to be talking, though he was too high up from his third floor balcony to hear what was said. And it was too dark to truly scrutinize their expressions. He could only see that she was hanging on his arm as they walked with a smile on her face. She still donned her traveling cloak over her dress, so she must have just arrived.

God, this guy doesn't waste any time, does he? She must be tired from the travel. Just let her go to bed.

A thought came to him then. This entire garden was surrounded by guest rooms. Would she be in one of these? Would they eventually spot each other from their respective balconies? Or even during strolls among the foliage down below?

Get a grip…. Hans tried to reassure himself. You can't avoid her forever. And… maybe a reunion won't be so bad. Just don't provoke her. Be polite, and let her know you mean her no ill will, no harm—

Oscar and Anna had moved more into the light as they sat on the rim of the fountain together, and the visual made Hans' breath hitch.

My god… she's beautiful…

When she sat down, her cloak had opened up and he could see more of her silhouette from the light colored dress she wore, with her matching flats peeking out from under her skirts. What struck him hard was her hair. Gone were the youthful looking plaits or the formal updo he was familiar with. It was down, seeming to flow freely down her back. This was incredibly new for him, and he couldn't help but stare. Her copper tresses had a slight natural wave to them, and he wished she didn't have her cloak. The hood behind her was hiding the rest of her lovely hair, and he desperately wanted to see how long it was.

He could hear her giggle, and it instantly made him flashback to three years prior, when he and the princess roamed freely around her castle grounds. Back at a time when her smiles and laughter, her immense interest and infatuation were directed solely to him. She was beautiful to him then, too. She radiated pure innocence and wonder, as if meeting him was her first chance of really seeing what the world had to offer—which he later found out was exactly the case. She was a bit naïve too, but it was balanced out with fiery determination, and she was so very different than any other girl he had met. She was special, and for that brief time, she was his.

But he blew it. She wasn't his anymore, and he had given Prince Oscar his blessing to woo her. As he watched them converse, he felt more and more depressed. That could have been him down there with her. Talking, laughing, enjoying each other's company as friends—or maybe even lovers. He swallowed hard when Oscar reached over to place his hand over her petite one. The red on her cheeks wasn't from his flattery. And he wasn't the one being lost in the brightness of her smile.

This wasn't Hans' first experience with jealousy, but watching the pair down below brought on the strongest wave of envy he's ever felt in his entire life.

Barely in this kingdom for one day and I've already made a terrible mistake….