A/N: I'm sorry for such a long delay between chapters. My writing focus in December was on the "hansanna for the holidays" tumblr event, and between that and the craziness of the holiday season, well. You know how it is. But, it's a new year now and schedules have mellowed out, so hopefully things will be back to a more normalized updating schedule. Fingers are crossed! Thank you so much for your patience! It's always appreciated.
Chapter 8: Appropriate Action
"Escape?!" Hans shot back incredulously and a bit louder than he intended. His gaze immediately shifted towards the door and he could feel his heart racing as he waited for it to burst open. It had to. The guard patrolling outside must've heard. And now even Charlotte was looking over her shoulder cautiously. It took several minutes of silence between the two of them and staring at the closed door to conclude that maybe the guard didn't hear his outburst, and that it was probably safe to breathe. He scooted along the floor closer to Charlotte and made sure to speak in a hushed whisper this time, "Are you crazy?"
"No." Charlotte's head turned back, and she stared him down. "You don't honestly expect to just sit around and do nothing—"
"Well, I certainly don't intend to waltz right out the door." He deadpanned. "In case you forgot, I snuck in through the window."
Charlotte rolled her eyes, "I didn't mean this exact minute. We still have to come up with a plan. There's a lot about this situation that we still don't know." She turned back towards the door briefly before readdressing Hans, "And I think you might be in the right position to find out more."
His jaw dropped open and he just stared at her. "Let me get this straight. You want me to be your reconnaissance agent? I'm a prisoner here, just like you are. What makes you think I'll have an easier time wandering about? It's only a matter of time before those goons realize that I'm missing."
"The only way they'd know you're even here is if they went into your room." She paused, "I had asked King Wilhelm and Queen Helene not to put you on the official guest list since your invitation was very last minute."
"Are you really banking on that technicality? I'm sure there's some written record of my being here. And then what? How—"
The sound of boots stopping outside in the hall and a key fumbling in the lock immediately silenced him, and his eyes grew wide as he scrambled to his feet. There was barely enough time to help Charlotte off the floor and duck back outside to the balcony before the door swung open. Whatever would go on inside, he would have to make do listening from out here. He clamped a hand to his mouth to silence his heavy breaths and prayed the guard wouldn't make a thorough inspection.
"Oy!" The Alvanian guard grunted and stepped inside a few feet and stared down Charlotte. "What's going on in here?"
Th queen smoothened her skirts before leveling the intruder a glare of her own. "Nothing? What do you expect?"
"I heard voices."
"I was talking to myself."
The guard's eyes narrowed, "Sure you were…"
She crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you calling the Queen of the Southern Isles a liar?"
"Where is he?"
"He who?"
Hans backed up against the railing. It would do Charlotte no good to provoke the guard to actually start searching and find him out here. Through the door, he could still hear his sister-in-law arguing with the Alvanian.
I guess it's a good thing she's had practice standing up to pompous men. Living under the same roof as my brothers really paid off….
He immediately winced after the guard made another harassing comment, and Charlotte's voice grew louder.
Though… she better be careful before she ends up getting into real trouble. 'Cuz that's only going to mean even more trouble for me….
The sound of a door slamming got his attention, and before he could register anything further, the drapes were pulled back and Charlotte poked her head out.
"He's gone—hey!" she whispered at first and immediately recoiled back when Hans positioned himself to attack. "It's just me!"
"Sorry," he mumbled and lowered his arms, "Don't scare me like that."
"Well I didn't do it on purpose," she huffed and glanced back into her bedroom. "It's… probably best that you don't come back in. He may have left, but after that exchange, I'm sure he'll be itching to burst back to cause some more trouble."
Hans nodded his head back and forth, "yeah, you've really made a friend there." He said sarcastically and then let out a sigh. "I suppose from here on out I'm on my own. Once I have some more news, I'll come back. Any… any parting advice on how I go about doing this?"
Charlotte only bit her lip as she weakly replied, "just be careful, and don't get caught?"
"Yeah. That's about as far as I got, too." He mumbled and nearly stumbled backwards as Charlotte suddenly threw her arms around him.
"I mean it." She whispered in his ear, "Be safe. We both need to get home in one piece. Alive."
Hans nodded against her shoulder, and when he pulled back, his hands came up to cup her face, "You, too. Try not to make any more friends the Westergaard way, eh?"
She couldn't help but roll her eyes as she stepped away and back to the open door. "I promise not to enrage the warden unjustly. Now go." She offered one more longing glance before slipping back into her room and closing the balcony door.
Alone once again, Hans' mind began to race. Seeking out information would not be easy. There were a lot of questions, and a lot more problems. What to look for? Where to look? How to even get there? And on top of that, there was no way to know just how many Alvanians were roaming the castle halls. One wrong step and it would all be over.
No pressure. None at all.
A short burst of wind set another task. Somehow, he had to find a way back inside. This wing was full of guest rooms, and Hans could only assume most, if not all of them were occupied now that the festival attendees were on lockdown. He took a quick glance around the surrounding balconies. There were faint traces of light coming in from some of the windows. Other landings appeared dark with the heavy drapes closed.
Movement then caught his attention down below as a patrolling guard crossed the garden. Hans instantly dropped to the stone floor and peered carefully through the bars. To his relief, it didn't appear that he was seen. The guard moved from one end of the garden to the other, and then back inside.
Once it seemed the coast was clear, he stood back up and glanced behind him. Charlotte had drawn her drapes closed. At least he had the darkness on his side. One more quick glance to the left, then the right. Everything was quiet.
It's now or never…
Hans moved to the edge and swung a leg over the railing. He hoped this would be the last time monkey-climbing the castle walls was going to be a necessity. At least the next balcony wasn't too far over. And it was dark. Another good sign. A grunt escaped him as he flung himself through the air and landed hard on his side.
I definitely can't do this again…
Still flat on the ground, he turned his head towards the window. The drapes were pulled back, but the room was dark. It struck him as odd. Did this person go to sleep without any sense of privacy? Hans crawled over and cupped his hands around his face to peer inside. There was no visible luggage. No signs of occupancy that he could see.
…maybe this is just an empty room after all….
He reached up and tugged on the doorknob. The bar lowered easily and with a soft click, the door started to swing open inside. There was no hesitation on taking advantage of this small bout of luck. He immediately crawled in and closed the door behind him. It was only after he hastily pulled the drapes closed that it occurred to him that someone could still be in here. His eyes slowly scanned the room, getting used to the dark. The bed was made. The washroom was dark. And not a person in sight. Once back on his feet, he lit an oil lamp by the bed just enough so he could see better, but not so much that the light would filter underneath the door. At least he now had a temporary safe space.
He sank down on the edge of the bed and pondered what he knew so far.
King Wilhelm is dead. The castle is overrun with Alvanian soldiers. Beker has delusions of grandeur….
His hands came up to rub his forehead. There was a lot of weight on his shoulders. Not only did he have to find out what Beker wanted with everyone, he had to figure out a way to get himself and Charlotte to safety.
No easy feat.
Rising from the bed and then extinguishing the lamp, he crept over to the door and slowly and quietly opened it a sliver, just enough to see down the corridor. There was a guard patrolling further down the corridor, his back facing Hans. The same guard that barged into Charlotte's room, he presumed. But from his vantage point, he could see only the one. Perhaps it wouldn't be too difficult to overpower him. The door quickly closed once he saw the patrolman turn around. In that brief moment, he did catch a glimpse of a rifle in the man's hands.
Well. That changes things. Now my risk of getting killed tonight increases exponentially. Hans slumped against the door. The hall seems quiet. I have to hope that means there's no one else out there. It's a risk I'm just going to have to take. His eyes scanned the room. There wasn't much that he could use for a decent weapon.
Hans closed his eyes and tried to imagine the guard. The man seemed a bit burly, but not unbeatable. His thoughts then shifted to his brothers to try and find a comparison. Derrick, the twelfth brother, was a broader, muscular man, but not to the extent that Hans couldn't take him in a fight. He's sparred with his brother plenty of times with various degrees of success. Perhaps he would have similar results here. And since this brute wasn't family, there would be no reason to hold back. Yes, attacking the guard to release years of pent up aggression was definitely a solid idea. Imagine the man with his brother's face. That would really get the anger flowing.
Now I just need to get him in here…. He mused. Going out into the corridor wasn't the wisest option. Getting shot was definitely not on the agenda. There was always yelling through the door to get the man's attention, but that might draw more than the one guard. In the end, he came up with a different idea.
He took a few steps back, shook his arms bit to loosen them up, then skipped forward and landed one solid kick right into the wooden door. It creaked loudly under the stress of the hit but didn't buckle. Hans bounced backwards, rocking on his heels for a few seconds before landing another hit to the door. Louder this time. Within seconds, heavy footsteps were heard on the other side.
"Who's in there?!"
Hans' mouth twitched as he quickly moved to stand beside the door frame. His fingers flexed as a key fumbled in the lock. This was it. Now or never.
The door swung open, and as the guard took his first steps inside, Hans immediately slammed the door closed. With the darkness and the element of surprise on his side, he spun the Alvanian around and slammed his fist right into the man's face.
Charlotte's hands were trembling as she sat at her vanity and removed some of her jewelry. She thought she was a bundle of nerves before, but ever since Hans came into her room and then left again, she couldn't help but fear for his safety. The guard stationed in her corridor was far from a ray of sunshine, and he had an air about him that reminded her of some of her husband's brothers. And certainly not in a good way. The only potential benefit of Hans' departure was now the guard had no further reason to suspect anyone was hiding in her chamber. She was truly alone now, and there wouldn't be any noise to draw his attention. Of course, no reason wouldn't stop the man from barging in again.
But… if this man was fixated on her behavior, that would be one less guard out looking for Hans.
The stress of the evening was certainly taking its toll. Every noise she heard outside made her think it was Hans. Worse, when some time after he left, she heard several loud bangs from the room beside hers. Was that from the guard? Did he shoot someone? After the argument he had with her, he certainly would have been in the right mindset. Just how many more people would have to get hurt?
One of her hands quickly covered her mouth as a yawn forced its way out. The last several hours have been exhausting to say the least. If only she were able to go to sleep. She was far too tense to even think about settling down to bed.
As she pulled her tiara from her hairdo, she frowned and looked in the mirror to her reflection, as well as the empty room behind her. She wouldn't be able to get comfortable in bed even if she wanted to. Her ballgown was designed with a lady's maid in mind, and while she was certain she could probably be freed from it by herself, it would certainly take a lot longer than if Agatha were here to help her. Knowing her luck, someone would push in while she was undressing.
And as much as she didn't want to stoop to such a level, being weighed down with her crown and kingdom regalia gave her a bit of an ego boost when facing the Alvanian earlier. It was clear these invaders didn't give any regard to royal deference, but she had to use any advantage she had. While she still could.
As she gently placed the crown on the vanity surface, Charlotte was pulled from her thoughts by the sounds of a pair of voices in the corridor. Voices she didn't recognize. Curiosity levels rising, she rose from her seat and approached the door to get a better listen.
"I can't wait until we push to sea and conquer the northern lands. I need some action, none of this babysitting. And judging by the Chancellor's plans, it might be a while."
"If it's action you want, it's a shame you weren't in the dungeons earlier. You missed a hell-of-a-show."
"Why, what happened?" Asked the other.
"The prince—or should I say, former crowned prince tried to assert authority over us—"
"—royal swine…-"
"he dared to insult Chancellor Beker and his mission. Our mission. These good-for-nothing-parasites know nothing about true destiny, and earning, being deserving of one's fortunes. It's disgusting. They are born above the rest of us and live their lives squandering the resources of their homelands while the people starve and die—"
"—then it's about time someone put him in his place."
The second man laughed. "You should have seen how he dared to strike General Andersen. Spit on his boots. Well. He'll never try that again."
"Were you there yourself?"
"Oh yes. In the cell, too. Me an' Franz. That prince Oscar is a wild one, that's for sure. God, Franz really looked put out that he couldn't strike him with the rifle again and knock him out this time."
"Sounds like he deserved a beating."
"General Andersen had a better idea." He chuckled darkly, "You remember the princess, yes? Well, he…"
The tone the guard used was enough to make Charlotte's stomach churn. Her hand went to cover her mouth as she forced herself to keep eavesdropping.
"….not very strong, that one. But that's how they breed little women these days. Made latching onto her pretty easy. Though she's got quite a set of lungs. Had to clamp a glove over her mouth so she'd shut it."
The first man laughed now, too. "I bet she'd make a good screamer too, if ya know what I mean…"
"I hope we get the chance to find out. You remember how we savored that one duchess from the invasion in Armensgrad—"
"Ooooh….." the man let out a low growl, "I do. Christ she was divine. Offering herself up so we'd spare the duke. Too bad no one told her that her husband was already dead—"
"—hey. Isn't this Brutis' corridor? Where is he, anyway?"
"Maybe he's sampling what some of these women have to offer. You know what they say about foreigners…"
The second laughed louder as they started to walk off, their voices getting softer the further they traveled. "If he is, he had better save some for the rest of us. I don't want his sloppy seconds…."
Charlotte backed away from the door feeling absolutely sick. These invaders were far worse than she imagined. Whatever fight Oscar had left in him was no doubt drained away if he witnessed his sister being put into danger. And by the sounds of that conversation, these guards were never held to any sensible moral standard. She was terrified to think about just how far they went with the young princess in front of her own brother. From that brief chat, she prayed it was merely for a show of power, and nothing really happened other than some manhandling. But that was this time. Would it happen again? And was Queen Helene receiving equal vile treatment?
Rheland's royal family weren't the only ones in danger, though. If all of the Alvanian guards behaved as these two did, then everyone in the castle was at risk. Charlotte sank down onto the chaise and clutched the back tightly. She had no way of locking her door further, not that it mattered. These guards had the keys to let themselves in whenever they pleased. Would they merely deliver her a meal once or twice a day and leave? Or would they —
She couldn't even finish the thought before jumping to her feet and running into her washroom to retch into a chamber pot. Now more than ever she was regretting sending Hans away. Even if he were forced to stay out of sight majority of the time, at least he would be present to help protect her.
As she wiped her mouth with a towel, she prayed he would return before the guards did.
Hans closed the door to the west conference room and took a deep breath. So far, his wandering around the castle came up futile. There was no sign of Beker or the sets of parchment that were taken from the king's study. If circumstances were different, he would have made some more thorough searches of the study and conference rooms. Time was the major issue. He only really had until that guard woke up and spread word of a hostage out of confinement. Not even this Alvanian uniform coat would be enough to really disguise him for long. But where else could he go? What else could he possibly look for?
He walked at a rapid pace back towards the north wing, nodding briefly to other guards as he passed by. He didn't dare try to make eye contact with anyone. The more he blended in, the better. And maybe with this disguise, it would be alright to slip into his bedroom and get a better idea of his personal situation. Hopefully Charlotte was correct that these Alvanians didn't know he was a guest.
As he rounded the corner onto his corridor, he could hear commotion coming from one of the rooms. The door beside his was open, and he got a glimpse of a guard rushing in with his weapon in hand.
Someone's in trouble… Hans thought and slowed his pace. He, too, looked like a guard. Did that mean he would have to participate in whatever was going on inside? Would he be forced to attack a fellow prisoner? That was definitely not part of his plan.
"What do you think you're doing? Give that back!"
Hans recognized that voice instantly, and he stopped dead in his tracks.
It couldn't be. That's just… no.
The room beside his belonged to Princess Anna.
He made his way forward and peered into the room. Anna was standing towards the back of her bedroom being held back with arms behind her by an Alvanian guard. In front of her stood Sturgis, one of the officers he saw earlier in the conference room and clutched in his hand was a rumpled piece of parchment.
"What do I think I'm doing?" The officer sneered at her. "Preventing you, a prisoner, from stopping us." He waved the parchment in front of Anna's face. "Writing a letter to your witch of a sister? Do you really think we'd even allow this waste to be sent out?"
"I wasn't going to—" Anna tried to explain, all the while struggling against her captor.
Hans swallowed as his eyes scanned the scene before him. His eyes lingered the most on Anna, and the dark red stains on her shoulder. Blood… he thought to himself, and he prayed it wasn't hers. She didn't seem injured or harmed in any way. Still, it was a nasty eyesore contrasting against her cream-colored formal ensemble.
"Oh sure, you weren't." Sturgis scoffed. "It's time you and the rest of you lot learn you are no longer in control here. You will follow our orders. You will comply. Or face the consequences."
"I will not!" Anna shot back, and with a strong wrench, freed one of her arms enough to swing it upwards to claw at the man's face. "You come here, invade this land and the king's home, and expect us to do nothing? What do you people even want with- aaah!" She gasped out when the guard yanked her backwards and his arms wrapped strongly around her waist and her chest. Another guard that Hans didn't immediately see at first came forward with a smaller pistol drawn from its holster. Sturgis had patted his cheek with his glove to check for traces of blood, and when there was none, reached his hand out to roughly grab Anna's chin and hold her face in place. With her restrained, he took a menacing step forward to put her face close to hers.
"We are here, my dear, to put an end to your ways. It is time your kind were removed from the undeserving lifestyle of prestige and privilege. We will show the entire realm that Alvania is no longer a land of the weak—a land where we follow the commands of pathetic fools. Of women. And will ensure that no one becomes a slave to their leaders again."
"The realm won't stand for this!" Anna tried to yank her head free, but it was a futile effort. "We'll stop you. There are plenty of kingdoms who will join together and fight back. And Elsa—"
"Ah, yes. Your sorceress. I can assure you; she'll be the first to fall. No land will ever be at the mercy of unholy magic ever again."
"She is not a witch! And you're no match for her." Anna declared, and let out a brief whimper when the guard tightened his grip on her. She was forced to lean back into the man when Sturgis leaned even closer to her and whispered something in her ear.
Hans couldn't hear what the officer was saying, but the entire scene before him made his blood boil. To see Anna struggle to no avail, to see the strange expression on the one guard's face as he kept his grip on her. And whatever was said must've hit home for Anna, because her fussing instantly ceased, and it looked like she would've gone limp in the Alvanian's arms. Did they know some secret to overpowering the snow queen? And what of the other kingdoms to the north? The Isles, Vallacia, even Weselton to the extreme west?
"Like I said, Princess," Sturgis declared louder as he straightened back up to his full height. "No woman will ever stand in the way of Alvania again." He then turned around, and after crumpling up the parchment in his hand further, he carelessly tossed it into the roaring fire.
Hans swallowed nervously when it seemed the group was preparing to leave. The soldier with the pistol rebolstered it, and the other one shifted his hold to roughly toss Anna to the ground. She let out a short cry when she hit the ground, but she didn't make any effort to move. Hans then immediately retreated back a step and shoved himself up against the wall with his weapon pressed against his chest. He remained very still and with his eyes straight ahead to the wall across from him.
Keep calm. Look like you belonged here….
"Resume your posts." Sturgis told the guards as they left the room and locked the door behind them. "Should she cause any more trouble tonight, move her to the dungeons. It'll be a far more fitting locale for proper interrogations anyway. And perhaps she'll break in less time."
"Yes sir."
Sturgis then turned his head to the side and noticed Hans standing there. "You there. Come with me."
"Aye." Hans replied in a gruffer tone and moved to follow after the officer. Perhaps he would get to stand in during a meeting with Beker. That could give him the information he needed to relay back to Charlotte. He just hoped there would be enough time to make it back before it was too late.
Sturgis took a route around the castle that Hans wasn't quite familiar with, and it posed a question in his mind. How did he learn his way around the castle so fast? They've only been here for a few hours at the most. I've been here for weeks and still find myself getting lost at times. Was there some mole here the entire time?
Sturgis stopped just outside the set of double doors to the library and he and Hans entered. The first thing Hans noticed were piles of books everywhere. Every table surface had at least two tomes stacked. He also recognized another of the men, Andersen, standing before a table where an older man was sitting with an open book before him. He had a nervous look to him as he stared up at the Alvanian before him. With his disguise, Hans kept back, assuming the role of guarding the door.
"I cannot help." The man's wavering voice pleaded, "I am merely the librarian here—"
"Oh, you are so much more." Andersen said calmly. "As the royal scholar, you are tasked with educating the royal family—or should I say, the ex-royal family, on a vast range of subjects. Mathematics. Sciences. Languages. Politics. We are merely requesting you utilize that knowledge for us."
"I have nothing to offer that you don't already know."
Sturgis took the brief moment of silence to step forward and make his presence known. "Any luck here?"
Andersen shook his head, "No. Not yet. I am apparently not making our position clear enough." He straightened and crossed his arms. "And you? What went on upstairs?"
Sturgis frowned, "We made a night check on the Arendelle princess and discovered she was trying to send a secret message out of the castle."
Anderson chuckled, "a wasted effort. I hope you set her straight."
"Oh absolutely." Sturgis replied. "Though she may become a troublesome prisoner over time. We'll have to keep a close eye on her. Extracting the information that we need will not come easily."
"She is strong willed, that one." Andersen agreed. "No matter. We may not need her to be truly compliant after all. Not with our friend, Lord Mason here. What a treat it is to come across a man full of so much knowledge."
"Oh?" Sturgis came around to the table and stood just behind the older man. "Just what is it we can learn from you, old man?"
Lord Mason stiffened at the man's close proximity but held his ground. "I will share nothing with you."
Andersen clicked his tongue a few times. "My dear lord, I believe you will find it to be in your best interest. Or would you prefer to share the same fate as your beloved king?"
Hans shifted from one foot to the other. These men wouldn't really shoot the scholar right here in the library, would they?
Lord Mason's eyes went wide as saucers at the threat and looked back and forth between the two officers. "Killing me wouldn't give you the answers you seek."
"Perhaps not. But what we don't receive from you and your precious books, we can always get from the men and women held upstairs and down. I'm sure Queen Helene, Princess Anna, or even Lady Thompson from Maldonia would enjoy sitting down for a nice… chat…"
Another soldier standing off behind Andersen cracked his knuckles loudly with a proud smirk across his face. Hans wished he could punch the smug grin right off of him.
Lord Mason grimaced. "You wouldn't dare! You… you monsters!"
Sturgis's hand knocked into the back of the scholar's head, sending him forward into the table. "Mind your tongue."
Anderson's hand went up to calm his companion, and he moved along the edge of the table, closer to the elder lord. "This is your one and only warning. Cooperate, and you will remain unharmed. Refuse, and we will find the answers we seek through other…harsher means. No one will be spared. So… what'll it be?"
"Oh, thank goodness you're alright!" Charlotte cried in a hushed tone once Hans had slipped back in through her balcony. "I was beginning to wonder if you were caught…"
Hans took a deep breath as he sat down against the side of her bed. "I'm telling you, Lottie. Tonight really has really been an interesting one. And not at all in a good way." His hands went up to run through his hair. "It feels good to just sit for a moment."
He was surprised he still had some decent levels of energy left in him. When it was appearing that his time in the library wouldn't be ending, he cleared his throat to get the officer's attention, making up a tale about his presence being needed at the prisoner's corridor, and praying Andersen and Sturgis would believe him. With Lord Mason not appearing to be a violent threat, Andersen dismissed him, and Hans never stalked so fast through the corridors to his room. The patrolling guard was nowhere to be seen, so he took the opportunity to quickly slip into his bedroom.
Everything still appeared to be the way he left it, with his formal attire still tossed carelessly aside. His wardrobe was open, and he wasn't entirely sure if he left it that way or if someone was truly snooping about. Either way, he used his brief solitude wisely. Grabbing two of his satchels, he filled them best he could with some clothes, his remaining money, and anything he brought with him that he thought would be useful for him and Charlotte. If they were really going to try and escape, it would have to be soon. This could be his last chance to be among his belongings again. He had to select items carefully. Of course, wearing all of that extra weight didn't make scaling the walls any easier. But it would be too dangerous to leave anything behind.
"Did you learn anything?"
"Yeah. These Alvanians are asses."
Charlotte winced at the swear and drew her legs closer to her, smoothing out her skirts over her feet. "You don't have to tell me. I overheard some of these pigs outside my door before—"
"Really?" Hans asked, his interest suddenly piqued. Perhaps she learned things that he didn't. "What did they discuss?"
An uncomfortable look instantly formed across her features, "how much these soldiers want to harass all of us."
Hans' mind instantly flashed back to what he witnessed earlier. That one guard in Anna's bedroom was rather touchy. "What do you mean?"
"They have no problems using women as bait… or methods of torture. I overheard them talking about how they were treating Prince Oscar and Princess Josephine down in the dungeons. It was absolutely disgusting." She whispered and looked away. "They certainly have no problems forcing themselves upon defenseless women—or at least, those two didn't. But I can only assume they are all alike."
"That… that would match up with some of the things I've seen, too." Hans sighed. "Except I thought they were just making empty threats. Did you hear what happened to the royal family?"
Charlotte shook her head, "No. Only Oscar was trying to fight them, and Josephine became caught in the middle of it. For all I know, she and her poor mother have already been subjected to such barbaric treatment."
Hans winced. "They're not the only ones getting roughed about. In my travels, I came across Princess Anna getting manhandled in her own room."
"What?" Charlotte gasped and leaned closer to him. "What happened? Is she alright?"
Hans could only shrug as he relayed everything he saw in Anna's room to his sister. "But that's not the worst part. The man—some big-shot named Sturgis—he whispered something to her, and whatever it was, it made her submissive. She stopped fighting, and they left."
"What do you think it meant?"
Hans peered up over the top of the bed towards the door nervously before slumping back onto the floor. "They mean to invade the north. Arendelle, the Isles, Vallacia… there are no boundaries for them. I think they plan to overthrow every monarchy in the realm."
Charlotte blinked and her head jolted backwards. "What?"
"I was in the library before. There were books everywhere, and they had captured the scholar. They want information out of him. Information about Rheland. Maldonia. Malengrad. The Isles…" he said nervously, "and whatever they don't get out of him, they'll get from us." His mind began racing as he fully took in all of the information, combining his observations with Charlotte's limited news. "And judging by what we both witnessed, it's going to be a lot worse-off on our end."
Hans could feel his heart racing again. Overthrowing every kingdom in the realm was a huge undertaking for one country alone. It didn't seem possible to him that Alvania and Armensgrad's resources alone could supply enough of an army to spread that far. He already learned earlier that they planned to take over Rheland's military. But still, was that enough to overpower say… the Southern Isle's navy? Vallacia's army? Not to mention whatever forces Queen Elsa had at her—
"Queen Elsa…" he mumbled under his breath.
"What?" Charlotte whispered.
Hans turned to her with a wild look in his eye. "Sturgis told Anna they could eliminate Queen Elsa. I… I don't exactly know how they plan to do that…."
"But perhaps Anna does. Perhaps she's some link in taking down the queen. We can't let that happen." Charlotte insisted. "In order to fight this, every nation will need to band together. We will need her and her magic to help us."
"Maybe we have time on our side…" Hans thought out loud, "Beker and his men need to completely absorb Rheland's resources. If we can truly get out of here and find a way back home, we might be able to rally our forces to form some sort of counterattack."
Charlotte looked at him as if he were crazy. "Are you serious?"
"Why are you looking at me like that? This entire escape plan was your idea!" Hans whispered. "I'm just saying. If we do nothing for too long, either that librarian downstairs will crack, or one of us will. And I personally don't want to be around when they start killing us off when we've outlived our usefulness."
"Do you think it'll come to that?"
Hans crossed his arms. "They killed King Wilhelm. They threatened to off the scholar right there in the library. But he's not the only source of information. These men have raided the library itself. There were books pulled off the shelves, scattered everywhere. And while everyone else was chatting, I got to get a glimpse of their reading material. Records of kingdoms. Political alliances. Family legacies. Beker and his cronies know exactly what they're after, and it's only a matter of time before they find it. I wouldn't be surprised if Beker even pulled every fairy-tale story off the shelf to figure out where Queen Elsa's magic came from."
"There has to be more to it than just overtaking our lands." Charlotte said, shrinking back into herself.
Hans recognized the look on her face. It was the same look on her face when she declared the need to escape the first time. It didn't fill him with any sense of confidence in their budding escape venture. "I'm sure there is. But we can't get to safety and find out. It's one or the other. And I'm rather keen on getting the hell out of here before it's too late.
Charlotte was silent for a long time as she evaluated their options. "Well… Frederick needs to know what's going on. That much is certain. He needs to be prepared for when Alvania eventually moves north."
Hans nodded in agreement. "I'm not entirely sure when that'll be."
"Alvania was never really known for their naval forces." Charlotte replied. "I learned that much from reading over Frederick's shoulder. So, if they do plan to set sail, they're going to have to acquire some ships."
"They might have to overtake most of the continent." Hans replied, "That means Maldonia and Malengrad are at risk next."
"Assuming they haven't already been taken as well." Charlotte frowned, "and both of their representatives are still in the castle. Their kingdoms, while smaller, are east of here. But taking them would also put Alvania at northern ports closer to our Isles."
"Then we can't waste any more time." Hans declared. "You need to pack some essentials so we can get moving."
"How do you expect us to even get out of here?" She asked with a tilt of her head. "Well… besides out the window?"
"I think I have an idea." Hans shrugged and got to his feet. "I did a lot of wandering tonight." He made to move towards her wardrobe and was surprised when she reached up to grab hold of his arm.
"Hans, wait."
He knelt and looked down at her and was taken aback by the mixed expression on her face. "What?"
"I… I don't think I can come with you."
There was no way he was hearing this correctly. After everything that's happened so far that night, she couldn't possibly want to stay behind. "I'm sorry, what?"
"I… I can't go." She said again, much sadder this time.
"Why?"
She looked away and tried to maintain her composure. "I can't just up and leave. What about the rest of the guests here? What about Agatha? I don't think I could just leave her behind. She is my responsibility, as are you."
"Charlotte." He hissed. "This entire plot was your idea!"
"I… I know…" She replied and reached to take his hand, "but I think I can do…something…while I'm here. As much as I want to flee, we need someone on the inside. We need to be able to find out the truth."
"The truth?" Hans wasn't believing this. "The truth is that this castle is overrun by barbaric soldiers who would prefer to torture first and ask questions later. The truth is that Viktor Beker is a madman with plans to conquer the realm. And how do you expect to relay anything while being trapped in this castle? Princess Anna already tried to write a letter and look what happened to her!"
"I know…"
"Frederick will murder me twice over when… or…if he finds out that I just left you behind."
"I'm telling you to. You're following my orders. That was our arrangement from the beginning."
"I won't leave you behind to die." Hans insisted and squeezed her hand. "You're too important to leave behind."
Charlotte shook her head. Her lips started to quiver. This was clearly not an easy decision to make, and rationalizing her choice was certainly not an easy task. "I can't—"
"You're the queen!"
"Hans, listen to me. I'm too much of a high profile prisoner here. It'll be noticed right away when I'm gone." She tried to explain, "Besides, in order Beker to be stopped, we will need Queen Elsa's help. I'm not trying to belittle our own forces, or those of our neighbors, but I think we will truly need her magic to held turn the tide in our favor. Someone has to get to Arendelle and explain what's going on."
"Yeah, you." Hans countered, "You were her neighbor. She trusts you."
"I'm not the one she will need." Charlotte replied. "It's-"
"—well it certainly isn't me." Hans balked. "I'm pretty sure I'll be turned into an ice cube the moment I land in her waters. I tried to kill her once, remember? She won't listen to a word I say."
"Well, you won't be alone."
"Who else am I-" he froze, the implications of what she was saying dawning on him. Oh no. She can't possibly mean…
"Hans. You need to get Princess Anna out of here," Charlotte said, confirming his suspicions. "If she knows the secrets to her sister's powers and reveals them to Beker, it's over for all of us."
"As if Anna would betray her sister like that." Hans said. He was certain the odds of that were low. Anna was strong willed, and pretty tough. He witnessed that first-hand years ago. She had enough fire and determination in her to rival some of his brothers. But… that was under normal circumstances. What would happen here? Did these men truly know how to break her resolve? His mind flashed back to the scene in her bedroom. What did Sturgis say to her to make her compliant? Did he threaten her with violence? After what Charlotte told him about the soldier's interrogation preferences, it wouldn't bode well for her. But it also wouldn't do to have Charlotte stay behind either. He could just imagine the immense trouble he would find himself in for landing home without her. Or worse, how Frederick would react in general if he knew violence befell Charlotte while she stayed behind.
Everything always has to be so complicated…. Hans groaned.
"I'm sure she wouldn't. But even if she doesn't say a word, these men could use her to gain the upper hand against Arendelle."
"Yeah? And they could use you the same way against Freddy. What do you hope to gain by staying behind?"
"I don't know. Perhaps I can learn something from Beker and try to persuade him in another direction. But I have to try something." She was starting to tremble as she gripped onto him tighter, "it's a dangerous risk… but it's one I'm willing to take."
Hans couldn't believe he allowed Charlotte to talk him into this. Saying goodbye to her was the hardest thing he had to do. When she kissed his cheek goodbye and pulled him in for a hug, he didn't want to let go. It went against every fiber of his being to have to leave her behind, knowing the terrible risk she would be putting herself in. It didn't help one bit when they pulled apart and she was on the verge of tears. He knew deep down that she didn't want to stay. She wanted to get back home as soon as possible, just as he did. But among all of her reasoning, she refused to flee and leave Agatha behind. She made her final decision, and there was no way to talk her out of it.
I just hope she knows what she's doing… He thought to himself as he climbed across from balcony to balcony. There's no turning back.
Fleeing wouldn't be easy. The longer he lingered, the higher the chance of him getting caught. And he doubted very much that he could just grab Anna and head north for their ships. The northern ports of Rheland were probably the first things to be overtaken when the soldiers began their march.
Reaching his own balcony, he crouched low to the floor as he came up with his next moves. Getting into Anna's room would be relatively simple, so long as there were no soldiers doing more night-time checks. Getting her out would be the real challenge. The only way he's been able to move about easily was because he was alone. If he had Anna with him, she would definitely slow him down.
This is getting worse the more I think about it. Some plan this is turning out to be.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his watch and checked the time with the dim lights of the garden. It was well after midnight. If they were going to escape, and escape successfully, they would need the darkness to mask their flight.
One last leap, and he landed on his stomach onto Anna's balcony. At least one of his satchels landed beneath him to help cushion his fall, but it didn't stop a grunt from escaping his lips. He was sore enough still. At least this will be the last time I do that… he sighed.
There was no light shining from underneath the door, or through the gaps in the drapery. That was a change from earlier. He prayed she was actually in there as he reached up and wiggled the door handle. It unlatched fairly easily, but he didn't try opening it just yet. There was time for one deep breath to ground himself. Barging into Anna's domain was going to feel like wandering into a dragon's den. He could only hope his presence would be received better than the Alvanians were earlier. One exhale later, he pushed the door open and slipped inside.
He barely made it three steps into the bedroom before something hard struck him in the head and knocked him to the floor.