Chapter 11: Getting to Know You
"So… I was thinking…" Anna began.
"—uh oh."
She shot him a dirty look. "—about our cover. We probably shouldn't use our real names."
Hans nodded slowly as he thought it over. "You're probably right."
"Well, is there a name you would like to use?"
Hans shrugged and readjusted his hold on the horse's reins. "Something easy. Simple. The idea is to blend in."
Anna kicked a rock away from her as she walked along the dirt road, "what about our middle names? This way, it's us, without really being us. I mean, it's not like our other names are public knowledge. It's always 'Princess Anna of Arendelle' or 'Prince Hans of the Southern Isles'."
"True. Though, would you remember to answer to something other than Anna?"
Her eyes immediately narrowed, "would you remember that you're no longer Hans? I mean, don't just act like I'm the only one capable of messing up."
"Oh. I'm not implying that I won't. I'm saying you're more likely to."
"Gee. Thanks."
He shot her a reassuring grin, "For what it's worth though, the plan is a solid one," he cleared his throat, "And Marit is a lovely name."
Anna froze in place and stared off at Hans as he kept walking. He got about two meters ahead of her before realizing she was no longer with him and he stopped to glance back. She was speechless. How did he know that about her? She didn't recall that being a topic of conversation recently. And she only just thought up the idea minutes earlier.
"How did you know Marit was my middle name?"
"You told me." He replied with a nonchalant shrug. "Three years ago."
"And you remember that?" She was certainly surprised. It must have been such an inconsequential detail. She didn't even remember bringing it up. Though, in all fairness, she did unload quite a bit about herself that fateful night.
"I remember everything." He stated and held out his hand to her.
Yeah, and you used it all against me, she sighed and stepped forward to catch up. The sunlight peeked through the clouds and shined down on the silver ring adorning her left hand. The light was momentarily blinding, and she was forced to tuck her hand under her cloak. Wearing it was certainly something she had to get used to. She had never worn rings before. This one had the unpleasant bonus of being extra snug around her finger.
"Well, at least you don't have to worry about it falling off," he had said before.
Of course, that also meant she couldn't rid herself of it, either. The instant it was secured on her finger, she wanted to yank it off and launch it at the back of his head. At least she wasn't the only one having to suffer with the disguise. Hans wore a ring, too. Though, no one would know unless he took off his thick gloves. She snickered quietly to herself at the memory. Finding a piece of metal that fit his larger hands was a rather amusing challenge. For her. She took extra pleasure in shoving his ring finger through every appropriate piece of hardware she could find.
So, this is it… she thought. Hans and I are married now—well, as official it can get being ordained by a sleeping horse and witnessed by a lot of trees…. But, it's not like anyone will ever know that. A frown formed across her features, No, not Anna and Hans. We're under cover now, which means got to think that way, too. My name is Marit—oooh, or maybe Ann-Marit! That sounds pretty, too. And Hans is… is….
"Uh…" she broke the silence. "You never said what your middle name is."
"Haven't I?" He asked dryly. The tone of his voice made it clear he didn't feel like elaborating.
"Oh no." She huffed and tugged on his arm. "It's not fair that you know mine and I'm left in the dark!"
"It's not my fault that you shared your entire life story with me in a two-hour span—"
"—I don't care what I said three years ago! I care about right now. We can't follow through with a plan—one you said was a good one—if I don't have all the facts!" She glared at him, "so spill!"
He let out a heavy sigh, "Alexander."
"That's it? Your middle name is Alexander?" Judging on his reluctance alone, she pegged it to be something either super long or outlandish. Not Alexander. Not something so… ordinary.
"Yes."
"Okay." She declared, "So Marit and Alexander then—"
"No."
"…no?"
"I refuse to be called that." He replied bitterly.
"But why?" She asked, "It's a simple, common name. Heck, even I can remember that—"
"—it was my father's name."
"Aw," she tried to smile, "You don't want to honor him or anything? I mean, it's just while we're in public—"
"NO." Hans growled and yanked his arm from her grasp. "I hated him. He was a monster, and I refuse to associate myself to him."
Well, you're no ray of sunshine, yourself… was Anna's immediate thought, and it was a struggle to keep it to herself. From what little she knew of Hans' upbringing was that he seemed to have an isolated childhood like her. However, the intricate family dynamic was not something she could easily relate to. She was only under the impression that some of his brothers ignored him for a few years. That didn't account for the rest of them. Or his parents, either. After all, she herself came from a small, yet loving family. While Elsa did shut herself away for most of her life, her parents still doted on her. Mother read her stories, sang lullabies, even snuck away while her father was busy with kingdom matters to play games in her early years. And her father taught her to ride horse, helped with some of her studies, even taught her some of the importance of being 'the spare'—the important support for the future of the crown. Though she would sometimes admit that those super proper etiquette lessons fell to deaf ears the first few times. Even as she grew older and matured, she never lost faith that her parents loved her and Elsa.
But Hans? What could his life possibly have been like? How could it be that he held no love for his parents? Furthermore, how could a family unit even exist without love?
"But… he's your father…."
"He was no father to me." He replied bluntly, "He had sex with my mother out of drunken, lustful greed, and then I came along. He never treated me like he did my brothers. Not like a son. I was the burden. I am the burden. So, you'll forgive me if I refuse his name." He quickened up his pace with the horse, forcing Anna to walk faster to keep up.
"O-Okay," she conceded. If there was that much bad blood between Hans and his father that he didn't want to talk about it, who was she to argue? "Well… you still need a name."
Hans remained silent for a while. His focus remained straight ahead, and it was as if he tuned her out completely. "How about… Nikolai." He finally answered.
Anna nodded and flashed him a smile, hopefully one to help him loosen up, "I like it."
"Do you?"
"Yeah! Marit and Nikolai on a cross-kingdom adventure," she giggled quietly, "Or should I say… Nikki?"
He snorted, "No. Nikolai. Unless you'd rather us dive into the unpleasant realm of pet-names. Somehow I get the feeling you'd rather swallow soap than utter anything like that to me."
"Um, yeah. I don't think so. I may have come to extremely reluctant terms with this charade of ours, but I don't want to overdo it."
"To be honest, if I make it through this entire venture with my face intact, I'll consider it a personal victory."
"Heh," she could understand that, "So what made you decide on Nikolai?"
"It's a popular name in my family."
She was intrigued. After his outburst earlier, she didn't expect him to want to mention his relations again. "Oh? Do you have a brother named Nikolai?"
He shook his head and glanced at her, "No, but it's a popular middle name among them, so it still counts." They made it to a small clearing, and he wrapped the reins around a tree branch. "Let's break here for a little bit."
Anna nodded. She could use a short rest. They had been on the go since the wee early morning hours with only a brief respite around high noon for a snack. Her legs were starting to ache, partially from having to keep up with Hans' faster strides. While he tended to the horse, she sat down against a tree and pulled off her boots. It felt good to free her feet from their confined footwear, and she brought her hands down to rub at her arches.
I can see this becoming a daily problem. Once we stop for a break, I never want to get back up again.
She could hear Hans' voice, and she glanced up to where the prince was standing a short distance away. He had pulled a carrot from the saddle bag and was offering it to the steed. He seemed completely calm and in his element with the horse. Happier even. Not that she could really blame him. They didn't make easy traveling companions for each other even in the best of times. Watching him smile and tenderly stroke the animal couldn't help but make her a tad jealous—not for his lack of affection towards her, but for the state of their bond. She doubted the two of them could go an entire afternoon without getting under each other's skin.
"You're good with horses," She commented out loud once he stepped away towards her, "Have you always been?"
He nodded, "They're the only real companions I had my whole life."
"I don't believe that," Anna replied, "How could that be? I mean, you have such a huge family—"
"—so?" He scoffed and plopped down on the ground beside her, "You have a sibling, too. One who ignored you for how many years? The only difference between us is, while you wasted your days begging outside a locked door, I spent my time among the earth's most noble creatures. As a youth, I learned to respect and care for them. By the time I reached my adolescence, I knew everything about each horse in our stables—from their names to every bit of their personality. When my brothers abused them, I consoled them. They were all mine in everything but official name," he sighed and leaned his head back against the tree, "And when I got Sitron, he became my true best friend."
"Is that why you've become this stable's newest resident? You hate people that much?" She asked softly.
He chuckled, "No. Not entirely. Time in the stables just made me slightly less homesick. And the steeds make for excellent muses."
Anna's mind instantly flashed to that one afternoon she spent with Prince Oscar, when Hans burst in on them in the stables. He had his sketch bag with him then. Her eyes traveled to where the horse was grazing. That same satchel was clipped to the saddle. She dismissed his hobbies then. At the time, she didn't really care about how Hans spent his free time, so long as it didn't involve her.
Well, I suppose those days are officially over….
Not that she really wanted to, but this could be an opportunity to learn more about him. Hans, she really didn't care about. But unknown aspects of his life could make for good cover details. At least it would be less to lie about in the long run.
"So…" she began, and eyed him with the most genuinely curious look she could muster, "you like to draw?" he didn't immediately reply, so she pressed further, "I remember you having a sketchbook."
He nodded slowly, "Yes."
That's all I'm gonna get? C'mon, Hans! Work with me here.
"Well, what types of stuff do you draw" She asked, "I mean, besides horses."
He shrugged, "Why does it matter to you?"
Anna instantly frowned, "It's called conversation, Hans."
He shot her a strange look and sighed loudly, "Anything, really. It's not about the subjects. It's about the locations. Being somewhere serene. It makes it easy to forget life for a little bit and submit to my imagination. Yes, sometimes I sketch literally what's before me—a garden fountain, a flower, or a horse. Most of the time, especially lately, I let my mind go blank and let my hands create what they want."
Anna blinked in surprise. His response was a lot deeper than she expected, and it piqued her curiosity. "Are you good?"
He shrugged again, "The term 'good' is subjective, Anna. If you're asking if I went and formally studied art, then no. It was not a skill my father wanted to waste time and resources to develop. And as far as it being 'good' or 'bad', no one has bothered to apply a label to it. I don't draw for other's pleasures. Only my own."
"O-okay, that's fair," She slowly nodded. Her eyes traveled back to the saddle bag. "Is… is it a fair assumption that you brought your book with you?"
"Perhaps."
"Then, may I see—"
"No."
She jerked her head back as he stern response, "Why not?"
"Because I said no."
"But we could use it for our cover!" She started to explain, "In case people want to know about us. It'd be a lot more convincing if I knew what I was trying to sell to people."
"Trust me, Anna. People we meet won't be interested in our hobbies."
"But it could be your profession! A traveling artist and his wife—"
"I doubt anything I've done is good enough to build profession out if it."
Anna raised her brow, "Oh, now who's giving it a label?"
"It's my art! I'm allowed." Hans groaned, "Look. I'm not showing you anything. And that goes for anyone we happen to encounter from here on out. It's my only means of escape, and I won't have people tarnishing it with their opinions."
"But—"
"Drop it."
Fine. She grumbled silently and crossed her arms. I don't know why I bothered trying. He is the most impossible…. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, don't let him upset you. Especially over something so trivial. If he doesn't want to talk about something, just agree. We can't spend all our days at each other's throats and maintain sanity.
Anna slipped her feet back into her boots and stood up. If Hans wanted to sit and sulk, let him. She could make good use of the downtime and refuel.
"Where'd you hide away all our food?" She asked as she sorted through one of the saddle packs. Finding nothing but clothes in the first, she switched to a smaller one underneath, "never mind! I found some." She turned around to glance at him, "Want anything?"
He was quiet for a moment until his gaze met hers, "some water?"
She nodded, grabbed a bit of crackers for herself and the water flask they were sharing.
"So…"
He exhaled, "not this again,"
"What?"
"Every time you start with that, you make me uneasy." He groaned.
She handed him the flask and reclaimed her seat beside him. "I'm sorry. I didn't intend on causing you distress with my conversation starters."
"It's alright," he twisted off the cap and took a small sip. "It's not the starters. It's what your chosen subjects lead to."
Anna leveled him a harsh look, and when their eyes met, hers instantly softened. He was taking another sip, but there was amusement showing across his face. If that was supposed to be one of his little taunts…
"Well," she said after biting into a cracker, "Since my topics of conversation don't sit well with you, why don't you decide what we talk about?"
He recapped the flask. "Who says we have to talk at all?"
"So, you want to sit in silence? Travel for days, even weeks on end without saying a word to each other. Won't that drive you insane?"
He shrugged and smirked at her, "No more than you currently do."
Her fingers flexed in and out of a fist. "My god, you are such a jerk."
"Yes," he wiggled the fingers on his left hand, "and thanks to these rings, I'm your jerk. How's that feel?"
"Ugh." She shoved him in the side. "Stop it." Her tongue stuck out at him when he began to laugh. It was childish, but she didn't care.
"Although…" he began and cleared his throat, "Speaking of marriages and the like…"
Oh god….
"I bet you probably had wedding bells in your future—you know, before all this madness happened."
She raised her brow at him, puzzled. "I don't know what you mean."
"Sure, you do." He leaned forward onto his knees. "Things seemed pretty…" his hand waved about as he fished around for the right word, "…intimate… between you and Prince Oscar."
Anna instant felt her cheeks redden, "that's none of your business!"
"Isn't it?" He asked honestly, "Doesn't a man have a right to know about the exploits of his wife's former lovers?"
"First of all," she said with gritted teeth, "We're not married, and you know it—"
"—minor detail—"
"—Uh, major detail! What's it to you anyway? It's not as if anything will ever become of us. This is all one huge façade!"
"You're awfully defensive."
"Well, it's my life. Not yours."
Hans shrugged and spoke casually, "well, seeing as your Prince Charming had to come to me asking for courting advice in the first place…"
Anna was taken aback. Oscar… spoke to Hans… about me?
"What?"
"You heard me." He said dryly, "I'm merely curious if it all paid off."
Well, that certainly explains why I thought Oscar was reminding me of Hans….
"What exactly did you tell him?!" She demanded.
"The only valuable piece of advice I gave was to not make you angry—unless he actually enjoyed getting his face punched in."
"Wait, what?"
"Honest. He took me to be some expert womanizer of sorts." He paused when she let out a snort, "I assured him that wasn't the case."
No. You're plenty of worse things. She shook her head. Naturally, he would take advantage of picking a topic that now made her uncomfortable. Why would he do anything else?
"Why bring this up at all?" She asked bitterly, "Jealous?"
He immediately scoffed and turned away, "hardly."
The reaction she got seemed to betray the verbal answer, "Yeah, I'm not buying it."
He took another sip from the flask and passed it to her when she reached for it. "I have no reason to be. I'm everything he isn't."
"Hah!" The laugh escaped her before she could censor herself. "That's for sure. He is so much more—"
"—of an arrogant, egotistical ass. Of that…," he finished for her, "…we agree."
Anna's jaw dropped. "I was not going to say that! And, how can you?! Oscar is a true gentleman. Righteous, brave, attractive—" he scoffed resulting in her jabbing his arm. "—and caring."
He sharpened his gaze at her, "He also regarded you as nothing but a pretty trinket. A prize to be won. He came to me to get information about you. About how to seduce you! No true gentleman does that. If he was genuine about you, he would have shown you a lot more respect. Not as merely a potential mate—"
"—mate?!" Anna recoiled back, "Don't be disgusting. You're basing a lot of assumptions off what, one conversation? A brief glimpse of us in the stables?"
"Hardly." He stood and brushed himself off. "He didn't spend every waking moment in your company. The man liked to brag. I can assure you, some of the things he said to his fellow comrades seem to make his position quite clear. He may seem kind and considerate to you, but he's really just like every other opportunist prince out there looking for a trophy wife with good breeding ability."
"It must take one to know one, Hans. And how dare you!" She spat and glared up at him. "You're in no position to judge!"
Hans opened his mouth to throw another jab right back at her, but nothing came out. He took a deep breath and combed his fingers through his auburn hair. "The difference, Anna, is that were I in his position, I would have treated you with far more respect. You're a princess. A beautiful one at that, but a person, nonetheless. You have your own thoughts. Feelings. Opinions. Desires. And you ought to have someone regard you as such. Because I can assure you, no one deserves to be treated like a mere object."
"Oh, sure you would." She deadpanned, "because you're some sort of expert on that?"
"Yes, actually." He snapped, "my circumstance is not as glamorous or appealing as being some prize. No one ever looks at me with admiration or desire in their eyes. I'm a glorified piece of royal trash. Always have been, always will be to my family. And this has nothing to do with our shared past. I can count on one hand the number of times any member of my family did something, anything, to help me better myself. Otherwise, the normal routine at home is to ignore me. Put me down. And when you're treated like you don't matter long enough, you start to accept it."
Anna stared at him with jaw dropped, and before she could come up with any retort, he picked right back up again, "Look. I get it. Your life, your business. If your heart truly sings praises for that Prince Charming, so be it. Just make sure you don't let him or anyone else take away who you are."
"Hans—"
He held up a hand to stop her and reached for the horse's reins. "Break's over. Let's go."
The next several hours were spent in uncomfortable silence. After the spat, they went back to walking a while longer until Hans suggested they both get back on the horse to ride through as much of the night as they could. That was the only exchange between them.
While Hans may have been content being silent for the rest of the day, the quiet was starting to drive Anna wild. There was so much she still wanted to berate him for. His clearly biased assumptions about her. About Oscar.
And he claimed he wasn't jealous. Gimme a break!
Some of what he said did shock her a little. She genuinely had no idea why the Rheland prince thought it necessary to go to Hans of all people. Her experiences with the prince prior to the festival had all been very pleasant. It didn't seem like Oscar needed help at all in the way of courting. And even during their recent festival activities together, he was nothing but his best self—so it seemed. Yes, he was a bit pushy at times, but he only had while she was present for the festival to actively court.
He was just making the most of limited time. That's understandable. Excusable…. Isn't it?
Hans' arm briefly dug into her stomach a little tighter as the horse galloped, and she glanced down at it. It brought on a new thought. One that made her extremely uncomfortable.
Was… was Oscar jealous of Hans? Did he really see Hans as that much of a threat to have to confront him about me? The entire concept seemed absurd to her. There was nothing left between her and Hans but bitter anger.
But then, she was addressing the situation from her perspective. Her own bias. Just how did Oscar and Hans' conversation go? Did Oscar really get the impression that Hans still—
NO! I will not even toy with that idea. She adamantly reminded herself. Even if it did explain some of their behavior…
Taking a deep breath, Anna pushed that entire scenario to the back recesses of her mind. There were plenty of other more pressing things for her to worry herself over. Like food. Money. Shelter. Survival.
Her eyes glanced up to the clear sky. She was thankful for the moonlight and stars to guide them, but that wouldn't last forever. How would they travel through the rain—or worse, snow? To be exposed in the elements for so long only increased the risk of illness. When it wouldn't matter if they avoided Alvanian troops. They would just die out in the middle of the woods.
Her breath hitched at the thought and her heart started to race. She certainly did not want Hans to be her final companion in life. The thought of never seeing Elsa again. Or Olaf. Kristoff. Sven…. It made her stomach turn.
She suddenly let a surprised cry when the horse leapt over a fallen tree. The impact of the landing hurt more than she anticipated thanks to Hans being hunched up behind her. Now she was really starting to feel unpleasant. If they were going to ride like this all night, it would be extremely difficult to travel by foot tomorrow. And what of Hans? Surely leaning forward as he was, gripping onto both her and the reins was hard on him too.
Without thinking twice, Anna tugged roughly on the reins to reduce the speeding horse down to a trot.
"…why are we slowing?" Hans asked.
"Because I need a break."
"…another one?"
Her head turned around to glance at him over her shoulder, "is that a problem?"
He did not reply verbally, only with a loud sigh as he signaled the horse to a complete stop. He dismounted and held out his arms for her. Once on the ground, Anna quickly moved to a nearby tree and leaned her entire body against it. Hans watched her and tilted his head curiously, "Are you alright?"
Anna shook her head and closed her eyes. She closed her eyes to starve off the wave of panic that was forming and took a few deep breaths to help center herself. "I… I need a moment." Behind her, she could hear Hans' footsteps move away, so she tried to briefly ignore the fact that he was there at all and focus solely on herself. Just like the several stops they made before, being still made her very aware of their laborious travel. Her feet hurt. Her legs and back were sore. And she could not even remember the last time she got a decent night's sleep. Granted, this was only the second full day of their flight, but there hadn't been many opportunities to really rest for decent periods of time. She wasn't even sure if she could manage a third night of steady travel.
Switching sides against the tree, she turned around to address Hans. "What time is it?"
He dug his pocket watch out and aimed it away from his shadow, "about half-past-seven."
She sighed. It wasn't as late as she thought, but it didn't make much difference. The sun had set long ago. At this rate, it wouldn't get any darker, but it would be a long while before daylight returned. "Do you know where we are?" She asked, stepping over to him slowly. "Did that scout have a map on him or anything?" Hans moved to the other side of the horse and dug through the saddle packs. She watched from her distance, hugging her arms close to her chest.
"Here's one. Well…" he pulled it out of the bag and held it up for her to see. The worn parchment was folded, and she could see several of the edges were torn. "Most of one." He walked back around where there was plenty of open ground and laid it out on the dirt. Glancing up briefly, he waved her over, "is there something you're looking for?"
She bit her lip and approached, "I… I don't know." She sighed.
He eyed her closely and furrowed his brow. "Something's bothering you. What's wrong?"
Anna knelt across from him and glanced at the map. Immediately, she saw Oskberg and Anslas in Rheland's central region. But that didn't help her get any indication to where they currently were. Not every village they crossed was on the map.
"I'm tired."
"I gathered. That's why you wanted to break."
"No, Hans. I mean I'm tired." Anna repeated with more emphasis this time, "I need a rest. A real one. Not slumping under a tree or laying on hard dirt for an hour's nap. I need warmth. I need a roof over my head."
He blinked in surprise, though his voice didn't show any sympathy for her. "You've clearly never gone camping in the woods; roughing it in the wild for a few days."
"This isn't just a few days, Hans! This could be weeks at a time. Months even! How long do you really expect us to keep going as we are?" Before he could reply, she reached across the parchment for his hand and waited for him to take it. "Look me in the eye and tell me you don't want the same comforts."
Hans looked briefly to their joined hands, then shook his head. "We can't have it all, Anna. We are fugitives. While out here, there's a lot that you're going to have to let go of. I know you're scared. There's no sense of security here. There will be a lot of nights where we're camping out here in the wild."
"But we're not even staying still the entire night." She pleaded, "how do you expect us to progress for so long with proper sleep?"
He sighed, "We can't spend all night—every night—snoozing under the stars. There's no time for that."
"But if we have to take rests every few hours, isn't that wasting even more time?"
Hans let go of her hand to rub his forehead as he stared down at the map.
"Hans, look where we are. How we are. I'm exhausted. My whole body is sore. Yours must be too. We're barely going on three days of this. How can we continue on if we can't even find the strength to move?"
"What are you proposing? Making camp here until dawn?"
Anna shook her head, "No. I want us to find a real place to spend the night. I don't care if it's in a pile of hay in some farmer's barn. I just… I need a proper rest."
He was silent for a while. "…sleep does sound nice." He finally conceded to her. He pointed to a spot on the map in the kingdom's southern region. "We're roughly here. This city is the one we passed through this morning." His finger dragged further south, "which means we should hit Greja before reaching Rheland's southern border with Maldonia."
Anna bit her lip. "How close are we?"
He shrugged, "I'm not sure."
"Do you think there's a chance we'll make it there tonight?" She asked hopeful.
Hans immediately refolded the map and tucked it away in his coat pocket. "We won't get anywhere by sitting around here." Rising back on his feet, he started back for the horse. Anna followed, and positioned himself to help her up onto the saddle.
Before mounting, Anna grasped his arm, "what if we don't?"
"Then tomorrow is going to be terrible." He said bluntly, "But I promise we'll stop at our next opportunity."
For the first time, Anna welcomed Hans' grip on her as rode forward. Despite an incredibly rocky morning and afternoon, Hans now seemed quite amicable. His flip-flop moods were tiresome to deal with, especially stacked on top of everything she was mentally dealing with.
It was just over an hour later when the pair rode into Greja—a small, quaint village rear the riverside. Hans dismounted not long after crossing the town boundary and took hold of the reins to steer the horse and Anna further down the main street. Most of the shops were closed for the night, but taverns were still open and bustling, and few people were out walking along the sides of the street.
"Should we ask someone for directions?" Anna asked, leaning forward. "We don't know where anything is."
Hans stopped and walked closer to her with a cautious look, "don't forget," he said so quiet that she could barely hear him, "we have to—"
"—Ah, travelers!" A wavering voice was heard behind Hans. They both looked over to see an elder man leaning on a walking stick crossing the road towards them. "Welcome to Greja."
Anna could see the gears turning behind Hans' eyes as his face instantly lit up.
"Good evening, my good sir!" Hans greeted with a smile, "How are you on this fine autumn evening?"
"Very well, thank you." The man said, then glanced upwards to turn his attention to Anna. "And good evening to you, fair lady," he said with a smile and tip of his straw hat.
"Hello." Anna returned the greeting.
"What brings you to our humble village?"
Hans immediately took over the conversation, "My darling wife and I have been traveling a long way. We're on our way home from festival events in Anslas—"
"—ah lucky!" the man beamed and scratched his mustache. "I've been to some of their activities a few weeks ago. Marvelous showcases if I must say so myself. Did you enjoy yourselves?"
"Oh yes." Anna nodded enthusiastically and ignored the brief look Hans was giving her behind the man's back.
"We've still got a long way to go," Hans continued, "and were hoping there was somewhere in your village where we could rest out heads."
"Well… so long as you've got coin, there's Helga's inn." The man pointed to a large brick house down the main street. "She usually has a few rooms to spare, though we've gotten quite a lot of newcomers with the King's festival the last few weeks. Surely, they've got somewhere to put you. And she's a great cook too, though it might cost you an extra gold or two."
Hans nodded. "And what of our horse? Is there a stable around here as well?"
"Ah, you passed it on your way into town. They're closed now, but there's always a caretaker on duty. Follow the road back. It's the lone red barn just inside the town wall." The man's hand came up to cover his mouth as he yawned. Well, it's late for me. I'll be letting you get your rest. Good night sir, dear lady."
Anna smiled as the man walked off, "he was nice."
"Yes, he was." Hans agreed. "Let's hope this good fortune continues." He reached his hands up towards her, "C'mon down, my dear." He said with a cheesy grin on his face as a walking couple passed them by, "I think the horse tires of his rider."
Anna shot him a dirty look before sliding down into his arms. The instant she had good footing on the cobblestone, she pushed him back.
"Play nice," he whispered in her ear, then gestured down the street to the passersby.
It didn't take long for them to reach the stables and arrange a stall for the horse. The caretaker was not as welcoming as the elder stranger from earlier, and there was an unfortunate price for arriving after hours. Anna could almost feel the waves of displeasure coming off Hans as he surrendered the extra coins.
He'll feel better after a good night's sleep, she told herself, when he wakes up refreshed, he'll see that this was completely worth the price.
Helga's Inn was not nearly as inviting on the outside as Anna expected it to be. The structure itself was minimally decorated with a simple iron fenced gate going around the property. There was a large wrap around porch with seating scattered about. To the left of the door was an elder man lounging and smoking his pipe. Another guest, Anna figured. However, even from the gate, she could feel the man's gaze on her. Not a curious one for newcomers, but rather harsh, as if he were trying to shoo her and Hans away. She tried her best not to make eye contact.
Hans' hand gripped hers as he unlatched the gate and whispered to her, "let me do the talking."
For once, she had no objections and allowed Hans to lead her up the path onto the raised porch.
"Good evening." Hans said softly with a nod to the old man, and without waiting for a response, he opened the door and allowed Anna inside first.
The entrance hall seemed cozy enough. A few armchairs situated near a warm fireplace, a narrow staircase going straight up, and a large wooden counter off to the side near the door. A young girl was sitting behind it working on some needlepoint and looking bored.
Is that Helga the amazing cook? Anna wondered, she's a lot younger than I thought.
The girl finally looked up once Hans made it inside and closed the door. As they both approached the counter, the girl hopped off her stool and dashed through an open doorway, "Mama! Papa! A customer!"
Oh. She must be a daughter. I guess this is a family run place.
Soon, a heavyset man approached through the same doorway with the younger girl left watching from the hall.
"Good evening." He said. His voice was gruff, and his eyes traveled back and forth between the pair. "Can we help yeh?"
Isn't it obvious we want a room? Anna kept her thoughts to herself and ran her hands along the strap of her satchel.
"My wife and I were hoping you had a room available." Hans replied in the same friendly tone he used in the street.
"I might," the innkeeper replied and pulled out a large book. "How many nights?"
"Just tonight. We're merely passing through." Hans said, "how much will it cost?"
"That all depends. Lookin' for somethin' spacious? A room with a garden view?" he paused, letting his scrutinizing eyes travel over them again. Longer this time on Anna, "One with a washtub perhaps?"
Anna immediately felt embarrassed to be standing there. It felt as if the man could see every speck of dirt or stray blade of grass or twig stuck to their clothing, worse, any blemishes on her skin. And her braids were practically falling apart from lack of proper care.
At least we don't really smell…. Do we?
Still, a bath was a hard thing to pass up right now. "That does sound nice…." Anna sighed out loud before she could silence herself.
Hans eyed her for a moment before readdressing the innkeeper. "A simple room will do. It doesn't have to be fancy or have a special view. Though I suppose, preferably one with a washroom if available."
The innkeeper dragged his finger through the logs. "Well, I've got one room left with a tub. Fifty-five coins."
Anna nearly grabbed the lip of the counter to support herself. At the same time, she felt Hans completely tense up.
"Fifty-five?" He asked, "for one night?"
"Heavy traffic with the King's Festival. Rooms are hard to come by. And that's a nicer one, too."
Anna swallowed and glanced up to Hans. This wouldn't end well. Hans was forced to shell out extra gold just for the horse, so he certainly wouldn't want to pay a hefty surplus here too. No doubt, the instant they were alone, she would get an earful. This entire detour was her idea, after all. There was also the matter of survival afterwards. Anna knew how much money she had in her coin purse when this whole journey started. While she didn't know what Hans' own contribution was, she did know that Greja wasn't the first time they dipped into their pockets for some purchases. There was only so much gold to go around, and once it was gone, acquiring more would be incredibly difficult. Her hopes for small comforts were immediately dashed. This good night's rest was not going to be worth it.
Hans was the one controlling the money; therefore, he held the final say in what was spent. But that didn't mean she couldn't make her voice heard.
Gently, she tugged on his arm, "Hey…" she said softly to him. Defeat was evident across her face, "let's go, Nikki. There's no possible way can afford that."
He frowned at her, and she wondered if was for the situation, or because she used the nickname that he told her not to use. Or both. "I'm sorry."
Anna shrugged sadly, "it's okay. We'll find somewhere else to go."
The innkeeper raised his brow, "We're the only inn in this village."
"Then I suppose we'll have to take our chances." Hans replied, wrapping his arm around Anna's shoulder. He led her towards the door and grasped the knob when the innkeeper suddenly called out to them.
"Wait."
Anna glanced up to Hans before turning around to the man.
"There is… one other room I suppose I can rent out."
Hans brow raised skeptically, and he didn't move away from the door. "How much will it cost?"
"For you? Ten."
Hans crossed his arms as he approached the counter. "Why is this particular one so much less? And why didn't you mention it before?"
"It's small. We keep it empty for visiting family, not guests." He replied. "It's nowhere close to the best that we offer—"
"—We'll take it." Anna blurted out and gave a pleading look to Hans. She had enough to cover that cost and was willing to front the entirety of it herself if he wasn't willing to take the offer.
"Are you sure?" Hans asked.
"Y-yes." Anna said. "I'm tired, Nikki. I just want to sleep."
He shot her another look before reaching into his coat pocket. "What's this room include?"
"A fireplace and a wash area. Your basic comforts." The keeper replied and turned a page in his log. "Now. How about a name?"
Hans sighed and leaned his arms onto the countertop. "Nikolai Wagner."
Wagner? Anna blinked. She watched as Hans signed them into the guestbook.
"There's no key for the room," the keeper said. "Just follow the stairs to the third floor. White door at the far end of the hall. Wait here a moment and it'll be ready."
Wow. He wasn't kidding…. Anna thought as she and Hans stepped into their lodging a short time later. The room was indeed small, even smaller because it was crammed with furniture. There was a wardrobe and mirror on one wall; a square table and chairs near the small fireplace in one corner; a curtained off alcove furthest from the door which she assumed contained the washtub and water basin; and a double size bed situated between windows—a bed that was almost too big for the room because the door nearly knocked into the footboard once swung open all the way.
"Well. This is cozy." Hans said and closed and latched the door behind him.
"I can see why he didn't want to give it to us." Anna sighed. She pulled off her satchel and dropped it onto the table. It felt good to get the extra weight off her. "But we did it. We have a place to sleep!"
"Indeed." He placed his bags besides hers and began unbuttoning his greatcoat. "You can go ahead and get settled first. Undress, bathe, whatever you need to do."
Anna nodded and sorted through her satchel for some clean undergarments. Eager for rest, even more so for a bath, she didn't waste much time kicking off her boots and slipping behind the curtain. She didn't linger too long in the tub. A quick scrub and she was done. In the end, it wasn't the thorough clean that she really wanted, but it was better than not bathing at all. It felt good to get out of those dirty clothes.
A clean pair of drawers and a long white shift served as her sleeping garments, and after piling her dirty attire aside, she pulled the curtains over and moved to sit down on the bed.
It creaked under her weight. Loudly.
Oh, wonderful.
Glancing behind her, she reached for one of the pillows. It was incredibly lumpy and firm, a far cry from the soft luxuries she was accustomed to. But beggars couldn't be choosers. At least it would feel better than using a satchel for a cushion.
Hans glanced over to her when he heard the bed creak. "You're fast."
She shrugged and ran her fingers through her braids, breaking them apart. "I didn't want you blaming me for taking too long."
"You're a woman. I wouldn't have given it a second thought." He replied and gave her a pointed look. "I hope you realize that this won't be every night occurrences. We'll be out of money before a week is out at that rate."
"I know, I get it." She sighed and glanced over at the other pillow. It officially dawned on her that she had to share the bed with Hans. The only other seating in the room was the wooden chair he was occupying. As much as she wanted to force it on him—or the floor—she couldn't. The whole point of this was so they both could get some rest. It just didn't change the fact that sleeping beside Hans would be incredibly awkward.
"Let me guess." His voice startled her. She had no idea he was watching her, "you've never shared a bed before."
"Just with Els—"
"—your sister doesn't count."
Anna shook her head and leveled him a glare. "No. And you have to promise to keep your creepy hands to yourself. Do not touch me."
He scoffed, "I wouldn't dream of it." He pulled off his boots, then worked on unbuttoning his waistcoat and yanking off his cravat.
"W-wait, what?!" She blurted out with widening eyes when his fingers moved for the buttons on his shirt collar. "What are you doing?!"
"Getting ready for bed." He stated.
Her heart began to race. The last thing she wanted was to see Hans bare. Certainly not naked. "Not out here, you're not!" She angrily pointed to the curtain. "back there!"
He rolled his eyes, "I'm not stripping entirely."
"I don't care!" She crossed her arms, "And while you're at it, wash off."
His eyebrow raised. "Well. You certainly got the part of 'nagging wife' down." When her response was a nasty huff and glare in his direction, he grabbed a clean set of clothes and crossed the room.
Anna slumped back against the headboard and fiddled with her copper tresses. From behind the curtain, she could hear Hans shrugging out of his clothes and getting into the water.
"And don't even think about coming out without trousers on."
He groaned loudly, "…anything else?!" He was clearly annoyed.
She shrugged and focused on her hair again. "A shirt, too." After a while, she slipped her legs under the blankets. The bed linens were also a far cry from luxury. It made her wonder just how much better the beds were in the pricier guest rooms.
She was starting to doze off when Hans emerged from behind the curtain in a clean linen shirt and a different pair of trousers. A creak in the floorboards jolted her awake and she glanced over to him with a frown.
"Took you long enough."
He shrugged. "I took my time. No one told you to rush."
"Hmmph."
As he walked around to his side of the bed, he paused with his hand on the blankets. "This could be a tight fit." He mused, "I wonder if this 'visiting family' is really a child."
She snorted. "Or this bed is just meant for one. Feel free to sleep on the floor."
"Oh no, no, no." He drew the bedding back and slipped underneath. The bed creaked loudly as he positioned himself beside her. There were only a few inches of free space between each of their shoulders. "I didn't waste all that money to be uncomfortable."
Anna burrowed deeper under the blankets and pulled them up to her chin. "Don't forget your promise."
"I won't touch you."
"Good. Uh… well, good night, I guess." She muttered.
"Good night, Marit."
The room stayed quiet with the only sounds coming from the bed as she kept adjusting herself to get comfortable. For as much as she claimed she was exhausted and wanted to rest, now she found herself unable to. She turned her head to glance at Hans. He was laying on his back, his eyes closed. A twinge of jealousy ran through her. Why was it so easy for him? Why was everything so easy for him?
Think, Anna. How do I fall asleep at home? Ugh. Normally… I don't have this much trouble. She closed her eyes tight, hoping the darkness would help. It didn't. But another thought did come to her. It was a bit of a distant memory, but she was desperate.
"Where the north wind meets the sea… there's a river of memory. Come my darling safe and sound, for in this river all is found-" she sang softly to herself, though not softly enough. Hans opened his eyes and glanced at her curiously.
"What's that?"
She felt a blush on her cheeks. It wasn't her intention to wake him. "Oh. Um… it's a lullaby my mother would sing when I was younger. It always used to make me sleep."
"It's… interesting." He said and propped himself up on his elbows. "How's the rest go?"
Anna opened her mouth but couldn't bring herself to continue the song. How did the rest go? "I… I don't know the rest," she admitted sheepishly. "I think by this time Mama always had me asleep in her arms. She must have had some secret method."
He scoffed and plopped back down onto the mattress, his gaze still on her, "that's not much of a lullaby then."
"I think it was more for Elsa than for me anyway. Doesn't matter, since it isn't helping right now," she sighed and turned to him. "What about you? Do you have any lullabies you remember? Maybe one of those might help?"
His brow furrowed for a moment before shaking his head. "No."
"What? Really?" Anna asked. "Your mother never sang to you when you were a child? Surely there was something she used to help you sleep."
His facial expression morphed into a mixture of pain and anger and he immediately rolled onto his side, putting his back to her. "She didn't. Now go to sleep."
Anna sighed loudly once the bed stopped creaking and stared off at the ceiling. Why did I even bother trying to bond with him? Every time we talk all I do is make him angry. I guess I can't dwell on Hans. He's an entirely different problem that'll never be solved. Just relax. Count snowgies…. Eventually, her eyelids grew heavy enough that she dozed off on her own.
Unfortunately, sleep didn't last.
At some point, the fire had gone out and the room was left cold and dark. But that wasn't what plagued her. Anna's eyes snapped open for what seemed the third time that late hour, determined to ward off the latest nightmare plaguing her dreams. She shifted on her side ever so slightly, and the bed creaked under her for the umpteenth time. A sigh escaped her. Never had she slept, or tried to sleep, on a bed so noisy and uncomfortable, and under sheets so rough and scratchy. How she longed to be back in Arendelle, in her own room, in her own cozy bed where she could be safe and warm, free from stress and fear of the unknown.
Laying on her side was now uncomfortable, and in a huff, she rolled over again onto her back. Another pitched squeak broke the room's silence and she frowned, growing more irritated every time she moved.
How could everything go so horribly wrong? One minute I'm having the time of my life at the Fall Harvest Festival. And the royal ball held in the King's honor probably topped every formal event of my year. Or at least it would have if it didn't end in pure chaos. King Wilhelm is now dead, who knows what's happened to Queen Helene, Prince Oscar, and Princess Josephine. Plus, regal blood from all over the realm are held hostage and now I'm on the run!
As if the nightmares weren't bad enough, her mind began to have flashbacks to that awful evening. The splendid ball cut short. King Wilhelm lying lifeless on the floor in a pool of blood. Oscar being beaten before her very eyes. Alvanian soldiers bursting into her bedroom. Suddenly, she began to feel a tightness in her chest and immediately she sat up. Part of the bedsheet clutched in her hand moved upwards as she pressed her hands into her chest and took long deep breaths to get the pain to subside. This wasn't the first wave of panic since fleeing Oskberg, and she was certain it wouldn't be the last.
Arendelle is so far away. There's no real guarantee I'll ever make it home. We still have Alvania of all places to cross, and if we're lucky, make it safely to Corona. How long will that take? How long can I possibly endure—
Another squeak broke her from her thoughts, followed by an exhausted groan coming from her left.
"What now?"
Anna's eyes narrowed in disgust. It didn't help her spirits any that she was stuck with Hans as her traveling companion and self-proclaimed protector.
And sham husband.
"I can't sleep," she said in a hushed voice.
"No kidding," his voice dripped heavily with sarcasm.
Anna sighed again, keeping her gaze forward. She was in no mood to deal with him right now. "Just go back to sleep."
"How do you expect me to sleep with you making so much racket?" His right hand popped out from under the blankets and his fingertips grazed against her side.
"Stop!" Anna immediately shifted further to the right and shot him a glare, "you promised you wouldn't touch me." She watched his hand retreat and rub at his tired eyes.
"I barely touched your nightgown. And it was only to get your attention. If you would stop huffing and tossing and making this god-damn bed creak every five minutes, I wouldn't be bothering you at all." He covered his mouth as he yawned, "how hard is it, really? To close your eyes and lay there?"
"It's uncomfortable." She complained, "it's lumpy. Noisy—"
"—that's entirely your doing."
She shot him another glare as he interrupted her. "I have no personal space. How do you expect me to sleep? How—" she searched his eyes, "—how can you?"
"Considering how we spent the last several days slumped against a tree or on cold hard ground, this feels like a piece of heaven that I am taking full advantage of. Not that it's worth anything now with youas a roommate."
With a scoff, Anna turned away and rubbed her arms. "If I bother you that much, go to the stables and sleep with the horse."
"Oh sure. I bet that grouchy caretaker would love that. And it wouldn't do well for our cover." He adjusted his pillow and gave her an incredulous look. "In the position we're in, I don't think you really want to risk that."
He had a point, as usual. "Oh, shut up." She grumbled and laid back down on her side.
"Nah-ah. I don't think so." Hans said suddenly as soon as her head hit the pillow and he reached his arm over to prod her shoulder. "We're not playing this game again. Come here."
Anna barely lifted her head up to glance over her shoulder, "why?"
"Because I for one, would actually like to sleep soundly for what few hours we have before dawn. And I can't do that if you get restless all over again."
She stared long and hard at him. He can't be suggesting what I think he is. His fingers curled, beckoning her over to confirm her suspicions. God, he is.
"If you honestly think my snuggling up with you is going to make me feel better—"
"Well, you are my wife…." There was only the barest hint of amusement in his otherwise dry tone.
"I would rather break your nose again than indulge your sick-twisted-lover's fantasy!" She spat in return.
"And I would rather you stop fighting me just once and cater to this little request. I'm only asking so I can help you sleep, not to take away your precious virtue. The fact of the matter is, we paid a lot for this room because you wanted a good night's rest. And now that we're here, I refuse to let you ruin it for the both of us." The amusement was long gone, and his face was completely serious, "Now, are you going to scoot over willingly, or do I have to drag you?"
She couldn't believe she was even entertaining this notion. "But you promised—"
"—and I swear on my honor, I won't do anything unsavory."
"You're already unsavory…" she muttered and flipped herself over. This was a battle she clearly lost. It didn't take long before she felt his arm wrap around her back and draw her to him, essentially pushing her up into his side. She let out a quiet squeak as her head fell onto his chest and her arm splayed over him. Her heart began to thump harder when she glanced up at his face, expecting some typical smug. Instead, the seriousness and arrogance were gone, replaced with some exhausted, neutral mask. At least in the dark, he wouldn't be able to see the flush her in her cheeks from laying so intimately with him.
"So…" she felt his free hand take hold of hers, effectively holding her in place. "Do you think you can manage a decent rest?"
"…I… I guess." Anna huffed and turned her head away from his gaze.
It's not like I have much choice.
The room grew silent again, and she was sure Hans had already fallen back to sleep. Unfortunately, she was far too tense to doze off, at least right now. Every so often though, she could feel Hans' other hand move up and down her back, as if he could feel her tension and soothe her to sleep. She certainly wouldn't call this new position of hers comfortable in the slightest. Not with the bitter hostility she felt towards him. But he was also a source of warmth that the room now lacked. His broad chest was a better alternative to her lumpy pillow. And his strong arms around her did make her feel comforted. Secure even. Being on the run with so much uncertainty, it was a nice feeling, knowing she wasn't truly alone.
Still, she tried not to dwell too much on it. Regardless of their situation, of his efforts, Hans was still Hans, and she was certain hell itself would freeze over before she ever admitted to his face that resting in his arms truly was putting her at ease.
It was going to be a long night.