Hi Everyone! I hope you all are doing well! Thank you for all the support and reviews, I loving reading your thoughts on the story. I hope you enjoy the next chapter! Happy Reading :)

Previously...

KNOCK KNOCK…KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK…BANG BANG!

"What?!" Hans and Elsa startled awake.

Hans irritably rubbed his eyes, "Who's banging on our door at this ungodly hour?!"

"Your Majesties, there is an urgent matter that requires you attention!"

Hans and Elsa shared a worried glance before Hans jumped out of bed and ran to go open the door, "Kai? What's wrong?"

"My apologies for the disturbance, but we have a visitor from the Southern Isles."

Hans audibly groaned, "Tell my father that whatever it is, it can wait until morning-"

"It's not your father, Your Majesty, it's about your father."

Chapter 5

"What's happened to my father?"

"Prince Klaus wouldn't say-"

"Klaus is here?!"

"Yes, he's waiting to speak with you in your study. He also said the presence of the Queen would not be necessary if it were a burden."

"It's not a burden, it is a necessity, and I'm coming." Elsa appeared beside Hans as if by magic.

Hans glanced at her nightgown, "Elsa, you're hardly dressed-"

She swiftly waved her hand and in an instant, she donned her signature ice dress, "I'm ready. Let's go."

"Well now I feel underdressed. Just give me a minute." Hans rushed to the clothes he had set out and quickly got dressed behind the changing screen in about a minute. He jogged over toward Kai and Elsa, "Alright, let's go."

"That was fast."

The three of them started down the hallway as Hans chuckled, "When you're out at sea and your ship gets attacked in the middle of the night, it pays to get dressed in a timely manner."

Elsa shook her head, "There's still so much I don't know about you." As they neared Hans' study which was just down the hall from Elsa's, Elsa anxiously bit her lip, "So Klaus is you eldest brother, correct?"

"Yes. He's the heir to the Southern Isles throne. He's also my father's favorite."

Kai opened the door for Elsa and Hans as they entered the study. Standing in the middle of the room with his hands tightly clasped behind his back in a military-like stature stood a man that looked like the spitting image of a younger version of King Richard. He was very tall, about 6'2 with broad shoulders and a strong back and as he turned around Elsa could see those hypnotic green eyes that her husband also possessed. His hair was a couple tints darker than Hans' with neatly combed wavy locks that were separated down the middle of his head and a full beard that gave him an air of authority. Elsa could see how such a man could seem intimidating to others and how that probably helped gain King Richard's favor.

The prince politely smiled, "Hans, it's nice to see you."

"Klaus." Hans reached his hand out and sternly shook his brother's hand. Elsa could see Hans' disposition shift dramatically which both startled and alarmed her. Hans firmly placed a hand on the small of Elsa's back, "I do not believe you have met my wife, Queen Elsa."

"I believe you are right." Klaus respectively bowed while graciously accepting Elsa's outstretched hand, "Your Majesty, I apologize for this untimely visit but the matter is quite urgent."

Elsa nodded, "My advisor said it had something to do with King Richard?"

"Yes. I'm afraid I have some bad news." He ran his hand over his beard, "Someone attempted to assassinate our father."

"Attempted to?" Hans furrowed his brow, "So he's alright?"

"More or less."

"That is bad news." Hans smirked.

Elsa tried not to laugh at Hans' sarcastic tone and even Klaus cracked a small smile, "Hans, I know you and father never saw eye-to-eye until recently but he is requesting that all of his sons return to the Southern Isles."

Elsa tilted her head, "Prince Klaus, if I may inquire, what happened?"

"Someone pulled a gun on him during our summer festival. Shot him in the shoulder. But the doctors say he will survive."

Elsa absentmindedly started rubbing her shoulder where she took a bullet not too long ago, "If it were an assassination attempt then you would think they would have been aiming at a more vulnerable spot."

"That's what we surmised." Klaus cracked another smile, "Hans, you didn't mention how inquisitive my sister-in-law was."

Although it may have been unintentional, that comment irked Hans as he stood up a bit straighter and his demeanor turned defensive, "It takes more than a pretty face to rule a kingdom, Klaus. She's gone through more than you could ever imagine and she had to take the throne as soon as she became of age. She's more capable than most men of your stature give her credit for."

"I didn't mean any harm by it. I just meant that she's very beautiful and it's nice that she can also have her own input. She's remarkably insightful-"

"Excuse me, but she can hear you." Elsa leaned back against the edge of Hans' desk with her arms crossed in order to reflect her annoyance, "Prince Klaus, it seems that you either have an amateur assassin on your hands or an expert."

"An expert? Did you not hear that he missed?"

"And did you not hear what your father said after the attack? He wants all of his sons to return to the Southern Isles. Perhaps the assailant knew this and therefore purposefully missed any vitals. Your father may not be the actual target."

"You think that one of us could be the target?"

Elsa cocked an eyebrow, "Do not take this the wrong way, but you're probably not the target or else the assassin would have shot you instead."

Hans' lips twitched as he tried not to smile and laugh at his brother's appalled expression, "Elsa's right, Klaus. It could be any of us, except you, no offense. Did you question the attacker?"

Klaus hesitated, "…not yet."

"Why didn't-oh…"Hans shook his head in disbelief, "Don't tell me they escaped."

"The main square was crowded and no one seemed to get a good look at him."

"And I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you didn't examine the bullet?"

"Examine the bullet? It was covered in Father's blood, that's my examination. But we are creating a list of possible suspects."

"Way to go, Detective." Hans sarcastically laughed, "I'm sorry, Klaus, but until the assailant is caught there is no way I am going back to the Southern Isles."

"Hans, you don't understand-"

"No, you don't understand. I've got a life here. A family. A job. And I'm not going to pack up everything and head back home for who knows how long."

"We need your help!"

"Wait, what?" Hans' face showed genuine surprise.

"Father specifically requested that I travel here and escort you home. Everyone else just got a letter but he sent me to personally make sure you were coming back. He admires your work ethic, Hans. He wanted someone who 'knew what he was doing'. And let's face it, besides me and maybe Viktor, you're probably the most intelligent."

"Wow…that was almost a compliment."

"I'm being serious, Hans." Klaus briefly glanced down before looking up at Hans with a sigh, "Please come home."

"I'll think about it. But in the meantime, it's late and, personally, I'm tired."

For the first time in a while, Elsa finally spoke up, "We will get you settled into a room for the remainder of the night. Breakfast is served at half past seven. My advisor is waiting outside and he will escort you to your room."

"Thank you, Queen Elsa." Klaus respectively bowed as Elsa made her exit, "And Hans?" Hans paused from where he stood by the door, "Please take your consideration seriously."

Hans solemnly nodded, "Goodnight, Klaus."


Quiet and tired, it was about three in the morning by the time Hans and Elsa shuffled into their bedroom. Elsa sat at the edge of the bed and tiredly rubbed her face while Hans paced back and forth, "We're both thinking the same thing, aren't we?"

"Vortex?"

"Vortex." Hans ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

Elsa looked up and watched him pace, "But what could they possibly be planning? Thomas Sullivan is locked up. We have James Jagger here."

"Perhaps Thomas was right. Vortex may be larger than we originally anticipated."

"If that be the case, then what happened in London was just the tip of the iceberg."

Hans humorlessly laughed, "If that was just the tip of Vortex, then we are getting into something big."

"Something big?" They said that something big is coming and now was not a good time to have a baby. You need to place all of your heart and energy into what's going to happen. There will be no room for any sort of distractions. "This is it." Elsa whispered to herself.

"I'm sorry?"

"Remember when I told you that something was coming. Something big? This could be it."

"Okay, so what are we going to do about it?"

"I…I don't know." Elsa stood up and walked over to Hans.

Hans sighed as Elsa wrapped her arms around him, "What do you want me to do? I'll do whatever you say."

"Honestly? I don't want you to go." She apologetically looked up at him, "But I feel like you should. I mean, technically speaking, if this is Vortex, aren't we the ones who kind of set them off?"

"Technically speaking? Vortex is an organization filled with crazy people and I don't think we should take the blame for any of their antics."

"Hans, look. We are included in a small number of people who know about this organization. If you go back to the Southern Isles, you can help them catch this person and then come back. Without you, they'll be lost."

"Elsa, we are barely starting to get over a huge hurdle of our own. Do you really think it's best if I go?"

"It depends. Best for me? No. Best for your family back home, your home kingdom, perhaps the world? Yes. And let's face it. I think too logically to argue with stakes like that."

"It could be a trap."

"We really have no proof of that since the bullet cannot confirm anything, so it may not have anything to do with Vortex after all. Your father is not a very popular man so the possibilities are endless."

Hans laughed as he tightened his embrace around her, "Here's to hoping."


As seven thirty was slowly approaching, Anna and Kristoff were walking hand-in-hand to the dining room for breakfast. Both were feeling pretty anxious about Anna's upcoming appointment with the doctor that would take place shortly after breakfast. Finally, in order to break the tension, Kristoff cleared his throat, "So…how are you feeling this morning? Any queasiness?"

"Actually, I feel pretty good today." Anna smiled, "Plus I slept really well last night."

"That's good."

Another awkward silence fell between them, "So how did you sleep?"

"Fine. Just fine." Kristoff anxiously rubbed the back of his neck, a habit he tended to do when he was nervous.

"Um, so hey, I was thinking…" Anna glanced up at her husband before looking straight ahead again, "If I am, ya know…would you be hoping for a girl or a boy?"

"Honestly? I haven't given it much thought because I'm really hoping that I won't have to give it much thought for a while."

Anna slightly pouted, "Yeah…me too."

Kristoff glanced down at Anna and smirked, "Obviously you've been thinking about it though."

"Ya know, I really haven't. I was just trying to make conversation."

"I saw that look, Anna. I know you're lying." Kristoff opened the dining room door for her, "So? Boy or girl?"

"I think I would be hoping for-who the heck are you?" Anna stared at the stranger who was already seated at the table.

"You must be Princess Anna." The man stood up and walked over to them, "Which would make you Prince Consort Kristoff Bjorgman." The man respectfully bowed, "I am Prince Klaus of the Southern Isles."

"Oh my gosh, you're one of Hans' brothers?!"

"Yes, I am. Sorry to have startled you, but Queen Elsa told me that breakfast was to be served at half past seven?"

"Uhhh yeeaahhh…" Anna tilted her head at Klaus, "So when did you show up exactly because as of last night we weren't hosting any guests nor were we expecting any."

Kristoff was shocked by Anna's blunt tone but to his surprise Klaus just laughed, "You know, I've heard about your matter-of-fact boldness, Your Highness, and I must say it is refreshing to hear a royal speak with such genuine assertiveness."

"Thanks but you still haven't answered my question-"

"I see you've already met my brother." Hans announced with false enthusiasm as he and Elsa entered the dining room.

"Yeah and I'm still wondering about the why?"

Elsa motherly ushered everyone towards the table, "How about we all sit down and discuss this over breakfast, shall we?"

Once everyone was seated, the dining staff entered and expertly brought in the numerous amount of trays. Within a minute, the wait staff was gone and everything was properly displayed on the table. Anna patiently waited for everyone to start eating their breakfast but the suspense and unknown tension in the air was making her rather restless, "So, Klaus…what brings you to Arendelle?"

"Anna." Elsa threw a pointed look at her sister.

"What? You said we could discuss this over breakfast?"

"If it is alright with you, Your Majesty, I do not mind telling them about my business here."

Elsa glanced at Hans who gave a subtle nod, "If you wish to discuss this now then let's get on with it."

"Princess Anna, I come to bring unfortunate news that my father has been shot."

"Oh no! Is he alright?!"

"Don't act too worried, he survived." Hans unenthusiastically quipped.

"Oh…okay. Did you catch the guy?"

"Not yet."

"Did you take a good look at the bullet?"

Klaus momentarily paused at the strange and familiar question, "No, it was covered in blood."

"Oh…well the good news is that he's alive."

"Yes, but the real news is that my father has requested for all princes of the Southern Isles to return home immediately."

"What?!" Anna glanced at Hans and Elsa, noticing the uncomfortable looks they shared, "So the real reason you're here is to escort Hans back to the Southern Isles?" Suddenly it made sense as to why there was some sort of tension at the table, "Hans, you are not actually going to go back, are you?"

All eyes were on Hans as he picked at his breakfast, "After a long and debated conversation with Elsa, we did come to a decision." He glanced at Elsa as she quietly grabbed his hand underneath the table and gave it a comforting squeeze, "We decided that I will go back to the Southern Isles."

"What?! Hans are you serious?! After everything that's happened-" Elsa shot a soft snow flurry at Anna underneath the table in order to get her attention and subtly shook her head to discourage her from talking about Sperca, Hans' death, London, Vortex, Hans' mother, or the baby. Anna got the hint and instantly composed herself, "You know, with everything that's happened regarding the strange summer storms we've been having. The weather is hardly fit for you to travel."

Klaus sympathetically smiled, "Don't worry, Princess. My crew are some of the finest sailors in the region. They got me here safely and they can take us back just as safe."

"But…but…"

Elsa curtly interrupted, "The decision has already been made, Anna. The crew has been alerted and they will be departing by noon."

Anna fiercely shook her head, "This is a mistake." She pushed her chair out and stood up in a calm manner, "Now if you'll excuse me. I've lost my appetite." Without a response she turned and strode out of the room.

Everyone else quietly sat at the table as they listened to the door slam behind her. A couple seconds passed before Kristoff stood up, "Hans, I respect your decision and I wish you good luck and safe passage. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go check on Anna." With a small approving nod from Elsa, Kristoff calmly left the room and followed the direction Anna disappeared to.

Another uncomfortable moment passed until Klaus quipped up, "Well, she's certainly a fiery kind-of-girl, eh?"


Kristoff took large strides through the castle corridors and given his height advantage over Anna, he quickly caught up with her, "That was an interesting development."

"If you're referring to my reaction then you can stop right there-"

"I was referring to the decision of Hans returning to the Southern Isles. I always thought he hated that place."

"Me too. None of this makes sense." Anna stopped walking and faced Kristoff, "I mean, Elsa is barely starting to feel like herself again and then he decides to leave? What's up with that?"

"Well, he did say that they both made this decision together so Elsa must be somewhat alright with this."

"She's not. She can't be. But you know her, she always puts everyone else's needs before her own."

"Princess Anna, you're here early." Doctor Omsorg kindly smiled as he stepped out of his office, "Would you like to do this now?"

"Um, sure, if that's alright with you."

"Absolutely. Come on in."

As the doctor headed back into his office, Anna turned around and whispered to Kristoff, "I need you to go check on Elsa and find out what's really going on."

"Anna, I don't think-"

"We don't have much time. Hans and Klaus are leaving by noon remember?"

"Fine." He sighed before the door closed in his face. He stood in the hallway and anxiously rubbed the back of his neck before heading towards Hans and Elsa's room.


"Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?"

"You're looking at me with your sad eyes."

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize…" Elsa shook her head as Hans returned to packing.

"You know, it's not too late to change your mind. You just say the word and I'll stay."

"Hans, don't do this. You know how I really feel about you leaving." She sighed as she laid down on her side on the bed, continuing to watch her husband pack, "Are we making the right decision?"

"Don't plant doubt in my mind, Elsa. I would much rather stay here than go back to that horrid wasteland."

"Is it really that bad?"

"I don't know. I'm just not looking forward to acting like the old me again. I've grown rather fond of the new and improved me."

Elsa smirked, "Me too." Hans chuckled as he glanced over at the door, something he had been doing since they returned from breakfast. Unfortunately for him, Elsa also noticed this, "Why do you keep looking at the door? Is there something else I don't know about?"

"No, it's just…" Hans glanced at the clock, "I've been wondering how long it would take Anna to come knocking on our door. After what happened at breakfast, I figured it was just a matter of time before she came in here and started yelling at me for leaving."

"I can't believe you're scared of my sister." Elsa laughed.

"She's scary when she's angry." As Elsa continued to laugh, the sound of someone knocking on the door quickly quieted them down. Hans slowly backed away from the door, "I'm going to let you answer the door. It's probably Anna."

Elsa rolled her eyes as she got off the bed and sauntered over to the door, "Oh! Hi, Kristoff." Elsa opened the door wider so Kristoff could step inside, "Hans, it's Kristoff."

"Kristoff?" Hans poked his head out from the bathroom, "Well this is a surprise."

"I know you were probably expecting Anna but she sent me instead." Kristoff slowly closed the door behind him.

"Is she still angry?" Elsa sat at the edge of the bed.

"She's more confused than angry." Kristoff glanced back and forth between Hans and Elsa, "So? What's really going on?"

Elsa and Hans shared a look before Hans stepped further into the room, "We believe that Vortex is calling us out. The assassin purposely missed my father knowing that he would request all of his sons to return home, thereby isolating me from all of you."

Elsa furrowed her brows, "Think about it. We managed to defeat Vortex last time because we were all together and when we are all together, we put up a good fight. But if we were to be divided-"

"Then we would be weaker." Kristoff nodded like he understood but then he violently shook his head, "But then Hans' decision to leave makes even less sense. Why are you purposefully making us weaker?"

"We are trying to get ahead of whatever Vortex is planning. As far as we know, Sullivan is still locked up and it's only a matter of time until he gets his minions to break him out. If I can help my family find and apprehend the Vortex assassin as soon as possible then we may be able to stop whatever Vortex is planning before it reaches its full potential."

"Well I guess that makes a little more sense…barely."

Elsa sighed, "We know it's a risk but it's one we have to take."

"Alright, if you say so." As he turned to leave he muttered, "I wish Vortex would just leave us and the rest of the world alone."

"As do we." Hans chuckled as he closed the door behind Kristoff. He turned around and looked at Elsa with a smirk, "You know, we've still got some time left until I have to meet Klaus."

"Okay? What did you have in mind?"

He reached for her hand with a smile, "Come with me."


"Okay, give it to me straight, Doc. What's the verdict?"

"Princess, I am not done yet."

Anna sighed as she continued to lay on the bed, impatiently waiting to hear her results, "So if I were to be pregnant, how would you recommend me telling Elsa?"

"The truth usually does the trick." The doctor walked back over to Anna and sat on the stool beside the bed, "Of course you may want to put off that conversation until you actually know the results." He took his stethoscope out as Anna lifted her blouse, "Now, this may feel a bit cold."

Anna yelped followed by a small giggling fit, "It tickles."

"Princess, it's hard to listen when you are giggling." However, the doctor couldn't help but smile at Anna's child-like laugh.

"S-sorry." Anna tried to take a deep breath but she couldn't control herself.

"Anna?" The doctor and Anna both stopped what they were doing and turned to find Kristoff poking his head into the room, "I'm sorry, am I interrupting?"

"No, it's quite alright. Please come in." The doctor stood and got Kristoff another chair so he could sit on the other side of the bed, "Perhaps you could help the Princess calm down."

"Is everything alright?"

"It turns out that your wife is quite ticklish."

"Oh, yeah. I found that out on our wedding night-"

"Kristoff!" Anna's face instantly turned red.

"What? He's a doctor."

"Some things are meant to be private." Anna covered her face in embarrassment.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Princess. I've heard a lot of so-called 'private' things in my time as a doctor. You would be surprised by how much I've learned about Queen Elsa and Prince Hans during the time of the Queen's short-lived pregnancy."

Anna immediately sat up with intrigue, "Ooohh…tell me!"

"Sorry, doctor-patient confidentiality. I've said too much already." The doctor smirked as he took out his stethoscope again, "But let's try this again shall we?"

"Alright." Anna laid down and took Kristoff's hand as the doctor proceeded. She had to bite her lip and tighten her grip on Kristoff but she managed to keep it together this time.

Finally, the doctor nodded and put away his stethoscope, "So, you said you've been experiencing morning sickness?"

"Yes…no…I don't know…" Anna rubbed her face, "Ever since we found out about Elsa's miscarriage, I've had trouble sleeping and feeling queasy in the morning. Plus I've been a little late on certain things."

"I see." The doctor nodded understandingly, "I guess my final question would be this: are you two ready to have a baby?"

"Wait, what?!" Kristoff's eyes grew wide.

"Oh no no no…" Anna instantly sat up with panic, "I mean, we haven't even talked about it, let alone actually being ready to be parents. Plus, with everything that just happened with Elsa…I would feel terrible!"

"Don't worry, Princess. You are not pregnant."

Anna blinked, "I-I'm not?"

"No, you're body has been under a severe amount of stress since your sister's miscarriage. Sometimes sudden stressful events can cause a woman to fall behind on her monthly routines. And the queasiness you've been experiencing in the mornings has to do with your body being exhausted via your lack of sleep via the stress you've been under."

"So, I'm fine? Everything's normal?"

"Everything is perfectly normal, Princess."

"Oh thank goodness." Anna visibly relaxed, "I don't think I could handle telling Elsa especially with Hans leaving."

"Prince Hans is leaving?"

"Yeah, he's going back to the Southern Isles. Apparently someone tried to kill his father but he survived and he's requesting that all of his sons return home to help catch the killer or something."

"Hmm…interesting." The doctor stood and bowed, "Well, if there's anything else you need, Your Highness, you know where to find me."

"Thank you, Doctor." Once the doctor left the room, Anna turned to Kristoff, "Okay, so spill it. What did Elsa and Hans have to say?"


It was about nine in the morning as Klaus wandered through the halls, taking in the art the Arendelle castle had to offer. He kind of felt bad about how breakfast ended and he was hoping that if he wandered around the castle long enough he would bump into someone from the royal family. But he had been wandering for about an hour and he was about to give up and head back to his room when he spotted a familiar face, although he wasn't expecting to meet this person, "Annaliese?"

"Yes?" She turned around and her jaw dropped, "Klaus? W-what are you doing here?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing."

"Well I asked first."

Klaus chuckled, "Yes, you did. I'm here to escort Hans back to the Southern Isles."

"He isn't in any trouble is he?"

"Not unless he's the man behind the assassination attempt on my father."

"What?!"

"A man pulled a gun on my father during our summer festival. Shot him in the shoulder, but the doctors' say he will survive."

"You caught the man who did this right?"

"Not exactly-"

"So he's still roaming around the Southern Isles and you want to bring Hans back why? So he can get shot as well?"

"No, it's not just Hans. My father wants all of his sons to return home. Speaking of my brothers, where's Kendrick?"

Annaliese hesitated while she lowered her eyes, "He's…dead."

Klaus' eyes widened in shock, "What?! How?!"

"There was a rebellion in Sperca and our palace came under attack. We managed to escape to a hidden safe house but I guess a spy followed us because when I left to collect fresh water from the springs they attacked our safe house and killed Kendrick."

"My God…when did this happen?"

"Over a year ago. I'm surprised you didn't receive word-"

"How would I? The rebel scumbags who killed him wouldn't be considerate enough to write us and you didn't inform us. Who did you think would write us?"

"I'm sorry I didn't think-"

"No you didn't, did you?!" Klaus temporarily paused in order to control his temper, "Does Hans know?"

"Yes. He and Elsa have been kind of enough to take me in."

"Why didn't you come back to the Southern Isles? Why did you come here instead? Wait…" Klaus raised a questioning brow, "How did you know Hans was here?"

"Your father sent Kendrick a letter saying Hans returned to Arendelle in order to receive his punishment for his crimes in Arendelle."

"And how did you know that Queen Elsa spared him? We didn't even know Hans was alive until he returned to the Southern Isles to ask to be reinstated as a prince in order to marry Queen Elsa."

"Hans and Elsa sent us a wedding invitation before the attack. We couldn't attend due to the rising tension among the citizens of Sperca." Annaliese lied without even batting an eyelash.

"In retrospect you should have accepted the invitation, my brother could have still been alive." Klaus looked Annaliese over, "You two have any children?"

"No."

"Hmm…"

"If you need a representative from Sperca, I could return to the Southern Isles in Kendrick's place."

"You are not a son of King Richard-"

"But I am still apart of the family."

"So is Queen Elsa and she is not coming along."

"Queen Elsa has a kingdom to run. I've got nothing better to do." Annaliese defiantly crossed her arms, "And in case you have forgotten, I grew up as a commoner in the Southern Isles as well. I have inside knowledge about the kingdom that none of you privileged princes would ever know about. I provide a different perspective that would prove to be quite useful."

Klaus intensely stared at her for a few seconds before finally nodding, "You make a good point. It would be foolish of me to leave you behind."

"I'll go pack my things." Annaliese smirked as she turned to leave. However, once she turned the corner, her nonchalant demeanor disappeared as worry came upon her. She nervously wrung her hands as she thought about her leaving Henry behind as well as whatever situation she was getting herself into. So instead of going to her room, she immediately went to go find Hans and Elsa.


"Hans, are you sure we have enough time for this? You haven't even finished packing-"

"Elsa, please stop worrying about me for the moment. You'll be doing enough of that once I leave."

"Fine…" Elsa figured they were heading to their usual special spot up on the hill but when Hans turned down a hallway that went in the opposite direction of the gardens, Elsa was confused, "Where are we going?"

"You'll see." Hans continued leading her down the hallway at an excited pace, until he finally came to a stop, "Here we are…" He opened the double doors that led into the large empty ballroom, "Come on in." He ushered her inside before closing the doors behind them.

"The ballroom?"

"Yup…" He chuckled at her confused expression, "Doesn't ring a bell?"

Elsa shook her head, "Not really, at least not yet."

"That's alright." Hans cleared his throat, "Queen Elsa," He held out his hand and properly bowed, "May I have this dance?"

A small smile spread across her lips in realization, "I don't know how to dance, Hans."

Hans kindly smiled and daringly reached for her right hand, "I can teach you." He placed her left hand on his shoulder and then gently placed his right hand on her waist, "You're blushing…"

Elsa cleared her throat, "I just don't want to make myself look like a fool."

Hans thoughtfully smiled, "Your Majesty, as long as you have a partner who knows what they are doing, then you will never look like a fool."

Elsa's smile grew, "Then I sure hope you know what you are doing."

Hans playfully winked, "You just have to trust me."

Unlike their first dance together in Sperca, Elsa didn't step on his toes nor did Hans have to teach her anything. Instead, they gracefully waltzed around the ballroom as Hans hummed the song they first danced to back in Sperca. The whole world and its problems melted away as the couple got lost in each other's eyes, elegantly twirling and sashaying around the empty ballroom. Finally, Hans stopped humming as their fantasy slowly drew to a close.

Elsa rested her head against his chest as they continued to sway, "I can't believe that you remembered."

"I've had a lot of life changing moments in my past that have unfortunately changed me for the worse. So when I finally experienced one that changed me for the better, I never forgot." He looked down at her and smiled, "You have been so good to me, Elsa. I don't think I could ever repay you."

"Come back home to me, alive and in one piece, then we can call it even, deal?"

Hans leaned down and gently kissed her, "Deal."

"Huh…" Elsa furrowed her brows.

"What's wrong?"

"I just realized that this was the first time we kissed since…you know, the loss."

"Yeah…such a shame that it had to be under these disheartening conditions."

"Yeah…" Elsa wistfully lowered her eyes before recomposing herself, "Perhaps we should head back to our room. You still need to finish packing."

"Sure." Hans took her hand and began to lead her toward the doors.

"Hans?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for the trip down memory lane." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, "It was fun dancing with you again."

Hans abruptly stopped walking and turned to her with a serious look on his face, "Elsa, I know you don't like me talking like this but in the event that I do not return-"

"Hans, don't-"

"I enjoyed our last dance together." Hans' heart ached as he saw sorrow fill Elsa's eyes, "I know we were both thinking it-"

"Stop." Elsa cut him off with a fervent kiss as she looped her arms around his neck and brought their bodies close together. Hans immediately responded with a passionate kiss of his own, snaking his arms around her body and keeping her close to him like he was afraid he was going to lose her.

Finally, as the couple ran out of breath, they ended their kiss. Elsa looked up at Hans with a sense of determination, "As soon as you start talking like that, then you have already sealed your fate. Promise me you will never let fear or doubt creep into your mind."

"I promise." He gently kissed her again, this time lingering longer than before.

Elsa looked up at him, a little out of breath from the kiss, "I think we should back to our room. You know, so you could finish packing."

Hans smiled at her insinuation, "Right. Packing."


"So what if Vortex tries to attack us while Hans is gone? Have they thought of that?"

"I don't know, Anna, I didn't ask."

"Geez, what's the point in sending you to get more information if you're not going to actually get more information."

"I'm not as nosy as you. I thought the information they gave us was sufficient enough." Kristoff glanced down at her while they walked through the castle corridors, "You don't trust them?"

"Of course of trust them, I'm just having a hard time understanding the logic here."

"Well I guess you'll have to ask them yourself before Hans leaves." Kristoff glanced at the clock that read ten thirty, "Which should be soon because he leaves in less than two hours."

Anna smirked, "Where do you think we're going?"

"Aww, what? I thought we were going to grab something to eat? We hardly ate any breakfast."

"Sorry but food can wait." Anna stopped in front of Elsa and Hans' door, "Which is a shame because I could really go for some sandwiches right about now." She firmly knocked on the door, "Elsa? It's Anna. We need to talk."

"Hold on. Just give us a moment."

Anna and Kristoff patiently waited outside the door as they heard lots of shuffling inside the room. They were startled when a loud thud sounded inside but then they heard Elsa's laughter follow it. Anna and Kristoff glanced over at each other and Kristoff smirked, "It would seem that we may have caught them at an inconvenient time."

After a couple minutes, the door finally opened as Elsa greeted them, "Anna. Kristoff. What brings you two by?" Elsa smiled as she hastily wrapped her hair into a bun and clipped it in place.

"Elsa, I'm sorry about my behavior at breakfast-"

"It's alright, Anna. I understand how you must have felt blindsided. It was a lot of news to take in and it was still pretty early." Elsa walked over to her mirror and adjusted her dress that seemed to be bit more rumpled than Anna remembered it being at breakfast, "I know you're not here to inquire about Hans and my decision because we already told Kristoff and I know he told you everything."

"Yeah, but…" Anna glanced around the room, "Speaking of Hans, where is he?"

"I'm here." Hans walked out of the bathroom, "Did you come to yell at me about leaving your sister?"

"Well that was my original intent but most of my anger has dissolved by now." Anna noticed Hans' disheveled appearance as he subtly tried to smooth out his clothes and hair, "I understand the reasoning for you leaving but what happens if Vortex tries to attack Arendelle while you're away?"

"Anna, just because I'm leaving doesn't mean the Arendelle military is leaving. The men and their fleets are stronger than ever. Arendelle is in good hands. Besides…" Hans wrapped an arm around Elsa's waist and gave her a smile, "We've got the most powerful queen in the world on the throne."

Elsa returned Hans' smile before facing Anna, "Trust us, we've thought this through. If everything goes to plan with Hans in the Southern Isles then we may put an end to Vortex for good and leave all of this behind us."

Just then the rapid sound of knocking sounded on the door. Hans hurried to the door and opened to reveal a stressed-looking Annaliese, "Annaliese, what's wrong?"

"Where have you been?! I've been looking for you and Elsa everywhere?!" Annaliese pushed her way into the room and closed the door behind her, "I ran into Klaus in the hallway and he told me you were going back to the Southern Isles."

"Wait, you talked to Klaus? Did he ask about Kendrick?"

"Yes, so I had to tell him about Sperca-"

"What?!" Hans and Elsa both exclaimed at the same time.

"What exactly did you tell him?" Elsa stepped forward with intrigue.

"I told him that rebels attacked the palace and that Kendrick and I escaped to a safe house but when I left the safe house to get water they attacked and killed Kendrick."

"You didn't mention anything about Elsa and I being there?"

"No. I lied and said that Kendrick and I received your wedding invitation before the attack and once Kendrick was killed I travelled to Arendelle to seek refuge."

"Does he know about Henry?"

"No. I told him Kendrick and I had no children." Annaliese anxiously wrung her hands, "But there's something else." Everyone silently waited in anticipation, "I'm coming to the Southern Isles with you."

Hans and Elsa looked at each other in bewilderment while Anna sighed, "So was this a part of the plan?"


Thanks for reading! Please please please review! Take care and have a great week! :)