Rifiuto: Non Miriena
A/N: It would take me an entire weekend to do a proper psychological study on Elsa and her selfish, pessimistic, narcissistic, brooding, calculating attitude... I mean, of the two, Hans is just as calculating, selfish and narcissistic, but he at least realizes the danger they're in and wants some sort of plan in place, from what I can gather... as for Elsa, I'm fairly certain she's going to get herself killed in this story. Actually, maybe I should double check on that... be right back...
Written: 2019 - Licia
It was custom in the Northuldra that when a couple married, the tribe readied their hut for the night to come. As Elsa's gaze moved about the room she spotted the little details- the blankets spread out and neatly waiting, the built up warmth of the fire, the small bowls of berries and other light treats, of oils and other things to be used during the night, the cups of wine-
And in the corner, rested Elsa's staff.
With a quick glance at Hans, she reached for it. Being closer, he was able to grab it for her, and after a moment, she accepted it, turning it over in her hand. A moment passed, before she glanced from the top of her staff where the sun was carved, to the silken ice around their wrists and smiled. She handed the staff back to him. "What are you-"
But before he could finish, with a wave of her hand, the binding had disappeared from their hands, and appeared tied around the top of the staff, above the sun carving. Once sure it was secure, Elsa took the staff, turning it in her hands, before pursing her lips. Something still seemed off. Hans, too busy flexing his fingers and moving his wrist to notice, only looked up in time to be nudged by the wood. He let out a grunt of annoyance, and Elsa glanced at him. "Els, love, what are you trying to-"
She didn't reply, simply wrapped both hands around the center of her staff and took a deep breath. With deep concentration, she gathered a small amount of her magic into her core, directing it into her hands. The staff began to glow beneath her touch, and after a moment, a burst of magic seemed to shoot the length of the staff. Hans leaned close, watching as the beautiful snowflakes he'd so lovingly carved into the wood began to glow brightly, as a ring of frost encircled the silk tied at the top in a cross-stitch pattern, as though sewing it to the wood. After a moment, the bright light began to lessen, until it was nothing but a dull glimmer. A smile tugged at his lips, and he met her gaze before she studied the staff, giving a satisfied nod. "There. It just felt like it was missing something. You made this for me, the silk is from our wedding ceremony, and a slight undercurrent of my magic, and with any luck-"
"We need to talk." He took it from her, setting it aside and pulling her close. "Elsa, I love you, but before we go any further, we need a plan."
"A plan?"
"We need to have some sort of plan to deal with this- a rushed wedding won't stop the river or what it's doing, it won't bring your sister back, it won't give you back your throne-"
"Then what do you want me to do, Hans?" She opened her arms with a shrug before reaching up to remove the pins that held the crown. Setting it gently beside the staff, she turned back to him. "Do you want me to go to Ahtohallan and..." She stopped, teeth sliding out to grasp her lower lip.
"I don't want you going to Ahtohallan. That is the last thing I want."
"Then did you want this- us-"
He grabbed her hands. "Yes. Elsa, I would have married you anyway, curse or no curse, prophecy or no prophecy, because I'm in love with you. Would I have rather waited? It may have been a better idea to wait, though I understand why we couldn't, but we don't have to consummate our marriage right away; and honestly, I don't think either of us are ready for that." He reached up, tucking one of her bangs behind her ear.
"Then what would you have me do, Hans? I can't go to Anna, I don't even know if she's with the trolls or with the Fae or even still alive. If I set foot in the Valley of the Trolls, I know it won't end well. I'm the one they want. I set foot in their valley-"
He rested a finger to her lips. "I'm not asking you to set foot in their valley. I'm not asking you to storm Arendelle's castle without a battle plan, I'm simply asking you to think. Form a plan, have a backup if it went wrong. You told me once that you're dear friends with that Queen across the water-" He stopped, unable to recall her name.
"Victoria."
"Yes, Victoria. Could you not request assistance from her-"
"And tell her what, Hans?" She demanded. "'Ria, just thought you should know, I'm no longer sitting upon Arendelle's throne, in fact there's an impostor upon my throne that's actually a troll and I've been living in the Enchanted Forest for the last two years. I need to break the curse on the mystical ancient river that's holding souls captive and then storm my own castle, even though I've been essentially banned from my homeland, could you maybe help me with that?' That would go over real well, Hans."
He sighed in agitation, pulling away and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Elisabeth, we have to do something-"
"We did! We got married! We did what the princess and the prince couldn't do! No matter how rushed, no matter if it wasn't truly our choice, it's something that changes the legend. And a change, no matter how small, is better than no change at all, isn't it?" She took his hands. "Hans, isn't it?"
He met her gaze before glancing down at her ring. It had been left over from the wood of her staff, and he'd worked on it over a period of a couple days, simply to see if it would be possible to create a piece of jewelry that small and delicate from wood. He had never intended it to be her wedding ring. And he couldn't willingly admit that he regretted marrying Elsa; the timing could have been better, the circumstances definitely better, but he didn't regret it.
He did love Elsa.
For all her quirks and odd idiosyncrasies, all her stubbornness and annoyances, all her anxieties and fears, he did truly love her. He was honored to be her husband, and told himself he would do all he could to uphold their vows, but what worried him was her seemingly blatant, near selfish belief that she had to do this alone- she either had to do this alone without help from anyone else, or she had to walk away so no one else would get hurt.
As she'd done the night of her coronation when she'd frozen the fjord and then dashed across the frozen water to the North Mountain, ignoring the consequences of her actions and the danger she'd put not just Anna in but her kingdom. She had a major tendency to be selfishly reckless in the worst of ways, either putting herself in danger for the sake of others or pushing them away for her own protection, there was never a happy medium.
Thirteen years in isolation would do that to a person; make them either so selfless they sacrifice all of themselves or so selfish they sacrifice everyone else. In this case, Hans couldn't decide if his wife was one or the other.
"Fine. Then I'll go. I'll go back to Arendelle and I'll demand an audience with the Queen, and take it from there." She gathered the skirt of her dress, stalking past him-
He grabbed her arm, tugging her back. "You'll do no such thing. You go storming that castle without a set battle plan and you'll be killed. I've witnessed it plenty of times to recognize the symptoms."
She turned back to him. "So? I'm to die anyway, aren't I? My death is to give Fifth Spirit what she wants, give the river what it desires. And if I die, the trolls can't get to me, so, what's the harm?" She yanked her arm out of his grasp, moving to grab the flap of her hut.
"There you go again, with that self-righteous, superior attitude. No wonder my father agreed to our betrothal- we're mirrors of each other."
She turned back to him, blue eyes blazing. "Maybe so, but I don't try to assassinate ruling monarchs in the hopes of winning a crown." As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them, seeing the pain flash in his green gaze. "Hans-"
He stepped back. "Go."
Her feet stayed rooted to the spot, and she tried to meet his gaze. "Hans, I-"
"Just go, Elsa. You want to storm Arendelle so badly and get yourself killed, by all means, go ahead. Who am I to stop you?"
She wrapped her arms around herself. "You're my husband-"
He shrugged. "Maybe so, but I'm also a man who's starting to wonder if maybe letting you go to the river is the better option right now, since you have such a death wish." He sighed, regretting the words as they left his lips, upon seeing the hurt in her eyes. "I married the Snow Queen, the one who considers every option and then builds a plan and has a strategy in place before running headfirst into danger, the woman who knows her value and worth to those around her, who isn't pulled by reckless actions and this... twisted sense of... I don't even know what! Even at my lowest, I still had a sense of self-worth. Not much, but I still knew it was there. I still knew the value of having a plan to avoid mistakes and fatal wounds." He shook his head. "But go on, storm Arendelle, get yourself killed. You want to go too far, go ahead, I won't stop you."
"Who will stop you from going too far?" Similar words from two years ago rang loud in her head, as she grabbed the staff, before going to him. She rose onto her toes, but he turned away, making it clear he wanted nothing to do with her at the moment. She sighed, and then ducked out of the hut.
Once she was gone, Hans sighed, running a hand through his hair. When had the woman he'd fallen in love with become so... so... like he used to be? "Damn it!"
Once back outside, Elsa ducked through the shadows headed to the river to get Nokk. Most of the tribe were still preoccupied with the excitement of the ceremony, and she breathed a sigh of relief to find Yelena and Vanja speaking with the elders. On quick, quiet feet, she ducked into Yelena's hut, making her way to where her bag with the diadem rested, and quietly set her staff down. She carefully moved the bag aside and then lifted the lid of the box. It glistened in the light, and she reached out to grab it.
Voices made her pause, and she turned; Yelena spoke with someone- she couldn't tell who- just outside the hut. She froze, watching the entrance, but after a moment, she heard Ryder's voice, and soon Yelena's, and then they were gone. Swallowing thickly, she grabbed the diadem, shut the box, and returned it to the bag, before cautiously slipping out of the hut.
Once near the entrance to the camp, she chanced a glance back, relieved to find everyone still preoccupied, and then dashed to the river. Once there, she quickly waved a hand, replacing her wedding dress with a simple tunic, leggings and flats. She conjured a cord of ice, which she tied into something similar to a sling, and slipped her staff into it before slipping it over her shoulder, and then conjured a small bag she tied about her waist, and slipped the diadem into it. She knelt by the water. "Nokk? Nokk, I need you!"
As she waited, she let her gaze linger on her reflection, gasping silently as she watched it shift. The part of the princess still trapped in Ahtohallan appeared- for the rivers were connected to the glacier by way of the inlet not far away. She sighed. Something has already changed, something about your story is different to mine.
Elsa nodded, holding up her hand with the ring Hans had made for her. "We were married a couple short hours ago. Not by choice. We would have preferred to have waited, but we'll take what we can get."
The princess studied her. Why are you here? Why are you not with him?
She turned away, taking a shuddering breath. "We... fought. But it doesn't matter. We will have the rest of our lives to be together in that way."
No, you won't! Do you not understand what is happening? Do you not-
"I understand fully well what is happening." She stood as the Nokk appeared, and as soon as it got close enough, she frosted him before climbing onto its back. Her gaze moved down to the princess. "But right now, I need to go to Arendelle."
The princess shook her head. You do that, and you may not come back alive.
Elsa shrugged, taking the reigns. "If I don't, I don't. And you already said it, part of my story has already changed." Then, without another word, she gently dug her heels into the Nokk's side, and they took off.