So.

I've been a little under the weather this week (I have a love/hate relationship with my Bipolar Disorder these days), but I was determined to get a chapter up today. I'm going to put my head down for a couple of hours now and then have another look at this thing, so if it's a mess, I hope it won't be for long.

As always, thank you for all the reviews and kind words. I'm so very lucky to have you, and your support and encouragement mean everything to me.

Be well. Stay warm. Or cool depending on what your preference is.

ssg.x.

CHAPTER 19
UNLEASHED

For the fifth time that evening, Kristoff found himself carefully walking down the hall towards Elsa's bedroom while trying to balance a re-fired bowl of the head chef's special recipe for cod and root vegetable soup, a cheese platter and a heel of freshly baked bread on a wooden tray. Under normal circumstances, Gerda would be the one bringing her dinner, but at the older woman's insistence, he was walking down the dimly lit hallway in her place.

"Maybe you can talk some sense into the girl. She needs to eat."

Between his large hands and his clumsy feet, he was walking at a caterpillar's crawl, afraid he'd trip and send the tray's contents flying. The soup would be cold by the time he got to the bedroom door, he was sure of it.

When he finally reached Elsa's bedroom, he looked down and smiled sadly. Anna was still propped up against the door, her knees drawn up to her chin and her face buried in her folded arms.

"Anna…"

"I'm not hungry, Kristoff. Just like I wasn't hungry the other six times you tried to get me to eat," she said gloomily.

"For your information, this is only the fifth time," he replied with mock indignation. "Don't you feel even a little sorry for me? I've done this five times now. Do you know how hard it is not to trip up in these boots on these hundred year-old rugs you have all over place?"

"Maybe you shouldn't be wearing winter boots in the middle of Spring."

Kristoff eased himself down beside her, gently placing the tray of food on the floor in front of them.

"I wear them because they're comfortable. Comfort's important to me. One of the reasons why I try to avoid things like, say, slowly starving myself to death, or falling asleep in doorways."

He scooped up a spoonful of the soup and held it out to Anna. She scowled at him.

"Come on, Anna. I've had an easier time cleaning Sven's teeth."

Anna sighed, looking so close to giving in.

"Look," Kristoff said, holding the wooden spoon up so she could get a better look at it. "I even brought your spoon. The spoon wants to be used, Anna. This was supposed to be its maiden voyage. Don't disappoint the spoon."

Anna smiled.

"'Don't disappoint the spoon?' You really are a goon, aren't you?"

Kristoff shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever works. Now are you going to eat?"

Anna opened her mouth and he popped the spoon into it. Most of its contents ended up on her chin. They both started to laugh. She took the spoon from him.

"I hope when you clean Sven's teeth you actually manage to get the brush in his mouth. Otherwise I think I know why Sven gives you such a hard time."

Kristoff relaxed against the wall, enjoying the sound of the spoon scraping the insides of the bowl as Anna continued to eat. God, he was so relieved to see her smiling again. The sound of her laughter after so long was like all the windows in the palace being opened at once. Suddenly he could breathe again. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"Have you eaten?" Anna asked.

"No, but I'm okay," he lied. "Gerda put something aside for me to eat later."

The truth was that he was very hungry, but he'd been so worried about Anna that he hadn't eaten ye –

Oh.

Anna tore the heel of bread in half and handed him a piece. Kristoff took it.

"You're a lousy liar," she chuckled. "Have some cheese."

"Isn't that a good thing? I mean being a lousy liar," he offered, his voice muffled by the bread and wedge of cheese he'd quickly shoved in his mouth.

Anna reached over and dusted some crumbs off his face. "Yes, it is. I think I've had my fill of good liars for the timebeing. Or forever."

"Has Queen Elsa come out of her room yet? She must know you've been out here all day."

"You can call her Elsa, you know."

"Not if she can hear me. Do you think she can hear me?"

Anna banged the back of her head against the door. "Yes, I'm about a hundred percent sure SHE CAN HEAR EVERYTHING WE'RE SAYING RIGHT NOW."

"Am I correct in assuming, then, that she hasn't come out?" Kristoff asked, trying his best not to laugh. It couldn't be helped. She was adorable.

"No," Anna replied miserably. "Not since she got home almost THREE DAYS AGO. And it's killing me," she said. "Do you hear that, Elsa? YOU'RE KILLING ME!" she shouted. She dropped the spoon into the empty soup bowl and buried her face in her hands. "Why is she doing this to me? She promised me she'd never shut me out again." To the door she yelled, "You promised me, Elsa!"

Kristoff put his arm around her and gently coaxed her into his embrace. She leaned her head against his chest and wiped her eyes.

"Has she let anyone in?"

"Gerda. Once. And only because she probably used our doctor as a human doorstop."

"Doctor? Is she okay?"

Anna sighed heavily. "She had a bandage wrapped around her head when she stepped off the ship. Gerda insisted our doctor have a look at her. He told us that Elsa was struck in the head, but that she'd be fine. We don't know any more than that. She won't tell us how she was hurt." She wrapped her arms around her knees. "I just want to know if you're alright," she called out. "Elsa, please…"

Anna started to cry and the sound broke Kristoff's heart. Between the two of them, Kristoff was usually the cool-headed one, but just then he felt like busting Elsa's door down for hurting Anna this way, and if she wasn't in such an emotional state, Kristoff wouldn't have been too shy to tell her so. Instead, he brought his other arm around her. She held him back and sniffled into his broad chest.

"I'm sure she'll be alright eventually. She loves you so much, Anna. Maybe she just needs a little time."

He kissed the top of her head tenderly and tugged gently at one of her long, red braids. They almost didn't notice the folded piece of paper that slid out from under the door. Anna excitedly picked up the note and unfolded it across her lap.

He's right, it read.

Anna wriggled out of Kristoff's hold. She got up on her knees and pressed her cheek against the door.

"I love you, Elsa," she said.

"I love you, Anna," came Elsa's soft, muffled reply.

Anna smiled and stood. Kristoff picked up the tray and started walking down the hall. Anna put a hand on his arm to stop him.

"Wait. The bowl of dried cherries. I want to leave it by the door. She loves those."

Kristoff held the tray out to her. She took the small bowl of dried cherries and gingerly set it down in front of the door. She looked back at Kristoff, all tension gone from her face. She drew her arm through his, and gave it a squeeze. If he hadn't been holding the tray just then, he would have kissed her. He glanced down at her hand and suddenly wished the ring he'd slipped on her finger was an engagement ring.

Soon, he thought.

They continued down the hall, Anna smiling serenely while Kristoff carried the tray with a little more confidence this time. A second before they turned the corner, Kristoff glanced back and saw a pale hand reach out through the slightly ajar bedchamber door, aiming for the bowl of cherries. The hand pulled the bowl along the floor, then both disappeared back into the room, leaving behind a small flurry of snow.

oooOOOOooo

After Kristoff was finally able to sit down and eat his own dinner, and Anna made quick work of a second and third helping of soup, the two of them were about to bid each other goodnight at the bottom of the stairs leading back up to Anna's bedroom when Kai rounded a corner and came barreling towards them, flanked by two palace guards.

"Princess Anna…" he gasped.

"Kai!" she called out, running to meet him. "What's going on?"

"We have a situation, my lady. We need to speak with Queen Elsa."

Anna and Kristoff exchanged worried glances.

"That isn't possible. Queen Elsa is still recovering from her injury. What kind of situation? What's happened?"

Struggling to catch his breath, Kai wheezed, "It's Prince Hans, Your Highness."

Anna's eyes widened. Kristoff took her hand.

"Prince Hans? Where? What does he want?"

"At the docks. He's asking to see Queen Elsa," he said.

Anna looked at him as though he were insane. "Are you kidding? He's not getting anywhere near my sister!"

"I'm afraid he's insisting, my lady."

"You tell him he can go to hell!" she shouted. Kai raised his eyebrows at the sudden, unusually acidic outburst. "Actually, wait. I'll tell him myself. Take me to him."

"Princess Anna, it's not that simple -"

"It has to be that simple, Kai. Elsa is in no condition to see Hans, and even if she was, she has nothing to say to that weasel. Now take me to him."

Kristoff tightened his grip on Anna's hand.

"Anna, maybe Kai is right. Maybe this is something the queen should handle. I know she's unwell, but she's far more powerful than –"

Anna glared at him. "If you take a minute, you'll remember that I'm more than capable of handling that monster myself." To the guards she said, "Take me to him."

Kai sighed, finally relenting. "Very well, Princess. But I insist that you put on a cape and bonnet first."

Anna tilted her head to one side. "A cape and bonnet? What for?"

oooOOOOooo

Anna and Kristoff silently headed for the docks, following the guards through the dark, quiet streets of Arendelle. She wished they didn't have to prowl around like bandits, but the last thing she needed was a town full of panicking villagers.

How dare Hans show his face here again? She was sure he had something to do with Elsa's injury and whatever other traumas that had her locking herself up in her room again. If he was the one who'd undone all the progress she and her sister had made over the past few months, Anna would undo him.

Kristoff walked briskly beside her, his hand still holding hers. Anna glanced across at him. He looked worried, but he gave her a small smile. She smiled back.

"It'll be okay," she said, weaving her fingers through his. "I promise."

"What is that?" Kristoff asked, squinting his eyes and stopping dead in his tracks.

Anna chuckled, looking back at him. "It's just the moon, you scaredy-ca—"

When she faced forward again, she found herself having to raise her hand to shield her eyes against a blazing blue light. The moon hung low in the sky, full and flawless with a soft, chalky ring around it, but it wasn't the source of the powerful light that left her seeing spots.

As her eyes adjusted to its intensity, she heard the two guards drawing their swords. Kristoff yanked Anna by the elbow and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her protectively.

A few yards away, out on the water, stood Hans. He was dressed entirely in black, standing on the water as steadily and as confidently as though he were standing on stone.

Or ice.

"Princess Anna," he called to her, bowing deeply. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Anna could hardly believe her eyes. He strode towards the pier as casually as if he were strolling through Town Square, trailing blue fire with each step he took. She started to tremble, remembering the night of the coronation ball, Elsa freezing the fjord as she made her escape towards the mountains.

"This is a nightmare," Kristoff whispered. "How's he able to do that?"

"I don't know." Anna replied, distracted. She pushed against Kristoff to free herself from his hold and shoved past the guards.

"What do you want?" she shouted. Hans gave her a wholly unsettling grin that made her shudder.

"I want to see Queen Elsa."

Kristoff tried to pull Anna back behind the safety of the guards, but she waved him off.

"That isn't going to happen, Hans. You're crazy if you think I'm letting you get anywhere near her."

Hans shook his head. "Anna, I've come a long way to see your sister, and I'm too tired to argue with you. So let me put it this way –"

He stomped his foot and the path of ice he stood on began to widen, racing both ways across the surface of the water, well on its way to freezing everything in sight, just as Elsa's power had done on Coronation Day. Anna felt just as helpless to stop it now as she did then.

She looked back at Hans and observed that he was no longer smiling. She wasn't sure which of his many faces frightened her more. "If you don't let me see Queen Elsa, I will freeze the fjord. I'll bring a winter to Arendelle that will make hers seem like a vacation in the tropics. I will bring this kingdom to its knees."

Kristoff reached for Anna. "Anna, you need to let him see her. She's the only one who can stop him."

Anna shook her head, her eyes never leaving Hans. "No," she said firmly. "I won't lose her to him again."

"Anna –"

"No, Kristoff!" she snapped. "I can't lose her again!"

Kristoff grabbed her arm, yanking her towards him. "Anna, it isn't about you and her anymore!"

"She's my sister!" she cried.

"She's also the queen, Anna! She's sworn to put the needs of the kingdom ahead of her own! You can't be selfish here! You're putting lives at risk! Do you really think that man over there cares if he freezes everyone to death? Do you think your sister would ever be able to forgive herself if something happened to her people? To you? You have to at least give her the chance to try and fix this."

Anna knew he was right, but still she hesitated.

"I'd listen to the giant if I were you," Hans said. "You're not exercising very good judgement right now, Anna. Frankly, I'd have thought you would have learned your lesson by now."

Anna glared daggers at him. "Very well," she seethed. "The guards will escort you to the palace."

"You will escort me to the palace. You and that blonde, ham-handed friend of yours."

"Fine. Let's go."

Hans hopped onto the pier in a single, smooth motion. Anna watched as the icy path he left began to break apart. When he drew near enough, she noticed the white streak in his hair but said nothing. Her questions would have to wait.

"Kristoff, please run ahead and let Queen Elsa know we're coming."

Kristoff shook his head fiercely. "I'm not leaving you alone with him," he said.

"Kristoff, I'm addressing you as your princess. Go on ahead of us and inform my sister and the staff that we're on our way," she ordered.

He looked positively devastated. It took everything she had left in her to ignore the hurt on his face, but she couldn't risk him losing his temper with Hans. He might retaliate by turning Kristoff into an ice sculpture. She turned her back on him and waited patiently for the sound of his retreating footsteps. Once she was sure he was gone, she brought her hand across her eyes to wipe away the tears that had gathered in them.

"Well, he seems nice." Hans said, standing beside her. "But then so did I once."

"Shut up," Anna replied sharply. "Let's just get this over with."