It was time to take back the power. Elsa sneaked into her master's room. Hans was asleep in his bed, tossing and turning, drenched in sweat. Moaning about fire, and smoke and ash. It wasn't as bad as it had been. She brought calmness and peace of mind that he desperately needed.
She extinguished her candle and sat beside him. In a few moments, his nightmare got worse, and she gently shook him awake. He bolted up, "What? Where-?"
"Are you okay?" She asked. He shrugged. At times like these, it was easy for the ex-queen to lose herself in the moment. Hans wasn't in charge right now, and neither was she. They were just two people, in the dark, desperately scrambling for answers.
"Why are you here?" An excellent question. Why did she think this was a good idea?
"I need something," She pushed him back down, gently.
"I need something too," He playfully growled, "What?"
Elsa sighed, "...honesty."
Hans said, "No." And rolled over.
"Fine," She said, "I need Anna."
Hans was silent for almost a minute before answering her, "...no."
Elsa's heart sank like a stone. She couldn't give up on her sister. Images of the poor girl starving in a freezing cell kept Elsa up at night. She needed to help her.
"Please... I need her. I cannot bear to give up hope!"
"She murdered my brother in front of me," He growled.
Elsa thought that was a bit rich since he had left Anna to die a couple of times, but let it go.
"...I'll do anything you want," There, she'd said it. There was absolutely no way he could turn her down now. Her stomach did odd flip-flops as she waited for the high prince he would extoll-
"No," Strangely she felt hurt and insulted.
"...what?"
Hans rose in his bed, glaring at Elsa, "I cannot restore Anna's place as princess any more than I can restore yours. I am a protector, the protector, of everyone within Southern Isles territory. I will not let Anna out of her cell."
Elsa's heart broke, "But... she'll die without me..."
Hans blinked a couple of times, "...you'd do anything, for her?"
The ex-queen nodded. He motioned her closer.
"Anything," She insisted. A gut feeling crept up her spine; somewhere in a very powerful part of her humanity, she knew exactly what he wanted, and the depths to which he would sink to get it.
He nodded, "I won't release her," yet he pulled back the covers of his bed. Elsa fought back against the emotions rising in her chest. She had to be brave. For Anna.
The ex-queen walked to the other side, lying down stiffly. She determined not to move a single inch until she was sure Hans was done with her.
He pulled the blankets back up over her shoulders, saying nothing in the darkness. She said nothing as well. Minutes ticked by. Her muscles grew sore as she kept them clenched the whole time.
...
Nothing. He did nothing but stay on his side and sleep soundly. She did not. Elsa lay awake for hours wondering what just happened, what Anna would say, why Illana hated her so, and why Hans didn't just... just...
It was a long night.