A/N: Hi all! So this chapter is gonna be a bit short, but it's because of the content. I made it short because I don't wanna share the events of tis chapter with the events of the next.

Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen or the Frozen franchise.

Hans

"Madolen. Madolen, please come out."

I stand at the door of Madolen's old bedroom, waiting for her answer. All I hear are soft sobs. The sound of rain is heavy against the walls of the now grey castle. The long, empty, corridor I'm standing in seems to make the occasion even worse - showing that we've still a long way to recovery.

I hear footsteps approaching. In the sound of the quiet, they sound like drums in my ears.

The elderly pope who wed Madolen and I stops at my side, a leather book that challenges him in age in hand. He opens it up to a page full of shaky yet straight lines. "I stayed up all night preparing this. I await only your approval."

"Thank you," I take it with a small smile.

"Of course," says he, his greying brown eyes sorrowful as he proceeds. "How fairs the queen to be?"

I sigh, nodding to the dark wood door I'm in front of. "Not well I'm afraid. She's in there and she won't come out."

Pastor Clemens nods in understanding. "It's a dark time for all of Casmont. If she doesn't feel better after today, we can postpone the coronation. We do not want such a heavy crown put on an already frail heart."

"I understand," I nod. "I will do my best to strengthen her spirits. Casmont needs us to be strong now more than ever."

"You speak the truth, Your Highness," says Clemens, placing a shaky hand on my shoulder. "I will see you in two days for the service." He weakly squeezes my shoulder before wobbling on back the way he came.

I rap at the door, "Since you don't wanna come out, I'll come in there. Fair enough?"

Madolen stops her crying and finally I receive a reply. "…Okay." Footfalls approach the door before the lock shifts in it. Then, I hear footsteps return deeper into the room.

I gently open the door and see Madolen lying in the middle of her bed with her face buried in a pillow and her arms wrapped tightly around said pillow. "I'm very sorry, Madolen." I start, not sure if I should come any closer. Madolen mumbles something into her pillow, but I can't quite make it out. "What is it, elskede?" I lean forward to better hear her.

"Please shut the door," she lifts her face off of the pillow a moment to speak.

I do as told before stepping into the dim room. I take a seat on the edge of the bed and set pastor Clemens' book on the bedside table. I look over at Madolen's wracking form as she wails and my mouth stretches to a frown. I weave my fingers into her unusually free hair, rubbing my thumb along her head. "You can always speak to me."

She shakes her head. "It h-hurts to even think about it." Madolen sniffs loudly.

"It doesn't hurt for nothing, Madolen. Chances are that it hurts because you're healing," I say lowly. "You can't let it sit in there forever."

Madolen seems to cry louder as she shakes her head again. "I… I don't… I c-can't-"

"Shh, it's okay," I tell. "Take it easy. I'm not trying to push you, I just don't want you to push me away. I need to know what's going on with you. We need to get through this together, right?"

Madolen slowly nods, "Mmhhmm."

I swing my legs onto the bed and recline my back against the headrest. I close my eyes as I stroke Madolen's back, noting how her breathing steadies at the touch. The king and queen were making a good recovery, but it didn't last. News was shared just a day after the Cow Train that they'd passed on in their sleep. Their demeanours moment before they'd died betrayed no signs of illness. They were laughing and dancing and joking like one would expect them to. For them to die so suddenly, so abruptly, so unusually – it was a stab in the heart. It is a stab in the heart. Madolen took it the worst, but no one can tell why - other than the obvious reasons. She grieves as if she's done more than lost her parents.

"Hans." I look back down to Madolen at her calling. I see that she's rotated so that she's lying on her side and facing me, big bloodshot eyes screaming ruin. "I feel like my heart is imploding, and taking everything inside of me with it."

I cock my head to the side, gesturing for Madolen to come closer. She ambles over and rests her head on my lap, her forehead nestled into my stomach. "It's only normal to feel like you do, Madolen," I grip her arm. "I don't like seeing you like this, but I know you need to go through all these things to recover."

"I don't think I'll ever come close to recovery."

"It feels like that now, I know," I take a deep breath, steadying my own emotions. "But you move forward, elskede. Even though you never move past it."

Looking down at Madolen, I can tell she's hesitant to share something. She nibbles on her lower lip a while before speaking, gazing up at me. "What if it was my fault?"

"What do you mean?" I question, confused at such a statement, but putting forward a kind face.

"I don't know," she begins. "I just feel like I gave them the disease. I got sick and I made them that cake, and they ate it, and now…"

"I ate that cake too, Madolen," I tell.

"But you're basically immune to everything," Madolen adds. "And it might not even just be the cake. It might be me interacting with them as a whole."

"But you're not sick anymore," I tighten my grasp on Madolen's hand. "It can't have been anything your parents couldn't handle."

"It's just too much of a coincidence to be untrue," she sniffs. "I won't be able to live with myself if I had any part to play in this."

"You didn't, Madolen," I cup her cheek.

"Then what happened?" her eyes begin to brim with tears again.

"They got sick, elskede. Maybe, just maybe, you gave them your sickness," I start, "but you didn't kill them." Madolen nestles into my stomach and I cradle her. "Don't beat yourself up like this. You just lost your parents, Madolen. You don't need to hurt yourself any more."

Madolen wipes her eyes. "I don't…. I don't know what I'm gonna do without them." She shrugs. "I don't know how to live with them gone."

"Madolen, look at me." Madolen props herself up to sit with crossed legs next to me. I take her hand, gazing intensely into her eyes. "We move forward together. We'll just take it a day at a time. We don't need to figure everything out right away, alright?"

A sad smile fights to shine on Madolen's face and she nods quickly. "Okay," her breath shakes her words. "Together."

"Always, elskede," I tighten my grip on her hand.

Madolen throws her arms around me and buries her face in my neck. "Oh, Hans," she gently clenches a fist full of my hair and pressing as close to me as she can. "What would I do without you?" Madolen's frenetic shuddering relaxes as I gather her into a warm hold.

"You're a prodigious woman, Madolen," I offer a slight smile. "You'll be fine."

"I don't feel all that amazing."

"Then I'll make it my job to remind you every day," I softly kiss the side of Madolen's head.

Madolen

That weekend, the ceremony takes place. We all gathered in the cathedral early in the day to honour Ma and Da. Pastor Clemens prepared a great speech that drove tears in every eye. All of that is okay. It's fine. But this is the scary part – the burial. That's the end of it, you can't deny your situation any longer once you see the depths in the ground. You can't pretend it isn't real any longer once you see the mounds of dirt where the gaping holes in the ground once were.

"Would the prince and princess care to share a few words?" questions pastor Clemens, drawing me out of my mind of woe.

The rain falls lightly on the old man as we stand outside on the east islands, where the Fields have a section exclusively for royal burial. The weather runs with thunder and lightning, but it slows us not.

Hans takes my hand and leads me to the open graves in the green grass, a section for my parents surrounded by the massive congregation that's come out to pay condolences. The. Deep into the ground lay my parent's shiny black coffins, flowers of all sorts deposited atop them. The congregation looks to us for words to say, and Hans tightens his clasp on my hand in an encouraging manner as we turn to face the crowd that surrounds us on all sides.

"In the short time that I knew the king and queen they showed me nothing but kindness and grace," Hans starts. "They were parents to me as I'm sure they were parents to Casmont. I'd enjoy having tea with the Queen Nancy and hearing King Wiatt tell me about the great Raphael of Casmont. In the rushed weeks I shared with them I've never felt more honoured…" Hans steadies my breathing. "They've left a strong kingdom behind. Surely this strong kingdom won't be left behind. On my honour, I shall work to keep Casmont as it was before. And with Madolen, we shall improve it." I pat Hans on the back gently as he finishes his speech, his throat clearly throbbing with feeling. "I wish I had more time with them. They struck me with inspiration and admiration."

"Thank you, Your Highness," says Pastor Clemens. He looks to me, awaiting my speech.

I focus my attention on the congregation around me and smile weakly. "When I got the news, I was angry. I was in denial. But in the end, I understood and accepted it. I'm not happy about the death of the king and queen, as I'm sure is the case with most of you. I wished they'd lived on longer. Much, much longer." I meet eyes with Gala who's in the arms of Jasper, both garbed in total black, as is expected. Gala's eyes are bloodshot to match mine, and Jasper's features tremble as he fights to be strong. "But the mark of greatness is taking what's given to you and empowering yourself and others with it – good or bad. I'm not saying we shouldn't grieve – grieve. But we grieve knowing that this is the time for sorrow and a time for jubilance will return." Hans puts an arm around my shoulder as I proceed. "Although I'll miss my parents and all the love they gave to me, and all the love they gave to Casmont, I know they didn't leave without making us all capable to power through and honour them with our victory against the storm. And centuries afterwards."

Different nods and looks of agreement are given to us and Pastor Clemens gives a nod to the men tasked with the job of burial. "Thank you, your Majesties. Your words are much appreciated."

As the men begin refilling the holes behind us, I watch them with a mixture of feelings. Once those chasms fill up it'll be that much real and official – my parents are dead. And there's no changing that or how they died. Never in my life did I predict a life without my parents. As unrealistic as it sounds to envision a life with your parents in it forever, it seemed more realistic than them passing so suddenly. So unusually.

Perhaps noting my deep thoughts, Hans whispers to me. "You'll be okay, Madolen. I assure you."

"I will." I force a brave smile and look up to Hans. "I assure me too." Hans and I walk through the parting crowd to the carriage that took us up to the Graves. Jasper waits with a forlorn look for us.

"Your carriage," he sweeps the door open. I stop short at the sight of him. His olive face is painted red at the eyes and the nose from episodes of sadness no doubt. His bright eyes meet mine for a moment before I throw my arms around him in a caring grasp. "I'm very sorry, my Queen."

"I'm very sorry too, Jasper," I say, increasing the embrace. I pull away with a courageous smile of strength and step into the carriage. As I shimmy into my seat I see Hans and Jasper sharing a hug of their own before he joins me inside.

"You did very well, Madolen," Hans takes my hand. "You're stronger that you look."

I smile. "Thank you, Hans. I couldn't do it without you."

Hans kisses my hand covered with a sleek black glove, as is the rest of me. My bottleneck dress has long sleeves and ends under my ankle, loosely holding me on the way down there. Hans is draped in ebony trousers and boots with a matching blazer and button up shirt – the blazer embellished with all matter of medals and awards. "You could." His majestic eyes lock with mine, his fair face showing that he himself as been battling with emotions. "You could." He nods.

My smile grows. "You look like you could use a hug."

"Maybe I do," Hans wipes a hand through his tamed mane. "Hold me and we'll find out."

I enfold Hans in my embrace and he returns the favour. "I think you definitely needed it."

Hey, guys! Thanks for reading thus far. I hope you enjoyed it and I'll see you all again when I see you all gain.