Sophia stood on her balcony watching the festivities below.
She sighed. Anna and Kristoff were finally married. She should be happy. She should be down there celebrating and dancing with the rest of her friends. Instead she was above them, separated.
"Don't do this," Said Elsa, quietly gliding up behind her niece, "Don't be like me. You're too... you, too Sophia. We both know you want to be down there with your aunt and uncle."
Sophia shrugged, "I just don't feel like celebrating. What about you?"
"I want to celebrate," Sighed Elsa, "But it just feels like... if I go down there... time has passed."
They both knew time would pass regardless. But this was about something else; Hans. He wasn't here for a very, very important family event.
"What if I go down with you?" Sophia put her hand on her adoptive mother's hand. Elsa beamed, trying to keep her happiness from exploding into snow.
"I would like that, very, very much."
The two went down the steps. Anna was twirling about, holding a small infant. Elsa gave Sophia's hand a quick squeeze, "Dance with somebody."
"I kind of feel alone. If somebody approaches me, maybe I could-"
Her aunt cut her off, "NO! Don't let people think you're closed off!" She quickly added, "Trust me; it never ends well."
Sophia nodded. Her aunt was very, very wise. Holding hands, the two descended. Once their presence was announced, Anna squealed happily, running over to greet her sister and niece.
"I'm so glad you two have come!" She bounced happily. She handed the baby off to Sophia to hug her sister, "It seems like we've been putting this day off for forever!"
Elsa just smiled.
"May I have this dance," A low voice whispered, trying to interrupt Anna. She brushed him off.
"Sorry this girl only breaks out her dancing shoes for her husband. And Elsa doesn't."
Elsa was pulled away as the stranger insisted, "Perhaps this time she will."
The White Queen's eyes flew open in shock, recognition, and terror. Anna only noticed her sister becoming tense, so intent was the younger royal on watching after Sophia and the baby.
"Elsa..."
Just her name. That's all it took. Elsa melted into his embrace, an explosion of snow occurring over their heads.
"Uncle Hans?" Questioned Sophia. He stepped out of the shadows and knelt. She was a young lady now, entering into the prime of her life.
"Hello, little one," He stopped, "Sophia, I missed you so much!"
He embraced her, picking her up and swinging her around and around and around. When he finally set her down, Anna came over to share a piece of her mind.
He hit the ground, taking a second to catch his breath after she brutally upper-cut him in the gut.
"Are you serious?!"
He rose, "Nice to see you too, Anna," They kind of hugged, but also didn't- a kind of grasping of arms and leaning in, as if they knew that neither of them really wanted to get along, but were still family. It was then that he noticed the infant she had been carrying.
"Anna!" He objected.
"What?" She demanded, handing the baby back to his mother, "I'm a perfectly capable aunt- obviously!"
He looked back to Elsa, "...oh."
That 'oh' was the darkest, most depressed 'oh' in the universe. It was an 'oh' of understand, acceptance, and loneliness.
"He's very lucky," Said Hans, locking eyes with the child.
"She's lucky," Added Elsa, "And I'm lucky. I'm so glad to see you here. I hope you have good news?" He did not. The tired ache on his face communicated that.
"I'm sorry no," He looked about the party for someone, "But I was here on business anyways, not pleasure."
"We should talk then," Elsa said, cradling her child.
"With your husband," Hans insisted. The women each gave him a confused look. He gestured towards the baby, and understanding lit in their eyes, "I knew I'd be gone a long time, and I'm glad you found happiness, but I'm here for Sophia."
"...my husband?" Exclaimed Elsa, an embarrassed blush spreading across her rapidly heating cheeks, "Is definitely here on business, not pleasure."
She hefted her child higher on her hip as the baby happily played with her mother's braid.
Hans cleared his throat, "Uh..."
Anna rolled her eyes, "Hans, this is your daughter, Serai."
The baby bubbled at him. The ex-king, ex-prince, yet still a husband looked down.
"I'm... a father?"
The shadow of being the King's Hand immediately vanished as his daughter held out her hands for him. He therefore missed the look of righteous fury, "Hans."
The simple statement brought his eyes up to hers, "My love..."
"Yes," She blinked impatiently, "Love. I am your wife. I have stayed faithful to you as you have faithfully served my interests in the Southern Isles," Her grip on her child grew tighter, "Have I any reason to believe that fidelity has altered?"
"Never!" He breathed, "never, my white queen..." She harrumphed indignantly, walking away to feed the baby. Hans decided to give her some room to calm down. When Elsa was unhappy, so was everyone else.
"Smooooooth," Chided Anna, "Within seconds of spotting your kid you accuse your wife of adultery."
Hans blushed under the close scrutiny of Anna, "I just... she's just... we were never... I mean, yeah, we did but... I always figured she didn't really love me."
"Huh," Said Anna, musing, "Let me remember that; bear you husband an heir, and he won't believe he loves you. Nice."
Glancing across the way, Hans spotted Kristoff talking and laughing... with a pile of rock?
"Huh? Um... maybe it's best if his genes aren't passed on," Said Hans good-naturedly. Anna laughed.
"So, how's the war?"
Hans sighed, "Good news; I can end it with a hunt," Seeing her perplexed expression, explained, "The Westerguards have always been... fertile. So when the question of eligibility came up, we would hunt the rare golden fox."
Anna rolled her eyes. Typical Westerguard tradition: it involved violence, killing, and arrogance, "Great, so... go do that then."
He cleared his throat, "There have been... a lot of disputes. The golden fox is extinct. Right now people are searching the entire Island chain for just one."
Sophia tuned out at this moment. There was no chance of it becoming even slightly interesting, really. Arrendelle was her home. She went over to the snack bar to discover a boy snarfing down snacks like he hadn't eaten one in weeks.
"Hey!" She protested, angry he was ruining Aunt Anna and Uncle Kristoff's party, "Don't inhale those!"
She took one out of his hand a put it back on the plate. The boy made a noise of protest and snatched it back, whipping her backwards. She feel back in shock.
"Ow!" No one had laid a hand on her in years. And it was the boy's unluckly day, she thought to herself. For Uncle Hans was here.
"James!" He hollered, "Get over here!"
The boy obeyed.
"Sophia," Called Aunt Anna. She begrudgingly got up and followed.
James stood tall by his commander, saluting the older man firmly. Sophia curtsied to her aunt in an attempt to be excused.
"This," Hans said, indicating his adoptive daughter, "Is Sophia."
James' eyes went wide, his nostrils flaring out, "Sir!" He protested, "This... weak little thing is what I'm putting my life on the line to protect?!"
Sophia stood stunned by the angry declaration. She was even more shocked when her uncle punched the boy in the stomach, "Dismissed."
Hans looked off into the distance.
"Who was that?" Sophia couldn't believe her uncle had hit a child. Sure, he was a teenager, but it was something Blacksails would have done...
"That was James, the only surviving son of Archer, and, debatably, heir to the throne. He is also our only chance at ensuring your safety from this civil war."
"Man!" Chuckled Anna nervously, "Am I glad that you didn't arrange that marriage!"
Sophia's eyes went even wider. Not only did her uncle hit children, but now he was just going to marry her off? Didn't he love her at all?!
She fled the scene, feeling her eyes grow misty, refusing to give James the opportunity to call her 'weak' again.
Hans would be gone in the morning, and the brief moments of happiness would go with him. In a way, he had made things worse than before.
But things were about to get far, far, far more disastrous for Sophia. For Hans was not the only visitor that night at the party.
Even as the Enchantress was a guardian of the good, who sought to bring love to the surface no matter the situation, there are other forces in the world, dark forces of sinister purpose. This particular character hung in the shadows, watching the conflict of loved ones. She smiled viciously; now was the time to strike, while Sophia was young, and naïve.
With any luck, the war of the Southern Isles would drag Arrendelle down with it. And hate and chaos would envelope the world.
So swore Maleficient.
a.n. dun, dun duuun! R and R for a chappie!