Seven

The stool had already been set for Elsa when she came into the cell. Hans was casually drumming against his bed with his fingers as he sat, and looked up when the queen entered. His smile was slightly cocky as the drumming ceased.

"Couldn't stay away long, could you?" he said, but his smile fell when he saw her still grasping the handle, gloves and all.

He stood immediately, almost taking a step forward, almost reaching out to her, but his muscles failed him. Elsa might have thought him to be worried about her, but that would have been ridiculous.

"Your... majesty?" he asked, catching her gaze. He didn't have to mention the gloves to know they were the subject of interest.

"I had an accident," Elsa said quietly.

"An accident?" he asked slowly.

Elsa stared at her hands, still glued to the door. "I don't know why I came here."

"Are you... going to talk about it?"

With great effort, she unclasped her fingers and brought her gloves to her temples. She kept them there, as if trying to keep her brain inside her head.

"No," she muttered.

"Then why are you here-"

"I don't know!" she burst, turning around and feeling her fingertips grow icy against her head. Hans didn't look nearly as taken aback as she'd expected him to. Instead, he was sitting and leaning forward slightly. He had a look that wasn't surprised or shocked; rather he seemed to play the role of a doctor examining a patient and observing her symptoms. She didn't like it at all.

He said nothing, only watched her, which made prickles run down her spine. She remembered the letter from the Northern Settlement, remembered that there was a chance that he had kidnapped and/or killed multiple members of his own family. He'd tried to murder her and Anna, so what would have stopped the madman from taking the lives of his own family?

"How bad was the accident?" he finally asked.

She looked down at her gloves again, reminding herself that freedom was always just out of reach, always dominated by fear.

"I... I accidentally encased Anna in ice," she mumbled, despite having said she wasn't going to talk.

"You froze her again?" he asked, a scoff of disbelief accompanying his words.

She glared icicles at him and he closed his mouth, briefly remembering his place.

"I'm a creature of habit, it seems," she sighed.

"What... happened?"

She wanted to refuse to tell him, but thought it was be awfully babyish to do so when she'd already revealed the result.

"We were having tea and she slipped out of her chair. I... I reached out my hand. I didn't even mean to use ice."

"Is she okay now?"

Elsa looked up, an eyebrow perched questioningly. Odd that he seemed so concerned.

"Yes..." she said slowly. "But I lost my temper because she was being impatient and I... I..."

"Sit down," Hans interrupted her stumbling, gesturing to the stool. "I'll tell you another story."

She stared at him, with even more questions written across her look. "But I already know what happened to the boat. I don't need anymore stories."

"Just because you've heard the tale you wanted doesn't mean you can't hear others," Hans countered, sitting on his prison bench again. "Besides, you've liked all my other stories."

She should have just left. There was no point being down here when she needed nothing from him. Yet, she still sat on the stool, settling her skirts. "What kind of a story?" she asked.

"It's about me, of course," Hans said, lips turning up in a small smile. "Did you expect anything less from so vain a person?"

Elsa nearly smiled. She was already beginning to feel better, just a little. Maybe coming here had some sense in it. After all, he seemed to know what he was doing. That's because he's been in your position before, isn't it?

She realized that Hans must have shoved the gloves on the same way, must have sought out a safe place like she did. She wondered if he had someone to make him smile and tell stories. It seemed childish to want a story, but it comforted her.

It was less warm than before, as September was only two days away, but it was still bright enough to watch dust dance in the sunlight.

"It's actually more about someone I met once," Hans admitted. "You are familiar with the kingdom of Aruna?"

Elsa nodded. Aruna was one of the thirteen kingdoms in a chain of trade, located in India.

"There was... another magician that I once met. She was from Aruna, royalty like you and I."

Elsa had never heard of any magicians from Aruna. In fact, she'd never heard of any other magicians before Hans.

"Who was she?"

"Her name was Princess Bhumi," he said the name like it was a sour taste he couldn't swallow.

"I've never heard of a princess from Aruna who can do magic."

"And I'm sure they've never heard of a queen who can build castles of ice," Hans said, running a glove through his hair even though it was a dirty mess that could only be cured by a good, long wash. "Well, now that your secret's out..."

He trailed off, hand falling from his hair (Elsa was kicking herself over not realizing sooner how much it resembled fire) and he continued. "Oh, Bhumi. We met ten years ago, when I was fourteen. Aruna had come to negotiate trade with the queen and my father. They brought with them their one daughter, who was just a year older than me. While trade was discussed, I stayed in my room like usual. Bhumi burst in, giving herself a tour of the castle. She asked if I wanted to know a secret. And then she grew a tree in my room."

Elsa blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

A subconscious smile spread across Hans' face as he nodded. "You didn't mishear, your highness. Princess Bhumi had the ability to make things grow or shrivel up. She'd found a small tree outside and grew it to stretch through my window." He chuckled a little at the memory. Elsa realized she'd never heard him actually laugh, it was always a chuckle, and often not a sincere one. "The tree was a sight to see. She asked if I wanted to climb down it, and when I said no she shrunk it again, shriveling the tree until it was small outside the window."

The smile faded away completely as he contemplated the rest of the story. "Jacob and Wilhelm, ninth and tenth in line, saw it happen," he said. "And they went to tell the rest of my brothers. They cornered me that night with question after question. They said she was abnormal just like me, and that she should be ashamed of herself for being so. And then they came up with a plot..."

He scrunched his eyebrows together, eyes fixed on the floor. "I was just a kid. All I wanted was their approval for once in my life. When they said I might be redeemed of my curse by getting rid of her, I jumped at the chance."

Elsa sat up straighter, startled. "You killed her?"

"No!" Hans said, eyes darting up. "No, I wasn't capable of that kind of evil. Not then, at least. Instead, I teased her like my brothers had teased me. I used the same kind of insults. Freak, inhuman, not fit for this earth. I never revealed that I was just as much a freak as she was."So I teased the girl to tears, made her run off to her parents and sob the whole story out. When they'd heard enough, they canceled the meeting and closed off trade with the Southern Isles.

"My mother was furious. She screamed and cried and clawed with her words. If she had been a more physical person than a verbal one, I would have been battered and bloody. All I could do was stand there and try not to let the words take root. But it was all worth it.

"For a few perfect days, my brothers looked at me with something resembling respect. They clapped me on the back, said things like, 'You did the right thing', and 'Maybe you're not so bad after all'. Of course, a week later they were back to normal, but those few days were pure bliss to that young teenager. I swore then that freaks like myself could only be dealt with in one way; harshly. They weren't meant to be here, and so all they could do was just accept it and take the beating."

He was quiet again, and Elsa wondered if that's how he was going to end it. But as a passing cloud darkened the room, he continued."Princess Bhumi sailed home to Aruna ten years ago, and I never heard from anyone with powers again. Until, well, you."

Elsa was quiet. How could one single person be so cruel to their own kind?

"You're a wicked person, Hans," Elsa said, voice deep.

He didn't offer a rebuttal.

"Is that it? That's the story?" Elsa asked, feeling heat seep in her veins. "What were you hoping to accomplish by it?"

"Well, it seems that your hate has been directed away from yourself," Hans pointed out.

Although she was warm with anger, she now noticed her hands weren't as cold as they'd been before. Was that what Hans was trying to achieve? To direct her hate from herself toward him? That seemed far too unselfish an ambition.

"Take off your gloves," he offered.

Elsa immediately became defensive. "Don't tell me what to do."

"I'm only suggesting, your majesty, that you'll never learn to control your ice if you shove the gloves on every time you get a little scared," he said.

The queen frowned, hands wrapped around each other. "I have good reason to wear the gloves. If I don't, I might hurt someone."

Hans laughed a little, gesturing around the cell. "Who is there to hurt here?"

Elsa blinked, staring at him. Well, you, she would have said if pride had not gotten in the way. After all, who cared if he did get hurt?

Still frowning, she slowly pulled one glove off, then the other. Hans smiled, almost warmly, as she folded and set them on the stool.

"Do you feel in control?" he asked.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Just answer it."

She wondered if it would be too childish to stick her tongue out at him. But... she did feel more in control. She scarcely wanted to admit it.

"In my case, loathing helped me be in control because I want to suppress my fire. Self-directed hate works because I'm not trying to control my fire, I'm trying to extinguish it. But for you, who loves her ice, hate only breeds fear," he explained as if he was a teacher and she was his pupil.

"How do you know that I love it?" she asked.

"Would someone who hates their ice run off and build a castle out of it?" he countered. "No, you escaped from this world of monotony and hoped that being alone meant being free to do what you truly loved."

Elsa wondered how this man could be so terrible. He seemed to understand things about herself that she didn't. He'd known the kind of torment she'd gone through better than anyone else ever could have, and still he'd swung the sword.

"How could you?" she asked

"How could I do what?"

Everything.

"How could you hurt your own kind like that?" she muttered. "After all you'd been through, and you still acted as terribly as your brothers did."

Hans sighed. "There's no use trying to find an explanation besides that I didn't have values of my own. They were all adopted from the worst possible role models. But a year spent far away from them meant I had plenty of time to reflect on the damn mess that I am."

Elsa wondered if reflecting on the damn mess meant creating a mess out of his family. She still didn't know what to think of the business in the letter.

"And how do you understand my powers so well?"

The prince leaned against the wall with eyebrows sunken deep. "Is it necessary to ask so many questions?"

Elsa frowned. "I'm only trying to understand. I always thought I was alone in this corner of the world, and I had to understand magic from dusty old books with ancient texts that made little sense. But now it seems I've found a manual who can talk."

Hans sunk lower against the wall. "I don't know if I'm comfortable with being referred to as a dusty old book."

But Elsa didn't hear what he said. Her own words had sparked an epiphany. She had always been alone in her corner of the world, but now she wasn't. She had someone who seemed to be an absolute almanac on the subject. And he was her prisoner.

Imagine if she had power and control. Having power without the other was dangerous; she knew from experience. But if he was as controlled as he claimed to be, what was stopping her from demanding he teach her?

"Queen Elsa?"

She blinked out of her daydream and met green fire. Suddenly, this burden and puzzle to solve looked an awful lot like an opportunity.

"I... I have an idea," she said, not sounding nearly as confident as she hoped.

"Oh?" he said, crossing his arms. "Heaven help us."

She frowned, but let the words blow over. "Do you have confidence in your control?"

"What?" he scoffed.

"Humor me," Elsa said sternly.

He sighed and shrugged, looking like a bratty teenager. "I guess so."

"What would you say to teaching me how to control my powers?"

This perked his interest. He sat up straight and uncrossed his arms. Elsa had his full attention. "Control... your powers?"

"Was it not said clearly?" Elsa asked. "I wish for you to help me gain control."

His surprise turned quickly into skepticism. "Just because one simple calming exercise works for stress doesn't mean that our powers are controllable in a similar way."

"Who says they aren't?" she countered. The air seemed to be cold, then hot, then cold again, as if they were both subconsciously battling for dominance of the temperature. "At least we could try. I'll do anything to keep from hurting Anna again."

Hans' eyes dilated ever so slightly, invisible strings tugging at his lips. "Anything?"

Elsa realized her mistake and pointed a finger towards him. "Don't think I'll-"

"Listen, I won't request the crown, okay? I don't want it anymore. It reeks of your scent. I'll help you out, on two conditions."

She licked her lips and pressed them tight. "Name them."

His sly grin grew wider. He held a gloved finger up in the air. "One, you give me my own room in the castle. I'm sick of this cell."

Elsa already didn't like this. "That's a heavy request."

"Oh, and it's only going to get heavier," he said, lifting another finger. "Two, I want a ship to sail away."

"No," she said immediately. "Out of the question."

"Is it?" he asked, still smiling. "Because last I heard, you'd do anything to keep your sister safe from yourself."

"She's safer with you down here," Elsa said, rising from her seat. "No, your terms are far too much to ask."

Hans rose as well, chain rattling on his leg as he did so. "Then be a queen and negotiate. You know how to, right?"

She did, of course. She'd read book after book on law and running a kingdom. His expression seemed to imply she spent all those hours alone wasting time.

Elsa narrowed her eyes and accepted the challenge.

"You teach me control, and I'll give you a room in the castle.But,you will be under at least three guards' watch at a time," she said.

"One guard."

"Two guards," she offered.

"Two guards," he agreed. "And my ship?"

"No ship."

"Then no deal."

She thought hard for a moment, weighing where she truly lay her priorities.

"You may have a ship only after I say you've taught me all I can know on control," she finally said with an air of finality.

Hans frowned. "Who's to say you won't keep me here forever?"

"I'm not like you, Hans," Elsa said haughtily. "I'm a ruler of my word, and once I'm in control, I'll let you go."

The terms seemed to take a bit of time to wrap around his head, but he finally complied with a scowl.

"Fine. It's better than this rotting cell, in any case," he said, eying the various stains of colors across the rock walls.

He extended his gloved hand and Elsa was about to offer hers when she noticed it was ungloved. She wasn't sure what the protocol was for making deals when both deal-makers had magical powers. She looked to Hans, who appeared to be thinking the same thing.

Then slowly, he began pulling his own glove off. He flexed his pale fingers before extending his hand again.

Elsa couldn't hep but smile a bit as she placed her hand in his.

His hands were very warm, especially compared to her freezing ones. They felt concernedly perfect in hers.

The blush on their faces must have been from the shocking temperature differences, she reasoned after feeling her cheeks grow red. Hans didn't have the thin line like Kristoff or the whole face like Anna. He had just two round blotches on his cheeks that made Elsa feel warm. But the heat is just his fire, of course, she reasoned.

Fire and ice became unlikely allies as they shook to seal the deal.

Lots of dialogue and a bit of backstory here, but listen; it's the winds of change in Arendelle's castle.

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