Seventeen

Explaining everything to Anna took a lot more time and discretion than Elsa initially thought it would. As she told her story, Anna would gasp and giggle and pause for questions every few sentences. When the queen revealed Hans' fire powers, Anna nearly screeched before Elsa covered her mouth with a frantic 'Shush!'. It was evident that a calm walk to the waterfall wouldn't be a suitable place to spill every secret she'd learned these past few months. She had to drag Anna, practically bouncing, back to the castle before her infinite questions were overheard.

Even in the privacy of Elsa's own room, Anna could barely keep quiet. Everything was eventually explained, though it took the rest of the day and some more the next morning.

She had finally finished telling the story, both of them leaving the room to attend lunch. As Anna jumped out of the room with a grin plastered across her face (the story ending on the first kiss), Elsa noticed Kai coming down the hall with a handful of letters. He stopped abruptly when he saw the princess, and quickly turned around. But Elsa called out, "Kai! It's okay."

Though extremely hesitant, Kai turned back and hurried towards the queen. He constantly peered back over his shoulder, as though he were being stalked.

He leaned in conspiratorially, and quietly muttered, "Forgive me for the extra caution, but Ingvalda has ordered all mail be brought to her."

Elsa pursed her lips and looked through the letters, fanning them out. One from the Northern Settlement was of interest, and she grimaced as she realized number four, Aleksander, was their archduke.

"Thank you," she said quietly to Kai. "I know things have been hectic lately, but I'm going to make it all right."

"I never doubted you, your majesty," he said, a small smile gracing his face before he bowed to her and Anna, then left with the rest of the mail.

Anna's feet seemed to have found the ground, and now leaned towards Elsa, curiously glancing at the letter as it was opened with nimble fingers. The queen glanced down the halls like Kai had, then slipped the paper out, eyes quickly scanning the page. She didn't look surprised by anything, and after a quick read, she sighed and folded it back in the envelope.

"Nothing new," she said. "Just another panicked plea for help."

"Are we going to help?"

"I don't see how we can." She hesitated, then added, "Besides letting him out."

"Are you really going to release him? Don't you think that's dangerous?"

"I know," Elsa said, staring at the floor. "I've been over it a thousand times in my head. But if he's free, he'll be able to find the killer."

"Would it be better?" Anna countered. "I mean, out on his own he might not be able to defend himself against them. He's under lock and key and guard and you here. Wouldn't it be safer in prison?"

Elsa hadn't thought of that. But Hans could defend himself. He survived a year alone, and he had fire powers. It was a better fate than the one that would come for him shortly. Elsa had signed and sealed the letter unwillingly and Ingvalda was happy to send it on its way. Once it reached the Southern Isles, the remaining brothers would no doubt hop on a ship and speed away to reclaim their little brother.

"I'm not sending him back to his brothers," she answered. "And I'd be honored if you'd help me plan an escape."

Anna hesitated. "I dunno... I've never really helped a convict break out."

"I won't force you into anything. And your name will be clean; I swear it. If it falls, it falls on me."

Anna bit her lip, then nodded. "Okay. I'll help you." A sly smile grew on her face and she elbowed her sister. "Look at that, we're together again and planning jailbreaks. Can't think of a better family bonding method."

Elsa nearly laughed, if it wasn't for the sinking feeling that she was really going to have to let Hans go.

"Want to accompany me to his cell?" Elsa asked, a small selfish sliver almost hoping she wouldn't.

But Anna nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! I haven't seen him since he first arrived. Has he changed much? Ooh, I can't wait to lecture him on kissing you. The look on his face is gonna be priceless."

After Elsa tucked the letter away (not in her pillowcase; she wouldn't make that mistake again), she took her sister by the arm and prepared herself mentally to meet with the prince again to plan an escape. She laughed a little, then answered Anna's questioning gaze with, "It looks like Hans is going to get his boat after all."

The man in the cell had eyes that simply dazzled with hope when the door opened. No doubt he was looking forward to a reprise of his last meeting with the queen. But his excitement waned when he saw that the first person who entered was Princess Anna.

"Your... highness," he said, trying to hide the disappointment in his voice.

Anna's look was snooty and cruel; like Elsa's exact description of Ingvalda. Had Anna really become someone so different from the person he duped into an engagement?

"Prince Hans of the Southern Isles. The council has held court without trial for your crimes against Arendelle, and you have been sentenced to thirteen years of eating toenails."

The initial fear that he'd shown when she began her statement turned into unadulterated confusion.

"What?" He squinted, as if trying to find meaning in the words.

Anna couldn't keep the act up, and her impression melted into a barely contained smile and a laugh that bubbled behind her lips, threatening to break through.

"Oh, come on," laughed a voice behind Anna. Elsa pushed past her sister, a smile on her face. "Don't torture him any more than he's already been through."

"If you ask me, thirteen years of toenails isn't punishment enough," Anna said and crossed her arms, but her lips were turned upwards.

The wall of ice and the hole in the middle of it had vanished, besides a few wet spots on the floor. The room smelled dank and damp and a little smoky, as usual, like someone had hastily put out a campfire in a hasty escape.

Hans, though relieved to see Elsa, couldn't take his eyes from Anna, as if staring at her might make it known why she was in his dungeon. The queen caught his desperately confused look, and hurried to clarify.

"I, um... I did what you said and made up with Anna."

"I know everything," Anna bragged. Hans' expression turned to panic, only fueling her cruel pleasure. "I know you two locked lips, if that's what you're worried about."

He looked at Elsa desperately, as if to ask Really? She only winced and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

Hans was less pleased than Elsa had hoped he might be. "Does she... you told her all my secrets?"

"What, that you're a potential hazard to us all with your flamey hands? I know that too. And I know about how you loved your dad and didn't really like everyone else and about that princess you made cry and-"

"Anna," Elsa stopped her sister. "Please, if you can't behave, I'll have to make you leave."

The princess sucked her lips in, pretending to zip them closed and locked, throwing the imaginary key over her shoulder. Elsa nodded gratefully, heart warming at having her happy-go-lucky sister back. She turned to the less happy and less lucky man, who wore a slight scowl. She knew that there was an old stereotype that people never got along with their in-laws, and this would hardly prove to be an exception.

"I know... I'm sorry. It wasn't my place to tell your stories. But I had to regain her trust. If there's even one thing you've taught me, it's that you have to appreciate your family, or before you know it, they're gone and you've lost your chance."

He glumly dropped the scowl and sighed. "You're right." Hans got to his feet and cracked his neck. "To what do I owe the pleasure of you both?"

Anna was leaning against the wall, arms crossed again. "Oh, no biggie. We've just gotta plan a prison break."

Hans stood straighter, suddenly more alert. "I thought we dropped that idea," he grunted towards Elsa.

The queen bit her lip and motioned for him to sit down. "I know you convinced me to change the plan last visit."

"How convincing was he?" Anna added mischievously, causing both guilty parties to erupt into their personal shades of red.

"And..." Elsa continued, willing her cheeks to stop burning. "And you wanted me to just send a letter. But things have changed. Ingvalda found the letters, and she forced me to write a letter to the Southern Isles requesting them to sail here and pick you up."

Every hair on Hans seemed to be on edge, his eyes out of focus towards the gray wall.

"The letter was sent off yesterday," she continued. "And I suspect we may have two or three weeks until they arrive. So... you're going to get a boat."

It took him some time to realize what she meant, then it clicked and he was rid of his empty gaze and shook his head, like the thought was a pestering fly. "No. You said yourself that I can't have my boat until lessons were finished."

"I said that you can have your boat when I deem lessons complete. And now I do."

"Elsa, no," he said, grabbing her hands and sending a shiver through her body. She dared glance back up, his emerald eyes more terrified than when Elsa had discovered his fire magic. "I can't just leave you."

"I'll be fine," she said with a slight laugh, though her heart shattered as she spoke. Despite getting rid of all the secrets between her and Anna, she wold be far from fine. She'd still have to continue making it up to Anna and proving that she'd never ignore her again, all without Hans. Maybe she'd lied to convince herself that she'd be fine.

"But I won't," Hans said, squeezing her hands gently. "Call me selfish, but after so many months and everything we've been through, I can't leave you. I can't bear to-"

Anna cleared her throat loud enough to wake the dead, cutting Hans off. "Hey, I know we agreed to be completely honest and be together forever again, Elsa, but... I'm thinking maybe I'm gonna go back upstairs?" She pointed behind her towards the door with her thumb, having become increasingly uncomfortable with the situation. "Don't, uh, get too crazy, okay?"

Elsa nodded gratefully. "You're dismissed."

Anna crossed her arms again, cocking her head with a grin. "Forget it, I've already dismissed myself." She couldn't wait to slip out the door and away from the weirdness that was her ice cold sister and her ex-fiancé from hell.

When the door closed, Hans' hands moved like lightning from her hands to her cheeks. "Elsa, please, can I kiss you? I've been on withdrawal for far too long."

Elsa nodded with a small smile and a breathed laugh as the prince pressed his lips to hers. Feeling her body against his and not a wall of ice was an experience she was more than grateful to experience. Everything was so warm when he kissed her.

He finally lifted his head from hers, looking somehow more sad and desperate than before. "You're really going to send me away?"

"It's getting more difficult every moment," Elsa confessed, hands weaving their way towards his, which dropped from her cheeks. "But I need to keep you safe. I can't put you back into your brothers' hands."

Hans stared solemnly at their hands, hers lightly rubbing his.

"You're getting what you wanted," Elsa tried to lighten the subject. "You'll get a ship and supplies and you can finally travel the world on a whim."

"You're granting me freedom I desire..." he mumbled. "And I don't want any part of it. How ironic."

"Do you know how sappy you are?"

She reached up to run her hands through his sideburns, his eyes closing in bliss. "I'm not sappy," he mumbled. One hand reached to hers, and he pressed his head in to sandwich it.

"I can have a ship ready in one week," Elsa said quietly, enjoying the feeling of his closeness. She'd never allowed such intimacy, and this was a new delicacy.

"I promise I'll write to you," he murmured, turning his head to kiss her hand.

Him saying that made everything suddenly seem so real. Elsa felt her eyes begin to burn. His lips against her palm were so warm, and she couldn't imagine the frozen wasteland it would be when he left. How had she survived the cold so long along?

"Life is cruel," she whispered. "The second happiness appears, it's ripped from our hands."

"We still have a week," Hans said, his lips leaving her hand and opting for her face again. "It's not the very end yet."

"Not yet," Elsa mumbled numbly, accepting another kiss. "Can... can you hold me?"

Normally, she may have been embarrassed for seeming so helpless, but she had a mighty need for touch. He wrapped his arms around her and she instantly felt as though a great warm blanket had been draped across her shoulders. She slipped her hands through the space in his arms and pulled him tight.

She could have stood there forever, wasting her entire life in his arms, and she may have been satisfied. But life was indeed cruel, and while she stayed in her safe place, she couldn't forget that all too soon, these arms would leave her for good.

I swear, these chapters seem to be getting smaller and smaller. I promise to try and beef it up in the future.

Ironically enough, I hit my 17th birthday the previous week, and now I'm publishing the 17th chapter. I can't believe this story has already come so far. My continued and eternal gratitude goes out to all of you. Thank you ever so much for all your reviews and favorites.