Chapter Twenty-Five

Cells in the Southern Isles were different than they were in Arendelle. Where Elsa's former castle had rooms with wooden doors and solid rock walls all around, this prison was somehow colder. Bars extended from ceiling to floor, letting the air blow in from the world that you could touch, but couldn't escape to. Only one wall was lined with rock, so the inmate was forced to watch their peers suffer with them. Elsa thought it a far more barbaric concept than the one built in Arendelle, but then again, she'd never given much consideration to the well-being of prisoners until she became intimate with one.

The one upside to the situation, she found, was that the four of them were lined in a row; Hans, Anna, herself, and Kristoff. The open design of the cells allowed for communication, no matter how tedious the distance still was.

After a brief reunion with her sister, Anna suggested that Hans melt the bars away. When he tried, nothing happened. He looked slightly confused, but Elsa knew why it didn't work. His parents had done the same thing hers had; the prison was failsafed. Elsa's handcuffs were just like these unmeltable bars. But she didn't voice her revelation. This situation needed to look less bleak than it already was.

And though she was in prison in a foreign land, Elsa couldn't help but feel slightly relieved. Reunited with Anna and knowing that her and her maybe-someday-fiance were still very much alive was like releasing a long, week-long held breath. And Hans, oh Hans. She had barely spoken to him since they were thrown in prison, but she couldn't stop watching him. He paced a lot, attired in furrowed brows and a sulk.

She wanted to tell him so much, but she didn't know what to say. That she had lost all hope in him? That a little part of her had always doubted his claim to innocence of being the killer? He was too hard focused on thinking of ways to escape, she knew, so everything she could possibly say would be meaningless banter.

"He was devastated, you know," Anna muttered to her. They were leaning against the bars of each others' cells while Kristoff had his arm flung over his face, doubtlessly napping, and Hans pressed his forehead against the wall in frustration.

"Hm?"

"On the day we left Arendelle," she explained. "When Kristoff and I ran onto the ship without you, it was all we could do to keep him from jumping out. His eyes were just so... hopeless. I mean we all assumed the worst when we were far enough away from the kingdom and you still hadn't ran out, but he was just devastated."

Elsa's eyes were on the man who lifted his head from the bars and rested it in his hands, drawing a deep, long sigh. When she'd said goodbye to him and he'd seemed so cold and distant... when he said he'd start fresh and essentially cut every aspect of her from his life... it had been an act. He'd been acting so dispassionate to break her off as smoothly as possible. When she thought he'd just been confessing that he never even wanted her, he'd been just as- if not more- destroyed.

"A boat came after us, but then Hans set it on fire and we got away," Anna continued. "And for like, two whole days, he barely said a word. I mean, I'm not really a reliable source, since most of the trip I was clinging to Kristoff. Ships are... less scary than I thought. But I couldn't convince myself something terrible wasn't going to happen."

That's right, Anna's fear of ships, traced back to their parents. "Oh, Anna..."

"No, no, it was... better than it could've been. Kristoff was there like he promised. He was always there to hold me when it was too much, and he made sure to go with me every morning to one of the guys who knows how to predict the weather. Worst thing he promised was rain, but it barely drizzled."

Anna was looking across Elsa's shoulder to the sleeping man, love practically dripping from her face. "I should thank you, you know. You're the whole reason why we met."

"Do you think he's ready to get married?"

Anna scoffed, turning back to her sister. "We were stuck on a ship for over a week, wondering if you'd died, and you think we talked about the possibility of marriage?"

Elsa shrugged, a minuscule smile tugging at her lips.

"Well, I mean I haven't heard anything from him. I know he loves me and I love him so much, but..." Anna pursed her lips. "I just don't know. I'm not sure what it is that he's afraid of."

Elsa reached out and squeezed Anna's hand, a light smile upon her face. And grinned gratefully and leaned against the bars with a sigh.

"What about you? What kind of adventures did I miss out on?"

Elsa inhaled, cheeks wide with puffed air. "Where do I even begin?"

She told the story of her fight and her fall, the broken wrist and the crown that was stolen from her, the bartering of herself to the Southern Isles' princes and everyone she met on the ship. Anna listened intently, up until when she retold the morning's adventure. The curious detail that Elsa had noted earlier also stuck out to her sister.

"Wait, hold up," the princess interrupted. "Isn't Peter the eighth brother? And Jørgen's the seventh? Then why was the killer after Peter? That's not right."

"I don't know why she suddenly changed her code," Elsa wondered. "But before you guys charged the ship, I was able to see her face. And I think I know exactly who it is."

"What?" Hans joined the conversation. He had been sitting with his back against the bars, but he turned so quickly that Elsa knew he'd been listening in on their conversation the whole time. "You know who it is?"

Elsa nodded and Anna scooted over slightly so Hans could contribute to the conversation. "I've never been formally introduced, but you told me her story months ago."

With furrowed brows he stared, confused, as if the name would be written across her head.

"Princess Bhumi," Elsa elaborated. "The princess from Aruna."

Automatically, Hans sat up straighter. He opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

"Who?" Anna asked.

"Princess Bhumi is a magician from Aruna that Hans met a decade ago. The didn't part on friendly terms. She can control life and death."

"What, seriously?" Anna mused. "That is terrifying. I love it!"

"But she only did that to a plant," Hans said. "Now she can make humans grow and die too?"

"I don't know, but I swear it must be her. Unless you know another Indian woman who can kill with just a touch. All she did was touch their arms or their forehead, and the sailors were falling down dead."

Hans shook his head. "She killed my brothers. She killed my brothers and brought them into Arendelle and framed me for it.. She framed me for my father's death."

Elsa was silent. It made her sick to think how she had doubted him before. The reaction to his father's death had been all too real, she should have known. She wished she could reach him.

"It's been over ten years. Has she held a grudge against me for ten years? Why would she kill my family because I made her cry once?" Hans wondered defensively. "It's absurd!"

By nearly all accounts, it didn't make sense. Revenge for fourteen-year-old Hans' actions shouldn't have been so dramatic as the elaborate scheme that was playing out.

"I don't understand it," he mumbled.

"But we'll figure it out," Anna promised, looking from sister to ex-fiance. "We'll find a way to break out of here, kick this princess's butt, and save Arendelle from wrinkly old Ingvalda."

Elsa admired her sister's half-full optimism, and she didn't have the heart to explain that this would be a very difficult prison break, Bhumi would kill them before they got anywhere near her, and Ingvalda actually had a rightful claim to the throne since Elsa had been incredibly irresponsible.

But it seemed like a prison break wouldn't be necessary. Not a moment after Anna's encouraging speech, Jørgen sped into their hallway with a mad, terrified look in his eyes and hands that shook so much Elsa could see it from ten feet away.

The prisoners fell silent as Jørgen's entrance demanded their attention, but the prince couldn't say a word. He opened his mouth multiple times, but closed it as quickly and said nothing. His face was pale as death.

"What is it?" Elsa prompted, rising from the floor.

Jørgen shook his head and finally managed. "D-dead. They- they- he was in his room and I had just talked with him. And then he was dead and Christian and Anderson were dead with him and... and this was there."

"Wait," Elsa said firmly. "Your brothers are dead?"

Jørgen nodded his head, eyes growing a brighter red by the second. He opened his mouth and made a choking sound, then covered it with his hand. Tears began to flow over his hand like a river over stones.

Despite this, he held out a piece of paper that had been folded and crumpled by his hands. Anna and Hans tried to peer at the paper Elsa took from the seventh prince.

The letter was written by the same hand that wrote the cards attached to King Lewis and all the dead brothers. All it said was, "Lucky Number Seven, Unlucky Number Thirteen, Come Find Us at Blackblood Bay"

Elsa stared at the letter, taking time to process it.

"What does it say?" asked Kristoff, who'd just woken when Jørgen scrambled in.

"She wants Jørgen and Hans to come to Blackblood Bay," Elsa said, looking up to the sobbing seventh prince.

"What's Blackblood Bay? This seems really cryptic," Anna asked, reading the words through the cell's bars.

"Blackblood Bay is on one of the eastern isles," Hans explained quietly, half in thought. "There was a cave there where less than a hundred years ago, a whole cult of magicians were discovered. Our great-grandfather had them all killed, and claimed they were such horrible people that the soldier's swords were stained with black blood."

The company was quiet.

"Seems a strange place for a magician to want to meet," Elsa said.

"I think she's trying to make us panic," Anna offered.

"It's working," Jørgen sputtered. "I-I don't know who 'she' is, but I'm lost for where to go. You and I are the last of the Westergards, Hans, assuming that mother's been missing for months with no sign of life anywhere. I... I don't know why I was spared. I don't know what's happening."

Jørgen looked so helpless that Elsa couldn't hold a grudge against him for throwing her in prison.

"Let us out, Jørgen," she said softly. "We want to stop this killer just as much as you do. Hans isn't behind the killings, to you I swear."

Jørgen shook his head, trying to deny it. "No, no, you brought that killer here! You killed Peter and Christian and Anderson and our brothers and father and... and you..." Jørgen stared at Hans, who had his own eyes locked on his older brother.

"Do you really think I could've killed father?" Hans asked, voice no louder than a mutter. "I would have rather died in his place than have him wash ashore in Arendelle. I never even got to see the body."

Jørgen was silent. He knew Hans was right. "I... you..."

"Let us go," Elsa begged. "We can put an end to all this."

The seventh brother waged an internal war before closing his eyes. "How many men will we need?"

Elsa and Hans met each other's gazes with sparkling eyes. Her heart flipped as they locked eyes, like she was a little girl with a crush.

Jørgen got the keys soon and unlocked them one by one from the cells. Anna and Kristoff reunited with a kiss, but when Elsa looked to Hans, he was quietly speaking with Jørgen, who was nodding and wiping his cheeks free of tears. They spoke, nodded, and hesitated for a moment before Hans offered his hand to his older brother. Jørgen stared at the offering for a moment, then disregarded it and captured his younger brother in a massive hug. Hans, caught by surprise, nearly tumbled over. But Jørgen was holding on so tight, Elsa knew there was no escape. She couldn't help but smile; the two brothers who so hated each other had at least come to hug each other. It warmed her to know there was at least a little good in this world.

Jørgen took lead after releasing Hans. He announced they'd have to gather men quickly; first thing tomorrow morning, their ship sailed to Blackblood Bay.

The five made their way towards the prison's exit, Jørgen still explaining the detail's they'd need to work out. Elsa, second to last in their assembly, was jolted with surprise when a very warm hand slipped into her own. She looked to the man walking beside her, who was looking straight ahead. She bit her lip, sure she was blushing. So much time away from him had made her forget how warm he was.

"Hi," she said quietly.

Hans briefly looked down to her, and she could see he had those red blotches of a blush on each cheek. She tried hard not to smile too much.

"Elsa, I want to-"

"No, no, no," she interrupted. "I don't want to talk. We'll have time to talk later. Just hold my hand and tell me you missed me."

He closed his open mouth, a smirk replacing the emotional gaze that hung there previously. "I missed you, Elsa."

She couldn't contain a wide grin anymore. "I missed you too." I'm glad you're not who I thought you were, she wanted to say. But there was plenty of time to talk later.

Short, yes, but ending on a hopeful note, at least! Thank you so much for all your continued support, the last chapter's response was totally overwhelming! Balancing this with life is hectic, but for you guys, I'd swim oceans.