Chapter Thirty-One

It took a while for the guards to break past Elsa's iced entrances and get into the throne room, and when they saw three of their dead princes and many perished sailors all alive, they quickly fainted away. Luckily, when more guards arrived, Peter took control of the situation. The guards who had strong stomachs and didn't collapse were fascinated. Peter instructed that the three magicians, Anna, and Kristoff, were to be treated with utmost respect. He would take the empty crown, being the oldest alive.

Peter asked the gathered guards to take those who had families in mourning home. He'd make a statement tomorrow morning to all the curious citizens. Silje was among those who left, homebound for her mother and three younger siblings who she was eager to see again. She hugged Elsa and said goodbye to Peter with a lengthy, grasping hug.

As the room cleared, Anderson gathered his brothers together and spoke quietly to them. Hans later told Elsa that Anderson had bashfully admitted to having a son with a woman he wished to someday marry. He seemed surprised when the brothers all took turns supporting him, and saying why hadn't he just told them earlier? Whatever Anderson thought, he seemed to be walking on clouds afterwards and said he was going to go to them right away, taking a few guards and a huge grin with him.

Despite the urgency of stopping Queen Carol, it took two days to find and pack a ship bound for Arendelle. A crew was assembled and provisions were found. Elsa, Silje, Bhumi, and the four brothers created a sort of committee for the mission. Arendelle was their next destination, bound to bring the other brothers and King Lewis back to life. Elsa had been worried that since these brothers were alive, Bhumi might not bring the others back. After all, the reason for bringing the brothers to life was to get the insider information on Carol's plans and her style. But Bhumi seemed eager to contribute to their committee, actively sharing her experiences and what she thought Carol might do next.

The general consensus was that Carol would be waiting for a good time and place to pounce. She wasn't afraid to wait and keep the world in suspense for her plans to work. That being said, they would need to be on full guard at all times. If Carol could strike at anytime, then they had to be ready. It bristled the hairs on Elsa's neck to think that at any second, the queen could come back and take any of them away with her. She had to put her mind towards thinking about the future that involved bringing the rest of the Westergards back to life.

Soon enough, the ship was loaded and Elsa watched the receding skyline of the Southern Isles castle once again. This time, she was still scared, but she felt a bit more calm. The infamous killer was on the ship, but she was on their side. Three brothers who had been dead were alive again, and they had been truly treating Hans as their own; Elsa easily noticed a difference in Hans' attitude, he was so much happier now. And that wasn't even mentioning their newfound tolerance for magic. After Anderson's confession and the fact that three magicians were the reason they had air in their lungs again, the brothers were beginning to correct their flawed ideals. It wasn't quite a complete turnaround, but they seemed to be working on it. Things were looking up.

The journey was passed without much action. Elsa and Anna spent some more time together, now that immediate danger couldn't be dealt with. Anna had been quiet lately, and now Elsa knew something was up after mentioning Kristoff and getting a brief answer from Anna, not a huge monologue about how great Kristoff was because of his matching socks or something more trivial. Elsa didn't mention anything, but kept her suspicion in the back of her mind.

Bhumi warmed up to Elsa more. She still wasn't a person who would actively seek out the snow queen or admit to a friendship, but she smiled at Elsa, and a few times she laughed. Bhumi talked to Silje and the brothers too, though didn't address Hans unless she absolutely had to. The thirteenth prince didn't seem disappointed about it.

And Hans and Elsa finally seemed to hit a balance in their relationship. Too long had they had high ups followed by sheer downs. But now, finally in the eye of the storm, they had reached a balance. Neither had a doubt that the other didn't care deeply for them. They talked often, sharing fears, hopes, revelations; they shared so much more than just a bed. Elsa could never have pictured how wonderful it was to be with someone in mind and body.

Finally, after what felt like such a pleasant, short trip, the ship entered Arendelle's fjord. Elsa felt butterflies in her stomach for the first time in a while. She was actually going home, but to a home that she'd been banished from. She'd almost forgotten about losing the crown to Ingvalda. What would happen if she was caught? Would Ingvalda throw her in prison?

Hans must have sensed her uneasiness, and was sure to stay by her side as they sailed into the port. The plan was similar to the one in the Southern Isles; get to the dead as sneakily as possible and bring them all back to life. The brothers were certain that if they got in trouble with the guards, they could easily explain themselves to Ingvalda, as they had legally gotten Elsa from the queen when they left Arendelle weeks ago.

Snow- actual, non Elsa-made snow- was falling when they left the ship. Elsa and Anna were dressed in hoods to hide themselves from the people who would obviously recognize them. Most everyone was inside if they could to escape the cold, which aided the anonymity and speed of their mission.

By some miracle, they weren't stopped once in their quest to the small graveyard near the waterfall. The brothers worried that their family would be a bit disgusting, now that months had passed since some of them died. Bhumi assured that her induced deaths were really more like just lifeless sleeping. Peter and Christian dug with shovels that were left outside- likely by the gravediggers to save time, since so many bodies had been coming in. Soon, they hit Lewis' coffin with a thud and brought the box up to the surface, and all waited with baited breath as Bhumi went to turn open the lid.

Elsa, who had been leeching off Hans for support, now found herself tightly holding Hans' hand as he waited for his father to return to the land of the living. The thirteenth prince had an anxious, worried, excited look in his eyes and was drawing blood from his lip by biting so hard.

Bhumi hesitated only slightly, looking at the older man with some regret in her eyes. Elsa knew that Bhumi had finally realized the gravity of her acts. The heartless princess had a heart after all. And with one small touch to the cheek, King Lewis opened his eyes and gasped for breath.

Hans completely let go of Elsa's hand, flying to his father's side. The other brothers came close too, but none were so obviously desperate as Hans to reunite with their father.

King Lewis coughed and wheezed, but sat up in the wooden box and blinked in surprise. Hans, who Elsa saw had spilledtears quickly, was laughing with pure joy.

"Father," he said, voice muted. "Oh, father!"

Lewis' eyes widened, and he turned to his son and clutched his heart. "Oh, my boy! Have I been delivered on to heaven?" He blinked, then noticed where he sat and all the people around him. "But... why are so many of my boys here?"

Hans laughed and wiped his blotchy eyes. "Father, you're not dead anymore! We've brought you back! You're alive."

The king looked shocked enough to fall dead again. "Oh, my!"

Elsa now saw how Hans' parents were in contrast. As his sons helped the older man to his feet, Elsa saw he was a bit shorter than his wife, with eyes softer and skin wrinklier. He stood in a less intimidating stance, bent slightly at the knee so he appeared a good deal meeker than many of the brothers. He had a mussed up beard and mustache that was flecked with bits of red among the salt and pepper hairs. His speech seemed much more gentle, and he handled waking up from the dead so mildly that Elsa knew he certainly was the parent Hans had so lovingly described.

King Lewis stepped out of the coffin and was immediately captured in Hans' arms. The prince held his father like he planned on never letting go, burying his tearstained face into the man's shoulder. The king had raised his eyebrows, but smiled and hugged his son tightly back.

"Now, if I'm alive again... how are you here, Hans? You died over a year ago," he said, gently letting his son out of his grasp.

"I never drowned, father. It's... it's a very long story. But we have to bring the others back to life."

"The others?" his father asked, turning around to see the other hastily thrown up grave markers, also spotting Bhumi, who had fled the touching scene as soon as possible and had begun to dig up the next grave. "Oh! She's here to bring me back into the dark! Princess Bhumi is here!"

The king tried to shield his youngest son from the woman, sprawling his arms out. Hans smiled a little, and choked out a laugh. "Father, it's okay," he said, lowering the man's arms. "Princess Bhumi is helping us now. It's been a few months since she killed you."

"Oh!" Lewis said. "She's bringing us back to life?"

"Yes."

He nodded curiously, and that seemed to be that. It was easy to see why Lewis was very agreeable and could also be a huge pushover.

Bhumi went around, granting life back to the princes one by one. Peter, Anderson, and Christian mostly welcomed their brothers back while Hans hung back a little. After all, these older brothers had been absent from the world for months, and many probably still thought Hans was the one responsible for their deaths. He'd let the others explain his innocence while he stayed with his father, telling his story and catching him up on their mission.

Elsa stayed a distance from the two of them, knowing that they shared a connection that she'd only be a spare part to. So she helped raise the dead and explain circumstances to bearded brother after brother, none of whom seemed very happy to have missed months of their life. Anna and Kristoff had nominated themselves as Bhumi's unofficial bodyguards, making sure that the princess wasn't harmed by the slightly hysterical brothers. The princess silently extended her thank you to them.

After Campbell, Francis, John, Aleksander, and as Louis was being awoken, Elsa felt a hand on her arm, and turned to see Hans with his father close at hand. Hans was absolutely radiating warmth, and smiled at Elsa with a happiness that she never thought she'd see from him. The differences between him and the man who'd been in her dungeon were almost alarming.

"Father," he said. "I'd like you to meet-"

"Queen Elsa," King Lewis finished, his eyes simply sparkling. Standing beside his son, their kinship was unmistakable. He had the same long face and pointed nose, and the same round blushes on his cheeks. The old man had merry green eyes, and his wrinkles didn't seem to pull his face down a bit. "Why, you're the woman who saved my boy, aren't you?"

Elsa couldn't help the growing smile as she nodded and extended a hand. "It's an honor to finally meet you, your majest-"

But instead of taking her hand, the man caught her in an embrace. She let out a surprised noise, but looked at Hans, who was blushing and laughing, over the king's back. She felt so... warm. Like her own father had come back to life, like she was part of this family. And who knew; maybe someday she would be.

"Thank you," the king said softly to her while he kept her close. "There's no way I can thank you for taking care of my son."

"The pleasure has been all mine, your highness."

The king released her, keeping a hand on each of her arms as he pulled back and admired her. "Why, Hans. How did you manage to catch the favor of the Queen of Arendelle? You must be the luckiest man in the world."

Hans was retreating into his coat, beyond embarrassed. The heat melted the snowflakes surrounding him. He shook away his humiliation and came to place a hand on both their shoulders.

"I never dreamed I'd see this," he said, face still warm. "The two most important people in my world, finally meeting. You have no idea how astounding this is. I wish this moment could last forever."

But Anna called out to Elsa, saying she was needed, and the snow queen had to excuse herself from the father and son. She was still smiling when she reached Bhumi and the others. They had reached the last prince buried, Charles; the sixth, who had been in charge of going to Aruna and finding his way to the crown. He was the only one besides Hans that Bhumi had a personal vendetta with.

"Bhumi's having a hard time getting Charles up," Anna said with crossed arms and a slight bite to her words.

"I'm trying, okay?" Bhumi snapped. She was standing above the coffin with the still-dead man inside. She hadn't made an attempt yet, Elsa was sure. "I'm just... trying to remember why we need him alive."

Elsa looked to Bhumi pointedly. "Bhumi, it was nothing personal. He was working under Carol when he tried to take Aruna's throne."

Bhumi had a set brow, obviously frustrated, but conquered her stubbornness. "To clarify, he's going to serve a sentence for his crimes against Aruna."

Elsa nodded, though she felt a little guilty for selling him out. But surely the prince would rather live and serve a punishment than remain in the ground.

With a puff of breath, Bhumi brought the last Westergard back to life. His brothers rushed to the panicking man immediately to calm him down. Bhumi didn't look too pleased, but looked up to Elsa and smiled- just a little. She'd finally reversed the damage she'd done, and it must have been freeing to lift that from her chest.

Hans came over and brushed against Elsa's shoulder. "You did it," he said. "You brought the Westergards back to life."

"We're still down three brothers, though," Elsa murmured, shifting her weight and watching the snow fall in front of the waterfall. "I hope Jørgen is all right."

"Jørgen was always Carol's favorite," said King Lewis, who had appeared next to Hans while he watched his sons welcome a dazed Charles back to life. "She wouldn't hurt him."

"She was willing to give up on the plan she'd worked her whole life on," Hans mumbled. "There's no telling what she will and won't do anymore."

Elsa wished she could ask Lewis what he thought they should do, but a quick cry from Anna turned her mind away from the matter. Anna was looking out towards the fjord and castle, pointing into the snowy distance.

"Uh... I don't mean to alarm anyone, but isn't that the flag of-"

"Of the Southern Isles?" said a new voice from over by the waterfall. Everyone whirled around to see three men- two burly and one meeker- standing beside an old woman with a crown on her head and vengeance written in her gaze. "Why yes, it is."

There was no more time to think up their next move against Queen Carol; she was already here.

Highly predictable and filler, but this chapter certainly moves the plot forward. Two chapters to go!

I'm ending first semester of senior year this week; I can't believe how fast life is creeping up on me. I just want to say thank you to everyone who's been with me on this journey, no matter how recent you are. This past year definitely would've sucked a little more if you all weren't around reading my little work