Sorry for the late update people, this chapter really was hard for me to write (No idea why). It also may be all over the place, but that's just my bad editing skills…Thank you to everyone who fav'd and followed. The story is coming to a close soon, (sad I know) but punishments are to be handed out and the 'Happily Ever After' is yet to be debated…
BlackWidow2012 – The best review goes to you my friend. It's great to hear how you guys perceive the characters and the story (even better than me as I write). Believe me that both Hans and Duke will get just desserts
lycan13 – Yes the two ladies had coordinated plans before meeting. Endgame is Irena has influential power back home and Elsa got Anna through Irena's help. Win/win.
Revengest – Thank you for the praise! Fight scenes still aren't my forte but I try.
GG –Thanks so much dude/dudette!
First Movement- A little catch up huh? Well in Hans' defense (not that he deserves it) he believes he's doing something for the one he loves. Would you give up so easily?
FreelanceBum – As for the 'Tempest' feel…haven't read that, so not sure what you mean…And a little thought…hating a 'Royal' may have little to do with 'Title' and more with bloodline…just a hint…
A Tool to be Used
His mind couldn't take it anymore; Anna had left him to be with that witch. The Anna Hans fell in love with when he was young; she loved to play and learn about anything and everything. Every chance to spend time with him was the best she said. She loved him, she had to; why else would she return to the castle day after day? But the Anna that stood encircled by the Ice Queen's arms was not his Anna. It was a grown woman; a stranger to him. Those eyes were not loving or understanding; they were cold, distant and angry. When teal eyes closed Hans felt he had been dropped into the deep, the cold was setting in and he discovered how alone he really was.
Twelve older brothers gave him his inspiration, a twin sister gave him encouragement and a kingdom to serve gave him a life goal, but that girl took his heart. She stole it then left it to rot. The Prince lost his love, he lost his sister and with her his kingdom, Hans had nothing left. Therefor he had nothing to lose.
"We were born minutes apart and we have never left each other's side since then. Now in a time I need you most, when I ask for your help you betray me to a woman who has caused not only my unhappiness but your own and even our family. You may not accept our brothers for who they are but they also cared for Anna. The staff loved her personality; her presence gave them a smile each and every day she was there. And now I learn you are the one to tear that away from us all? You gave Anna to a monster and now you dare to stand here smiling"
Hans looked to his twin with such hatred and agony that any blood ties between them no longer meant anything. Hans was alone in enemy territory; he had no allies to call upon and more opponents to handle with each passing day. He wouldn't stand for one to come out in the image of his own sister.
Irena pushed herself backwards on instinct the moment she saw Hans reach down. Luckily she did otherwise her neck would've been sliced from ear to ear. Despite the male previously standing on the dock planks and herself aboard the ship Hans had used a powerful thrust of his legs to hoist himself up the gangplank and aim his sword in one continuous motion. Her heavy skirts aided in his endeavor when she couldn't reset her footing and the Princess fell to the deck as her brother came at her again. Cringing away at the strike, Irena waited for the piercing steel but time seemed to stop. Looking up she audibly sighed at the sight of a spear-wielding snowman blocking the attack from the Prince. Its pensive face, almost reassuring as it easily pushed the Prince back and settled into a stance before its charge. It appeared Elsa wasn't as cold-hearted as everyone believed.
"Refrain from killing my Spymaster; she has taken me years to sculpt just right. Replacing her would be troublesome and time consuming" Elsa spoke with a rather toneless annoyance. Irena wasn't openly grateful but accepted it as something from her Queen none the less.
"You dare to stop me Ice Wench?! This vessel is property of the Southern Isles! You cannot interfere with matters that happen aboard this ship!" the enraged Prince threatened the ruler with his weapon. It didn't matter to him that she was out of his reach; he had a matter to settle then she would be next.
"That may be true Hans but any soul I deem my servant becomes property of the Isles and I accept this gift from the Queen humbly. So you cannot claim interference, nor can you threaten my life again" Irena collected herself and set her sights on Hans over the shoulder of her newest guardian.
"You are no longer loyal to the Isles Irena! How could you do this to our family? Your own blood!"
"As much as this loving moment bores me to death, I don't care for you or your actions any longer Prince Hans. You are free to leave my waters soon as your men return. Irena, we have work to finish. Come" Hans snapped round to set his stunned gaze on the Queen. 'She's...dismissing me?' his mind so lost he didn't even react to when his sister left the ship at an even walk, her new snowman following obediently. His sword arm felt heavy and his legs made of lead. After all the work and effort he placed into a plan, Elsa was letting him go..?
"What are you planning Witch? Are you going to sink my ship soon as it hits open water? Are you planning to silence me that way because you are too cowardly to do it yourself?!" he raised his sword again hoping the threatening stance would get some reaction from her. It didn't.
"I believe you have seen my actions first hand Prince Hans. If I wanted you dead, you would be another sculpture in my gardens. Seeing as you are still breathing much to my annoyance, I never had any real plans for you. You're worthless, useless and an eyesore. Anna seemed to have some entertainment with you around for a few days but you solved that issue for me and now you can leave" she gave a dismissive wave, signalling his dismissal but he refused to acknowledge. Instead he stormed down to the docks, hands clenched and furious.
"You cannot dismiss me. I am a Prince of the Southern Isles. You are asking for war Elsa!"
"On the contrary brother; you are" Irena interrupted the two. "Leave. Take the chance and return home and tell them what you wish. Before things get worse than they are…"
"I think things are getting better by the minute Princess. Our guests have finally arrived" Elsa turned her blue eyes to the dock entrance and the sight she'd been waiting for all day.
With Anna still attached firmly at her side and absently running fingers through her hair the queen welcomed her head guard, his steed and the three bodies being towed in their wake. Her ever helpful creations, following along in the rear hauled them to their feet before shoving them forward. The two larger bodies managed to remain upright with little trouble but the tiny man fell back to the ground in a groaning heap and a mouth full of snow and dirt. Feeling a small movement at her side, the Queen's eyes trailed down as Anna shifted more into her frame and clutched tightly to her clothing; her head injury still affecting her bodily functions.
"Welcome Duke. We've been patiently waiting for you. It's very rude to keep royalty waiting" Elsa let the Princess have the scene while she enjoyed her moment with her captive prize. Her cape didn't fully hide the younger girl from their audience but she didn't want that truly, Anna was the reason they had all gathered; she would be the reason they all paid.
"The little slime was trying to sneak his way out of the castle when I found him. He refused to come willingly highness, so I had to use other means…" Kristoff dismounted his loyal reindeer to stand beside his monarch.
"Tasteful, is all I have to say. But do we really need those things here too? They are just ugly…" Elsa's cold gaze settled on the Duke's henchmen with little acknowledgement; they were maggots in her eyes. The magic wielder felt the small girl lift her head, if only slightly to look at the arrivals.
"You got them all? I thought they'd have…" her voice was slightly pained but curious. A perfectly manicured hand forced the still healing limb back to its perch before returning to its pleasure of soothing like touches.
"That is all of them Anna. All the slime brought with him was two worms to keep him alive a little longer. Seems like they failed that aspect, let me relieve them of duty" the Queen didn't even have to blink for the two large masses to be brutally impaled from behind then decapitated in a quick one-two movement. The ice monsters responsibly collected the head to set on their pike like weapons while the bodies just slumped in a pile to be carried off later. Dutiful and artistic; Elsa was proud. The Duke however wasn't; he shrieked and tried to crawl away some from the slaughter but Kristoff was having none of it.
"Don't move coward. It's just a body, you'll live…maybe" he shrugged after a look towards the blonde before something caught his sight. A dark chuckle escaped him at the sight of a certain Prince. "He's still here Elsa? I would've thought he'd be long gone by now. Your charms holding him here?" the reindeer trainer only crossed his massive arms when the Prince scowled his way.
"I assume he has unfinished business but for what I couldn't wager. He's a broken tool now, useless and no longer needed. Enough of him, I want the one responsible…"
"What you call me? I am no tool! How dare you insinuate that I am merely a pawn"
Hans took another step forward; it was all he could do with the still looming snow henchman blocking his path to the Queen. While the Prince had admirable sword fighting skills, he had doubts he could pass the two spear wielding foes without losing a limb in the process.
"For being an 'intelligent' Prince you aren't very observant" the massive blonde spoke directly at him now. "Even I know when I'm being played. Guess you were too focused on Anna to see the big picture here pretty boy. The Duke's being playing you this whole time"
"I did nothing for the Duke to possibly use me in any way you over-grown equine" Kristoff visibly scowled at the insult and unfolded his arms.
"You were given permission to leave but instead you push your luck and now…I can kill you. Royal or not you mean nothing to any of us"
"That's not a complete lie…" Irena spoke softly which halted the large man. She sent a glance towards her brother. "I warned you Hans, the Duke had other motives. Ask him yourself" she gestured to their kneeling captive. Kristoff looked to her and back again before questioning his monarch.
"Elsa, you can't possibly…"
"Enough. Let him question the maggot. It's not every day we see a 'pawn' over-power it's 'king'" Elsa smirked at the idea and rather amused she came up with it too. The royal in question seemed to be unimpressed with the analogy but stepped forward none-the-less. While the snow creations allowed him to pass they didn't break their aggressive stance between him and the ladies. Kristoff didn't need protecting; he had his pick and a reindeer.
"What could this possibly accomplish Elsa?" Kristoff spoke softly into the Queen's ear. He hadn't taken his eyes off the wandering Prince or their captive; his gut telling them something wasn't right.
"Nothing, but the sooner the man accepts his position the sooner I can rid Arendelle of the infesting parasites it currently homes. Stand aside Kristoff" her tone was final and her expression was hardening every passing second. The head guard knew not to push his luck. The Queen was no longer is a pleasant mood after discovering the growing bump on Anna's head. The smaller girl whimpered slightly.
Hans held himself rigid as he approached the kneeling man. Formal attire smudged with what looked to be dirt, soot and what he could only guess, other 'unearthly' stains. His appearance was dishevelled; obvious by the entrance he made behind the foul smelling beast, and he wasn't referring to the animal. Looking down into blurry, tear-filled eyes of the Duke, Hans found himself in a position he never encountered before. This man was at his mercy. While the Prince didn't hold the life in his hands, the seat of power was without a doubt his and Hans couldn't deny the fear of it.
"You were the one to come up with the plans…what was your goal?" he spoke slowly and tried to keep his voice steady as possible. He had to keep his nerves solid.
"Please Prince Hans. You have to help me! That Queen is going to kill us all!" the white haired man openly cried as he gave his last pleas, they weren't very believable and did little to deter the Prince.
"What were your plans?! You asked for my assistance and I gave it but you never told me everything. Why? What did you do?!" the Duke flinched.
"We wanted what was rightfully ours. Our trade agreements weren't political and there were no documents regarding our sales but there was some gold inside the castle…" he was interrupted by a dark chuckle coming from the long haired monarch.
"Please do not play on words Duke. There is no wealth in that stone fortress and we all know it. You have one chance to speak freely before your tongue is removed" Elsa moved her free hand about a little to create a sharp thin ice-blade about the size of a spoon. The small weapon itself wasn't intimidating but the owner holding it made it all the more deadly.
"I swear on my life all I want was what was promised me! King Nicolas said he would give me all his trade in exchange for priceless pieces and gold. Since those resources stopped coming my payments are to be returned but they're still in that castle and I have a right to get what is mine!"
"Right?...You have no rights here Duke…" a soft voice broke the tense atmosphere. No one would've thought such a voice would come from the hardened frame of Anna. Despite her vulnerable appearance curled into the Queen's side, her eyes were almost murderous as they glared hard into the tiny frame of the Duke. "You were the reason Arendelle was dying in the first place! You stole the resources we needed to live and any gold you gave the King didn't go back into the economy! Arendelle was dying because of you! I'll never forgive you for that!"
"Everything was traded under the code girl. What the King did with that money wasn't my fault…ugh!" he quickly halted his sentence when steel was pressed to his throat. Hans turned the Duke's eyes back on him.
"You don't get to talk to Anna like that. Now tell me about your real plan! You didn't decide to attack a fortified castle, risking your neck to ally with rebel guards to find some gold or jewels. I put my neck on the line to open those doors for the men and where were you this whole time?!"
"If I was to venture a guess I would say he was searching my study" eyes turned to Elsa. She had long forgotten the attention to her smaller counter-part and now was more entertained twirling the sharp blade between her fingers with mesmerising skill.
"Study…?" the expression on the Duke's face changed and Hans caught it out the corner of his eye.
"Tell me Hans, do you know anything about the small region of Weselton?" her tone made Hans quick to anger. She was insinuating he knew very little about the world; it was grinding on his nerves. He didn't bring himself to answer the obvious baiting. He knew what she was talking about; a Prince does not need to explain himself.
"No? Oh dear. Irena, would you kindly inform your brother?"
"Yes my Queen" The Princess in question remained at her station beside the tall trainer with her expression neutral and voice factual. "Weselton, is a settlement ruled by a Duchy system. While the territory itself is well placed between a plentiful sea and a flourishing forest it is a poor region…"
"How dare you call my land poor you vile little Princess!" the weasel shouted as he tried to stand but was soon met with a mass of snow falling onto his head, effectively shutting him up while returning him to the dirt.
"Continue Irena" Elsa stated calmly. Anna had to hide the small smile making its way across her face.
"Weselton is however situated in the near centre of the southern collective Kingdoms and therefor its only sustenance is trade. The Duke of Weselton…" she nodded her head towards the man in question "…has been in position for the past two decades and the territory has been in prosperity for only half that time since Arendelle became a huge benefactor. Because of his reputation and little to give in terms of actual trade, no other kingdom is willing to bind itself into a contract with Weselton or its Duke for such reasons. Is there anything else you wish me to say my Queen?" Hans was disgusted how sweet that title came from his sister's mouth.
"You have done your lessons well Princess. Perhaps you would like to inform your brother of a few impacting things about home. He seems to be taking the teachings well"
"Very well, it has been discovered through various means that Weselton is responsible for missing trade ships been under attack by hired pirates. Most of these vessels held valuable and essential items that soon came into the hands of Lords in the area. Such ships were rarely seen again…including a few from the Southern Isles. A trail of legalised payment for such actions, led me straight to the home of one small, moustache wearing male…"
"You?!" Hans whipped round his sword to point it directly between two blue eyes. "You were the one stealing from us! You did all of this to gain wealth for your home?!"
"I did what I must to keep Weselton alive! We cannot survive without trading partners and King Nicolas agreed to meet our demands. I could not let that opportunity escape me. Your ships were sadly a last resort…" the Duke looked aside with mild guilt.
"Last resort?! Do you know what that did to our kingdom and my brother's reputation?! Other rulers believed we were withholding our wears to embarrass them! It's what made Vikes…" the Prince paused midsentence, his eyes slowly moving round to lock onto his sister. She gave him a soft smile "It made the king believe you didn't it?"
"Now you understand. Being spymaster gave me essential information that could either save or destroy home. Thanks to her Majesty's teachings I easily used my hand to play our brother onto the right path. Ultimately it led us here and at the same time it brought our enemy into our grasp. So you see brother, all of it was for the greater good" Irena gave a true smile for once. Despite the actions she had to take against everyone she knew and loved, she felt that as both a Princess and a person she made a difference.
"The Duke of Weselton not only leeched the life of Arendelle but was planning on destroying it too. Your combined ambition to have the rebels raid my castle? He was going to put all the blame on you and leave without anyone knowing he was involved, hoping the ice wall would vanish with my death. News would spread of Arendelle's fall and the one responsible was a young Prince from a foreign land. You should really be thanking me Hans. I just saved your honour if not your life"
Elsa released her partner to glide the few steps distance between herself and the two foreign men. While one seemed to accept his fate of being a scoundrel and caught red handed, the other didn't know he was looking rather foolish. His eyes held recognition for her words but his growing expression of confused rage was quite the sight; especially for the Queen.
"While your heart was set on kidnapping my possessions away from me Hans, I spent the past days and nights keeping you from the real harm. It doesn't matter what you tried to do to help either Anna or the Duke, you were never really useful at all. A simple tool. Tell me, how does it feel?" by the end of her words she was whispering in his ear. Her face was so close to his but he hadn't taken his eyes off their location over her shoulder.
"…You bitch!" he was about to bring his arm up for a strike.
"Enough!" All eyes went to the small stature of the red haired female. "I've had enough of this. Especially from you Hans. Just...Enough"
I'm so so so so sorry! Please don't kill me! I know this has been so late in getting online but it's not my fault!...Ok really it is but still! This stupid chapter has been haunting me and it just refused to come out of my head right. I swear I'll get the next one up faster and better…hopefully. Man I need a beta to kick my butt into gear. But I also have a heep of courses to do both in class and online so time is stretched all round for me.
Anyway, I hope you guess will be nice enough to leave a review. Any last minute confusion you guys have, let me know cause I hope to clear it all up in the next two planned chapters otherwise it will unknown forever~~~~!
Midmoon Kitsune