"You're not going to eat?" asked Gail, peering over his notes at Hans. He had taken a break from negotiations with Elsa and decided to have dinner with Hans, but refused to tell his brother anything that they had discussed.

Hans raised an eyebrow. "I'm not that hungry. I'm more interested in your conversation with our dear friend, Elsa of Arendelle."

"Queen Elsa," snapped Gail. "Besides, nothing is official yet, so it's pointless to say anything that might get your hopes up."

"Managed to pierce her stony exterior, brother?" asked Hans, amused. "I can certainly say she has to you. Look how calm you are now."

He frowned. "I can't waste anymore time yelling at you while juggling negotiations with a Queen." He sighed, tapping his pen against his face.

"You're in your element, Gail," observed Hans. "You were born to do this."

"Get you out of a murder charge? Yes, it's my dream job." He rolled his eyes.

"Your Highness, Her Majesty would like your presence in the throne room once more," announced Edward, who has been standing outside for this exact message.

Gail stood up, taking his papers with him. "Try to plan for your defense, brother. You'll need to."

"Good luck, Gail."

Edward handed him the crown. Gail adjusted it on his head before answering uncertainly, "Thank you."

"Pour yourself a drink before you go. You might need it." He gestured to the wine bottles unopened.

"I don't drink. Only on the most important occasions."

"You'll want one, I assure you, but it's your loss."

Gail called out behind him, "And most surely your gain."

Hans returned his attention to his servant and asked eagerly, "Edward, do you know anything?"

"About what, Your Highness?" prompted Edward.

"Anything. What happened with the blizzard? What is my brother talking about with Elsa? I need to know something at least."

"The blizzard, sir, ended because Her Majesty finally realized how to control her powers. As for your brother's negotiations, I had no idea what is going on."

"How did she control her powers?"

Edward paused. "I'm not so sure, Your Highness. Apparently it was through love."

"Love?" Hans snorted.

"Yes, sir." Edward paused. "Pardon my asking, but did you really attempt to kill Queen Elsa?"

Hans replied tiredly, "Yes, I did." They all asked the same questions; it was so annoying. He held out his glass. "Now pour me a drink, Edward."

He heard the door creaking open and the murmuring of the guards. Hans looked up groggily to see Elsa standing up in all her glory.

"I didn't know you were still here."

"You never called for me." He poured out the last of the wine in his glass, spilling some on the table.

She stared at the empty wine bottles, her face impassive. "Where's your man?"

"Edward?" He laughed. "Told him to go a long time ago."

"You've been drinking," she declared, her tone accusing.

"Obviously." Hans raised his glass. "To your health, Elsa." He downed the drink instantly and threw it against the wall, breaking it completely.

She was unfazed by the broken glass. "Why to my health, Hans? I thought you wanted me dead."

A knowing smile filled his face. "You ask the wrong questions, Elsa."

"Your brother is quite a determined man," she said abruptly.

"Has he caught you in his web already? What a perfect little prince." He laughed harshly.

"You should go to bed, Hans," she replied finally.

"How curious you are, my dear Elsa," he drawled, getting up unsteadily. "You're such an interesting puzzle," he raised his hand to his face. "I carried you in my arms, you know. All the way back to Arendelle."

She narrowed her eyes. "Hans, if this is some kind of joke..," she replied stiffly.

He smiled. "It's incredibly disorienting to talk to his double. You're so much like him."

"Him?" she asked curiously.

"Gail." He took some staggering steps towards her, his hand reaching out to touch her face. It was colder than the last time, but soft. "Sometimes, I want to love you and be loyal to you forever. Other times, I want to hurt you to the point of murder and perhaps even more." He kept his hand on her cheek, leaning in slightly to her cold exterior. "You're free, Elsa. I envy that Anna has a sister who has set herself free. Gail's demons chain him to the floor, unable to fly to his heart's desire." His face was quite close to hers now and he could feel her chilling breath once more.

Her eyes widened with surprise and she took a step back, but his other hand grasped hers, keeping her in place. "Hans!" Her voice was alarmed when his head drooped down on her shoulder.

"Your skin is so cold," he said slowly and sleepily. His hand fell to his side, no longer on her cheek.

Elsa had no idea what to do. She steered him in the direction of a chair, making sure that he did not get hurt. As soon as she left his side, he called out softly, his voice almost childish in its innocence, "Don't leave me, Elsa. Not like him."

She stopped in her tracks. Another comparison to Gail. She shook her head. It was all an act, just a trick. He probably wanted her to let her guard down. She left the room and summoned Edward to his young master's side. When Edward entered, Hans was already asleep, ridges all across his forehead.

Hans opened his eyes slowly, his lids feeling as though they weighed a ton. He could hear the regular bustling of the castle outside, but it was sort of peaceful here. In his head, it felt as though his mind exploded.

"Sir, you're awake," said Edward, sounding relieved. "How are you feeling?"

"I have an awful headache. I spent the night on a chair. My throat is parched. Tell me, Edward, how do you think I feel?" asked Hans nastily.

"I brought some herbs mixed with water, Your Highness," replied Edward quickly. He handed the goblet to his master.

He gulped the foul tasting liquid and returned the goblet to Edward, feeling the herbs go straight to his head. "I thought I told you to leave last night, Edward."

"You did, sir, but Queen Elsa was worried about you, so she told me to keep an eye on you."

"Elsa?" Hans looked up, interested. "Did she say anything else?"

"No, sir."

"I should see if she wanted anything, Edward." He hurried out of the chair, straightening his clothes out. What could have been the reason for her coming here? He didn't remember anything from last night that included her.

"Of course sir, but are you well enough to…deal with anyone right now?" asked Edward tentatively.

Hans smiled. "It will be fine." He opened the doors and marched out, ready to face Elsa and her judging stares. He ran into someone in his haste, stumbling a bit. "My apologies. I wasn't paying attention." His eyes widened. It was Elsa.

"It's good to see you in the right mind, Prince Hans," she replied coolly.

"Yes, I suppose so, although my head is killing me." Hans frowned. She had seen him drunk? He did not want to know how that conversation ended. "I'm assuming you walked in yesterday at a particularly bad moment. Am I right?"

"I should have left immediately," she answered quietly.

Hans' stomach gave a horrible lurch. What had he done last night? Could his inhibitions lessened to the point that he ruined his future? "If I did anything or said anything completely inappropriate, I'm sincerely sorry. I shouldn't have been drinking, Your Majesty." He bowed his head slightly.

"No, it was nothing of the sort." Her face was void of any expression.

"I'm sorry for whatever I said anyway. I was intoxicated."

She nodded, not meeting his eyes. "They call alcohol the Truth Serum. It's an appropriate title, I think."

"You've made me curious." Did he say something or not? Why wouldn't she say?

"You should go change and refresh yourself. The trial begins in an hour." She turned around, her hair falling in place behind her. "I'll see you there."

I dislike this chapter for some reason. It doesn't sit right with me. Well, it sounded much better in my head. We get a slight bit of Elsa's POV, but I kept that to a minimum. There was a bit of a shout-out to A Tale of Two Cities if you caught it. Next chapter is the trial, which I hope will be better than this one.