AN: DRAMA LLAMA. Um, I think y'all are gonna hate me for this next chapter, I just have a terrible sinking feeling lol. Review are much appreciated. Thanks to all of you, you're who I strive to please.
Disclaimer: I don't own, never have owned and never will own any part of Frozen. I do not, have not and will probably never work for Disney. This is a not for profit fanwork. Thank you for reading.
Hans had not slept in three days, unable to face the nightmares. He looked absolutely terrible, and what made it worse was that he had grown more irritable, and Elsa couldn't take it anymore. She had sent him out to the stables, where he had begun pacing, waiting for his half brother to show up.
Meinhard ambled up to him. "You look like shit, brother."
"I know." Hans scoffed, messing around with a rope on the wall next to one of the stalls.
The mountain man laughed and pet one of the horses, a sleek gray mare.
"Ready to begin preparations or should I let you nap?"
Hans shoved him. "Shut up. I'm ready."
Meinhard had talked Kristoff into helping them, and he had been walking beside his father. They needed all the hands they could get, and time had to be running out.
It was undeniable that the weather was growing cold faster than normal, but none of them expected the area around the castle to be near frozen solid when they emerged from the stables, after only an hour of time.
It had to have been Elsa. There was no other explanation.
Anna was out for some fresh air, standing and waiting for Kristoff to return to her by the gate. Kristoff waved to her, and ran forward to meet his wife. As if on cue a low rumble sounded through the air, echoing ominously.
Anna screamed, as the ice cracked beneath the man's feet. "Kristoff!"
He looked up at her, and scrambled back to try and get off the breaking ice. It began to crumble beneath him and he fell into the freezing water with a dull splash and sunk fast.
Meinhard ran forward to the hole in the ice, sliding forward on his stomach and reaching down into the water.
Kristoff grabbed at his hand with both of his, floundering in the icy water.
"C'mon!" He hoisted him slowly out of the water, inch by inch. There was a sickening grinding sound and then Kristoff screamed. The slurry had frozen around his legs, trapping them as the thick glacial layer began to press closer together, crushing them between the pieces of ice. A broken sob erupted from his mouth as the snow around the glacier began to turn pink.
Meinhard pulled him out with all of his strength. Kristoff couldn't feel his legs anymore, so his father had to carry him, bridal style, his legs frozen.
"Go get somebody! A guard or someone!" Meinhard yelled to his brother.
Hans' expression was one of shock as he ran back toward the castle, stumbling over a rough patch of ice before catching himself and earning scraped up hands and knees for his trouble. "Guards! Somebody!"
Kristoff was pale, his face twisted in agony.
"Oh, no, please.. Kristoff, stay awake, stay with me please.." Anna kneeled at his side, where the blood had frozen.
"I.. I'm trying. It hurts." She took his hand, squeezing it tight. Kristoff winced as Meinhard expertly tied off his mangled legs so he didn't bleed out, squeezing Anna's hand loosely.
Hans didn't find any guards. It was as if they had all vanished at once, which he knew was suspicious. Instead, he nearly ran into Elsa.
She was rushing to the entrance, after she heard Anna scream. "What happened?"
"Her husband—the ice—quickly!"
Elsa hurried faster. "The ice? What do you mean?"
She gasped out loud upon seeing outside. "It's frozen."
"From you, I'd assume."
Elsa stared, eyes wide. "I did this...?"
Hans didn't answer.
She bowed her head and rushed to her sister and Kristoff, not realizing the snow was red all around them until she had gotten closer.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't know, I didn't mean to—"
"Apologies won't bring his legs back." Meinhard's voice was gruff, as he lifted Kristoff's arm over his shoulder. Hans helped, lifting his other side.
"Now just make sure his legs stop bleeding." Elsa directed them.
Anna was too busy fretting over Kristoff's trembling form to really help. She was also getting in the way of carrying him inside.
"Bring him in. Anna, make a fire. He needs to be warmed up before we tend to his legs." Elsa's voice was shaky, and she took a second to steady it, taking a deep breath as she put her hands to her stomach, to calm the fluttering inside.
Once he began to warm up, Kristoff stirred. "Anna?" His wife was beside him, bandaging what was left of his mutilated legs below the knees. Her hands were steady, despite the horrific damage done to him.
"I-I'm right here.." She finished the bandaging and pulled his gloves off, squeezing his cold hands in both of her own.
Elsa was standing in the doorway, waiting for them to finish and gathering her strength for what she knew would be quite a hurdle to overcome. "Anna.. I don't think you should be here for this next part."
Her eyes grew wide. "Why not?"
"Just.. Trust me. You won't like it. I think you should wait with Gunter."
Anna released his hands and pulled back. "I'll be waiting for you, Kristoff." She kissed him carefully, before backing out of the room.
Elsa looked to Meinhard and Hans. "Lock the door, one of you."
She faced Kristoff lying on the bed. "This is going to hurt. I'm going to need both of you to hold him down."
Hans stared at Elsa. Her wan face was determined, but she still was very much pregnant, and had bloody ice down her front. "I don't think you should do this, the way you are."
The Queen shot him a look. "I'm not dying, Hans. Now, I caused this. I should fix it."
"Elsa—"
"I am tired of you thinking I can't do anything because I'm pregnant! I'm more than capable of handling this." She looked at him, and then at Meinhard who was steadying Kristoff's legs. "Ready?"
Anna could hear her husband's screams of agony all the way across the hall. Gunter, thankfully, had fallen asleep and remained so. She clutched him close to her chest, head bowed as she tried to shut out the awful sound.
When the screaming stopped, she was grateful at first, but then the cold silence settled around her and Anna seized her baby tighter. The almost year old child woke and looked up at her with his big brown eyes.
Hans opened the door. "Anna.."
She nearly jumped in her seat.
"He's awake. He's asking for you."
Anna stood up quick. "He is?"
Hans held the door open for her and she walked past him, completely ignoring him, heading across the hall to the other door. Opening it slowly, she peered in. Elsa had collapsed in a chair soon after she finished, exhausted from the overuse of her energy, especially with the baby.
Meinhard looked up from where he was covering Kristoff with a blanket. "Your grace, he's.."
The mountain man gestured to her husband.
Kristoff turned to face the door. "Anna!" He tried to sit up but fell back.
"Don't strain yourself." Meinhard pushed him back down.
"How are your legs?" Anna stepped mincingly toward him.
"Your sister used her magic to fix them."
"Fix them? What was wrong with them?" There was a hysterical note to her voice.
Kristoff lifted the blanket to reveal where his trousers had been torn to show his knee and the stump below, along with a lower leg and foot built out of ice. From what Anna could see, his other leg looked purple and swollen, but still completely whole. She covered her mouth in horror.
Kristoff looked to Elsa. "I owe her everything."
"Kristoff.."Anna began, but couldn't finish her thought, still speechless.
Hans walked slowly to Elsa, crouching beside the armchair. She didn't stir, so he picked her up gently in his arms, muttering softly under his breath. "I was right, of course, But does she listen to me? No." He looked to Anna and Kristoff. "I'm putting her to bed. You'll be alright without me?"
Meinhard stood up. "The worst is over, presumably. I think all you need to worry about is infection and healing, but that can wait." He got the door for his half brother, and shut it again.
"Should I leave you two alone then also?" He looked to Anna and Kristoff.
She nodded, touching her husband's face with her free hand, still cradling Gunter close to her bosom. "Please."
