One follower! Hell yeah! Onward with the story; I hope to be updating it once a week or so if you were wondering. Possibly more often if I get a burst of motivation or creativity. Fair warning, there's a quasi-history lesson in the middle of it.
Following his largest man up the stairs, Hans felt something akin to fear. If she can create a monster such as that, what else can this fucking witch conjure up? Upon reaching the top, he stopped. The prince narrowed his eyes at the sight before him. The stairs terminated into a smooth wall that was clearly once a set of doors. What the fuck else could it be? Seriously, who the hell designs a castle and makes a staircase to nowhere? The theory was confirmed when he heard faint noises coming from the other side of the ice. They sounded like – screaming? The fuck's going on in there? He drew in a breath, ran his fingers through his auburn hair, and let it out, puffing up his cheeks in the process.
"Men," he commanded, "we're going to do our damndest to get through this wall and get our men back." Even if I've never seen those two before in my life. His men didn't even bother letting out a war cry in the face of such a task, setting to the task with a will. They chipped away at the wall with their weapons, loosing spears from a distance and hacking at it with swords and axes. The soldiers all noticed the sounds had died, being replaced by an eerie silence. Their progress slowed, reflecting their unease; they had scarcely made a dent in the wall, rather simply scratching at the surface of the ice. Suddenly, all the imperfections the men had caused were repaired and the wall itself began to grow towards them. Goddammit. "All right, boys, we did our best."
They all filed down the stairs, in no hurry since the momentum of the wall was maybe a few inches a minute at best. When the squad exited the castle, they had to ease their way across the bridge, since the ice golem had taken a significant chunk of it with it in its fall into the abyss, and it seemed precarious. Hans mounted his horse with his usual flourish, then waited impatiently for the rest of his men to gain their saddles. As he waited, he looked at the white landscape surrounding him. He saw faint depressions in the ground that could have been footprints, but he was unsure. Did Anna make it up here? Did she talk to that bitch? If she had, that would be detrimental to his plans. He needed to keep the two apart, separate them, turn Anna against her sister if possible since there was no way in hell he would get near Elsa. I'll deal with that shit if and when it comes up.
His last man, a slightly rotund foreigner named Giorgio was at last astride his horse, and Hans began riding off, not looking behind him to see if his soldiers were following. They all did, to a man. As he heard the creaking of leather and jangle of metal on metal, a corner of his mouth turned up. He was in control. The queen would remain in her self-imposed exile, presenting no immediate threat to his eventual rule, and Anna was still hopelessly in love with him. It was working.
Kristoff trudged away from the gate slowly. Immediately after giving Anna to the royal house, he began questioning his actions. Should I have really just done that? He shook his head, saying out loud, "No – it is what Anna wants." Sven snorted at that. Ah, shut up, you brute. Kristoff looked around at the snow and ice, feeling a sense of hopelessness. Now what? As far as he could tell, there wasn't an end to this freak weather in sight. That, however, took a backseat toward his feelings towards Anna. For having met the girl less than 24 hours before, he was already attracted to her. Her light blue eyes, her freckles, her gorgeous hair – His train of thought was cut off with Sven's huff of amusement. Was I thinking that out loud? "What – are you arguing with me?" He smiled faintly at his furry friend. That smile disappeared as he again thought of the situation they were all in. "What are we going to do, Sven?" he sighed. The reindeer lowed in response.
By this time, the duo had reached the outskirts of the town. The village of Arendelle – the capital city and the kingdom sharing the same name – followed the lay of the land. Closer to the shore, the buildings and houses were spread out as the terrain allowed, but the heights surrounding the fjord prevented any construction on the slopes. Therefore, the majority of the buildings – houses, mostly, were built in the valley that led away from the water. About a quarter of a mile from where the forest began, a wall had been built. This wall had a thick stone base and a wooden palisade twenty feet high, with seventeen towers, spaced evenly over the course of the structure, each guarding a gate. The wall was about five miles in length. It had been built by Elsa and Anna's grandfather, King Aren the Great. He was younger than Anna, only about 16, when his parents were killed by a Weselton band of soldiers. They were not yet the ruling family, and the castle and the surrounding village was under the control of a local governor who owed his allegiance to the King of Weselton, the duke's father. Aren had led an uprising of the townsfolk, who were angered by the high taxes of the Weseltons and conscription practices for their wars in far off places. It was in the midst of one of these wars – no one knew for sure which one, there were so many – that Aren and his army of shopkeepers, farmers, and peasants stormed Weselton. They forced the king to relinquish control of their land, which was a sizeable portion of the Norwegian landscape. He reluctantly agreed; the attack had come so swiftly that his armies abroad were unaware of the upheaval back in their homeland. Upon his return, Aren was crowned by the bishop as King of Arendelle. He immediately began to fortify his new kingdom, building up the navy and creating defensive structures around the region. The largest and most impressive of these was the wall. Over the course of a year, and completely without taxes but rather through the efforts and supplies volunteered by the townspeople, it was completed to an extent beyond the king's expectations. Originally, King Aren had envisioned a defensive structure that would merely slow an advancing force so the militia and castle soldiers could be marshalled, but this wall would halt that same force for some time.
Just beyond the wall was an old goat path that farmers used to take their livestock to the market. It meandered for three miles to the end of the fjord, then another four until it reached a junction just across the water from the castle. There, it crossed the Northern Road, which paralleled the Royal Road which lay to the south across the fjord. Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna lay along this road, which slowly faded into nothingness as it wound its way further and further from civilization. It was at this junction that Kristoff found himself a little over an hour after leaving the gates of the castle. In his daze, he hardly noticed the time had passed; he only realized how far he had travelled when he reached the junction. That was fast. Suddenly, he heard a loud crash come from the city. He whirled around to see a cloud of snow erupting from a collapsed building in town. His brown eyes widened in fear. Anna! No – she wouldn't have been in it. How do you know? She's in the castle, idiot! What's keeping the castle from collapsing? Because it's made of stone? Unconsciously, he had begun to take short steps back to Arendelle, which sped up into a run. There is no way Hans can save her. If true love is required, I refuse to believe that man has it in him. I'll have to kiss her myself. He paused mentally, still churning his legs. Do I love this girl? Yes. I would do anything for her. Seeing Sven approach, galloping, on his right, he swung himself onto the reindeer's back, hurtling towards the castle and Anna.
Hans leaned into Anna, holding her chin in one gloved hand. Thoughts were racing through his mind. I am so fucking close! Months of preparation had led to this moment. The queen is locked away up on North Mountain, and Anna herself is about to be frozen solid, leaving me – me! – as the sole royalty left in Arendelle! He could hardly wait to break the girl's heart – it's all for the best, my dear.
"Oh, Anna, if only there was someone out there who loved you." He stated this so simply, and relished the look on the girl's face. Shock, sadness, weakness, as if her heart was shutting down – which it was! "What?" He heard the quiet gasp as he moved around the room. Hans began to explain his whole strategy, his grandiose scheme as he closed the curtains. No witnesses. He started from the beginning, describing his life with his twelve older brothers, his disappointment when he realized there was little to no chance of ever being king. Of course, I could always kill them off, but even for him that was dark. As the prince pontificated on, he extinguished the candle, moving over to the fire. The candle was more of a symbolic gesture; it gave off only a little heat, but the hope it crushed was much more significant. Anna gazed at him with hurt in her eyes, and anger. I didn't think she had it in her; no matter. She will be dead soon enough. Hans continued to explain his plan, how it had changed with Elsa's flight to the North Mountain. It would have been preferable of course for the bitch to have died, but given present circumstances, that was unlikely. And now that Anna was in the process of dying, it was even better!
The prince grabbed the pitcher of tea, pouring it over the flames in the fireplace, making sure to extinguish all traces of heat. Having done that, he began walking towards the door.
"You won't get away with this," Anna said in a weak, shivering voice. Hans smiled down at her warmly, full of confidence.
"Oh, I already have." With that, he stepped out of the room, closing and locking the door behind him. He sighed with content, and continued on to the dining hall, where he knew the other foreign royalty had gathered. The prince paused by a window to observe the storm going on outside. It wasn't a storm per se, rather more of a heavy, heavy snowfall. Already a house had collapsed from the weight of the frozen precipitation. Houses in this climate were built to withstand such weather; the one in question had been built poorly, admittedly, but it was all the same disconcerting for Hans. This fucking weather! It's got to end sooner or later. Of course, that meant dealing with the queen, which he was most assuredly not looking forward to. He sighed, somewhat angrily this time, then continued down the hall towards more pressing matters than sightseeing.
As Hans approached the dining hall, he heard the Duke of Weselton's whining voice. Someone ought to shut that bastard up. So fucking annoying. He put on a sad face – need to keep up appearances; for a while, at least. Opening the door slowly, he walked in, head down-turned. The talking ceased at his entrance – thank God! ̶ and he took a seat at the head of the table. With as much false emotion in his voice as he could muster without breaking his composure, he stated "Princess Anna is – dead."
The royalty all gasped at his announcement. Questions and bewildered statements flew around the room. "She was killed – by Queen Elsa." Hans was enjoying himself immensely. All his plans were coming to fruition in this instant. He could see himself, in his mind's eye, sitting on the throne just a few rooms down, the royal crown sitting on his head. Dignitaries of far-off kingdoms and nations would come and recognize his reign. His brothers, even, from the Southern Isles, would have to see what "the runt" had accomplished. Local vassals would state their allegiance to him – King Hans of Arendelle. Eventually, he would marry a beautiful woman, possibly a princess of a neighboring kingdom or duchy, and stage another takeover as he had of Arendelle. The whole fucking world is at my feet. At that moment, Hans knew nothing could stop him.
The duke and the other dignitaries all gasped at this revelation. The white-haired man shook his head, saying "Her own sister." Now I won't have nearly enough trouble gathering support to march on the castle. Hans took a couple more shaky breaths, appearing to be steadying himself to the gathered observers, before continuing the charade. "At least we got to say our marriage vows," he continued, taking note of the wide, sympathetic eyes all around him, "before she died in my arms." He capped it off by slumping down into the chair in feigned sorrow. Hans was elated. Soon I will begin to plan the coronation, ball, and all that fucking hoopla. There will of course be a suitable period of mourning for my dear Anna, accompanied by a beautiful funeral. Then my work can begin in earnest. Hans allowed himself a brief grin at all the possibilities that lay before him now. Nothing's in my fucking way.
After making it into the castle, Olaf found it much easier to walk about. There's so much less wind – the wind makes it so hard to walk, and the snow blows in my eyes, and I have to squint to see, but when I squint my nose starts to wiggle around so I have to hold it, and then sometimes it just comes off which is a HUGE problem, so I have to chase it, and – he cut himself off. I wonder where Sven and Sven got off to. They've got to be in here somewhere. Maybe by the stables? There's probably reindeer in there! Olaf gasped. Maybe there's more Svens! Maybe more noses too! The snowman chortled at the thought.
When Olaf had burst unannounced into the family's home, they had immediately thrown him back out into the street. Dazed, he wandered around for a bit before realizing he was walking towards the castle. That's got to be where Sven and Sven and Anna went! I don't know whythose talking rock love experts called Sven Kristoff. Sven is a much better name. Man, those things are fun – Olaf decided to go back and visit them when he could. First things first though. The snowman didn't realize that he had reached the castle until he ran into it, pushing his nose back through his head. WOW that's a shock! He backed up and looked around for some sort of an entrance. Maybe a door? Or a hole? Or a gap? Or a gate? Or a – stop it Olaf. You need to get inside. Olaf saw a door nearby and waddled happily over to it. He jumped up and grabbed at the handle, trying to open it with its weight. The door turned out to be locked, and his arm popped out of his body, still gripping the metal. Olaf gasped at the sight, then swiped at the wooden stick, grabbing it and sticking it back into his body with the same motion. How am I going to get in? I need to open that door somehow, but it's locked. Maybe a key? Ooh – is there a key around here somewhere? Nah – it would be covered by snow by now. Think think think – ooh! Maybe someone would open if I knocked? Nah – it's too cold; the guards are probably all asleep in their warm beds by now. Mmm – warmth. I can't wait until summer, and warmth, and heat, and the sun, and beaches, and flowers, and bees, and – no, stop it Olaf! He scratched his nose as he did when in deep thought. Suddenly an idea came to him. Lockpick! The snowman chortled at the idea. He popped his nose out of his face, shoving the carrot into the keyhole beneath the handle. Olaf rattled the appendige around in the hole a few times, then jumped up again and grabbed the handle. It turned with a click. Bingo! Was his name-o – no! Don't get distracted! Grabbing his nose, he continued on inside the castle walls. Once he had crossed the courtyard, he entered the ground floor of the castle through a window that led into a room full of paintings. Ooh – pretty colors! Olaf gasped. Summer! Paintings of summer! For once, he wasn't distracted. I'll get back to them later. Once again filled with a sense of determination, he continued on, hardening his features into a countenance somewhat resembling seriousness.
The little snowman wandered through the halls, waddling happily around the building. As he passed a door, though, he thought he heard quiet sobbing. Hmm. I wonder what that is. He tried the door; again, his arm popped out. That is annoying. I need to get Elsa to freeze this in its socket. I wonder where Elsa is right now – is she still up in her castle? She needs to come down sometime. I mean, where does she get food from? Does she sleep there? How about – OLAF! He looked up at the door, giving a goofy giggle as he remembered how to get through the obstacle. Once he had unlocked the door with his nose, it swung open. He hopped up to grab the carrot, then stuck it back into his face, gazing into the dark room beyond. Olaf could barely see; all he could make out was a huddled form near the door - "Anna!" he gasped. Her hair was bleached white, and she wasn't moving. Looking around rapidly, the snowman found the fireplace. What if – yes! Olaf you are a genius! Heat! Heat-heat-heat-heat-heat-heat – Olaf, calm yourself! Grabbing some wood that had fallen out of the iron grate, he tossed it all on, accidentally tossing his arm in as well. Seeing that, he gasped and grabbed it, setting it back in its proper place with a grin. Olaf found a match nearby and snatched it up, scraping it against the brick bottom of the fireplace. He held it against the wood, and – Olaf's mouth dropped open with a happy smile.
"Olaf, get away from there!" Why? This is AMAZING!
"Whoa! So this is heat! I love it!" He stared, entranced, stretching his wooden arms towards the fire. It's so beautiful! It dances, like the lights in the sky, but it's red, and orange, and yellow, not the greens and blues and purples at night. These colors really wouldn't go well with snow. Blech. But it's so warm too! Suddenly an arm caught fire. "Ooh but don't touch it!" he warned Anna. She needs to know that danger! He rushed toward her, picking her up and helping her over toward the warmth of the fireplace. She's really heavy! Why are people so heavy? I wonder how heavy Sven is? And I wonder how heavy Sven is? That furry guy has got to be really heavy! Maybe he should lay off the carrots. Why does he keep trying to eat my nose? Olaf, stay focused!
"So... where's Hans? What happened to your kiss?" Olaf was confused. Shouldn't that have saved her? Did she find Hans? Maybe Hans wasn't here. But where else would he be? Anna cut off his mental rambling.
"I was w-wrong about him," she said with a shiver, drawing her cloak around herself. Olaf was sad. So it wasn't true love? "It wasn't true love." I was right! Wait – I shouldn't be happy about that. Bad Olaf!
"But we ran all the way here!" Now what?
"Please, Olaf, you can't stay h-here," Anna said, glancing towards the fire. "You'll melt." What's melting?
"I am not leaving here until we find some other act of true love to save you." Thinking quickly, his mind couldn't come up with anything that fit the requirements. Olaf grabbed his feet in deep thought. Still nothing. He looked to Anna out of the corner of his eye. "You happen to have any ideas?"
"I don't even know what love is." Ooh, I know this one!
"That's okay, I do! Love is putting someone else's needs before yours," Olaf said, rearranging Anna's cloak around her shoulders. "Like, you know, how Kristoff brought you back here to Hans and left you forever." Better use his lame name here so she understands. Hey that rhymed! He continued stroking Anna's arm, smoothing the fabric.
"Kristoff loves me?" She asked him with wide eyes. Duh!
"Wow, you really don't know anything about love, do you?" He moved around to Anna's front, closer to the fire. It was getting seriously warm in there, and his whole body felt mushy. Suddenly, his nose slipped down his face. Unfazed, Olaf pushed it back up with his hand. What – what's going on here. Oh, wait a minute – I must be melting! Okay.
Seeing this, Anna cried out "Olaf, you're melting!" So?
"Some people are worth melting for." At this, the entire right side of the snowman's face began sliding down, dragging his eyes, nose, and strands of stick-hair with it. He grabbed at his head, holding it up with his arms. That could be problematic. "Just maybe not right this second!" The window suddenly swung open with a clatter, letting freezing cold air into the warm room. Seeing Anna shiver suddenly and huddle up tightly, he shouted, "Don't worry, I've got it!" Olaf ran over to the window, wiggling his way up to the bench just below the panes. He closed one quickly, looking back at Anna and said, "We're gonna get through thi-"
As he was saying that, he looked out the window. He saw movement out in the distance. Huh. Wonder what that could be – who could be crazy enough to be out in this weather? "Oh, wait, hang on, I'm getting something." He broke off a nearby icicle – that's convenient – then bit off the pointy part and put the skinny end up to his eye. He gasped, dropping the ice chunk out of his mouth. "It's Kristoff and Sven!" Again, had to use the lame name. That still rhymes! "They're coming back this way!" Wait – why?
"They-they are?" Anna managed.
"Wow. He's really moving fast." Olaf turned back to Anna. "I guess I was wrong. I guess Kristoff doesn't love you enough to leave you behind." He waggled his tooth. That icicle was really hard. Why did I bite it? Owie. Kinda tasted good though.
"Help me up, Olaf. Please." Anna began to drag herself up. What's she doing? She has to stay by the fire and be warm!
"No no no no no!" The snowman flipped himself over the couch. "You need to stay by the fire and keep warm!" he commanded.
"I need to get to Kristoff," Anna explained. That didn't explain anything.
"Why?" Suddenly everything clicked for Olaf. Well, at least one thing did. I get it! I get it I get it I get it I get I get it – stop! He gasped. "Ooh, I know why!" the snowman exclaimed breathily. "There's your act of true love right there! Riding across the fjords like a valiant pungent reindeer king! Come on!" He took Anna's hand and led her out of the room.
"Wait, Olaf – Hans, he-he's in the castle," Anna said. Uh-oh. Bad news.
"That's okay," Olaf said. "I know how to get out." Somehow, the little snowman remembered the path he took to the room the princess had been locked in. As he walked down the hall, he thought he heard people talking. Well, it is a castle, there are people in it – wait a minute. He looked and saw a tall auburn-haired man with bushy sideburns walking down a hall parallel to the one they were in. Olaf gasped and ducked back behind the corner, pulling Anna with him. Anna gasped and shivered. She is really cold – we need to move fast! Steeling himself, he grabbed Anna's hand firmly and ran as fast as his stubby legs allowed him to towards the door he had used to get into the castle, thoughts of the auburn-haired man put out of his head in the excitement.
Hans thought he heard something in the eastern corridor; he turned his head and saw nothing. Must be the wind or the snow. Fucking weather. As he was turning his head back to continue on his way, he saw a white-haired girl being led by a short white creature. What the fuck did I just witness? The blood suddenly drained out of his face. W-was that – he couldn't even finish his thought. Anger and determination set in. No fucking way. This is not going to happen. He stalked down the hall that intersected with the one he had seen the duo in. Turning the corner, he saw the doors to the painting room just closing. Not fucking happening. Hans began to run after the two, refusing to believe that all his plans were in jeopardy BECAUSE OF SOME FUCKING LIVING FUCKING SNOWMAN!
Kristoff was pushing Sven as hard as he thought Sven could take, and then some. The reindeer galloped across the fjord, leaping across frozen obstacles along the way. He could see the castle growing bigger – I'm getting closer! Images of Anna came to his mind – her laughing, her determined face when she nailed that wolf with the lute, the shocked look she had when she had hit Kristoff in the head with the bag of carrots, her gorgeous blue eyes – you can't stop thinking about her eyes, can you? As they traveled on, Kristoff began to make out a trio of black dots moving across the ice. What in the hell? The dots slowly grew larger and larger as Sven ran closer. Oh my God – it's Anna! And Olaf! Who's that man behind her? His eyes narrowed as he realized that must be Hans. Kristoff gasped as the man drew a sword from his hip on the run, closing the distance to the girl and the snowman. He urged the reindeer on, kicking him even, coaxing every bit of speed out of Sven as possible. I have to make it! If anything happens to Anna I'll never forgive myself!
As Kristoff approached the trio, he thought quickly. There were about fifty yards left between Anna and Hans, and that number was shrinking rapidly. There's no other way. Without hesitation, he turned Sven slightly, angling him so their path would intersect with that of the prince. The auburn-haired man didn't even notice them coming. At the last instant, Anna heard the pounding of hooves to her left, and looked. Kristoff looked into the girl's eyes, seeing snowflakes beginning to trace themselves on her cheeks. No! I can't be late! He leapt off his mount, expertly landing on his feet. Unable to stop himself, Kristoff slid a good twenty yards, grabbing Anna's hand on the way. Her eyes widened in shock at the whole situation, but the man noticed only her frozen extremities. It was beautiful in a way, but can't compare to the beauty right in front of me. He pulled the princess into a tight embrace. It was the Anna who leaned in for the kiss, but Kristoff who initiated it, pressing their lips together tightly. Please, please let this work. As the two kissed, they heard a crash behind them but scarcely noticed.
Wh-what's happening? Anna had felt so cold for so long – ages, it seemed – that this new sensation was almost foreign. She could almost feel her systems shutting down, freezing solid as Kristoff grabbed her and kissed her. Suddenly, she was no longer cold. Well, she was, but it was more as if she was floating above it, separated from the sensation. Warmth began to well up in her heart, coming from the contact she shared with the man. It traveled through her body to her extremities, heating up everything in its path. She could feel rather than see the effect it had on her hair; she spared a second to look at a braid of hers. It had returned to its natural color. Anna smiled against Kristoff's lips. He pulled away at the sensation, smiling back at her. He loves me. The simple realization made her heart feel warm all over again. She thought back to the words of Grand Pabbie: only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart. Anna smiled warmly at her savior. Suddenly, a lowing sound coming from behind Kristoff interrupted the moment. Sven! She had forgotten about him. In her about-to-freeze state, it had barely registered, but she had seen the reindeer crash into Hans just as the prince had turned, sword in hand.
Kristoff whirled around at his best friend's noise. "SVEN!" He cried out. The reindeer's face was coated in blood. As he slowly looked at his friend, the extent of his wound was revealed. Hans' sword had sliced the right side of Sven's face, cutting the cheek off completely and nicking the eye. The reindeer's ear lay in a puddle of blood on the ice, the stump on his head twitching. The reindeer lowed again, knees trembling, until he dropped to the ground. The burly man raced over to his partner's side, weeping. "Sven! Please, no, no, Sven!" Anna simply stood there, speechless. What can I possibly say? She slowly walked over to behind Kristoff, laying a hand on his back. He stood up at the touch, ripping off a sleeve. The man tore the sleeve lengthwise, using the cloth to bandage the reindeer's face to the best of his ability. He turned to Anna, voice eerily calm, saying, "We need to get him to a doctor as soon as possible." Of course.
A faint noise from behind them made the two look. And we thought Sven was bad. Prince Hans of the Southern Isles lay on the ice, immobile. His sword was yards away; it had skidded from his grip immediately after the impact with the charging reindeer. Puncture wounds covered his body, blood soaking his white clothes. His eyes had rolled up into his head. It was probably for the best that he had passed out. His left leg was twisted at an unnatural angle, and his arm was obviously broken. "Kristoff..." Anna said, turning from the gruesome sight.
"Wha – no. No way. Anna, the man tried to kill y-" Anna cut him off.
"Kristoff, please." She hated seeing anyone in pain, even if it was one as evil as Hans. "Do it for me."
At that, she saw his resistance break. "Alright," he sighed. Kristoff growled, narrowing his eyes, and stalked over to the wounded prince. He knelt next to the body, roughly ripping the coat off of his body. Anna winced at the obvious sound of bone grating against bone, but just tightened her lips, saying nothing. She walked over to Sven, wrapping her arms around the reindeer, holding him tightly. Upon unbuttoning the man's shirt by flinging it open, buttons flying, the two saw the full extent of Hans' wounds. Dark, almost black blood welled up from a hole in his abdomen. Kristoff dealt with this first; using a sleeve from the prince's shirt, he stuffed the cloth into the injury. He quickly wrapped a length of material around his stomach, holding the bandage in place. Next, he turned his attention to the arm. Spying a dinghy frozen in the ice nearby, he walked over and tore off a plank of wood. Using two more strips of the sleeve, he improvised a splint. "That's as much as I can do here; we'll have to take him back into town for a doctor. But we need to see to Sven first." Anna had no objections.
Using more wood from the dinghy, Kristoff created a makeshift sled. He grabbed the ropes still attached to the planks, took a deep breath, then lifted up. He began to drag the still unmoving body of the prince across the ice, following Sven's unsteady steps. Anna walked by Sven on his good left side, with a comforting hand on his muscled shoulder. Olaf, who had spun for some time after Kristoff grabbed Anna, came waddling up behind the group. "Sven! Are you okay?" The reindeer turned to his right toward the voice of the snowman; the first Olaf saw of his face was the shredded skin by his ear, then the exposed back teeth, and finally the entirety of the wound. He stopped and gasped. "SVEN!" The reindeer moaned deeply, then turned back forward and continued on towards the castle.
"Wh-what happened?" the snowman asked Anna, tugging on her skirt. She looked straight ahead, unshed tears glistening in her eyes.
"Hans," she said darkly, and no more.
"Well, at least you guys are okay!" he said. The princess gave a wry grin; nothing could keep Olaf's spirits down for long. Kristoff grunted behind them, pulling a rope up higher on his shoulder to be more comfortable. "Remind me why we're carrying this son of a – excuse me, this prince back with us?" he spat out.
"Because it's the right thing to do," Anna responded. It might help our relations with the Southern Isles, especially with all the confusion that's going on. She was slowly beginning to think as a monarch. In Elsa's absence, I guess that's what I am. Wait – would I be a queen or still a princess? Something between the two? I don't know. Probably in some ancient legal book in the library there would be a code that dealt with the situation they were in.
When the group reached the castle walls, the guards opened them up, recognizing the princess. Kristoff pulled Hans over to the doors of the castle itself, then dropped the sled. "They can take him from here," he said.
Anna watched him rush over to Sven, supporting him as he could as they walked over to the stables. "The doctor's in here, right?" he asked.
Anna, still somewhat dazed over everything, answered with "What? Oh, yes – for horses. They ought to be right inside that entrance, second room on the left." Get yourself together! People are relying on you. She shook herself briefly, then walked over to the main doors of the castle. They were already open, and Gerda and Kai were helping the royal doctor lift the sled that bore Hans. Not wanting to get too involved with that process, she stayed outside as the doors shut. The courtyard was now empty except for the two frozen fountains in the middle and the soldiers on the wall. A trail of blood marked the path Hans had been dragged on, changing from a thick line to uneven patches of red. Anna sighed. Where is Elsa? She would know what to do about this. But she knew exactly where her sister was: locked up on the North Mountain in her palace of ice. Elsa, please. We need you.
Elsa at that moment was looking out over her balcony in the direction of Arendelle. Her eyes filled with tears at the thought of all she had done. I just wanted to keep people safe. To keep her safe. And I failed. With a sob, she withdrew back into her creation, closing the doors behind her.
Okay writing Olaf was hard, trying to get into his head and all. I think I did a decent job; let me know what you think. I'm trying to get these chapters to be longer than the first one.