Chapter XIX: Hans' Offer
Honestly, Elsa didn't know how her conversation with Hans was going to go. With him, it was never certain. That man was unpredictable. She didn't know what he would and would not do. She had suspicions that it was he who killed his father, but even Elsa had to cut him some slack for that. No one in their right mind would kill their own father, she thought, not even the power hungry Hans.
Unfortunately, Elsa didn't know that Hans would go that far.
Elsa really didn't want to face Hans after all that happened. He would just put some gasoline on the fire for her. Was he coming to taunt her? Or was he coming for something much worse? Elsa feared the latter. It seems that wherever Hans went, bad things tend to happen to the people around him.
Elsa was standing, facing the glass door that led to her balcony. She saw the reflection of her study in the glass. She was looking at the reflection of the door, waiting for Hans to walk in. When the door finally opened, it was not Hans but a guard. Then, the guard just stood in the doorway and held the door open, allowing Hans to walk in. When Hans was clear from the door's way, the guard closed the door while walking out.
Hans saw Elsa's couch in the corner, walked to it, and made himself comfortable.
"Please, get off my couch." Elsa said.
"I'm your guest." Hans said. "You should do your best to make me feel comfortable."
Elsa turned to face Hans. "Why should I give hospitality to someone who's going to fire upon my home tomorrow?" She said angrily.
Hans smiled. "Queen, that isn't me. Thats all King Ander's doing."
Elsa was getting sick and tired of Hans' behavior. He acts as though he had nothing to do with anything diabolical. Elsa knew he was up to something, but she had no proof to expose him.
"What do you want?" Elsa asked, irritated.
Hans stood up from the couch and slowly walked closer to Elsa. Before he could be three feet away from Elsa, his foot was immobilized and cold. He looked down at his left foot to find it frozen to the ground by ice covering it. Hans' smirk faded, and he looked angrily at Elsa, trying to pull his foot out of this ice.
"Don't get any closer." Elsa said. She wanted Hans to keep his distance since she didn't trust him close to her. Many others would understand her caution.
"You should be nicer to me, your majesty." Hans said.
"Well, you tried to kill me and left my sister to die, so forgive me if I'm acting slightly bitter." Elsa said, casually.
Hans gave her an angered look. She assumed that he knew to keep his distance, so she thawed the ice around his foot, freeing it. He bent down to see if it was alright. There were no damages to it, except for the numbness that came with the cold. Other than that, his foot was fine. Elsa hoped that the ice would've done more natural damage to Hans, but his foot wasn't frozen long enough.
Hans stood back up straight. "I apologize for my... past deeds."
"Do you expect me to just accept when you're declaring war on Arendelle?" Elsa asked.
"No, I don't." Hans said. He didn't expect Elsa's hatred and bitterness to go away anytime soon, and that only made his plans harder for him. He still had confidence in what he was about to do, though. He was very persuasive. Persuasion was a skill that helped Hans achieve many things in his life.
"I ask again." Elsa said after a long pause in their conversation. "What do you want?"
Hans put his right hand over his chest, closed his eyes, and bowed. "I offer you my help."
"I don't need the help of a liar." Elsa said.
"You could at least hear the conditions of my offer." Hans said.
Elsa walked away from her balcony window and to her desk. She sat on her large chair, leaned back, and crossed her arms. Hans stood on the opposite side of her desk with his arms crossed behind his back.
"Proceed with the conditions." Elsa said, ready to get it all over with. She didn't see how Hans could help her in any way, and if anything, he was probably going to make things worse for her. Nothing he could say or do would change her mind about him, making her think anything Hans attempts to do to redeem himself will be futile. Also, she didn't know why he would help. He was the one that helped with all of this chaos, and he wants to help her? She knew something was up.
"As far as Ander knows, Kai was the only one involved for sure with the murder." Hans said.
"Which he wasn't." Elsa said, sick of having to remind people of Kai's innocence.
"Ander doesn't know that for sure." Hans continued. "Also, he doesn't know if the murder or kidnappings are connected, if they even are connected."
"What's your point?" Elsa asked.
"I am and will be able to convince Ander that Arendelle is not involved in any of this." Hans said.
"So he'll send his navy away from my docks?" Elsa asked.
"That's what I'll make him do." Hans said. "I promise you that Arendelle will have no further trouble from the Southern Isles, and we'll consider the events during the peace council unrelated"
Even if the Southern Isles did stop blockading Arendelle, it still doesn't change the fact that there were people out there who still needed to be rescued assuming they weren't killed already. Although, it would take some stress of Elsa if she knew that Arendelle didn't need to worry about the Southern Isles.
"Sounds too good to be true." Elsa said. "What's the catch?" Elsa knew Hans wanted something in return. He would never do something like that from the good of his heart. She had a feeling she wouldn't like what he wanted.
"Don't consider it a catch." Hans said. "Consider it a favor for a favor."
"What is it you request?" Elsa asked. She highly doubted they were favors.
"It would help your case much better if you did this for me." Hans continued. "We go to Ander, and show him how much in love we are."
The word "love" sickened Elsa coming from Hans. What he was suggesting to her was beyond crazy, and she wanted no part in it. But, she had to hear him out at least.
Hans continued to speak. "Knowing our true feelings for each other, he wouldn't hurt the woman I love. He would be convinced of your innocence. Then, we marry in good faith. Soon, I become King of Arendelle, and I get the power I wanted and deserve. The Southern Isles will leave your kingdom alone, and a relationship will be built between them. It's a win-win situation."
Elsa was now positive Hans was crazy. She couldn't believe he was suggesting such a ridiculous idea. Actually, she could believe it. Hans was unpredictable, meaning this would have been expected from him.
Hans' revenge would have to take a backseat when it came to him getting power. Originally, he wanted Elsa's head on a silver plate, but when he saw this opportunity, he couldn't help but take it. He would do whatever he could to get power, even if it means marrying a woman he despises.
"Why would I want to marry you?!" Elsa asked, angrily.
"If you cherish your kingdom, you'll marry me. You may not want to, but life is filled with things you don't want." Hans answered.
"I don't really think it's worth it. I'm protecting my kingdom from one predicament and then I'll live a loveless marriage, giving you the power you do no deserve." Elsa countered.
"Your kingdom will be destroyed with me." Hans said, angrily.
"I have men rescuing people, and they'll prove to Ander that Arendelle is innocent. Or have you forgotten that deal?" Elsa asked. She'd rather take her chances with her guards saving the representatives and monarchs than what Hans was offering.
"I have not forgotten. I have a feeling they won't be coming back." Hans said.
"You sound so sure about that." Elsa said.
"Don't mind." Hans said.
"If Kai was here, he would kill you." Elsa exaggerated. She wondered what exactly Kai would do to Hans if he knew what he was talking to her about.
"Then where is he?" Hans asked.
Elsa opened her mouth to tell him, but she closed it, not trusting Hans with that information. She had suspicions, like anyone with her mentality and experience with Hans would, that he was involved in everything. If she told him about Kai's whereabouts, who knew what he would do with that information? She had to keep him in the dark about everything.
"He's not in my study, that's for sure." Elsa said, ready to move on to another topic.
"But-" Hans was interrupted.
"Have you forgotten I'm romantically involved with Kai?" Elsa asked.
Hans gave a smile. "Ah yes, in love with your beloved Captain of the Guard. You don't need to be so formal with your words."
"Fine, then. Have your forgotten I am in love with Kai?" Elsa asked, again.
"As a matter of fact, I have not." Hans said.
"I won't be unfaithful to him." Elsa said. "Especially with you." She really, so badly wanted to see what Kai would do to Hans if he overheard their conversation. It saddened her to remember he was gone.
"I'll elaborate more with my deal. All Ander knows is that Kai killed our father. He wants Kai's head on a plate." Hans said. "Someone has to take the fall, and it might as well be the person who people are pointing fingers at."
"What are you asking me to do with Kai?" Elsa asked, with slight anger in her voice.
"Turn him in, and expose him as the criminal. Then, everything goes as I said it will go." Hans said, firmly.
"He didn't do it!" Elsa said.
Hans quickly leaned in closer to Elsa, and slammed his hands on her large desk. "I know what I saw!" Hans said. "A man with black hair, blood red eyes, and the power of fire killed, and scarred my father!"
Elsa was offended. She was offended by the way Hans was accusing Kai of such a deed, and the way he described Kai. Kai'a eyes weren't blood red. They were a nice, warm red, the color of the sky when the sun set. Elsa could see through those eyes, and she could see that Kai was no murderer.
"Do we have a deal?" Hans asked.
Elsa was desperate. Desperate to save her kingdom and the lives of countless innocent people. Desperate to protect her friends and family from the horror that came with war. Desperate to protect herself from being exposed to the burden war will carry on her.
Elsa stood up from her chair, and sensually walked around her desk to Hans. She stooped about a foot away from him, and he gave her a confused look. He didn't know what she was doing or why she was acting that way. Elsa gave Hans a suggestive look with her eyes, and Hans knew exactly what was going on. He was liking her seductive manner.
"I'll tell you what I think about the deal." Elsa smiled.
Hans leaned in to kiss her, thinking she would do the same. He could get used to this behavior if Elsa became his wife. Then, before their lips touched, Elsa spit on Hans' face. He opened his eyes to see her angered face. He wiped the spit off of his lips and nose, and wiped them on his shirt. He had a feeling he wasn't going to win Elsa over, even with the many things he offered her.
When he looked back at Elsa, she slapped him hard in the face. He felt how cold her hands were. Only when he fell to the floor from the force of Elsa's slap did he truly know how angry Elsa was at him. His cheek was more cold than it was numb. He rubbed it, and looked up. He gave her a dirty look, and she returned the favor.
"I would never kiss a scumbag like you, much less marry you." Elsa said, angrily.
"If you wanted to spit on me and slap me, why make me think you were going to kiss me?" Hans asked, confused.
"To catch you off guard." Elsa answered. "It's obvious what my answer is, now get out!"
Hans got off from the ground, and started to walk to the door out. He was rubbing his cheek the entire time, recovering from him slap. He underestimated how hard Elsa could hit. He had a feeling in his gut that his attempts to have her agree to his deal would fail. Now, he had to stick with his original plan.
He was going to enjoy his revenge much more now.
Hans opened the door out, and took a step. He stopped and looked back at Elsa in the door way.
"You and everyone you care for and love will die without this deal." Hans said.
Elsa looked down at the floor. She suspected that Hans might've been right about that. Their deaths would be her fault because she was too proud of herself and everything she stood for. But, she couldn't bear the fact that she would be handing Hans power if she did marry him.
Elsa didn't say a word to Hans when he slammed the door behind him.
Entering Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna brought Anna fond memories. They weren't necessarily the best memories, but they were fond to her because this was where she first met her husband, Kristoff. Even though the two weren't necessarily head over heels about each other when they first met, the events that started from Oaken' between the two built up to their falling in love.
Anna decided that she shouldn't mention Kristoff in from of Oaken, much less mention she was married to him, since Oaken and Kristoff weren't the best of friends the last time they saw each other. Anna wondered whether if the two made amends, and if Kristoff apologized to Oaken since Kristoff must've passed by the store on his many journeys to mine ice ever since Kristoff started living with her. Elsa was being nice to Kristoff and she didn't make artificial ice so that Kristoff would still have a job.
Rapunzel was the first one to enter the store. When they opened the door, they could feel the warmth coming from inside. Rapunzel felt better already. Anna followed Rapunzel in and closed the door behind them.
Anna scanned the room to see if anything had changed since her last visit. Everything seemed to be in place if she remembered correctly. There was still a long shelf in the middle of the room filled with items such as pots, pans, and books. Larger items were placed on the walls around the room. A door was at the far left corner of the room, meaning the sauna was still there. Anna looked over at the main desk to see a large, smiling man with a blonde mustache sit there with his fingers pressed together.
The two needed some food, Rapunzel especially needed the most. They've already eaten all of their carrots, and that was a while ago.
"Hoo-hoo!" They heard the man say. "Big winter snow out?"
The girls looked over at the smiling store owner, Oaken.
"I've got everything you need for a winter in our winter department." Oaken said.
Rapunzel looked over at the winter department to find a single folded winter dress on a chair and walked over to retrieve it. Anna walked over to Oaken's front desk instead of following Rapunzel.
"Hi!" Anna said. "Do you remember me?" She was curious.
"Ah, yes. You where that crazy girl who showed up to my store a year and many months ago, ya." Oaken answered.
Anna nodded. She was surprised by how good his memory was. But, when she looked around, she found that many of the items in his store were dusty. She assumed not many people went to Oaken's very often. Oaken remembered Anna so well because she was one of his only customers.
"Uh... My friend over there is hurt, and she needs medicine. Anything to help heal her wound to be exact." Anna told Oaken.
"I've got something of my own invention to help." Oaken said, taking out a bottle from under the table. He then handed her the medicine, along with some bandages.
Anna thanked Oaken and walked over to Rapunzel who was looking at the dress she just unfolded. Anna tapped Rapunzel's unwounded shoulder to get her attention. Anna held the bottle of medicine, whatever it did, and the bandages up.
"Sit down." Anna told Rapunzel.
Rapunzel did as her friend asked, and Anna knelt down next to her hurt shoulder.
"Do you know what you're doing?" Rapunzel asked Anna.
"Of course." Anna lied.
She removed the cloth that was covering Rapunzel's shoulder, and it was soaked in blood. Anna then opened up the bottle and poured some of the liquid over Rapunzel's shoulder. Rapunzel winced upon contact with the liquid. Her shoulder stung like crazy, but she bit her tongue and handled the pain.
Rapunzel didn't need medical attention like this before. She never had a bad cut like the one the wolf gave her. The only cut she'd ever gotten was a paper cut from reading a book, and she considered that severe. She wasn't used to being hurt, and being hurt was common when it came to an adventure or journey.
Anna wrapped the bandage around the wounded area and then stopped. Only a small area of her shoulder was hurt, unlike Kai. Kai's injury was severe. All of his shoulder, down to to part of his biceps were hurt. Rapunzel's injury was a paper cut compared to Kai's.
"You have money to pay for this stuff, right?" Rapunzel asked.
Anna reached into her satchel and pulled out some paper money and a few coins. Anna brought money with her just in case she needed to buy something from a merchant on her journey. She made a mistake last time not bringing anything with her, and she had to sell a few beloved items. Now, she had come prepared.
Anna stood up and walked over to Oaken's desk to pay for the dress and medicine. Rapunzel walked over to a small changing room next to the sauna to put on her new winter dress. After Anna handed over Oaken some money, Rapunzel walked out with a new, pinkish purplish winter dress, similar to the one Anna was wearing. She then walked over next to Anna.
Next on the list, Anna thought to herself.
"Do you have any food that we could eat?" Anna asked Oaken.
"Oh, ya!" Oaken exclaimed. From under his desk, he pulled out a jar filled with fish heads, with bones coming out the back of them, all of it in some greenish liquid. "I have lutefisk!" Oaken said.
The very sight of the jar of fish made the girls almost throw up. They wondered why anyone would ever eat such a thing, but if Oaken was offering it, he must've enjoyed it himself.
"Uh..." Anna swallowed the barf in her mouth "Is there anything else you have?"
"Not that I know of." Oaken answered.
Oaken put the jar on the table and pushed it closer to the girls. Rapunzel took a step back, away from the fishes. Anna picked it up and studied it. She swore that one of the fishes blinked, and put the jar on table immediately afterword.
The girls' stomach growled. They were desperate for food, no matter what it was. Weee they truly desperate enough to eat the lutefisk? Beggars can't be choosers. Rapunzel stepped forward, next to Anna and also studied the lutefisk. Both of them were ready to do what they needed to if they were truly hungry.
Anna picked it up and opened the jar. The stench of the fish poisoned the air around them. Some of the flies that were around the room fell dead. The girls' faces got green. Oaken was smiling the entire time, not minding the smell. He clapped his hands together.
"Smells good enough to eat!" Oaken exclaimed.
Anna stuck her hand in the jar and grabbed the head of one of the fishes. It was slimy, gross, and hard to get a grip on, but Anna pushed her fingers around the fish head to make sure she could pick it up. When Anna took the fish out of the jar, she handed the jar to Rapunzel. Rapunzel reluctantly took the jar and did the same thing as Anna, and took the fish out of it, trying not to throw up.
Rapunzel put the jar back on the table, which now had a single fish left in it. The girls used their other hand to grab the bony part of the fish. They couldn't believe what they had to resort to in order to fulfill their stomachs.
"Cheers." Rapunzel said. Anna nodded.
The girls raised their fish a over their heads and tilted their head upward so the fish was hanging over their mouths. At the same time, the girls slowly lowered the fish head down into their open mouths, and when it went inside, they bit the head away from the bones. They expected it to taste bad, but it was much worse than they had thought. The taste was like a cold, wet monkey's doo-doo in your mouth. They so badly wanted to spit it out but they didn't want to offend Oaken. He did make the fish himself after all.
The girls reluctantly chewed their fish until it was nothing but slimy mush in their mouths. They swallowed it at the same time, and then smiled at Oaken, giving him a look that made it look like they enjoyed the fish. Rapunzel threw up in her mouth, but swallowed it back. Her throw up tasted better than the fish.
"It's good, ya?" Oaken asked.
The girls lied, and nodded.
"Anyone want the last one?" Oaken asked, pulling the final fish out of the jar.
The girls both said no many times, waved their arms in a motion that said "Keep it away from me!" and stepped back.
"I've lost my appetite." Rapunzel said.
"Me too." Anna agreed.
That was true. After eating the fish, they didn't think they wanted to eat anything else anymore. It was enough to keep their stomachs fulfilled for a while. The fish seemed to be enough for them to lower the expectation on Oaken's food.
"Suit yourself." Oaken said. He tossed the fish in his mouth and swallowed. He then took the jar and drank all of the green liquid in side of it. When he finished, he breathed out, satisfied with his snack. Oaken's breath tasted like death, which meant the girls' breath probably did to.
"Oh, I forgot. I did have other food." Oaken said, smiling.
"What!?" Said the girls at the same time.
"I have chicken." Oaken pulled a chicken wing from under his desk. "I also have carrots." He then pulled out a carrot. For every food he mentioned, he pulled it out to show the girls; soup, chocolate, fruits, etc. Everything he pulled out gave the girls disappointment. They couldn't eat anything after the fish, and now he was pulling out all of these treats.
"I don't know why I didn't see them earlier." Oaken said.
The girls were livid inside. Their anger made their faces red with rage. They were forced to eat a meal fit for a pig when he could've given them food that they were fond of. Rapunzel wanted to punch Oaken in the face, but she knew that would get them nowhere.
Anna didn't know what was worse. The fact that she had to eat a bad snack, or the fact that she had to pay for it. She reluctantly handed over some money to the happy Oaken.
Anna remembered that they had a quest ahead of them. She figured maybe Oaken could've helped them out.
"Uh, may I ask you a question?" Anna asked Oaken.
"What is it, dear?" Oaken asked.
"Have you seen a large group of people around lately. Perhaps a bunch of noblemen... with some thugs?" Anna asked.
"No one has been around for a while. The only one's crazy enough to be out in this weather are you dears." Oaken answered.
As he said that, the door to the store opened. From the outside walked in two burly, buff men. The clothes they were weren't exactly fit for winter, and they didn't look expensive either. One wore many scarves and rags around his neck while the other wore a large beanie like hat that almost covered his eyes. Snow was all over their bodies.
Neither Anna or Rapunzel could recognize the men.
"You and these fellows." Oaken continued. "Hoo-hoo! Big winter snow out?"
Author's Note: Chronologically, the two events in this chapter, the one with Elsa and Hans and the one with Oaken, take place at the same time. I just wanted to make that clear. Also, Frozen II: Phoenix Fire had more favorites and followers than this story currently does. I consider the writing for this one ten times better than Phoenix Fire. Where did all of the fans go? So, I would appreciate it if you, the reader, could tell some people about this story. Thanks a lot! Ciao.