So I ended up making this story into a multi-chapter :) I really don't intend for it to be too long, maybe 6 chapters max. We'll see. I did use some lines straight from the movie in this chapter, which I got from the official Frozen script - you can find a link on my profile!

Enjoy the chapter! :)

Despite all of little Elsa's hopes, Hans didn't return to Arendelle next year for the Christmas ball, and neither did any of his brothers. It was only when she was older did she find out why – a minor trading issue between the two kingdoms that caused tension between her parents and Hans' —but she tried to not to forget him. That little boy who was so much like her, with a magic inside him that he had to keep hidden. Hans, though far away in the Southern Isles, made Elsa feel, for once, normal.

She tried not to let that feeling slip away.

But then the 'incident' came –

And it shattered like glass.

A white streak in her sister's hair, her body ice cold.

"MAMA! PAPA!"

Ice, jagged and menacing, spreading across the great hall like wicked flames.

"You're okay, Anna… I got you…"

Her father's voice, like a knife upon her skin.

"Elsa, what have you done? This is getting out of hand!"

"It was an accident! I'm sorry, Anna."

Darkness consumed Elsa that day, taking any memories of normalcy with it.

From then on it was locked doors and cold rooms, conceal it, don't feel it, "But why can't I play with Anna?", "Because you're too dangerous, Elsa.", each day a little darker, a little more broken, five knocks and seven words, "The gloves will help.", conceal, don't feel it, "I don't want to hurt you!", her parents, washed away by a raging storm, grieving and freezing, conceal, don't feel, conceal, don't feel, don't feel, don't feel…

Before long, the little green eyed boy from her childhood was no more than a ghost in her memory. The arrival of a few of his brothers at later events in Arendelle once her parents died sometimes stirred a brief flicker or two, but not enough to distract her as he had that day.

And Elsa knew, just knew, that as her cold, isolated life fell apart around her, no good memories from the past would ever heal her frozen heart.

Until her coronation ball.

That night that changed everything.

"Well, he was sprightly."

"Especially for a man in heels… ow!"

Elsa laughed as her sister hopped on one foot next to her, trying to rub the other one with her free hand. The Duke of Weselton had certainly taken Anna for a spin, hadn't he? He was an interesting sort, that old man. It was nice to finally have someone to laugh at for a change – and with her sister beside her, as well. For the first time in a long time, things were actually going… normal.

Elsa took a brief glance at the ballroom before her as she stood at the head of the room. Swirling skirts, fanciful music, the clinking of glasses and the happy chattering of guests. She was truly thankful she had made it through the hard part of her coronation day alive – the passing of the orb and scepter, which she had almost frozen over, but the bishop finished speaking just in time – and now came on the night, where she didn't have to do much but look formal and smile at her guests. She felt a little proud of herself, for being able to keep her curse in check on the most important day of her life. Yes, everything was going great.

With a sigh that turned into a smile, she turned to her still-panting, but no longer hopping, sister. "Are you okay?"

The youngest princess gave a tired, yet happy, smile at the newly coronated queen. "I've… never been better. This is so nice… I wish it could be like this all the time…"

Without thinking, Elsa replied, "Me too…"

However, a sudden pain seized her chest at her sister's words fully sunk in; the queen's eyes trailed over the one white streak of hair in Anna's bun. The darkness came flooding back as she tensed and looked away from Anna, her arms folding over her middle. No, no, they could never go back to how it was before. She wished it could… "But it can't."

"Why not?" Came Anna's voice, sounding muffled, as if they were standing underwater. "If—"

"It just can't," Elsa replied stiffly, her words very mean and harsh to her ears, her eyes not daring to look her sister's in the eye. If she even gave Anna an inkling of hope that they could interact again like they did as children, she wouldn't be able to bear it. Anna didn't understand, didn't remember, why they couldn't truly be sisters. And there was no need to egg her on tonight.

"Excuse me for a minute." Anna replied just as tersely, as she heard her sister stalk off.

Elsa raised her gaze to the dance floor, still having her hands wrapped around herself, a sigh escaping her lips. She wished, oh how she wished, they could just be happy again! But no – after the incident things changed, after their parents' deaths things changed. And they could never go back to how they used to be.

As if it would find her some comfort, the Queen of Arendelle stepped out onto the floor before her, weaving through the crowd with elegant grace, as the people before her parted like a sea to let her pass without interrupting the flow of the slow waltz. She could feel her heart beating madly inside her chest, her palms sweating with anxiety over being so close to so many people and, most importantly, over making Anna feel so worthless…

I need to get outside. That's all. A bit of fresh air will do me some good; it'll clear my mind and I won't have to worry about –

THUMP.

Elsa gasped as she collided with the person in front of her, a tall man in a formal white suit accented by a gold vest and a red sash. She blinked, composing herself hurriedly by looking down and brushing off her dress. Here she was, her first day as queen, and making a fool of herself!

"Good sir, I apologize for my inattentiveness—"

"No, my lady, I was not looking where I was going, no need to apologize," he interjected, taking her gloved hand in his own – he wore gloves of the same color as his suit – and kissing it lightly. Elsa, still looking down, felt her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment, and she slowly looked into his face.

Her mouth dropped open.

"Hans…?"

The name came out as only a breath, barely audible, quiet enough that she wasn't even sure that he had heard her. But as he righted himself and gazed right into her eyes, she could see that he was very shocked as well, his eyes wide as the sun and his brow furrowed.

"…Elsa…?"

Her name, spoken aloud by his strong tenor voice, sent a wave of memories over the queen. The corner, hiding them from prying eyes, where they had shown each other their true selves – of fire and of ice. His smile, her gasp, the way the darkness felt like freedom to their childish minds – all came rushing back. And she felt it again, that sense that she was not alone in this world, that she was not a monster, full of cold and hatred – it was so overpowering that, not of her own volition, she felt her arms wrap around him in a hug, and she felt seven years old again.

"You came back," she whispered, for only him to hear, her eyes dry despite the deluge of emotions rushing through her – happiness, liberty, friendship. "You came back, when I never thought you ever would. You came back, Hans." And she kept repeating those three words, like a tether holding her to life, until he drew back from her and shook his head with a small smile and a chuckle.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Queen Elsa. It has been far too long." He fell into a deep bow, much like he had all those years ago. His eyes looked up at her from his bent over position, as if to say, Be formal, Elsa.

"Oh! Yes." Catching the hint, she curtsied to him, bowing her head. "Prince Hans. It has been far too long indeed."

At that moment, the music swirled into a fanciful waltz, and the silence that Elsa hadn't noticed until then became a pattering tap of heels and boots. Elsa giggled slightly as the two of them rose in unison, Hans' laugh soon mingling with hers.

"We really made a showstopper, didn't we, Hans?" She commented, nervously adjusting her crown.

"Indeed we did, Elsa, indeed we did." The prince extended a gloved hand asked her calmly, green eyes alight, "Now, my lady, if I may ask – may I have this waltz?"

At another impulse, Elsa took the hand before her, her mind still spinning with the reality of the man in front of her. Yes, this was the little boy in the corner, back again. "You may."

They settled into position, with one of her hands on his shoulder and one of his hands at her waist, their free hands clasped to the side as their feet moved to a one-two-three beat, slowly joining the circle of party guests and royals that circumvented the room. They moved in silence, slightly awkward, not really ever meeting each other's eyes. Elsa, honestly, was still embarrassed; she had hugged him, a near stranger, in front of everyone, and now rumours would circle around. She couldn't tell what Hans was feeling, on the other hand; all she could see was that he was blushing something fierce.

Finally the prince broke the silence by saying, "So, Elsa. I see you wear gloves now as well…"

With a lamentable sigh, Elsa nodded, the memory of that day threatening to break from its cage in her mind. "Yes. I do. Something happened with Anna when we were children and… I couldn't trust myself with," her voice lowered to a whisper, "with my powers anymore."

"Ah, my apologies." He smiled at her, not unkindly. "Was this 'something' the cause of the white streak in her hair? I met your sister earlier and meant to ask her about that."

"Yes, yes it is. When did you get time to talk to Anna?" Elsa asked, curiously changing the subject. "With all the hustle and bustle of my coronation and all…"

"Only by chance. She happened to fall into a boat by the fjord just as I was passing by on my horse." Hans chuckled again. "Is she always so clumsy?"

"When is she ever not clumsy?" Elsa replied, a small laugh following, and their conversation petered back into silence again. It was hard to keep up a talkative banter, because of all the ears listening and eyes watching. As they waltzed by the balcony, Elsa slipped out of the circle and, letting Hans go, looked toward the doors. "Want to go outside? We can be a little more comfortable."

As she looked back towards him, Hans was already nodding and taking her hand. "I never thought you'd ask. Let us go."

With a quick scan of the crowd, Elsa turned away from her celebration and went out into the summer night.

Before the door could even close behind them, Hans had Elsa wrapped in a tender hug, his chin on the top of her head.

Elsa gasped for probably the third time that day, the wind blowing and tickling her ears. Now that they were out of the sight of the party guests, Elsa figured Hans was ready to let his emotions flow – the same ones she had felt earlier. "Hans, I—"

"You don't know how badly I've wanted to see you again since that day," Hans interjected, his voice breaking. "You made me feel like a human being, Elsa, and I always wanted to get back to that feeling, always… I wanted to come back for the next Christmas ball. But then, that trade misunderstanding happened between our countries and my parents got upset and cut off relations for a while. But you already know that." Elsa swore he heard him stifle a sob.

"But then why didn't you return when relations were restored? Your brothers started to come back Arendelle's balls when I was thirteen. Where were you?" Elsa leaned into the hug, wrapping her arms around his slender back and resting her cheek on his chest, eyes toward the moon. "I waited for you, but you never came."

"It was because of the fire." Hans released her and put his hands on shoulders briefly before letting his grip go limp, gaze unfocused on any particular thing. "One day when I was ten, I grew angry at my older brother Adrian, because he had broken my favorite wooden sword. I was gloveless at the time – I had stopped wearing them out of defiance. This proved to be deadly because I…burned…" He winced, crossing his arms over his chest and turning away from Elsa slightly. "Let's just say the west wing is charred black and Adrian won't ever be able to see again."

"Oh, Hans… that's… horrible." Gingerly, she put a hand on his shoulder. "I know what it means to hurt someone you love…"

"But I didn't love him. I hated him. All of them. My brothers never saw me as equal – they saw me as demon spawn, just like the priests did, just like everyone did." Hans clenched his fists, angry fire already starting to burn away his silken gloves. "My parents thought I was possessed by some sort of demon since I first started to burn, and ever since that day, their suspicions were 'confirmed' – and they did everything to get it out of me, more so than before. Herbs that would make me sick, burning crosses onto my chest, shoving me into freezing cold storage closets, exorcisms – oh, the exorcisms." He gave a cold bark of a laugh. "Sometimes I would scream and writhe under the priests' hands just to make them think they were getting something done."

Elsa could feel his body shaking under her hand, and she removed it very slowly. Hans's horrid words seeped into her brain and made her feel numb inside. Compared to all the horrors he had been through, Elsa's years of mere isolation were nothing. She had to admit… she felt sorry for him.

"Sometimes I'd think about you, Elsa. Not too often, but when things got really bad and I needed to be reassured that I was not alone, I'd think about you and your ice and… I'd feel more human… You know, they say, the longer you hear a lie you begin to believe it?" Hans had walked toward the balcony railing as he talked, resting his arms on the bar. Elsa made a noise of assent to his question as she walked up next to him.

"Well," he turned to her again sheepishly, "When things got really bad, and I felt hopeless, I began to believe that I really was possessed by a demon, and there was nothing I could do about it. But you, Elsa—" He poked her lightly, "You were that little figment of my mind that reminded me I was some semblance of normal."

"Me?"

"You."

There was silence again, but less awkward this time. Elsa smiled at Hans, mulling over her thoughts in her head. The prince was treated so badly back at his home. I mean, exorcisms! How desperate are his parents?, Elsa thought with a slight shake of her head. She looked at the prince, really looked at him; those green eyes were sadder than ever and his mouth turned down into a small frown. Even that cute little pointy nose didn't brighten up his face. She wanted him to be happy. Everyone deserves a chance to be happy, even if for a moment.

Elsa had an idea. She wasn't sure Anna would like it, but she had an idea.

"Hans."

"Hm?" He looked up at her, bright-eyed, removing his now fingerless gloves.

"Would you like –" She sighed, rolled her hands in her lap, started again. "What would you say if I told you that you are welcome to stay here in Arendelle as an honored guest?"

Hans blinked at the queen. Once. Twice. Elsa began to grow nervous for his answer, and as if in reply, the foliage around her became blanketed with frost. Yes or no? What would he say?

"…By Jove, yes."

Elsa nodded regally, unable to think of much else to do. She felt strangely protective over this man, who was alike and unlike her in so many ways. She was sure they would get along quite well. "This is for your safety, Hans. I don't want you to suffer for the lies your parents believe."

"…Thank you, Elsa." Hans smiled a final time at her, those pearly white teeth gleaming by the light of the moon, those green eyes happy again. "Thank you ever so much."

"Elsa?"

Knock-knock.

"Hm?" Elsa looked up from where she sat on her bed brushing her hair, the candle on her nightstand flickering. "Anna?"

"Yeah. It's me. Can you come out? I want to talk... about Hans."

Elsa put down the brush hurriedly at her words, landing on bare feet, her nightdress giving a floomph around her calves as she put on her gloves again and crossed the room to the door. That wording of Anna's question wasn't odd for her – the sisters still clung to the long-forged habit of not entering each other's rooms. When they wanted to talk, which wasn't often, they talked in the hallway. And a servant was always keeping an eye on Elsa.

And Anna wanted to talk about Hans? She wouldn't normally open the door for Anna, but this – this was special circumstances. The Isles prince had already been settled into a guest room, with his things from his home already on a ship to Arendelle. So what could she be worried about?

The white-haired queen flung open the door with a creak, looking into Anna's waiting face while closing it behind her. "What about Hans?"

"It's just…" Anna stepped back to give her sister room, her red hair still in its fancy bun, her eyes darting left and right. "You just met and all, and you two seem so close after spending only a few hours together—"

"We met when we were children, Anna. You weren't at that ball, you were too young." Elsa blurted, slightly defensive. "Is that all? Then I'm going to bed." Anna, why bother me over something petty like this? It's not your business—

"No, it's not all." Anna reiterated, staring hard into Elsa's eyes. "You look at him like you're going to get married tomorrow or something, and you don't even give a glance at me most days! Elsa, I'm just—"

"Anna, I don't want to talk about it." Elsa cut her off again, her voice shaking. "I'm not getting married to anyone, especially Hans, until I get to know the person better, and… goodness, Anna!" She threw he hands in the air, exasperated. "For the last time, you won't understand if I tell you. Things can't go back to normal, they just can't."

"I'm eighteen, Elsa!" Anna shouted, her voice rising an octave and her foot slamming on the ground. "Eighteen! And you say I won't understand? Tell me why we can't just be sisters again!"

Elsa felt her anger spike, her need to lash out at Anna and tell her she was the eldest, she had to listen to what she was saying grow like weeds. But she reminded herself of her mantra: Conceal. Don't feel. Put on a show. "Good night, Anna."

"Wait! El—"

Elsa went back in her room and slammed the door, sliding down her doorframe and letting the tears come like a waterfall.

You're a monster. A monster that can't even bear to face her sister's questioning, a cold-hearted queen of ice with no warmth inside. A selfish, spineless girl who can't even give her sister the time of day. You're a freak, an abomination. You can't feel. Can't feel anything.

But Hans.

Only he can make me feel…

Actually feel…

Normal.

Reviews are appreciated!

~Anais