The enormous crash of thunder woke Kristoff as it bounced off of the stone walls of the tower, making him jump as he let out a small, involuntary whimper through the gag. Sven awoke as well and whined as Kristoff backed up into him, forgetting where he was. He turned his head as if to apologize, but found he still couldn't. Kristoff and Sven already didn't like thunderstorms after having to go through so many in their lives, afraid of being struck by lightning as they usually slept outside. Kristoff remembered a time when he was a teenager where lightning had struck a tree near them and he had to shove Sven out of the way before he could move out of the tree's way. Of course, when they stayed in the valley with the trolls, it was always a little more comforting, but once they'd gotten into harvesting ice, sleeping outside had become an all too familiar occurrence.
Kristoff was so preoccupied with listening to the thunder that he didn't hear the door open. He took notice of the lantern and saw that it was only Hans, carrying two bowls. Hans sat one down on the floor in front of Sven and loosened the ropes around the reindeer's snout, allowing him to drink. He left the room and came back with a bottle filled with water and sat it down in front of Kristoff along with the bowl.
"Dinner time." he said, "Sit up."
Kristoff squirmed against Sven, trying his best to sit up, but his bound limbs made it hard. Hans grabbed the ropes around him and helped him sit up as he reached up and pulled the gag off of Kristoff's mouth. He shoved the bottle in Kristoff's face and told him, "Open your mouth, tilt back your head and drink."
Kristoff obeyed, only because he was so thirsty. He was grateful as Hans poured the water, actually cold this time, down his throat. After a few seconds, Hans stopped, allowing for Kristoff to swallow. Hans then took the bowl and held in front of Kristoff. Kristoff looked to see that it contained some sort of soup.
"Tilt you head back again and sip this. Don't make a mess." Hans commanded. Kristoff's stomach rumbled as he tilted his head back, allowing Hans to pour some of the soup in his mouth. The soup wasn't warm, nor was it cold. It was lukewarm and tasted of tomato. It certainly was a lot better than scraps of half eaten chicken. As Hans stopped, Kristoff swallowed the soup.
"What, were you afraid I'd die of starvation eating your little scraps of chicken?" he asked as Hans shook his head.
"No. You saw what happened last time we gave you chicken." he muttered.
"Oh, that's right. By the way, how is your throat?" Kristoff asked.
"Depends. How's your head?" Hans shot back.
"Fine. I've got a thick skull."
"That's for sure. Open and lean back."
Kristoff followed instructions as Hans poured more soup down his throat, followed by water. "Where did you bring me?" Kristoff asked.
"Is that really important?"
Kristoff blew his bangs off his forehead. "Right. I should've known you wouldn't tell me."
"Right, you should have. Open again. Last bit."
Kristoff let Hans pour the remainder of the soup down his throat followed by the rest of the water. Hans pulled a few vegetables out of his jacket pocket and laid them in front of Sven, who whined and eagerly gobbled them up. Kristoff glared up at Hans.
"You know what to do by now, I take it?" Hans said. Kristoff gave him a defiant look.
"What if I don't want to?" he asked.
"You've been not wanting to for a while now," the prince replied, "Do you really think anything's going to change now?"
Kristoff shifted his eyes around. "Why are you doing this to me? Honestly, you'd never even met me, talked to me, so much as even looked at me." Kristoff said. It was true, that day on the ship, after the fjord had thawed, Hans' focus was solely on Anna, until she punched him. Kristoff hadn't even seen him before they took him back to the Southern Isles.
"Does that really matter, Kristoff? You're close to Anna and Elsa, and I can't have you running back to Arendelle saying anything. I know you can't be trusted to stay where you are, you proved that back at the cabin, so, I keep you tied up. I know I can't trust you not to call out for someone to help you, so I keep you silent." Hans then pulled Kristoff closer to him as Kristoff rolled his eyes. He was really getting tired of this. Hans took the material and readjusted it over Kristoff's mouth and retied the knot.
"Now, you stay here and be still and quiet. You understand me?" he asked. Kristoff's defiant look didn't falter. "Tell me you understand." Hans demanded.
"Mffff ermm" said Kristoff. Fuck you.
Hans took in a deep breath before letting go of his ropes and letting Kristoff lean against Sven. He waited as Sven finished the food and water and readjusted the ropes around Sven's snout as he whined sadly. Kristoff turned so that his hands touched the reindeer and scratched his fur.
"Behave yourselves." Hans told them before he took the lantern, bowls and the water bottle and left them alone in the dark as the storm raged outside.
As Anna returned the horse she borrowed back to the stable, her blood boiled. Henrik had lied to her she just knew it. He was here to get into Elsa's head for revenge for his brother. The thought sickened her. She didn't even try sneaking back into her room. She marched up to the castle and opened the doors, her face taught with anger as she made her way up the stairs. She made her way down the hallway to Henrik's room and quietly took the pick ax from her bag. She stopped outside the door and listened. It was silent. She quietly pushed open the door to see Henrik changing, his shirt lying on the bed and his torso naked. She didn't even consider looking at his body as she went in and with all her might, whirled him around and shoved him into the wall, holding the pick ax under his chin.
"You say one thing out of turn and I'll open your throat all over the rug and I really don't want to ruin this rug because it's very nice. Now, where he is he?" she demanded. Henrik looked surprised, too surprised for someone who was lying.
"Princess Anna... what's the meaning of this? How did you even-"
"Get out of my room? Oh, I have ways my friend now you're gonna tell me where he is."
Henrik was confused. "Where who is, milady?"
"Don't play stupid with me. You know damn well who. Your brother. Where is he?"
"Who- Hans?" he asked. Anna nodded. "He's back in the Southern Isles where he belongs now can you please release me?"
"I don't think so. If he's in the Southern Isles then how come I just got word he was sighted in a pub one town over, staring daggers at Kristoff, huh? Were they lying to me, Henrik?"
"I-I don't know... maybe. I have no idea, milady."
"Why are you lying to me?" she demanded, holding the pick ax even tighter against his throat. Henrik gulped.
"Princess Anna, I am not lying to you, if Hans is not in the Southern Isles, I have no idea where he is, honestly. That's where he was when I left to come here."
Anna glared at him. He didn't seem like he was lying... but she couldn't be sure. She moved in closer and whispered in his ear:
"I'm letting you off the hook this time, but if I find out that you're lying to me or if I see you making any sort of advances towards my sister," she moved the pick ax from his throat to between his legs and pressed it against his manhood, "I'm gonna make you wish you were never born. Do you understand me?"
Henrik looked at her, surprised and a little nervous and nodded. "You have my word."
"Good." Anna said, releasing him as she turned around and walked out, "Now put your clothes on."
Anna returned the pick ax back to her bag and walked down the stairs and out the front gates, crossing back to where she had thrown down the sheets. Much to her amazement, they were still there. She gripped the sheets and scampered up the rope to her room where she pulled in the sheets and shut the windows tight. After getting back into her room safely, she took a deep breath and smiled, sitting down on the bed.
"I just did that... I just did that!" she whispered to herself. "I can't even believe..." she sighed, "Kristoff would be so proud."
It was true. Kristoff already admired Anna's determination and strong willed attitude, but he had told her not to take anything from anyone and since then, she hadn't. And over all, she felt better, more confident. She laid down onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. She looked over at the doorknob. All of the ice had begun to melt finally. She reached over and turned the knob and the door came open. Anna smiled and shut the door back.
"I knew you wouldn't leave me in here." she said. Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind.
She needed to write to Rapunzel again. She had to tell her about Hans. Rapunzel had seen Hans in Arendelle during the freeze so she knew what he looked like so she wouldn't have to send a picture or anything. She got up and crossed over to her desk, taking her plume and beginning to write,
Dear Rapunzel,
I know I already sent you a letter, but this is very, very super important. I have a new break in the search for Kristoff and Sven. It turns out that jerk prince Hans from the Southern Isles, Hans Westergard was seen in a pub Kristoff went to and apparently was giving him quite an intense stare down and I think he might have taken him and Sven. Please, if you see him, do not let him leave Corona under any circumstances. I don't know why he would be there, but I really felt a lot better sending you this update. If you see any sign of either him, Kristoff or Sven, please, please let me know as soon as possible. Just a reminder of what Hans looks like: He's about the same height as Kristoff, I think but he could be an inch or so taller because he's more slender and all that. He has that auburn hair that's usually combed back and those long, ugly sideburns I can't believe I even thought were remotely attractive. And he's got green eyes. And he's probably wearing something tight and uncomfortable, knowing him. Okay, that's all for now.
Love you and best regards,
Princess Anna of Arendelle.
Anna put the letter in an envelope and sealed it with wax. After she was finished, she opened the door to take the letter to the courier and bumped into Olaf.
"Oh! Sorry, Olaf! Are you okay?" she asked, looking down. Olaf's nose was pushed all the way into his face and sticking out the back of his head.
"Oh yeah, I'm fine. I have no bones, remember? Except, could you help me find my nose?"
Anna smiled. "Of course, and then, I gotta tell you something super, super important. But you can't tell anyone, okay?"
"What about Elsa?"
Anna thought for a moment. "Not Elsa. Not yet." she decided. After all, she had just defied about fifty of sister's wishes. Better not drop bad news on her just yet...
As Anna walked with Olaf back from dropping off her letter, she eagerly tore open the letter she'd received from Rapunzel, hoping there would be news of Kristoff, but it was only Rapunzel saying that both her and Eugene would keep an eye out for them both and that she was sorry about her predicament. Rapunzel's advice was the same as Kristoff's; just do your best to be nice to Henrik until he leaves.
So much for that plan.
On the way back to the castle, Anna told Olaf about the information she had found out. The little snowman was worried.
"But... if Hans is around here, wouldn't he try to come here and... hurt you?" he asked. Anna shook her head.
"Nah. He's too scared I'll bust his teeth out again." she joked, "And no, that would be a dumb move. I mean, we told literally like every guard to beat him up real bad if he ever came back, then bring him to Elsa or me or both of us so we could beat him up."
"So... we're safe from Hans?"
Anna nodded. "Don't worry, Olaf. If he hasn't showed his face around here yet, he clearly isn't going to. But... still..." she thought, "If he hasn't come around here, would that mean he's planning something evil?"
Olaf shrugged. "I don't know. I hope not."
"Maybe Kristoff and Sven have something to do with it if he was..."
"What do you mean? Like they're helping him?" Olaf asked, panicked.
"Oh, no, no, no, not that at all." Anna quickly assured him, "Like maybe they've got them stashed somewhere to get to me and Elsa." she said, then realizing what she'd just said, freezing in place.
"Um, Anna?" Olaf piped up.
"That's it. He wants to get to me and Elsa. He wants to drive us apart and so he took Kristoff and Sven and he had his stupid brother come here and get into Elsa's head and make her all crazy so we'd end up fighting and he could come back and do... whatever it is he plans on doing."
Olaf looked impressed, yet a little nervous. "You really think Henrik is here to trick Elsa?" he asked. Anna looked down at him.
"I'm almost sure of it, but he won't. I know he won't. I made sure of it." she said, "He's not gonna mess with my sister as long as I'm around."
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