The last notes of the choir were still ringing throughout the chapel when the Bishop placed the crown on the queen's head.
Hans grimaced as something hit his left shoulder with a soft squishing noise. It was one of the dignitaries, probably from one of the Germanic states. The rotund old man had been yawning throughout the ceremony earlier and had been nodding off when the choir started.
After Hans had bid farewell to Princess Anna, Sitron had delayed his master's arrival to the coronation ceremony by releasing the little rowboat, probably on purpose. That horse had always been one for mischief. Hans had been forced to strip on the docks so that he could wring the seawater out of his clothes, praying that no one was around to see. He'd made it to the ceremony with five minutes to spare, raising the eyebrows of quite a few palace staff members with his disheveled appearance. (Or maybe they just found it odd that only one prince from the Southern Isles was in attendance.) Now, seated in the chapel, Hans noticed that, while his suit was still damp, some of the water had dried, leaving traces of sea salt. Thank goodness he was wearing white!
At the altar, standing next to her sister, Anna looked on solemnly as Elsa was crowned. Catching his eye, Anna turned around, the corners of her lips immediately curving into a genuine smile.
Hans quirked his eyebrows apologetically at the dignitary currently using his shoulder as a human pillow and gave her a small wave, hoping the traces of sea salt where the water had dried from his clothes were not too obvious. She waved back before turning again to face her sister, who had straightened and was preparing to take the scepter and globus cruciger from the bishop.
He felt a small stab of jealousy. The scepter and the orb would never make their way to his hands, as he was thirteenth in line in the Southern Isles. Plus, Adrian already had a son, and so long as Adrian only had one son, Hector would be next. The crafty wolf would most likely stage an "accident" for his older brother and dispose of his nephew to become king. Then he would outlaw personal armies and appoint "bodyguards" for the rest of their brothers until, one by one, they all mysteriously disappeared, and no blood-related successors remained. Having grown up in everyone's shadow, Hans had always craved the attention and loyalty that would accompany the throne, but he knew usurpation was never the answer.
He turned his attention back to the scene before him.
Elsa seemed to hesitate as she tugged off her gloves and reached for the scepter and orb. Hans was close enough to see that her hands were trembling as she turned to face her subjects and guests. He hurriedly stood up, along with the rest of the guests, dislodging the German dignitary. The bishop began to chant the ceremonial incantation.
So this was the girl he was supposed to woo. If Hans had randomly run into her on the docks like he had with Anna, he would never have believed this was Anna's older sister. Like Anna, Elsa was slender with large blue eyes, but that was about where the similarities ended. She wore a gold-accented black and teal dress that looked much more restricting than the gowns worn by ladies in the Southern Isles, which often showed far too much décolletage for Hans's liking. Elsa's neck and shoulders were hidden under a rich violet cape, probably imported from Corona, and her platinum blonde hair was twisted back into a neat bun at the nape of her neck. She was no doubt very beautiful, but the overall effect gave off a stifling impression, as if this girl were uncomfortable in her own skin but was much too polite or disciplined to offend her hairdressers and maids by requesting a less suffocating appearance.
Or maybe she was just nervous about the enormous amount of responsibility she would assume as monarch. Her lips were pressed into a thin line; she seemed to be holding her breath, and her eyes darted down to her trembling hands with an almost panicked expression. Was a coronation really that nerve-wracking?
Anna, too, seemed to notice her sister's distress. Hans was taken aback by how unhealthily pale Elsa appeared in contrast to Anna as the younger sister hesitantly took a step forward, probably preparing to catch Elsa in case she fainted.
The moment the words "Queen Elsa of Arendelle" left the bishop's lips, Elsa hurriedly returned the scepter and orb and shoved her gloves back on, clasping her hands together and exhaling, the tension slipping from her shoulders.
As he applauded politely with the rest of the dignitaries, Hans couldn't help but wonder at the queen's odd behavior. The girl seemed so uneasy, as if crowds made her nervous, and aloof, scarcely glancing in her sister's direction even as Anna beamed proudly, bursting with excitement at her side. The people of the Southern Isles generally thought Arendelle odd—a trade giant who always conducted diplomatic meetings as guests and never as hosts? But could it be less a matter of odd Arendellean customs and more the possibility that something was not quite right in the monarchy? The tension in the queen's shoulders and the way her eyes had darted about earlier suggested something secretive about her, and Hans felt an uneasy chill run down his spine at the thought to having to be married to her.
"…So then, I said, 'It's in that pot, isn't it?' and she immediately knocked me out with that blasted frying pan again!"
Hans laughed politely as Princess Rapunzel and Prince Consort Eugene recounted the tale of their first meeting. He had heard the story countless times before, as Eugene loved to wax poetic about his heroics and remind all the bachelors at every state dinner party he attended that Rapunzel was taken. (Eugene had always had a flair for the dramatic, insisting on starting his story with, "This…is the story of how I died.") Hans would have offered a feeble excuse to slip away into the party, but Rapunzel and Eugene were the only people he knew in the place, and none of the ladies ever took notice of Prince Nobody, so he was stuck third-wheeling with them.
A little ways off, Queen Elsa stood alone, observing the party, seemingly much more relaxed than she had been during the ceremony. Hans noticed her cringing and occasionally smiling apologetically at someone on the dance floor, probably Anna. Earlier, the Duke of Weselton had asked for a dance, but Elsa had declined, offering Anna as a dance partner instead.
No one else had attempted to ask for a dance with Elsa.
Hans had attended plenty of dance parties at which Weselton had been present, and the old man's strange dance moves were quite an eyesore. He craned his neck, trying to catch a glimpse of green silk and strawberry blonde hair.
Ah, there they were. Anna was currently standing on the dance floor in confusion as the Duke marched in a circle around her with his hands on his hips, looking very much like a pigeon waddling about in high heels. He seemed to be shouting, "Like a chicken…with the face of a monkey…" Anna winced as he trod on her foot.
Hans contemplated stepping in to rescue Anna, but then Weselton shot him a Look, and he realized the old weasel was probably distracting her to give Hans a chance to make a move on Elsa. Hector had probably promised to split all of Arendelle's tradable goods with him.
Time was of the essence. The French were going home the next day, so he kind of only had a few hours left to complete his mission before his ride left without him. And if he returned to the Southern Isles having failed to secure an engagement to the queen, he would have hell to pay. Hector would probably find a way to spin a tale of Hans, Mother, and Father as traitors and enemies of the Southern Isles and publicly execute them.
"So..." Rapunzel nudged Hans slyly. "Anyone here catch your eye yet?"
Hans realized he'd been zoning out. He opened his mouth to blurt, "Nope, nobody," but Rapunzel's green gaze was already following his into the crowd. He felt his face heat up as his friend caught sight of the Arendellean sisters (Anna had escaped from Weselton and was now giggling over something with Elsa) and raised her eyebrows.
"You should ask her to dance." Rapunzel grinned and leaned in conspiratorially. "And don't forget to invite me to the wedding!"
Hans winced. That hit a little too close to home.
"I'm, uh, going to go now. I'll see you later, Rapunzel!" Using the age-old trick that had allowed him to outrun his brothers before they dunked him headfirst into the punch bowl during so many dinner parties, Hans shoved his champagne glass into a baffled Rapunzel's hands and ducked into the crowd, knowing that she would not dare chase after him whilst balancing a full glass unless she took the time to find a flat surface for it.
He slipped past some waltzing couples and chatting socialites and was about to make his way to the refreshments when someone clamped a fist around his wrist. "Where do you think you're going, boy?"
Weselton.
Hans sighed.
"The princesses are that way."
"Actually, one of them is a queen," Hans corrected dryly.
The older man waved his hand dismissively as if to say, Not for long. "She turn you down, too?"
"Er…yeah. I was about to down a glass of champagne before asking Anna to dance instead." Better to lie and throw the old weasel off his scent than to be ratted out to his brothers.
Weselton leaned in closer to whisper, "There's something not quite right about those two. Did you notice how the queen was during the ceremony? Completely panicked! And she wouldn't even dance with me! I know they're hiding something—I just know it! And the other one! Terrible dancer! Couldn't keep up with me at all, and I'm near—"
"Nearly sixty-five years old. I know. Now could you let me go? People are going to get suspicious if they see us whispering here. I'm going to go find Anna. You…go get drunk off the chocolate fondue or something."
Hans had no intention of getting closer to Anna. After all, it was either her and her sister's death, or his parents' death at the hands of their own sons.
But as they danced the night away and stole a moment for themselves in the palace gardens, Hans felt himself inexplicably drawn to this endearingly quirky girl, who somehow managed to poke him in the eye but make the pain go away with just one sheepish giggle.
Strolling under a canopy of fruit trees, they were talking about everything and nothing when Hans noticed a streak of her hair glowing in the moonlight, a stark white in contrast to the strawberry blonde. Subconsciously, he reached out a hand to touch it. "What's this?"
"Oh, I was born with it." Self-consciously, Anna tucked a nonexistent strand of hair behind her ear, probably a nervous habit. "Although, I dreamt I was kissed by a troll." She looked up at him timidly, as if the little streak were something she was ashamed of. Had people given her a hard time about it when she was younger, the way Hans's brothers had picked on him for being the only one with red hair?
"I like it," Hans assured her, eager to bring that carefree smile back to her face.
It was the second time he'd seen her mood dampen tonight, the first being when he had noticed Elsa abruptly turning away from her, as if the sisters had disagreed harshly over something. He didn't like it. Anna was like spring, so full of life and hope and joy. No one should be allowed to take that away from her.
Not even Hector? At the cost of Mother's and Father's lives?
The thought startled him. How was it that he'd forgotten about the Plot yet again? It had been the only thing on his mind ever since the coronation ceremony, reminding him that time was of the essence. And here was this girl who, with even the slightest smile, was able to lift the weight from his mind.
An angry gurgle from his stomach brought Hans back to the present. Anna giggled, taking his hand and leading him back inside. Hans did his best to ignore Weselton and his henchmen by the door, one of whom whistled cheekily as the pair walked past.
Anna pulled him over to the refreshments. "What's your favorite food?"
Hans blushed. "Promise you won't judge me?"
"Of course!"
"…Sandwiches."
"Yeah, the whole thing! You got it!"
Anna cheered as Hans finished his krumkake in one bite. It was a game his brothers had played when they were younger, as the more quickly one ate his dinner, the more desserts one could have. Back in the days of innocence, when the only worries they had were over having to memorize French vocabulary. Before succession ambitions and inflated egos had driven the royal family apart.
"Okay, wait, wait!" Anna paused as Hans swallowed the last of his cookie. "So you had how many brothers?"
Prior to his little krumkake stunt, the topic of conversation had turned to their families. Although, Hans may have subconsciously brought it up by asking Anna about hers because he wanted to know more about his future in-laws—
Wait, what?
Yeah...anyway…
"Twelve," he responded. "Twelve older brothers. Three of them pretended I was invisible—literally—for two years."
He had meant it for a lighthearted chuckle—like, Hey, don't worry about it. It was all fun and games, and we're all good now—but something in his voice must have betrayed his emotions, for Anna gasped, "That's horrible!"
Oh, no. He could not let this conversation go any further. Anna seemed to have a talent for lowering his inhibitions and knocking down his defenses. For the past few hours he had spent with her, Hans found himself telling her anything she wanted to know. He did not have the heart to lie to her, and it would only be a matter of time before she would ask if any of his brothers were in Arendelle, and then the whole Plot would come tumbling from his lips. He could not, would not, frighten her like that. Anna may never trust him again.
And that thought terrified Hans.
So he just said with a dismissive shrug and a forced chuckle, "It's what brothers do." Lies.
"And sisters," Anna returned with an equally forced laugh. Her shoulders slumped. "Elsa and I were really close when we were little. And then one day, she just…shut me out. And I never knew why…"
Hans had never been particularly close to any of his brothers. Back before personal ambitions had driven his family apart, even the brothers he had been closest to had been more like strangers who happened to share blood and therefore had to get along with him, rather than actual siblings. But maybe Anna had it worse, having lost her sister and best friend.
Earlier, from the way Anna had spoken wistfully of her childhood and the times when, in the winter, the sisters would spend all day outside building snowmen and sledding and skating, Hans could tell that Anna still cared deeply for Elsa. What could make Elsa suddenly turn against her little sister, especially someone as sweet as Anna? Hans knew that if he could, he would do anything—absolutely anything—to keep Anna happy.
Hans realized with horror what was happening. He was getting attached. Anna, too, no doubt. He was playing right into Hector's game, whether he liked it or not. Even if it was for her own safety, he could not, would not, shut her out the way Elsa had. Because he loved her, and her pain was his pain.
I'll protect her, he promised himself. Hector won't harm a hair on her head.
So leaning over, he gently took her hand. "I would never shut you out," he promised softly and earnestly.
Anna brightened again. "Okay, can I just say something…crazy?"
Sometime around midnight, the two were standing on a little outcrop overlooking the kingdom, with the waterfall in the backdrop, when Hans gave into temptation and asked Anna to marry him.
She accepted immediately.
Hans was sick of jumping through his brothers' hoops. He and Anna may have gotten engaged, but he had no intention of carrying through with the Plot. No, he was going to marry her because she was his true love. He would tell Elsa everything and warn her away from Weselton, and then he could find the Dutch dignitaries and sail with them back to the Dutch Republic and caution his parents to stay away from the Southern Isles.
Now they were making their way through the ballroom, trying to find Elsa. That was, Anna was pushing through the crowd, Hans in tow. She'd wanted her sister to be the first to share their good news, assuring him that she was certain Elsa would be happy for them.
Hans definitely hoped so. If Elsa did not approve of him, then how would he convince her that he was not a willing participant in Hector's schemes? Would she suspect Hans himself of trying ally with her to overthrow the other princes of the Southern Isles so that he could have the throne for himself? Plus, Anna would be crushed if Elsa did not give them her blessing. Hans would marry her anyway, but they would have to elope, and then they could neither stay in Arendelle nor go to the Isles. His brothers would be furious that his marriage to the princess would turn out useless for the Plot, for Elsa would still be on the throne, and her estranged sister Anna would no longer be eligible to succeed her if she were to run away with Hans. Both Arendelle and the Isles would disintegrate into political chaos.
"Oh, there she is. Elsa!" Anna hauled Hans up beside her, before a bewildered-looking Elsa.
"Anna?"
Anna curtsied quickly. "I mean, Queen…Me again. Um…may I present Prince Hans of the Southern Isles?"
Hoping to make a good impression, Hans bowed. "Your Majesty."
Elsa frowned, noticing their joined hands. Not a good sign. She curtseyed in return nonetheless.
Anna giggled with excitement, oblivious to her sister's expression. "We would like—"
"Your blessing," Hans cut in quickly. Elsa was eyeing him suspiciously, as if she thought him unsuitable for her sister.
Anna was still talking. "Of—"
"Our marriage!" They finished in unison. Anna beamed up at him, her arm twined with his, and he was almost certain he wore an utterly pathetic lovesick expression, but he didn't care. They were getting married!
The queen's eyebrows shot up. "…Marriage…?"
"Yes!" Anna squealed.
"I'm sorry, I'm confused—"
She barely got out a few words before Anna started talking a mile a minute. "Well, we haven't worked out all the details ourselves. Of course, we'll need a few days to plan the ceremony, and we'll have soup, and ice cream, and roast beef and—wait! Where would we live?"
The last part was directed at Hans, but Elsa interrupted, "Here?"
"Absolutely!" Hans exclaimed. Thank goodness she was okay with that! There was no way Hans was letting Anna get anywhere near Hector.
Elsa shook her head. "Anna…"
"—and we can invite all twelve of your brothers—"
"What? No, no, no, no, no—"
"—of course, we have room here—"
"Whoa. Slow down!" Elsa threw up her hands in frustration. "No one's brothers are staying here, and no one is getting married!"
Anna's eager expression quickly twisted into confusion. "Wait, what?"
Elsa's own expression darkened. "Anna, may I talk to you, please? Alone?"
Oh, no. They might have to elope after all. And then Elsa would hate him, and she would never believe his story.
Hans nudged Anna toward her sister. Maybe they just needed a long talk to clear the air. Maybe Elsa had a reason for shutting Anna out all those years ago, and she just didn't want to lose her little sister to some random stranger.
But Anna seemed to have a different idea. She firmly looped her arm through his and steeled herself against her sister. "No. Whatever you have to say, you can say it to the both of us."
"Fine," Elsa snapped. "You can't marry a man you just met."
"You can if it's true love!"
"What do you know about true love, Anna?"
"More than you. All you know is how to shut people out!"
Elsa's eyes widened at the jab. Then she schooled her expression back to one of icy calm and held out her hands as if she were not interested in further pressing the issue. When she spoke again, her voice was thin. "You asked for my blessing, but my answer is no. Now if you'll excuse me…" She turned away and headed for the doors.
Hans tried one last time, "Your Majesty, if I may—"
"No. You may not. And I think you should go." She passed one of the servants. "The party is over. Close the gates," she ordered.
By Hans's side, Anna went completely rigid. "Wait, what? No, Elsa, wait!"
She rushed forward to grab Elsa's hand, but the queen pulled away. Hans noticed Anna holding a thin turquoise piece of cloth.
Almost frantically, Elsa made a grab for it. "Give me back my glove!"
"Elsa, please! I can't live like this anymore!" Anna pleaded, probably referring to the years of isolation and loneliness.
Hans was dimly aware that the room had fallen silent as everyone stared at the sisters, waiting for Elsa's reply.
"Then leave."
Anna was stunned into silence. Hans longed to rush to her side to comfort her, but he forced himself to hold back. This was Anna's fight.
Elsa was walking away again.
Suddenly, Anna burst out, "What did I ever do to you?"
"Enough, Anna." Elsa's voice sounded drained as she tugged the ends of her cape around her shoulders and kept walking.
"No! Why? Why did you shut me out? Why do you shut the world out? What are you so afraid of?"
"I said, enough!" Elsa whirled around.
There was a flash of blue. Suddenly, gasps of horror rang throughout the ballroom, and those closest to the door leaped back as a ring of ice exploded from the floor, icicles growing outward like cruel, gleaming fangs.
"Sorcery!" someone muttered.
So this was the secret of the Arendellean royal family! The queen was an enchantress with the power to create ice at will! Hans tensed, ready to leap in front of Anna to protect her, should Elsa unleash her wrath upon everyone in the ballroom.
But the queen looked anything but wrathful, pressed against the door not unlike a cornered animal. Her blue eyes once again brimmed over with the fear and panic Hans had noticed during the coronation ceremony. Her gloved hand found the doorknob, and she threw the door open, escaping into the hall.
"Come on! We have to go after her!"
The shout came from the Duke of Weselton as he and his thugs skirted around the ring of ice and gave chase.
Hans's blood ran cold as he realized what the Duke was planning. With Elsa's secret exposed and her political career most likely doomed and her only kin engaged to Hans…the Plot was coming to fruition. All Hector needed now was for someone to kill Elsa, and Weselton's thugs were more than capable of that.
Anna, too, was rushing out the door. Hans followed her without hesitation.
"Where could she be heading?"
"Probably outside," Anna puffed. "The doors are this way! Follow me!"
Up ahead, the hallway was briefly lit by another flash of blue. They could hear the townspeople crying out in fear. The Duke and his men disappeared around the corner.
"There she is! Stop her!"
"Please! Just stay away from me!"
Another flash, followed by the sound of ice shattering.
The Duke let out a shriek.
Hans and Anna rounded the corner and found him sprawled on the steps leading to the castle courtyard. The steps were frozen over. The crowd was in full panic mode, complete with wailing babies and screams of terror.
"Monster! Monster!"
Anna stiffened at the sight of something across the courtyard. "Elsa!" she shouted, gingerly leaping over the Duke and the patch of ice on the steps. She disappeared into the crowd.
"Anna, wait!" Hans cried, scrambling after her. "It's too dangerous!"
Anna either did not hear him, or she ignored him, chasing after her sister.
Eventually, they made their way to the gates.
"Elsa! Wait, please!"
The tiny figure on the frozen shoreline below only glanced back once. Then she stepped onto the fjord. Hans held his breath. Was she trying to drown herself?
But, no. The water instantly froze wherever Elsa stepped. Before long, she had broken into a sprint, headed for the opposite shore, leaving a series of ever expanding ice crystals in her wake.
Anna had made her way down the rocks to the shore. "Elsa, stop!" She tried to step onto the ice but slipped and fell.
"Anna!" Hans shouted, scrambling after her to help her up.
"No," she whispered, still clutching the glove.
They watched as Elsa reached the far shore and disappeared into the trees.
A/N: So the dialogue is a little more accurate in this chapter because I finally found the Frozen screenplay that Disney uploaded to their site. Unfortunately, that's about the only good thing I can say about this chapter. The ending seriously sucked. It'll get a little better next chapter because we won't be confined to what happens on-screen in the movie, since the next few scenes in the movie are in Anna's point of view, so I'll have a lot more freedom with Hans.
Also, apologies if there are any typos. I was finishing this at six in the morning, and I just wanted to get it done and uploaded.