A Hopeless Case

With Kristoff as their guide, being that he knew every shortcut and safe path to their destination, they reached the valley where the trolls resided before noon. He mentioned that they could have made it there earlier if it weren't for all the people they had to bring, but he figured it didn't matter too much since he had Anna with him, and under much better circumstances since she wasn't at risk of dying this time. Maybe. The threat of Hans going psycho and killing everyone was still a possibility on the table.

The source of their troubles to even make the journey was strangely compliant, which was good, since Kristoff didn't want to regret his offer to bring Hans to his family any more than he already did. Which was quite a lot. He almost regretted his first time helping out a person, but that would mean he regretted meeting Anna. If fate were to continue to be kind to him, maybe this act of selflessness would bring about another positive event to happen in his life.

If Hans were to continue to be easy-going, then he might actually start tolerating the idea of him. If Hans were really trying to change, Kristoff might actually give the guy a chance, even if the prince was able to fool him into leaving Anna under his "care" while Arendelle was frozen. After all, his family did say that people don't make the best of choices when they're distressed or mad. "True love brings out the best," they always said.

Hah, showing any bit of love towards Hans, though, that thought was enough to make him gag. Tolerate him, yes. Love? Absolutely not! Hopefully the man got just enough love from his brothers all the way back in the Southern Isles for his troll family's philosophy to blossom. If their words were true, the least he could do was stay back and let the "love magic" do its thing. It wasn't entirely his own idea, though, Sven being the one to point out that Kristoff was the only one who happened to have a cool head upon his shoulders regarding all of this. If Kristoff wouldn't laud Hans' choice to change, who would?

Kristoff dismounted the Sven-pulled sleigh carrying himself, Anna, and Elsa and walked to the clearing where his family rested. The horse-drawn cart dragging along the castle guards and Hans pulled alongside the sled. All passengers dismounted, following the ice-harvester. One of the guards kept the scythe and another carried the bag, while the other two gripped Hans' chains, making the end of their train.

"Granpabbie!" Kristoff called out to the round boulders encircled in the clearing. "We need to speak to you!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the prince jump in surprise when the boulders started to roll and unfurl to reveal forms of his family. Kristoff had to resist the urge to smirk at the reaction.

Even if the man wanted to change, it didn't mean he wasn't still dangerous. Making him mad by poking fun at him or jabbing thoughtless insults wouldn't end well for anyone. Hopefully Anna learned that soon.

Granpabbie made his way to the front of the crowd of trolls, a smile on his face. Kristoff knelt down to his level, allowing his cheeks to be pinched by various trolls. Especially by Bulda, his mother in all but blood. And species.

"We've been graced by your presence, Queen Elsa of Arendelle," Granpabbie said with a bow. "I see that you are much more confident in your powers."

"I must thank all of you for that," Elsa said, gesturing to the trolls. "You helped remove all the guesswork in their limits."

Kristoff remembered the request to visit the trolls a few weeks after Elsa returned the summer weather. It was after a few hilarious mishaps of trying to learn how to control – not conceal – her powers that he urged her to seek out his family's wisdom regarding her powers. Ever since then, she had made great strides in their development. Astounding, even.

Though, Anna hadn't quite let Elsa live down that one time she wouldn't stop making ice sculptures whenever her sister so much as lifted a finger. One sculpture, in particular, depicted a certain disliked dignitary in unflattering caricature. Needless to say, Elsa and the dignitary were embarrassed to no end.

"And I see that our Kristoff continues to fare well with Princess Anna," Granpabbie said, a wide grin on his face.

"Yup! We sure do!" Anna said.

"I presume that he's your purpose for this visit?" the elderly troll said, gesturing to a chained-up Hans.

"This is Prince Hans," Kristoff introduced. He waved for the two guards leading Hans, who brought the man forward.

"Ah." Granpabbie scanned a cold gaze along the clearly uncomfortable prince. "So this is the one who almost killed the queen and princess."

"That would be me, sir," Hans said, his mouth in a straight line.

"Why have you brought him to us?"

"He kinda got some kind of curse put on him. We were hoping you guys could fix it," Kristoff explained.

"I'll see what I can do."

Granpabbie prodded at Hans to kneel to his level, who complied. The troll poked at Hans and murmured to himself, examining the man. Granpabbie gazed into his eyes and furrowed his brow. He stepped back and waved at Hans to stand back up.

"The curse has affected his heart. I cannot remove it. And even if his heart was not affected, it's been put there by very powerful magic that I've never removed before," Granpabbie said after his inspection. Hans' face fell at the news, jaw going slack in disappointment.

"But there must be some way! The land is angry with mankind, and we need to find a solution!" Elsa said, distressed.

"The… the land you say? How did he come across this curse in the first place?"

"It was placed there by a pixie," Hans explained. "So that I feel the land's anger."

"Oh my, this is much worse than I have ever imagined. Pixies rarely interfere with mortals. When they do, it usually precedes great catastrophe caused by their acts. And since it involves a magical realm under their care, they have taken it personally. Have they mentioned why the land was angry?"

"When Queen Elsa cast the land into winter during her coronation, it 'died,' according to the pixies. Since it wasn't ready for winter, it grew angry and now has a grudge against humanity. It calls for their sacrifice every once in a while now."

"And you've been tasked with carrying out those sacrifices. That would explain the strange phenomenon around the flow of magic for the past few months."

"You weren't aware this was happening?" Kristoff asked. He always thought his family were masters over magic. Surely they could have seen it coming.

"No. Ever since we trolls have cut off our ties with the land and allied ourselves to Fate, we haven't been able to commune with its wants for a long while now. Though… we might be able to speak to it, if Prince Hans is wiling to be a conduit."

"A conduit – You don't mean to let it possess me, do you?" Hans asked, stepping back in fear.

"Possession, a temporary limiting of your awareness, but our only way to see what it wants and intends, straight from the source. And if there was a sure way for it's anger towards mankind to finally be quenched, then you would indirectly be freed from your curse. There would be no pain nor anger to be felt."

Hesitation, then, "I will do it."

"Good. We must begin with seeing the full extent of the hex the pixie placed on you, so that we may find a link between her magic and the land's. Explain what you mean by that you feel the land's anger. You feel angry? Or some other indication?"

"It usually starts out with a small ache in my heart with the occasional voice in my head to kill the nearest person. It gets more intense from there."

"I won't lie to you, that's… very troubling. And have you given into that voice yet?"

"Yes."

"Oh no, I hope we're not too late." Granpabbie paced around, a hand scratching the bottom of his chin. "Is there any other phenomenon that we should take note of?"

"There's the scythe and that it comes to me when I… 'call' it."

"That's promising. That might actually be the link we're looking for. Can you demonstrate it for us so that we can observe the connection between it, you, and the land when it happens?"

"… do I have to?" Hans asked timidly.

"Unless you have anything else worth mentioning."

"There's the pixie dust she gave me." Hans pointed to the guard holding the sack.

"Hmm… interesting that it was given to you in such a large amount. Does it have the same tie to you as the scythe?"

"No."

"Is there anything else, then?"

"No."

"Then I must ask you to call the scythe for me."

Hans sighed, his shoulders drooping in resignation.

Hans stretched out a shaking, chained hand toward the scythe in the guard's grip. The staff twisted and yanked itself from the guard's hands and flew to the hand of its master. As soon as the handle was in Hans' grasp, he tossed the scythe aside haphazardly and crumpled to the ground on his hands and knees, shuddering violently.

If calling the scythe was that agonizing, Kristoff thought to himself, then it meant that Hans was absolutely not in control of himself when he murdered the guards and doctor if he didn't keel over when he moved the scythe like that the first time.

"Interesting. I hope you don't mind doing it a few more times throughout the day. We need our preparations to be precise if we are to be able to communicate with the land. We don't want to open up the channel to something else would we?"

Hans sighed and covered his face with his hands, and replied with a defeated voice, "No, I don't mind."

###

Elsa couldn't imagine how she would react if she were given grave news about her powers like Hans was, that no good would come out of them. Distraught, defeated; oh absolutely. Depressed, even. In hindsight, that's actually how she reacted even with the news given to her as a child. Her powers were dangerous, especially if fear got a hold on her. That was the only thing she latched onto during her very first meeting with the trolls. The only thing her parents latched onto, as well.

And that was with advice that belied that there was good in her powers. All she needed was proper control.

Hans' curse, however, had no good. It was a curse after all. An immortal magical consciousness bearing down on a mortal mind won't lead to a happy conclusion.

She knew that she shouldn't be wondering how Hans was feeling at that moment. She knew that she would then start connecting her own experiences with his, and she knew that doing so wouldn't end well. Instead of seeing her would-be murder going through all of this, she just might end up seeing herself.

Instead, she forced herself to only observe the strange ritual playing out before her in the clearing. Hans sat cross-legged in front of the crowd of trolls, their soft chants whispering through the forest. He sat still, his back straight and staring off into the distance.

Elsa glanced at the position of the sun. It was already sunset. The trolls were at it for hours, trying to establish a connection to communicate with the land. The guards tending to Hans' chains had to switch off periodically so they could relieve themselves. It was obvious that Hans didn't have that luxury. How painful would it be to sit still like that for the better portion of a day?

"One more time, I think we've got it now," Granpabbie said, waving to the scythe lying between him and the prince. Hans was as reluctant as every other time he was requested to call the item, but did it anyway. The act never failed to surprise Elsa, despite witnessing the event multiple times already. The way it was done… There was something sinister and unnatural about it.

Elsa expected Hans to drop the item and hiss in pain, just like every other instance.

Except he didn't this time. He grasped the scythe with two hands, a low growl rumbling in his throat.

"Limit the connection! Restrict his movement!" Granpabbie instructed the other trolls. Their chants changed, and fewer voices were heard. Elsa moved closer to where Anna and Kristoff were situated, enthralled by what was happening. "No one touch him!"

"You dare to speak to me after your betrayal?" Hans said. Though it wasn't Hans, Elsa realized. The cadence and tone were all wrong. They were listening to the land now. The very land that was around them, if Elsa understood correctly. She tried to bite back her fear. This was the being she made very furious with her recklessness, one that demanded the deaths of many innocent people.

"We did not betray you. You betrayed us," Grandpabbie said, calmly.

"How could the one who gave you your physical form from its own flesh betray you?"

"When you tossed us to the whims of the pixies. You always did favor the fairer ones most. Fate had more promising futures for us, so we took our chances and left."

"If you weren't of my own body and didn't have Fate's protection around you, I would have destroyed you ages ago."

"This is old talk. Why are you mad at humanity?"

Hans slowly turned his gaze to where Elsa sat with Anna and Kristoff. His eyes blazed with an ancient fury, but his face was completely blank, cowing Elsa further away from where he sat. He turned back to speak to Granpabbie. The land opened Hans' mouth to speak, "The mortal magician has killed me before my time. Humanity's shortcomings caused it, thus humanity must suffer its consequences."

"Is there anything we can do to appease you?"

"Only their deaths would appease me. I'm still waiting for the next sacrifice. It's been too long."

"Can't you find somewhere in your heart to forgive them? Mankind is too young for your anger."

A dark, vicious laugh escaped from Hans, a terrifying undertone reverberated with the sound.

"Forgiveness is a mortal concept. How shameful of you to forget that," the land replied. "This reaper of mine is too reluctant to follow my demands. It seems I will have to go through drastic measures to ensure a constant flow of souls for me to collect."

Another twisted laugh.

"It appears I must 'break him,' as the mortals call it," the land continued.

"No!" Elsa cried out, walking towards the possessed form of Hans. His empty expression jerked to Elsa. Elsa forced herself to continue, despite the tangible tension persuading her to keep silent. "Don't! Please! I'm the one who started all of this! You're vexation is with me!" Yes, Hans did terrible things in the past, but there was no way another person was going to take the fall for her own mistakes. She wanted to do what was good and right, after all.

"My ire is with mankind. I do not distinguish my feelings towards individuals."

"But, you're distinguishing with Hans in that you still want to use him! Why not make another exception?"

An insidious smile creased its way across Hans' face as the land replied, "He was a gift to me from the pixies. It would be a shame to put it to waste. However, I despise working with your people, and I hate having being brought to commune through one. As long as he serves his purpose, I won't interfere. But if he doesn't…" Another ominous laugh filled with foreboding. "I'll make sure there won't be a barrier in his way. No will, nor wall, shall stop him. And I will break him."

The connection they had with the land was severed, as evidenced by the sudden silence and Hans' body falling limp onto his back, the scythe falling from his loose grip. The encounter left the man unconscious, Elsa noted. She wondered how much of the confrontation he was aware of.

###

No force of nature would stop him, no force of nature will allow him to stop. No interference if he complied. "Barriers" would be removed, should he not.

The vague and contradictory terms of his arrangement swirled around Han's thoughts as his body was used as a connection between the land's magical consciousnes and the physical world. He had hoped to have no awareness of what was going on when the presence of the land filled his mind and used his body. It was as terrifying and painful as he thought it would be. He was glad that, once the land left his mind, he passed out. Because then, he could pretend that all that happened, and all that was said was a dream.

That is, until he woke up to a crowd of trolls hovering over his face.

"How long was I out?" Hans asked, taking in the rest of his surroundings. He was still in the clearing, the guards still tending to his shackles. Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff had set up a small camp nearby with the other guards, asleep. He noticed that he was on a mat with his head resting on a pillow.

"Since the afternoon of yesterday. It's close to midnight now. We wanted to keep you here until we were sure there weren't any… residual effects of the spell we cast on you," Granpabbie answered. "Now that you've awoken, there is no longer a need for you here." Granpabbie walked to the slumbering forms in the encampment and roused them awake. The now-groggy people keyed into the conversation between Hans and Granpabbie.

"There's nothing else you can do about the curse?"

"Nothing. We no longer have our influence in the land since we've changed alignments."

"But what about the influences you do have? The land mentioned Fate. Can't you change mine?"

"Fate? Well, it's a fickle thing, and we don't have much sway in its intricacies, much like love. My people and I are allowed to work with it, understand it; but never to change it. That lies in the individual it affects. We can only serve as advisors to the possibilities."

The troll addressed all those around him, "Remember what the land has promised. Let it serve as a warning of what is so come. We cannot see what its plans are, but we know that a great many will fall victim to its anger. Do what all of you think you must do to prevent it. Since it's qualms are with mankind, unfortunately we cannot intervene like this again, nor can we, if it ever came to that."

"But Granpabbie, people will die!" Kristoff interjected. "We have no idea what we're doing, or if it's the right thing to do. We're not magical. Well, Elsa is, but she's born and raised human."

"Remember the lessons we've taught you, dear Kristoff. You, too, were born human. But you were also raised by trolls. Let both be your guiding light in this dark hour."

"But – but all the lessons you've taught me are about love, not fate! And even with that, I don't even know what I'm doing half the time when it comes to Anna."

"Love is a small facet of Fate, but a powerful force to change destiny. You have a good heart, Kristoff. A good heart and the power of love can dramatically change events, despite all the destructive forces around them. We can only hope that will be enough to prevent a calamity."

The elder troll gestured to Kristoff to bring him aside to speak to him privately.

###

Granpabbie took Kristoff's hand and patted it gently. He gestured for Kristoff to lean forward to whisper in his ear, "There is a lot of dark in him, so much so that I don't have much hope in this situation. However, there's a tiny glimmer of light I see in him. If you can figure out its source, you can help cultivate it. I know you see that in him, too. You always had a good head on your shoulders."

"But," Kristoff whispered back, ensuring those around him can't hear their conversation. "Why do we even have to help him? He's an evil man. Can't we just lock him away or execute him? Wouldn't that be easier?"

"No. Remember the land's promise. Locking him away will work for a time, but at some point a sacrifice must be made. Execution might bring the wrath of both the forces of the land and the pixies after humanity. It might, it might not. And even then, no one knows if they might curse another person to this fate. People will die, Kristoff, there is no avoiding that. A great number, too.

"But the calamity that must be prevented is whether or not he comes out of it with a good or evil heart. If he were to see the error of his ways, to change himself for what's right, he might find a solution that benefits the greater good. Damage control, so to speak. If not, I fear that the powers given to him and those working in his favor will corrupt any further chances for preventing needless killings."

"Can't you tell me more, then?"

"I cannot. The trolls and I have done as much as we can without contending even more between the land and Fate. While our allegiances is freed on a spiritual level, our bodies still are stuck with the land. Doing any more will sever the two forever. We have to remain as neutral as we can in our choices."

"You mean… you'll die if you continue to help us?"

"In a way, yes. We aren't truly mortal like you."

"I don't understand."

"It's very hard to explain the intricate nature of magic. It defies all logic and understanding. There are rules and restrictions that make sense. There are those that don't. All that you must worry about is that we cannot interfere in this any longer. Of course, you may visit as you always do, but you must avoid seeking our counsel regarding Hans, the land, or his fate."

"A-alright, Granpabbie. I'll try to do my best."

"That's our beloved Kristoff." Granpabbie pinched Kristoff's cheek, causing the ice harvester to smile in embarrassment. The troll turned to the rest of their visitors and gave them a wave. "I bid you all a farewell."

###

They arrived back at the castle before dawn broke, the kingdom still in slumber. Hans was sent directly to his cell in the dungeon.

Kristoff, Anna, and Elsa were convened in the castle's meeting room, usually reserved for Elsa and the dignitaries. However, given that the dignitaries were asleep and that there was ample space for Anna to pace around as their meeting went on, it seemed the best place to discuss their further actions regarding Hans.

"What are we going to do about him? We can't stop him from killing people," Kristoff pointed out.

"We can if we just execute him. Why is this even an issue? That was the punishment he was going to face back at the Southern Isles. Forget his brothers' hopes for fixing their relationship. We know it's a lost cause at this point," Anna argued.

"We can't, Anna. Granpabbie warned me that there might be worse consequences if we execute him."

"And what would that be? I mean, he'll at least be getting what he deserves."

"For starters, what makes you think the pixies wouldn't choose another victim for their chaos?"

"…Oh. Right."

"From what I've heard, they're pretty happy with choosing Hans. So let's just leave their first choice as their only choice for now."

"Then what do you suggest we do, Kristoff?" Elsa asked.

"Granpabbie suggested that we make him into a good person. Hans seems like a guy who comes up with pretty creative solutions, and is very adaptable. Imagine what might happen if we turned his evil motives around."

"Hans? Good? Do you know how silly that sounds right now? Not to mention impossible?" Anna retorted, hands waving around dramatically. "The guy spent his whole life hating a lot of people, and has some serious grudge issues. I mean, he's aware that his brothers feel absolutely guilty and repentant about what they've done, and they're trying their hardest to do what's right. And he has the nerve to call them idiots and spite them even after they spared his life? There's no way he would ever change! Like your family said, Kristoff, people don't really change."

"No they don't, but they make bad decisions when they're upset. And it sounds like Hans has quite a lot to be upset about."

"Really? You're taking his side all of a sudden? He left me to die, Kristoff! He almost got away with executing Elsa and chopping her head off."

"I'm not taking his side. He's a jerk, and nothing excuses what he did. I don't even forgive him. But are we really going to let this cloud our judgment? Are we really going to drive him crazy and risk more people to die?"

Kristoff loved Anna to bits, there was no denying that. It hurt him to have to argue with her like this, knowing that his choices in the matter would hurt her feelings and faith in him. He didn't want that. In fact, he wanted nothing more than to just do away with Hans and get it all over with.

But he knew he couldn't. He liked to believe himself a good person, and he knew that taking the easy way could very well doom another poor sap. It could also be much worse. Instead of having the new "reaper" under the custody of well-meaning people, they might roam free and leave destruction in their wake. If only Anna could see his reasoning. Sadly, his beloved Anna didn't quite have a grasp on rationality and was easily swayed by emotion. It had their purposes, yes, since it made her more prone to courageous acts and odds-defying positivity. The world definitely needed more people like Anna.

However, her irrationality was a hindrance in this moment.

"Anna, I think you need to sit and think about this," Elsa suggested. Anna huffed, crossed her arms, and plopped herself into the nearest chair. Anna blew a wayward strand of hair away from her face. "This isn't a normal situation. I'm sorry that justice won't be served regarding his attempted regicide. I'm sorry that you won't get any closure for what he did. But sometimes what's right and what's just doesn't connect."

"How does that make any sense, Elsa?" Anna said, her voice strained.

"Mercy is like that, Anna. If the law calls for death, but you see that the right thing to do is spare them since good can come out of it, wouldn't you do it?"

"In a heartbeat."

"That's mercy, Anna: the law says one thing, but the right thing is to go against it."

"Maybe that's something that Hans had never experienced, except with you, Queen Elsa. Maybe that's all he needed for him to want to change," Kristoff said. Maybe Elsa was the source of that little spark of light Granpabbie told him about? "Or at least seem like he wants to."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Anna grumbled. "Just so you know, I'll go with whatever you guys want to do, but I won't like it."

"Are you sure? This plan isn't going to work if you're going to get him tied up whenever he gets upset."

Anna huffed again and closed her eyes, "Yes. I'm sure. Elsa, you're gonna have to freeze him if he ends up attacking anyone."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Kristoff said.

"Agreed," Elsa said. "I don't like this idea either, but I can't see any other option. The least we can do is give it a chance."

"Now, where's my favorite ball of sunshine?" Kristoff teased, rubbing Anna's shoulder. Anna laughed at this and playfully pushed his hand away.

###

"You mean to tell me you're not going to execute me?" Hans questioned, eyebrows raised. When Kristoff, Anna, and Elsa visited his cell – Why did they insist on continuing to do that? – he was expecting them to tell him his last rights and the date when the punishment would take place. The land's reluctance to give up its grudge against humanity had sealed the deal, so to speak. What other solution could they have possibly come up with other than execution?

"No. We're going to give you a chance to fulfill your desires to change. Can't do that when you're dead, right?" Kristoff said.

"But you heard what the land said. Keeping me around will just end up in destruction."

"Yes, but the least we can do is give you an opportunity to use that brain of yours to come up with a better idea. I mean, killing you risks a whole lot more than we'd know. Surely a man of your wit can come up with a way to kill people for the greater good, as sick as that might be."

"Unless there's a war happening, I don't think you'd like my other ideas."

"Enlighten us, then. If it's not too far-fetched, we might even consider them."

Ideas were something Hans was familiar with, of course, but they were all only talk if there wasn't a person around willing to act on them. He knew he should have been worried when he brought up the most logical idea he could come up with on the spot, since it was actually very disturbing for normal people.

Then again, Hans knew he would never be considered a "normal person," curse notwithstanding.

"With all this thinking about execution, why not make me an executioner? That way, only the people who deserve it will die," Hans said after a bit of consideration.

"That… actually might work, as grim as it is," Kristoff said scratching his chin in thought.

"Wait, wait, wait… You somehow get out of your own execution, so you could execute other people?" Anna asked in protest. She shuffled with angry steps to where Hans sat on his cot in the cell, pointing a threatening finger at him. "I have no idea what you're trying to pull, but I'm not liking it. I don't know why everyone is so set on thinking that you're wanting to be a better person. I don't know what mind-tricks you pulled on Kristoff and Elsa for that to happen. Is this some power thing the pixie gave you? Huh?"

"Anna, wait," Elsa said, reaching out to calm her sister.

"No! I've had it trying to bite my tongue around him. Why do we have to keep walking on tiptoes? He should be the one who should be careful since we're the ones deciding his punishment. I mean, he did manipulate people before, right? He fooled the entire kingdom into trusting him! What makes you think he's not doing that right now?"

"Anna, the trolls said that –" Kristoff started. Anna whirled to him and crossed her arms, silencing him.

"Don't they see that he's hopeless? That there isn't anything good in him? He doesn't want to change!"

"Don't talk like I'm not right here," Hans said, mimicking her crossed arms and glaring at her in defiance. "And don't assume to know my intentions."

"Well then tell us your intentions! Otherwise that's all we can do: assume! Just like we assumed you were a decent person back at the coronation, since there was nothing horrible about you to base your intentions on. Now that we know of your treachery, that's all we have to work with! Actions speak louder than words, after all!"

"At this point, it would be futile to even tell you. If all you're going to do is see me as some irredeemable ne'er-do-well, even telling you the truth wouldn't suffice if it doesn't fit your image of me. So fine! You want to know my intentions?" Hans spat. Oh, he knew he was going to regret this, very much so. But she just made him so frustrated.

He already accepted the likelihood that he would die with this curse still affecting him, that everything he did throughout his life was pointless and was now without any evidence he did anything about it.

Anna was just so physically close to him, it would be easy to wrap his chains around her throat and strangle her.

Hilarious, since she constantly claimed him to be dangerous (rightfully so), yet she continued to lack enough self-preservation and observational skills to know how easy it was to just kill her outright. However, giving into violent impulses was more along brother-number-four's specialty. Hans was more akin to the little snake that dripped venom into his words in anger.

"I have every intention to kill both you and Queen Elsa," Hans hissed, forcing as much bitterness as he could into his voice. "The hatred you feel towards me is multiplied tenfold when I even so much as think about you and your freak-of-nature of a sister. I have no intentions to change. I intend for all of this kingdom to suffer at whatever the land and the pixies have in store at my lack of action. And I intend to be the last one laughing at the ashes this kingdom will leave behind. So yes, Princess Anna, just as you said the other day: I am a monster."

The three gathered before him stepped back in fear. Anna's eyes were opened enough where Hans could see the whites all around her irises. Seeing their reactions just from mere words were enough for him to feel a satisfied smirk pull at the corners of his mouth.

After their less-than-graceful hasty exit from his cell, Hans' smirk fell from his face and he slumped over to cover his face with his hands.

He didn't know what to do anymore. Where was that strange, light feeling from the night he first arrived a prisoner in Arendelle? He'd prefer that over the sick feeling he felt at the pit of his stomach. Guilt. Yes, that's what it was. He would never get used to it.

Well, what else did he expect in saying it? They were words meant to hurt and strike fear, and he got the intended result. There was no point in arguing with Anna, yet he did it anyway. He knew he was going to feel guilty about it. But if he hadn't, Anna would just continue in her asinine ramblings and continue to poke at his waning patience.

Yes, before he would have just let all the anger simmer and come up with a plan to turn all her words against her. He didn't have that luxury anymore. The land, despite being an incredibly ancient being, had surprisingly less patience than young, mortal Hans. In fact, the whole curse was forcing him to change his entire character, change the very essence that was Prince Hans Westergaard.

Hah, and he still had his birthright through all of this. A miracle or a mockery, he wasn't sure what to make of it anymore.

After the whole ordeal with communing with the land, he knew how hopeless everything was. He saw it in the old troll's eyes, when the troll regarded him about the curse. There was little hope for him.

But… where was that promise to be a better person? Didn't the troll see at least a bit of that? Or was it too late for him?

"Oh lookie here! Our favorite mortal champion, stuck in a cell, hopeless," a tiny voice mocked beside him.

He knew it was too good to be true when the pixie said she wouldn't be around after Klaus' death.

Author's Note: I'm actually a bit disappointed at how this chapter turned out. Oh well, can't win them all.

I'm still facepalm-ing as I write this. Oh man, this plot is so weird to me. Curse my brain and its weirdness! *shakes fist at the ceiling*

And as always, thanks again to everyone who left a review! You rock! :D

[Edit 26 July '16: Note to self - Turn off "cloud-to-butt" extension before uploading. Random butts not amusing. (Okay, maybe a little amusing.)]