By Which Complications Arose
"What do you want from me this time?" Hans grumbled. The pixie chuckled and landed on his shoulder. She lounged against the base of his neck.
"Remember what I said before, it's not what I want," the pixie replied.
"Let me rephrase that, then. What are you going to do to me? Haven't you had enough fun with wrecking my life yet?"
"Oh, you wound me, mon ami. I just want to help you with your raison d'être, so to speak."
"If you're going to give me another curse, no thank you."
"A curse!" The pixie laughed as if she couldn't believe his phrasing. "Is that what you've come to call all the power I've given you? You wanted revenge, no?"
"I wanted revenge. After all you've done, I don't even know what I want anymore. Revenge? Power? Control? It all means nothing if I'm going to spend the rest of my life like this." Hans yanked at the chains binding him, the metal screeching when its limits were strained at the movement. He dropped the links in frustration.
"Ah, you've only brought this upon yourself. No matter, my prince. That's why I'm here. My fellow pixies and I grow bored of you wallowing in your emotions in prison. While it would be more prudent to find another person, the land has taken a strange shining to you."
"Hah, that's comforting to know," Hans said, sarcasm laced in his voice. He sagged his shoulders, heaving a long sigh. "I might not have long before I start worrying the guards into thinking I've gone mad, so get to the point, pixie. If you're really here just for what I want, then I want out of this deal."
"No can do. I've never seen the land so satisfied after your sacrifices. It's absolutely delectable! The magic realm hasn't seen such clarity of power flowing around even before the freezing of Arendelle. It would be illogical for me to pull the plug on this operation.
"However, we do really enjoy the idea you brought up to your captors. Think of how wonderful it would be for the people of Arendelle to know that one of their own executioners was the very same person who went to great lengths to take over their kingdom! Oh, irony, how I love thee. All I need to do is to influence a few people and we're good to go."
"No. The last time you 'influenced' someone to further your plans, one of my brothers ended up on the wrong side of the scythe. I'd rather be left to my own devices."
"Oh, but I won't use any magic this time. The queen's guilt would be so much more fun to toy with! How droll it would be to play with her emotions, garnering even more sympathy towards you and your well-being."
"You're wrong. She's just as cold in her emotions as her ice." That was a lie, obviously, but for some reason he wanted it to be true. It fit better in his image of how the world should be, since a cold and uncaring queen would be decisive. But she wasn't. Why was Queen Elsa so concerned about him? Why the special treatment? Is it all only due to her being a good person, or was there something else going on?
"But you did notice her treatment of you, n'est-ce pas? You are, after all, very good at reading people. As a master manipulator, how can you not? You only say such things because they fit with your new fatalistic outlook on your situation."
Hans pursed his lips. The pixie called him out on his bluff. Wait, why was he bluffing for Queen Elsa? There was no love lost if Hans allowed her to make the queen miserable. Still, what the pixie said was probably true: Elsa's actions coincided with her feeling regret. Part of him didn't want for her to turn around and treat him as the criminal he should be. He was still a rather selfish person, after all.
Yet there was also that desire for justice ringing in his head. The opposing forces of "good" and "bad" warring within him only added to the confusion and lack of direction on what he wanted out of life. Hans was a sociopath, right? This shouldn't be able to bother him.
Except recent events have proved time and time again that moniker was a farce that he himself believed for quite a while.
The moral tug-of-war was getting out of hand. One side needed to win for the ambiguity of his destiny to clear, once and for all.
"Is that conscience of yours clouding your judgment, again?" the pixie interjected when Hans took too long to react. "Fine, since it seems that you're starting to embrace that foolish mortal idea, let me put it this way: Queen Elsa feels bad. I can talk to her, make things 'right' again in her eyes. Or at least help her try to."
"No. As I said before, I'll do that myself," Hans said.
"Ah, but I'm not asking permission. Your brief lapse of judgment earlier really put a hindrance on their susceptibility to do what you request. Do you really think you can recover from that one?"
"No."
"Now, just sit and wait while I warm the queen up for you. I'll make you the executioner of Arendelle in no time!"
The pixie fluttered away, disappearing into one of the cell walls.
Barely a moment after, Hans heard his cell door unlocking.
The cell door swung open to reveal that Kristoff had come to visit him so soon after his hasty retreat. Hans almost jumped from his cot in surprise when a sentient snowman waddled in behind Kristoff. He half expected Anna and Elsa to follow in behind them, but it seemed that it was going to be the three of them.
What was this man doing?
Kristoff rubbed the back of his head, mussing the blond locks as he cleared his throat. He brought up a hand as if to speak, then lowered it in indecision.
"You look like you want to say something. Do you want me to help?" the snowman said, shuffling his stubs for legs.
"Olaf, no. I only brought you here because Elsa said not to talk to him alone. Since they're both a bit upset right now, I didn't want to bother them. Please just… stay quiet," Kristoff said.
"Oh! Okay! I can do that!" the snowman, named Olaf apparently, said excitedly and held his twig-hands over his mouth. Kristoff sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"You're making this harder than it should be," Kristoff said to Hans.
"I wouldn't say it was such. The situation itself is quite difficult to handle. All I must do is adapt to it," Hans replied haughtily. He knew he was playing with fire being testy with Kristoff, but after his threats from earlier, Hans knew it was a lost cause trying to play nice. Old habits die hard, after all.
"Alright. Okay. Uh… I'm either the bravest or stupidest man ever for doing this, but… Can't we just start over?"
Hans raised an eyebrow, "I don't quite understand. 'Start over?'"
"I've done some thinking. Okay, a lot of thinking over the past few days. This whole… mess can't be dealt with properly if all of us keep holding grudges against everyone."
"And you want me to just let go of all my qualms against the royals of Arendelle."
"No, no, nonono, nothing to that extent. At least not yet. Look, you want to change, right?"
Hans nodded hesitantly, trying to find out if Kristoff had a hidden motive. Because if he did, the sooner he figured it out, the better.
"You really mean that?" Kristoff continued. "Because if you don't, there's a big chance you're not going to see next week."
"Yes, I mean it!" Hans growled, frustrated. "I don't know how else I can prove to any of you that my motives to change are without pretense. I'm going to have to live with the influence of these insane beings of magic for the rest of my life.
"Between the stress of murdering my brother and the Coronians, the land chipping at my resolve, the pixies wanting to 'experiment' with me, and the animosity I feel for you and those wretched sisters, not to mention the anger I've harbored against the rest of my siblings; I'm done! If who I was led to all of this crashing down on me, I don't want it anymore!"
Hans collapsed against the nearest wall, a surge of pain boring into the center of his chest, cascading its way to the rest of his body. He gasped and clamped his eyes shut, shuddering at the burning waves of torment. The land's voice in his head grew louder and harder to ignore.
Oh no, not now.
"Hey. Hey, easy there," Kristoff said, holding out his hands as if to calm him down.
"You should probably leave," Hans grit out.
"Kristoff!" Anna's voice called from outside the cell. She wrenched open the door and stomped her way in, not noticing the predicament the men were in. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to talk to this creep again!? He threatened everyone, remember?"
"Anna, we need to leave. Now," Kristoff said sternly, trying to push her out of the door.
"No, no, I'm not done with him yet!" Anna argued.
"Get. Out. Now!" Hans growled. He felt his control starting to slip. Realizing this, his eyes widened in fear and he pushed himself to the far reaches of the cell.
"Hey, you don't command me! You're the prisoner, remember?" Anna said, twisting her way out of Kristoff's reach.
Kristoff continued to try to wrangle Anna out the door, pleading for her to leave.
Seeing the trouble that was bound to happen, Olaf shoved the princess out of the cell. Kristoff took the opportunity to close the cell behind him.
"Kristoff! What are you doing?" Anna called from outside, her voice muffled.
"Trying to prevent another disaster. Just trust me, okay?" Kristoff called back.
"Don't worry Anna, Kristoff knows what he's doing," Olaf said. "…I think."
Kristoff turned to the shivering man in front of him while ignoring the protests of his fiancée. As long as he stayed as close to the door as possible, Hans wouldn't be able to reach him because of the chains. Well, then again, if Hans got a hold of the scythe, that might pose a problem.
He really hoped that there weren't any other "tricks" Hans could do with the scythe.
"Easy there, just… listen to my voice okay?" Kristoff said. Behind him, Hans could see the door move as Anna tried to push the door open again, but Kristoff was strong enough to keep it shut despite her efforts. "Stay with me here. Try not to give in. Am I helping any? Anna mentioned that talking to other people helped you fight the voice."
"I'm still here, right? Why do you bother helping me?"
"Honestly, I'm just trying to prevent whatever disaster my family warned me about. I don't like you, you don't like me. But we can both agree that you giving into whatever voice is in your head isn't what we want."
Hans nodded slowly in reply, jaw clenched in pain. He had to admit, Kristoff's company was having a similar effect to when Anna visited him in the ship's brig. However, Kristoff was a lot less antagonistic and impulsive as the princess. Speaking was going to be incredibly difficult with the protests of intense discomfort his body was screaming at him.
"If you don't mind, I'm not very much into small talk at the moment," Hans said.
"That's okay, I'll just ramble on and hopefully this'll pass. So… uh… Twelve brothers, right? Orphaned over here. Must be a nightmare trying to deal with all of them. I've always preferred to be alone, save for Sven, while I was growing up. My troll family has always been real overbearing. Were you a loner as well? You don't need to answer, I'm just speculating."
Hans could see that the man was on edge. Why did Kristoff insist on staying in here? Losing control was going to be inevitable. The way the ice harvester pressed himself against the door indicated that he knew this as well.
###
In the queen's bedroom, tiny snowflakes drifted around the monarch as she paced. Her hands wrung around each other in worry and her eyebrows were furrowed in thought.
Hans was right. Given the circumstances, making him the executioner would solve a lot of the problems with his curse. The land would be satisfied, criminals would get their punishment, and Hans wouldn't go crazy.
But what of her people? The injustices that the prince wrought against them were hardly forgiven. It would cause a stir in the kingdom if the man got away with attempted regicide. That just might shatter their well-built trust in the crown. They might doubt her ability to make wise decisions.
"I hope you don't intend for this little flurry to go outside of these walls," a small voice scolded beside Elsa. The queen whirled around to find its source and saw the tiny figure of a fluttering pixie hovering above her bed. It took Elsa all of her willpower to not react to her fear, or else her powers might actually get out of hand.
"The snow helps me to express my worry. They're harmless," Elsa responded. "Are you the pixie Prince Hans always talks about?"
"Yes, I am, Your Majesty," the pixie responded, a respectful bow bending her form. "Self-appointed magical-realm liaison Zsuria, at your service."
"Zsuria?"
"My name. Now, tell me, why are you so concerned for the prince? Hasn't he done enough crimes against you and your sister? Why not just execute him and get it over with? It's what he deserves, after all."
"Because everyone fears what the land and your people might do in retribution."
"Ah, an astute speculation. Quite right. If you did execute him as you could have chosen to do a while ago, we would have just destroyed your kingdom. I'm glad you chose for us to continue to use the prince as our plaything. He's most amusing to observe."
"I'm under the impression that I can't request for you to stop this nonsense."
"Oh absolutely not! As a steward of the magic in the land, I'm afraid I can't undo what has been done. The land does not forget what it's been given and taken. There's no need to rile it up with having yet another race to hold a grudge against. Least of all, my own race.
"You haven't quite addressed my first question, however. Why are you so concerned? If you were only doing what was fair and just, treating him as if he was a decent human being wouldn't happen. Are you feeling… guilty, milady?"
"Perhaps, perhaps not. What of it?"
"Oh, don't play coy with me. We pixies have watched you as closely as we watched Prince Hans. The essences of magic naturally finding its way to a pure soul like yours has never been witnessed before. Fate adores you, and it sickens us. Then again, Fate adores all of humanity, as idiotic that is."
"Then why involve yourselves if you hate us?"
"What else is the best way to annoy Fate other than messing with the mortals it coddles? Now, back to the situation at hand. You're feeling guilty, don't deny it. I've also witnessed that you're seeing the parallels between Prince Hans' situation and your own with the events proceeding after your coronation. You don't want this to have an unhappy ending, do you? You were the one that caused this mess to begin with."
"Then why didn't you choose me to do the dirty work? I caused it, I should be the one punished for it."
"As I said before, Fate adores you. While Fate doesn't quite enjoy the work I do, Fate at least tolerates my existence. Causing Fate's favorite to suffer at the influence of the land? That would have war breaking out in the unseen realms. So, no. Not to mention that if we did, you would be so uncreative and unoriginal with how you would go about the sacrifices. There's no denying that Prince Hans is quite dubious in his plans, it would make things more interesting, would they not? Two birds with one stone is what I believe I told the prince about the plan.
"Now, what do you say? I know he scared you and your sister enough to prevent action. However, the land isn't so patient, you see. You'll have to make a choice, whether it is by your own timing or by the forces of nature. We don't want the latter to happen, do we?"
"No. But what of my people? Their faith in me and my rule would be shaken, I risk dissent in the masses, cries of conspiracy and corruption to allow a criminal to have a role in Arendelle's lawful judgments."
"No action is without consequence, my queen. Choose between the wrath of the forces unseen, or the wrath of the people you love. Either way, there's no escaping this. Though I do suggest you choose right now. I sense that our pet prisoner is having a bit of an… episode. If I may make a recommendation, there's a pirate waiting for his punishment, if I'm not mistaken."
Zsuria cackled as she disappeared out of the bedroom's open window, leaving Elsa to consider the warning the pixie left her with.
"Elsa! Elsa, you need to come to the dungeon!" Anna exclaimed as she swung open the door. Elsa felt the pit of her stomach bottom out in dread.
"What happened?" Elsa asked. With the pixie's warning, Elsa already knew what was going on. Hans had lost control of himself again.
"Kristoff, he went into the cell and he won't let anyone in!"
"Cell? Whose cell? Please don't tell me it's –"
"It is! It is! Elsa! I don't know what to do! The guards can't push the door open. He won't listen to me. Please, we need your help!"
###
When Elsa made her way into the dungeon with Anna in tow, she saw a group of guards pushing open the door with Olaf cheering them on.
"Why isn't the door unlocked?" Elsa asked the straining guards.
"It is, Your Majesty. Mister Kristoff is much stronger than he looks," one of the guards responded, taking a break from his efforts and wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead.
"Kristoff! Open the door!" Elsa commanded.
"That's not a good idea at the moment. He's… not all there," the muffled voice of Kristoff sounded from the other side of the door.
"All the more reason to get out of there!"
"But… we can't just leave him like this!" Kristoff pleaded desperately.
A furious yell could be heard from inside the cell. Hans'.
"Kristoff!" Anna cried. "Please!"
"I'm not coming out until whatever's happening is over!"
The only way for this to stop was another sacrifice. Was Zsuria talking about the bloodthirsty pirate that was arrested two months ago? He was sentenced to be executed in a month.
Oh.
She could already hear the whispers people would say when yet another criminal's punishment wouldn't be carried out as planned. Murmurs of scandal.
Arendelle, please understand that this is for the greater good, Elsa pleaded in her mind.
"Bring the pirate," Elsa instructed. Don't feel, not yet. There would be plenty of time to do so later. "Send him to this cell immediately."
The guards left the door's side without question and brought the other prisoner before the queen.
"Kristoff, open the door. I have a…" Elsa hesitated, hating herself for throwing away another human's life so easily. "…sacrifice."
Slowly, the man opened the door wide enough for him to escape. He exchanged an apologetic look to the queen and the pirate before shoving the latter into the cell. With a single motion, he yanked the scythe and satchel from where they rested against the wall and tossed them inside with the two criminals. Kristoff slammed the door shut.
There were sounds of a scuffle, expletives coming from the pirate and crazed yells coming from Hans. Finally, an anguished cry erupted followed by silence.
"Do not enter that cell until tomorrow, is this understood?" Elsa said, putting on the façade of the distant queen she rarely wore. She turned to Anna and Kristoff before continuing, "That goes for you two as well. No word of this will reach anyone else. I will speak to the people on the morrow."
"Yes ma'am," Anna responded, shaking as she clutched Kristoff's arm.
"Yes, Queen Elsa," Kristoff said wearily.
"What just happened?" Olaf asked, bewilderment painted on his face.
"It's hard to explain. Just… know that it's something really bad. Don't tell anyone about this, okay?"
###
Oh God, what had he done?
Hans remembered the ice harvester being in the cell with him, trying to calm him down. But the voice and the pain… they got too much. He slipped. He tried so hard to resist, but it still wasn't good enough. If it weren't for Kristoff, he wouldn't have lasted as long as he did. It seemed even the ice harvester's efforts were for naught as well.
In the dim light of the cell, Hans saw the shadowy lumbering form of a man, unmoving. The sickeningly reassuring weight of the scythe rested in his grasp. His spirit was at ease from the recent sacrifice, but his soul felt heavy with the guilt of having yet another victim to his curse.
The only other person in the room with him before he lost control was…
Oh no, not Kristoff. Another innocent man, dead by his own hand. Another white soul disconnected from its body forever.
Kristoff's soul likely glowed as white and bright as the guard's the night he met the pixie before delivering the killing stroke. Hans briefly wondered what color his own would be.
Black, most likely. How despicable.
Another person who was concerned for his well-being, and he went out and killed him.
Disgusted, he tossed aside the scythe, its handle landing on top the bag of dust, causing a few sparkles to fly out of its opening. In a sudden fit of passion, Hans took the bag from the floor and tossed it against a wall, spilling all of its contents onto the floor at his feet.
How can something so glittery and "happy-looking" cause so much misery?
"You… imbecile," the pixie said, popping out of nowhere in front of him. Her face was contorted into ferocity. "Is this how you're going to treat the gifts I gave you?"
"Just leave me alone. I did what was required of me," Hans said.
"Oh you wretched excuse for – No, you need to be put in your place for this. Did you even stop to think how you would even continue to harvest souls for the land after this stunt?" The pixie's face changed back into a playful expression, but now with an undertone of malice. "I didn't want to do this in the beginning, since it would further complicate matters… but you've forced my hand. 'Touch of death' it is, then."
The pixie waved her hands, red light trails streaming around the movements. Hans stepped back in surprise and fear, knowing that she was going to cast another hex on him. With a flick of her wrist, the red light flew from her fingers and made contact with Hans' hands, seeping into the skin.
The pixie growled out, "I curse you, Prince Hans. In substitution of the gift I have given you, from this day forward, whoever you touch with these hands will experience torment. I don't much care for you after such a display of disrespect for my magic, so heed my words carefully: You want me out of this arrangement? Fine. Be ungrateful for what I've done for you. I will no longer meddle with mortal affairs henceforth. I leave you to the hands of Fate and the land.
"And don't think about heading to those good-for-nothing trolls for a cure for this curse. This is irrevocable, for I am the only one who can remove it. Since I will no longer play a role in your life from now on, you will learn to live with this for the rest of your miserable existence.
"It's no wonder the other pixies refused to have the job of being your steward. As interesting as you are for a mortal, you obviously lack any hint of gratitude for all that I've done. The pixies might find you still useful and entertaining, but as for me? I'm through with you."
The pixie crossed her arms and was about to flutter away before Hans interjected.
"I'm sorry, I… I didn't mean to do it. I was just so frustrated and –"
"No. Are you seriously begging for forgiveness? Foolish of you to forget that forgiveness is a mortal concept."
"Then can't you give me any more information regarding the curse?"
The pixie cackled hysterically, "Absolutely not. Figure it out on your own. I bid you adieu." The pixie saluted and disappeared into thin air.
Hans looked at his hands, trembling from the combined stressors of the past few weeks. His eyes drifted to the body in his cell.
A part of him was in denial that the man was really dead, wanting to believe that if he were to wait long enough, he would wake up.
But that wasn't the case. He killed Kristoff. Hans was absolutely going to be executed.
He leaned against a wall and slid to the floor, the pixie dust he spilled had long disappeared into the ether. His attention returned to his hands, fearful of the added curse upon him, of what new complications would arise from it.
Hans couldn't bear to move the corpse. He knew that he was probably giving into his denial when something about the body seemed off. It was too dark in the cell, so of course his eyes would play tricks on him, that his eyes wanted to believe that the dead person he was sharing company with wasn't Kristoff.
At the very least, it seemed that he would be alone with his own thoughts without the land bearing down on him for a while.
Good. Enough time to wallow in self-pity and regret. This time without the intrusion of a certain nefarious pixie from now on.
Hans never thought that would be as ominous-sounding as it had ended up being.
Author's Note: Okay, so… even though this chapter took me forever to write, it's got to be the shortest one yet.
I think I seriously need to put the perfectionist side of me aside as I write this. It's really causing me to be on the verge of writer's block XD
Yay! Even more complications! As a reviewer had astutely observed a bit back, I do enjoy the idea of a redemption!Hans. However, I've got a serious love/hate predicament with the character. He's a jerk, no question. If he's gonna ever become a good person in a story I'm writing, he's gonna have to earn it.
A.K.A. "make the situation so bad and hopeless he's got no other choice but to change."
But still, redemption stories are among my favorites, something I hold near and dear to my heart. Jean Valjean from Les Misérables is one that comes to mind.
That being said, I do not claim to be a master at writing redemption stories. I do claim, however, that everything in this plot is going to get worse.
Much. Much. Worse.
MUAHAHAHAHA.