Author's Note: Some violence in his chapter and mention of suicide, though it's only referred to in dialogue. Just a quick warning.
And It All Falls Apart
"I present to you His Excellency, Count Mikelo Ludoviko of Gavallande, attending as a representative of his kingdom," Kai announced. Elsa tilted her head politely towards the man as he bowed to her graciously.
"Handsome fellow, isn't he? A jawline like that can put a man like me to shame," Sir George teasingly remarked beside Hans, who resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the statement, since it was almost an endless stream of jabs from the guard whenever a "possible suitor for the queen" entered through the doors. The guard most likely didn't intend for it to be anything more than jovial teasing, since he wasn't aware of what transpired between Hans and Queen Elsa.
Hans could ask the guard to cut it out, but at the same time he felt guilty about rendering the guard unconscious. A bit of hurt pride could be considered penance for his actions last night.
However, Hans couldn't help but give the count a more scrutinizing inspection, since he begrudgingly had to agree with George. The queen also seemed to agree as well, what with the sudden blush of her cheeks when the man complimented her graciousness and beauty. The shyness and lack of composure she unexpectedly started to display was… infuriating? Embarrassing? Confusing?
Hans hadn't felt like this with the other guests and visitors that said a similar speech to address Elsa. Now why was this time different?
Suave, good with words, wooing royals upon meeting for the first time – now where had he seen something like that before?
Stop that, not everyone who shows interest in the queen would have motives like you did, he berated within himself.
It seemed Elsa had similar thoughts running through her mind since she exchanged a brief, inquisitive glance towards the prince, likely asking to see what he thought of Count Mikelo. Hans shrugged, not really quite sure what to make of the nobleman.
The count took notice of this exchange and appeared to crumble slightly in intimidation and coughed into his hand to hide his discomfort.
Okay, so "His Excellency Ludoviko" wasn't excellent at exuding confidence. Noted. Therefore the man was probably harmless. Though the strange glint in the man's eyes when he noticed Hans' presence didn't sit well with him. It wasn't an uneasy sort of unsettling, since there wasn't any malice or anger, or fear on Mikelo's gaze.
Was that… admiration?
What in the world?
Alright, that man had some issues. Hans didn't know what, but all the mixed readings he got from how the count carried himself was… perplexing. Even so, Hans was probably paranoid and on-edge considering all that Elias said to him in the dungeon. He seriously was starting to doubt his ability to gauge others and was seeing things that likely wasn't there.
"If I may inquire, Your Majesty, the name of this man beside you?" Count Mikelo asked.
"I am none of your concern," Hans grumbled, "and if you were to know, I'll likely seek you out to kill you later."
Elsa cleared her throat.
"I was only joking, Your Majesty," Hans said, not quite aware of what came over him to say something like that. Was Hans honestly feeling jealous? Whatever romantic feelings he had for Elsa wasn't meant to be, so why did he get so possessive all of a sudden?
Elsa quirked a surprised brow at Hans, then turned to the visiting nobleman, "I do hope you enjoy the celebration later today."
###
The wedding ceremony took place when the sun was highest in the sky, the light filtering bright into the cathedral, shrouding the bride and groom with a colorful glow from the stained-glass windows; it was as if the sun itself was approving the marriage.
From his own dark corner at the back of the cathedral, Prince Hans tugged at the hood of his cloak in worry that the congregated masses would recognize him. The cloak was a part of the "disguise" that he would later be performing in, but he couldn't help but feel like he was sticking out since no one would wear a cloak and a scarf around oneself in the middle of summer like this. Of course, the material of the cloth was created by Elsa, so it wasn't at all stifling even when the scarf masked his mouth and nose.
He wanted to suggest a disguise a lot more subtle, but seeing how pleased the queen was with her creation and how Anna approved that it fit well with the piece he would perform later (since it was a piece usually performed during the festivals in winter), he didn't argue. At the very least, it wasn't as flashy or as eye-catching as it could have been. It was only a simple, blue-white winter cloak. Not a practical color to wear during the winter, since it would hide the wearer and make them more likely to be run over by a sled; but in its current context, it was appropriate.
He turned his attention back to the front of the congregation, the officiant continuing his practiced phrases to the bride and groom that Hans had heard countless times in the past.
In his lifetime, Hans had witnessed many weddings. His brothers' weddings, distant family members' weddings, the weddings of other monarchs; none of them had ever impacted him as emotionally as Princess Anna's and Kristoff's wedding. Never had he felt a swell of joy at seeing the union of two people in holy matrimony.
Theirs was different, somehow. Maybe it was because he cared for them more? It certainly was possible, since he was pretty heartless before. Perhaps it was due to having a hand in preparing for the celebration? Well, it certainly played a part.
Or maybe it was the strange sense of guilt at being reminded that, had things gone the way he originally intended, this wedding between Anna and Kristoff wouldn't have happened in the first place. Instead, it would have been him having this celebration, but unlike the genuine love the couple had for each other, Hans would only offer Princess Anna a farce. A mockery of her happiness.
It was… nice, actually, to see that he wasn't able to ruin their future. Despite everything, it seemed like Fate was just going to have its way regardless of the people wanting otherwise.
Hans' mood soured a bit, since that could be taken in the same way that Elias had done.
He still wasn't sure if his brother was even telling the truth. Because if he was…
"If you're not going to let me kill you, then at least be open to the idea of doing it yourself."
No, Elias was wrong. His words were only meant to cause harm. It wasn't advice.
Was it?
He scanned the backs of the heads of the congregation, his eyes falling on the distinguishable auburn locks on a row of attendees: his brothers. They didn't notice his attendance, which was good, because they'd more likely pester him about what Elias had told him in the dungeon. He wasn't sure if he was ready, since he himself wasn't quite sure how to filter through their discussion. It was one thing to talk to Elsa, Kristoff, or even Anna about the events; his brothers were a different entity entirely. Elias was their brother, too.
"So, you're going to be in the talent show later?" came a voice from beside him. Hans started at the sound and flinched away.
It was King Eugene, and for some unknown reason he decided it was a good idea to approach Hans.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Hans replied, quirking an eyebrow in suspicion.
"You know, Prince Hans, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're nearly unrecognizable in that outfit. Except, Kristoff ruined the surprise for me, so yeah. It couldn't be any more obvious of a disguise to choose, if you'd ask me. I mean, the Reaper in a cloak? Never mind that it's in a more festive color, but one would think you'd be the one more likely to find the choice a bit distasteful."
"You didn't seem to have an issue with it before."
"Yeah… thinking back on bringing you out of that boat, I honestly didn't know what you were capable of. Irony is a pain."
"That it is."
King Eugene crossed his arms and mirrored the same suspicious expression Hans had on his face, albeit a bit more stiff in its execution. "Interesting how much you've changed over the span of a little under a year. Tell me, what remarkable event caused this to happen? Remember, I used to be a thief, and I've seen a lot of things happen to people like you, so it had to be something extremely life-changing for you to switch sides like that."
"You wouldn't believe it if I were to tell you."
"I think I have a bit of idea." Eugene quirked his eyes to where Queen Elsa sat at the front of the crowd of people.
Hans sighed and tugged at the hem of his hood near his cheek to hide the flush of embarrassment.
"Kristoff told you?" Hans said, feeling a bit betrayed.
"And Princess Anna. And Queen Elsa herself."
Hans felt like he wanted to hide into the wall.
"Hey now, nothing to be ashamed of. I mean, I stole the priceless Crown of the Lost Princess of Corona, and then suddenly I found myself finding it worthless if I wasn't going to be with this strange and quirky girl I ended up having a wild adventure with. Even more, I found myself willing to die just for her sake; me, a guy who never really cared for anyone else before. But it all turned out okay in the end."
It likely wasn't what the king had intended, since it seemed that Eugene only meant to be encouraging, but Hans couldn't help but feel discouraged. It was almost like what Elias had suggested, but with a lot less malice and a lot more reasoning behind it.
If love could be considered reasonable, that is.
When it came to it, what was Hans willing to give up for Elsa's sake? And what was worth more to him: her safety, or her happiness?
Why couldn't she have both?
Maybe, if the Ludoviko fellow from earlier was genuine in his interest in the queen, and if Elsa wouldn't deny herself another chance at love, perhaps she could have both. Even if the count ended up having none-too-noble motives, Elsa could change him just as she was able to change his own unwilling heart, right?
But that was also assuming the man was as vile as he was, once upon a time.
###
It was a lot of work and planning, but Anna was pleased to see that the guests were enjoying the festivities of the wedding celebration, the pièce de résistance being the talent show that took way too much time and effort that she had originally planned on investing into it. When it came to the fruits of that labor, everything was going as perfectly as it could have.
All the performers were on time, were showing just as much effort and zeal into their performance as she had in directing them; the audience playing along when a sleight-of-hand magician called for a willing volunteer, or clapping in time to a jig.
She had planned the order of each performance meticulously, grouping them on the seasons each performance would usually be done. It was a wonderful display of Arendelle's culture for the visiting guests, giving them a taste of how entertainment was like if one were to live here. So when it came time for her and her sister to give Hans a disguise, she couldn't help but feel pleased at the music choice she gave him. The folk song he was to play was usually played during the winter, after all.
And thus, Hans was still waiting his turn backstage as the last performer of the talent show, especially since he was grouped with the other winter performances.
"Did you see them earlier just after the wedding?" Kristoff, her newly-wedded husband whispered to her during an autumn performance. It was a play the school children would perform during harvest time, the plot being centered around ghosts. "King Eugene and Hans, I mean."
"Yeah, hopefully he was able to get him out of the dumps he's been in lately. I mean, it worked for you, right?" Anna whispered back.
"If you think that's me being in the dumps, Anna, then I'm afraid of what you'll have me do when I really am in the dumps. I was just anxious about the wedding, that's all." He chuckled good-naturedly.
"Seriously, it looked like Eugene struck a nerve or something, because Hans has started acting even more weird, if that was possible. Do you think that's a good thing?"
"I don't know. I haven't really been good at reading people, but at least I know his intentions are still pretty good. I'll ask my family and see if they have anything to say. But then again, they asked me not to when we went to visit them."
"Not even for a 'yes or no' kind of answer?"
"Maybe. I'll find out what I can. Hans is seriously worrying me more than he should be. Elsa increased the number of eyes watching him, and it's not for our own safety, if you know what I mean."
"I do, unfortunately." Anna turned her eyes back to the stage as the emcee was about to announce the next act.
It was still early, too early for the dinner that was going to happen later on in the night. It seemed that Anna had misjudged the amount of time the show would take. Hmm, maybe she could convince Elsa to stall the people a bit with an idea she'd been having for a while.
Elsa was as much a part of Arendelle's culture as each performance onstage, so why not?
"Elsa!" Anna hissed, drawing her sister's attention a few seats away.
"Yes Anna?" the queen hissed back.
"It's still early. Think you can entertain the guests after the show's done?"
"Entertain?" Elsa knitted her eyebrows together, trying to understand what Anna was implicating. Her face relaxed in realization, understanding her sister's request. "Oh! Of course!"
Pleased with herself, Anna clapped her hands together in glee.
And right on cue, the announcer introduced Hans to be the next performer as a "mysterious musician" who would play a winter festival favorite with the accompaniment of Arendelle's royal orchestra.
###
It was time.
Why did he agree to do this, again?
Oh, right. Elsa.
Taking a deep breath and making sure his disguise was secure, Hans strode onto center stage, violin and bow in one hand. Just in front of the stage, he saw the orchestra setting up, the conductor instructing them to quickly tune their instruments. With a gloved finger, Hans plucked the strings of his own instrument, ensuring that it was in tune to the orchestra's instruments, before he pulled his left glove off and stuffed it in his coat pocket hidden underneath his cloak.
He couldn't help but take notice of the people he would be performing for – did Anna and Kristoff really have to invite so many people? – finding the familiar faces of his family, the newlyweds, even Kristoff's troll family. Just off to the side in her own seclusion sat Elsa, an encouraging smile directed his way. Behind her sat Count Mikelo, as expectant as everyone else in the crowd for him to begin playing.
Hans took another deep breath and nodded to the conductor.
The conductor nodded in acknowledgement and lifted his baton.
It wasn't often when Hans had been able to play with the orchestra accompanying him, so it was still a novel experience. He feared messing up.
But in all of his practicing this one piece, he found that he had been able to find a state where the music just flowed, the notes he drew from the wooden instrument in his hands being effortless and keeping in tune and tempo with the other musicians, his attentions able to be directed elsewhere. Kristoff called it being "in the zone" or something to that nature.
So when he risked dividing his attention to see how the crowd was reacting, he was pleasantly surprised to find a few of them rising from their seats to dance with each other in the isles. It filled him with a curious sense of accomplishment, knowing that he was able to evoke such festive spirits with his own non-professional playing. Even more surprising, his own brothers had decided to follow the crowd's example and found partners to dance with, joining in on the amusement.
Had they known who was really underneath the hood, they likely wouldn't have done so. But as it was, they didn't, so he couldn't help but feel a childlike sense of mischief.
Then, he saw Count Mikelo rise from his seat, a hand outstretched and head bowing slightly. He was asking the queen to dance with him.
Shocked, Elsa raised questioning eyes to Hans. He slowly nodded as he played, hoping that she would remember the promise to not pass up the opportunity to enjoy herself should the occasion arise. After all, Hans himself was genuinely finding himself in higher spirits, despite the constant dreariness he experienced lately. It was a wedding, a time for celebration. It would be a disservice to not participate after all the work that was put into it, correct?
A well of happiness rose within him when he saw the wide grin the queen was showing as she danced, the skirt of her dress swaying as she moved her feet with the nobleman leading her steps. Hans could see the nobleman murmuring to her, in which he saw Elsa blushing and conversing along with him.
Hans surprised himself when he discovered that he no longer felt jealous. Whoever this man was, if he was able to make Elsa happy with whatever small gesture he was showing to her, he couldn't be mad at him. After all, the queen only deserved happiness, not the downcast mood she had shared with Hans for the past few days. She was never going to be his, and he was never going to be hers. Their situations didn't allow for that to happen.
When his performance finally ended, he was actually disappointed that it was over, since it meant that he wouldn't be able to witness the crowd's happiness like this again. Because when it was all said and done, the next time he would be on stage was for another public execution.
The crowd turned to face him, a standing ovation, their applause rumbling the wooden planks of the stage beneath his feet.
This certainly was going to be the end of an age that he knew was too good to have ever happened. It was never meant for him.
To his surprise, Princess Anna was beside him, nudging his arm.
That was right, he needed to make his "big reveal."
"C'mon, what are you waiting for? The crowd loves you!" Anna goaded.
"They're going to hate me once this hood comes off," Hans said, but despite his reservations, he swiped the hood away from his head and tugged off the scarf. And what do you know? The crowd didn't stop in their applause. In fact, it grew even louder. He heard the distinguished whoops of a few of his siblings at realizing who the "mysterious musician" was.
Something stirred in Hans' heart. A feeling he hadn't felt in what felt like forever.
Pride.
It wasn't a boastful sort of pride, nor the pride that lead to his own downfall. It was the sort of pride that one had when a sense of achievement was attained, when one could say to themselves, "I finally did it." So it was only fair that he exchanged thankful smiles to the people who were able to make it a reality: Kristoff, Anna, and – last but not least – Elsa.
###
The wedding guests were assembled in the castle's courtyard, Queen Elsa at the center of the ring of people. An arrangement not too dissimilar to that fateful day after her return to her kingdom after ending the Eternal Winter.
Hans was surrounded by a group of people, inquisitive and praising him on his performance during the show. Even his brothers seemed to be taking part in giving him positive attention, for once, save for King Pieter. Elsa didn't contemplate on this too hard, since he was a monarch and likely had to divert his own attention to other curious guests.
"See? It worked," Anna said to Elsa. "They don't hate him anymore."
"It's wonderful. We can finally have that weight lifted from our shoulders," Elsa said.
"Who was that man you were dancing with? That really handsome-looking guy with the black hair and blue eyes like the sea. Oh and that jawline to die for."
"I'm right here, you know," Kristoff huffed indignantly.
"Silly, I married you, you know. And I wouldn't ever change it." Anna placed a quick kiss on her husband's cheek, red blossoming at the contact. "No one could ever be as perfect as you."
Kristoff laughed and swept Anna into his arms, spinning in a circle, bringing his face close to hers, "Except you."
Elsa grinned at witnessing the newlyweds' interaction with each other, interrupting the moment by obliging her sister's curiosity. "The man was Count Mikelo Ludoviko of Gavallande."
"Him!? The Count Ludoviko of Gavallande?" Anna shrilled in excitement. "The artist? His kingdom finally let him visit?"
"Wait, you know of him?"
"Know of him? Elsa, he was on the list of possible suitors for you! Of course I do! Don't you?"
Oh, that was right. Elsa almost forgot about that list, especially since she didn't want to think of any other man while she was trying to sort out how she felt about Hans. And even when the list was on her mind, she didn't particularly keep his name in mind since it was unlikely she would ever have been arranged to be married to him since he was a nobleman. She recalled a few cursory facts, mainly that he was eligible as a suitor to the, at the time, Crown Princess Elsa of Arendelle due to being part of a royal bloodline. But he was so far down the line that the people who were once in charge of her marriage status wouldn't have really considered him.
Now that she came to think of it, Hans was also on that list one time, long ago. That list virtually done away with, once she became queen and the choice of whether or not she married was solely hers. With Anna and Kristoff married, there was even less pressure for her to find a suitor.
"Not very well, actually," Elsa said, suddenly curious about the count. "You say he's an artist?"
"Well, yeah. I mean, he's the one people go to nowadays for having their royal portraits done. He's never really left his country before, since he was always so busy. Then again, since he's attending a wedding, it would make more sense that he's here because he wants to work on a new portrait of the royal family of Arendelle."
"Do you know anything else about him?"
"Other than he looks like a work of art himself, not really."
"Anna, please, I'm not into him. He seems nice, but I'm not one to fall for a person's appearances right away."
The princess heaved a loud sigh, "That's a relief! I thought I was going to have to do the whole thing I had to do with Hans all over again. There's only so much a sister can handle, and trying to accept another possible man in her sibling's life is kinda pushing it."
"I guess that I'm fortunate that I only have to worry about Kristoff."
"As it should be," Kristoff agreed in amusement.
"Lo and behold," Anna said, directing their attention to an approaching Mikelo and nudging Elsa with her elbow, "one of your admirers looks like he wants to talk to you."
"Queen Elsa," Mikelo greeted, bowing at the waist. "That man who performed so wonderfully on the violin earlier, do you happen to be at liberty to reveal his name to me?"
There it was again, the same question from earlier. Why was the count so intent on knowing who Hans was?
"Have you tried asking him yourself?" Elsa asked.
"I have, Your Majesty, but he continues to be as mysterious as he was when he first walked onstage with that guise on. I even tried asking the other guests, though they were only giving me pieces of his identity. Is it true that he is an executioner?"
"This is true. May I ask why you have an interest in him?"
"There is something about him that seems familiar, but I'm probably mistaken. I've never made the acquaintance with an executioner before, my work usually surrounding itself with royalty."
"Queen Elsa," came a voice behind her. The group turned to see a distraught King Pieter, a haunted look in his eyes, clothing disheveled. Dark droplets and splashes were coating his attire and his face, the substance red like…
Blood.
How had no one notice the king's state yet in a crowd like this? Elsa decided not to push anyone's luck any further and pulled him to a secluded corner, hidden by a topiary and a large stack of wedding gifts. Kristoff, Anna, and Mikelo followed.
"Q-queen Elsa. I-I'm so sorry," Pieter muttered, his gaze still going into the distance. "My brothers and I have only continued to burden you. I had no idea that they would bring their problems with them to Arendelle, or even to the extent their problems have ailed them—"
"What happened? Is this blood?" Elsa asked, trying to keep her voice calm as she got a closer look at the red that coated the king's clothes. It certainly was blood. "Are you hurt?"
"Elias. He— I only wanted to see him. His mind appeared to be deteriorating the last time I saw him, and I just— I worried that he would do something drastic and so I went— He took a guard's sword and—"
"Are you hurt?" Anna asked, emphasizing Elsa's question.
"N-no. Elias, h-he's dead! He killed himself with the sword right in front of me, right in his neck." Pieter collapsed to his knees, sobbing. " Oh God, why? There was so much blood! I couldn't stop it all, the guards wouldn't let me stop it. Th-they told me that it would be better to tell you what happened. Oh God, oh my God. I shouldn't have gone to visit him."
The group gasped at hearing the news.
Kristoff pulled Count Mikelo aside and commanded him, "Don't say anything to anyone yet. You stay right here with King Pieter, okay? We're going to try to address this."
"But what of the others?" Mikelo asked. "Wouldn't they be concerned that the queen and the newlyweds have disappeared from the celebration?"
Elsa had to agree that he brought up a good point.
"You could distract them for a little with your magic, Elsa." Anna said, reminding her of the request during the talent show. "It should distract them enough to not notice that we're gone for a bit. Hopefully it'll be enough time to get this all under control and keep everyone from panicking."
"Alright, no time to waste, then," Elsa said as she nodded resolutely. She pulled on her façade of regal calm and walked to the center of the courtyard, calling the guests to direct their attention to her. Hans pulled away from the group of people that surrounded him, wanting to witness what the queen had in store. He flashed her a smile, but pursed his lips when he knew there was something wrong.
Others wouldn't have been able to pick up on it, since Elsa was really good at hiding her emotions when needed, but Hans was too perceptive for that.
"Is everyone ready?" Elsa asked the crowd, a practiced confidence and smile hiding her true feelings of worry and panic. She stifled them, trying to bring up thoughts that calmed her and brought out feelings of love so her magic wouldn't be uncontrolled as she went to turn the entire courtyard into a skating rink for the guests. In her mind, she thought of Anna when she tried, and failed, to help out in making a chocolate cake for her birthday, of her parents and their devotion to their daughters, of Anna and her determination to save her from herself during the Eternal Winter.
Of Hans and his green eyes, and teaching her to dance for the first time, and the connection she felt with him, and all the hardships they've had to overcome in trying to help him with his curses. Of the gleam of happiness that lit up his face during his performance, a light that she feared would never be able to see in him again.
With these thoughts in mind, the magic from her fingertips flew with ease, the power of ice and winter dancing in time to her imagination. She relished this feeling, knowing that she would need to remember it in order to keep a level head to correct whatever chaos was awaiting her in the dungeons.
The crowd gasped in awe, admiring the creations she conjured in the courtyard, the beauty of winter contained in its four walls.
Then Hans crumpled to the ground screaming, his blue cloak pooling around him.
And the ground started to shake.
Author's Note: I'm so mean to leave you guys on a cliffhanger again, well… sort of.
I actually intended to have more in this chapter so that it would be the very last chapter in his fanfiction, but it got way too long, and left out a lot of detail that needed to be included, so I decided to break it up into two chapters, which created an unintended cliffhanger. So yes, next chapter is going to be the official last chapter, though there's also going to be an epilogue.
Just you wait, my pretties, it's not over quite yet.
Also, the violin scene was inspired in part by an old video set to Camille Saint-Saëns' "Danse Macabre in G minor, Op. 40" that depicts the Grim Reaper playing the violin to a cemetery full of dancing skeletons. It's not really the song I had in mind that Hans would be playing during the talent show, since I imagined it to be more happy and festive, closer a waltz or a polka, but at least you get the general idea why this came to be.
And here is where you guys are now aware of my... old taste in music. Like… nothing-from-this-century-or-even-most-of-the-last-century kind of old. Yes, I love orchestral music. Deal with it, hahaha. A lot of the scenes I've written in this fanfic is based on the mood of a lot of composers' works, the main culprit being Igor Stravinsky's "Danse Infernale" from "The Firebird Suite."
Thank you a million times over for reviewing and continuing to stick with me despite having an inconsistent update schedule, and for spurring my attempts to finish this plot. This is honestly the first time I've ever written anything to this scale and even come close to finishing it. I couldn't have done it without you, so thank you so much again!