Chapter 5: Second Chances Are Real~
Hansel today doesn't feel like approaching anyone today, the fact Fredbjorn is away, Klaus is busy, Viktor is also busy, and thank god! Nikolaus will finally leave her alone…well at least just one month but who cares! The brother that have tormented her is finally going to leave her alone for once finally!
Bored out of her mind, she decides to take a ride around the Southern Isles Forest with her best friend Sitron. She makes her way out and makes a turn only to bump on something broad that made her fell on her butt.
"Hey!" She scolded, she looks up. She is surprised to see Fredbjorn there, with that her face softened.
"I'm so sorry!" He said frantically as he helped her up her feet.
"It's alright" She said and straightens the skirt of her gown before looking back at him with a polite smile.
"I thought you were at..." She paused, she doesn't remember the country he was going at all "Where are you going again?"
"At Sweden for its annual peace treaty" He said.
"Really?" She said "But wait why are you here that you should be there?"
"Ah, yes, well it's because of bad weather, the storm won't stop till next week" He explained.
"Ah~ I see" Hansel said.
"Yes and I, uh, better be going" He said so quickly and walks away.
"Wait I need to tell you something" She called out. He turned to face her.
"I'm sorry but can it wait? I need to go somewhere, really important" He said before walking away. Well, it look like he's walking fast enough to say he is trying to avoid her. She felt saddened at this and decides to go back on what she's doing.
At the Stable...
The doors opened by none other than Hansel.
"Hey buddy!" She said as Sitron tapped him hoof happily. She went up to him and hugged him then rubs her hand on snout affectionately.
"What are you doing here?" A voice from behind asked her which her jump and make sound that seemed to be like this: "vnfjnjgdbjifgbvnfu". She turned to see Nikolaus looking at her in questioning way.
"What are YOU doing here? You're supposed to leave me alone for a month!" she exclaimed.
"Well excuse me for being rude! I'm just here to get my saddle" he answered back, lifting the said saddle emphasis and her faced turned red from embarrassment.
"I-I, um…Sorry" She stammered.
"That's it?" He said.
"Fine! I'm sorry for accusing you about something you didn't intend for! Sheesh!" She said pouting and crossing her arms, still red from embarrassment.
"Hmmm" He hummed "Apology accepted"
"Thank you!" She sighed before turning back to Sitron.
"Why are you wearing that?" He asked out of nowhere.
"Excuse me?" She turned back to him with a look.
"That! Why are you wearing that?" He points accusingly at the dress she is wearing. Just in case you don't know what dress it is, it's the one she wears everyday (the white one on Juliajm15's design).
"Well excuse me! This is the dress I wear every day and since then humph!" She crossed her arms and blew her bangs up before letting it fall down on forehead.
"Seriously?! When did you start wearing that?" He asked frantically.
"Uuh, don't know probably around 16 or so" She answered with honesty.
"WHAT! How old are you?" Now he's asking for her age.
"23" She plainly with a face that says "I don't see any problem at all".
"YOU'VE BEEN WEARING THAT FOR 23 YEARS?! NO WONDER THOSE CLOTHES I SAW DAYS AGO WERE IDENTICAL!" He yelled.
"Quiet! You're making Sitron scared!" She scolded as her hands on Sitorn's ears and Sitron's head tucked under her chin as she strokes Sitron affectionately, effectively calming him down.
"Jeez Louise, come on" He grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of will.
"Hey let go! This is against will! This is a violation of my human rights!" She keeps blabbering until he effectively dragged her out of the stable and dragging her back to the castle, sadly its clear not only they forgotten the activities they previously intend to do but also leaving the stable door open letting Sitron walk out and wander wherever he wants to go.
Back at the castle…
Nikolaus still dragging a now quiet and pouty Hansel to the living room, but we can't say this room is actually living…because it's been deserted years ago except the times where discussions, announcements, and serious stuff or someone just feels like occupying it but that doesn't count, making them the only ones in.
"Go to your room and get ALL the clothes I got for you few days ago" He said so stern it's more like a command.
"Seriously?" She whined.
"Quit whining and just go get it"
"But this isn't a part of our deal" She reasoned.
"I know but I treated you clothes and a deal in which I will leave you for a month least you can do for me is to wear it as a thank you" He reasoned back.
She was about protest but Queen mommy's lessons are silently scolding her, with that she shuts her mouth up and simply pouted, looking quiet annoyed.
"Do you want me to get in your room?"
"No!"
"Actually it's a good idea, So I can see you're room"
"You don't have to do that!"
"Now now, if you're wearing clothes for the past seven years or more then that means you're room is no different"
"Hey wait! That's invasion of my privacy!"
"Look it another way Hansel"
She paused, this is the first he called her by her name and not some tacky insult. She snapped out of it when she found Nikolaus nowhere to be found…probably on his way to her room.
"Hey, Nik! Wait up" And speed through the exit/entrance of the living room and chased after him only to find him in her room inspecting it like police in a crime scene.
"My goodness I was right but never expect this at all!
"Never expect what?"
"Everything about your room is outdated"
She felt offended about that comment because everything about her room is what she love and
"Ouch" She said clutching her heart dramatically.
"Worst part about it is that its filled with junk! I mean look at this!"
"Double ouch! Those junk you called are my sentimental things"
"That doesn't make an excuse at all"
"But I can't throw them out plus I love my room just the way it is"
"Still"
"I don't care"
"Fine whatever you say woman! Let's get back to what I really intend to do here"
He walks in her closet and damn! Look how crowded it is, he turns back to her with an annoyed look.
"Seriously?"
"It's not my fault why my closet isn't as fancy and huge as yours"
"Hm"
Then the negotiation starts but it's not going smoothly since Hansel kept whining on the dresses he insists her to wear and Nikolaus won't give up until Hansel gives up and do what he says, and since the "leave me alone for month deal" is brought up.
But Hansel insist on wearing not so girly dresses until they started raising voices, not really yelling but almost mistaken for one. Unexpectedly, a book was thrown to Nikolaus' forehead causing him to fall to the ground and Hansel shrieked before looking at the culprit, it was Viktor who currently scolding Fredbjorn about something not stopping them. How long was he there?
Then Klaus came in running.
"I heard yelling I came here as fast as I can" Klaus said in a panic.
"There's no yelling" Nikolaus yelled and he stood up and nursing the forehead where the book had hit him.
"Then what did I hear? Are you yelling to my- I mean out sister" Klaus asked accusingly.
"I am not, I'm just making her the dresses I got for her days before!" Nikolaus protested.
"Making excuses, tsk, tsk, tsk" Viktor joined in shooking his head for emphasis. The part where Hansel's mother is 'scolding her internally' is there again.
"He's right" Hansel said.
"What?" Klaus, Viktor, and Fredbjorn asked with huge question marks above their heads.
"Nikolaus and I are not really arguing, he just wants me to wear the clothes he got me, I guess I was a bit of a brat not really seeing it, again we're not arguing" She said not only she fixed the situation up but also saving Nikolaus' ass from whatever they plan to reason out with him.
"I see, false alarm then" Klaus said, calmly this time.
"Duh!" Nikolaus rudely said before sitting a Hansel's edge of her bed and Hansel walking in towards her personal bathroom.
"Well then settle this with yourselves I have some business to attend to, I'm sorry for this false alarm" Klaus said before walking back to where he came from. Clearly embarrassed if only his beard was shave for everyone to see his red face.
"Well this is embarrassing" Viktor commented before walking away from the awkward vibes not apologizing when he threw the book at Nik's head. Fredbjorn just watch Viktor away and looked back to see Nik sitting on Hansel's bed at the edge and Hansel taking a look at the bruise before picking up what seems to be first aid, how did it get there so fast?
She squeezed the towel of slightly cold water and gently pressed on the bruise and he lets out a hiss. Fredbjorn eyes we're big as dinner plates, this is the very first time he saw them together not murdering each other and Hansel being nice. It gets even awkward when both their eyes are on Fred.
"Earth to Fredbjorn you there?" Hansel said waving her hand and with that he snapped out of it.
"Heh, zoning out is not for you Freddie" Nikolaus sneered with a smirk.
"Uh" Fredbjorn, still lost and trying comprehend what just happened.
"Please don't start" She said. "Say will it make you happy if I wear these?" She picked up as many dresses he bought for her, as much as her hands can carry. With that Nikolaus beamed.
"Absolutely!" He shouted happily and jumping to his feet.
"Fine, it's not like I have other choice" She sighed.
"Well this settle this then" Nikolaus stood up and walks away with a satisfied smile on his face.
"You better hurry before before you get an ugly from that bruise" She commented snarkly.
"Oh no" It hit him so bad that he immediately ran towards the nearest medical professional. And she just laughed.
"Uh what just happened?" Fredbjorn asked.
"Nikolaus happened" She laughed before picking up a dress Nikolaus was pissing her off into wearing it and took the rest back to her closet by carelessly throwing it in and forcibly shutting the doors locked.
"How long have you been there?"
"Er, the truth or…"
"The truth"
"Alright I was making rounds around the castle and I happen to eavesdrop by accident and uh" He trailed off.
"And?"
"I saw how you acted around Nikolaus and how he acted around you" "It was the first I saw you two together not wanting to kill each other"
"Well that's because he owes me, remember the clothes he's wearing for the meeting"
"Yes"
"It was me who helped him"
"I see"
"Also I think his way of saying thank you is him leaving me alone for month"
"If he left for a month then why did he-"
"He's bugging me to wear the clothes he got for me"
"Ah"
"I know, can't blame him though" "Say this is the longest conversation we had since I don't know never" She said in laughing manner. He flinched at "never".
"Yes about that I'm sorry"
"It's okay it's just, why did you never talk to me"
"Remember the black eye incident with Nikolaus when you were only what 7 I think"
"Yes"
"I thought you were using me to hurt our other siblings" He frowned and looked a little when he saw Hansel's face twisted with hurt and sadness.
"You know I wouldn't do that, I would never do that you" Hansel locked her eyes on his with steady stare making him stiff for her action.
"You're too kind for me to use and I would definitely be guilty if I did that"
"I'm sorry"
"For what?"
"For misunderstanding you, I guess I was exaggerating situations before I could even ask for your side of the story"
"It's alright, it already happened…I'm sorry too"
"What can I do to make it up to you" He asked in hope he can redeem himself. Her eyes beamed with hope.
This is it! My chance!
"Yes in fact, remember you're stories from you're travels"
"Yes"
"Well I want to hear it again, I never really get to hear since you know…them"
"Of course!"
"Yes! Wait let me freshen up a bit" Hansel picked up the dress and immediately to the bathroom and did what she needs to do: freshen up. She got out wearing the green dress Nikolaus was bugging her into wearing.
"Sure" He said and patiently waits for her to come out of the door and once she was done, both siblings made their way to the not-so-deserted living room with them as the only to occupy it. As both sat down on the lush chair.
He asked what story should he start so she said all of it, first he was bit pressured to say ALL his stories from his travels because he actually forgot some of them and second, he doesn't know how to fit all stories in one day, I mean, there so many! But Hansel said only the ones she never heard…problem is she never really heard all of it, sure she got some but not completely but Fred refuses to protest since he did owe her an apology and makes it up through stories she never had a chance to hear.
The story telling goes on and on to the point they reached sunset. During the storytelling Fred notices how Hansel smile and she listened very intently to every detail, heck! She even recalled the details that are often missed to the listeners! Maybe she would make a politician or critique and wow! That smile of Hansel's not forced or fake but true and genuine that made her look like an angel. How did he missed her beauty? Right, he's been travelling. For some reason she manages to make him stiff through some of her actions, her actions looked a little lot like a man would do, he usually reacts nothing towards other females who does same actions as her but she is…different. Maybe because he is her sibling and that they never been together this long…
Both laughed and chattered like birds in the morning until someone came in and ruined the moment.
"Why are you noisy?! Can you not see I am studying!" A bespectacled man a.k.a. the fifth eldest son and smartass named Alexander. He glared viciously at Fredbjorn which made him look down guiltily like a criminal being cornered with alarming evidences before darting his eyes to an unflinching Hansel who gave him a serious stare to match up his glare before rolling his eyes and wiped his eyeglasses clean with a fancy purple handkerchief that is definitely worth some gold coins before putting them back and sighed.
"Fredbjorn you are smarter than this insolent brat! Why don't you leave her be or better yet" He started angrily before darting eyes back to Hansel "You leave him be"
Her serious stare turned into a dark glare.
"Or else what?" She challenges, stepping up and stood in front of him with her on her tippy-toes.
"Or else I will tell our eldest brother in which you insulted weeks ago what you've been doing!" He raised his voice but she refuses to give what he wants to see. With that Fredbjorm immediately stood up and tried pushing gently apart.
"Now, now Alexander I think you owe Hansel an apology"
"Why is that? I have nothing to apologize for"
"Because I was making up to her my mistakes in hopes my apology is accepted"
"Ha! You definitely have nothing to apologize to her!"
"Actually he does!" She joined in.
"Enough!" Klaus voice boomed in the room causing them to silent.
"Please let this be a false alarm like you and Nikolaus earlier" Klaus said in slightly pleading tone as if he doesn't want an added up stress. Alexander is about to say something that would definitely cause Klaus to have a migraine but Hansel cut off.
"We're practicing our voices" She said.
"Since when did you three started you're voices?" Viktor who appeared out nowhere said it at the same time as Klaus did. Hansel smiling sickeningly sweetly and ends up hugging one of the brothers whom she hated: Alexander who equally looks disgusted but hides it well.
"I see~ I'm so glad none of you are killing each other, see you all at dinner! Come along Viktor " Klaus said before walking away back to where he came from with Viktor shooting them a suspicious look before following Klaus. With their footsteps fading away, Alexander pushed Hansel's arms of his waist with face twisted with disgust.
"Do not ever do that again" Alexander hissed
"You owe me" Hansel said.
"Ha! I owe you nothing! I could've made Klaus go away if you didn't interrupt" Alexander said.
"Yeah make him go away with a migraine" Hansel said.
"Enough please we have arguments in one day! Can't we just part our own ways before dinner" Fredbjorn pleaded. With that Alexander huffed and Hansel nodded, both calming down.
"Thanks for wasting my time" Alexander said rudely at Hansel's face. She was about to make a rude remark but Fred's pleading look makes her shut up.
"Thanks for your time" She looked away with arms crossed. Alexander exhaled deeply before leaving. Awkward silence engulfed the two.
"Let me guess, youwon't see me as the perfect little sister anymore"
"What? No!"
"Why? You saw me and Alexander"
"Yes and I must say, a sister must not act like that towards her elder siblings but he did however started this so can't blame you"
"Thanks"
"For what"
"You're the only who finally who understood me and my situation"
"Really? Well that's good right?"
"Absolutely"
Both sibling laughed a bit.
"Well it's a little late, see you at dinner"
"'Right!"
She shot him one last smile before leaving. "Why is he so stiff around her?" Is the only thing left in his mind.
She shuts her bedroom door closed and lets out a squeal off happiness and jump into her bed and took her notebook out and crossed off Fred's name.
"Another success!" She squealed again and kicked her legs up. She stared up at the ceiling like a daydreamer and have her trance cut off when a polite knock on a door and a polite words of a servant telling her its dinner time.
Whoa! Was I daydreaming that long? Oh well~
She replies back politely and tells the servant she will freshen up a bit. Wearing another green gown dress (Wow! Nik loves green a lot) she went out and made her way to the dinner table and found her siblings in a war zone…yet again…thanks to the twins…yet again. As always Robert finishing before she came, Linus also gone since he eats at the dungeon (seriously Linus get out of there!), William waiting until everyone is told to eat (with the exemption of the Robert, Linus, and maybe even the twins), Grant is still finding his way back to the dining room, Damien and Derek being brats again, Andrew admiring himself on the mirror he carries everywhere, Alexander passing his time reading a book, Fredbjorn silently and ineffectively protests against Nikolaus whose telling him this and that again, Viktor and Klaus talking like civilized people.
"Hansel you're here!" Klaus said. Others looked up to see her.
"Finally where'd you've runt we're starving!" Derek complained.
"Somewhere you'll never understand" She laughed before taking her seat. Nik stopped his lecturing and smiled when he saw Hansel in the dresses he got for her.
"I see you're wearing the dresses I got for you" He commented.
"Yeah, it's more like thank you" She said.
"Hm" He hummed before going back lecturing Fred.
"Say I just realized something" Hansel spoke up making Klaus, Viktor, Nikolaus, and Fredbjorn and she sworn she saw Alexander move his eyes to look at her before going to reading or eating or both.
"Yes what is it?" Klaus asked.
"Nik, you called me by first name, it never happened before" Hansel explained.
"Huh, you're right…but you did the same thing to didn't you" Nikolaus said.
"Yes, I guess you're right" She smiled before going back to her dinner.
As dinner progresses, pretty much she, Klaus, Vik, Nik, and Fred talked normally compared to the disaster happening at the other half of the table. Like always, the brothers Hansel is now close with including Fredbjorn, bid each other good night. Hansel slept tonight peacefully knowing not only her plan worked but also getting along towards the brother who misunderstood her made her light as a feather and a part of the heavy feeling in her chest is lifted.
Notes: If you all know, Fredbjorn as by Emma said, he is friendliest brother though he avoids Hansel. Because one time Hansel got him to get Nikolaus a black-eye and he believes she is using him to get the other siblings hurt but he notices her attitude towards Klaus, Viktor, and even Nikolaus which gave him a shock but he felt like he should give her a chance. Hey guys there's a chapter where Nik here redesigns her room for her. This chapter is a little rushed and I just randomly decided to finish this tonight. Apart from being lazy, the wifi is being a total bitch as well the limited internet, my tablet refusing charge normally, and very massive writers block. Sorry, I will continue this story, especially now summer is up and coming, I was planning to finish this before 2016 end. And there are so many grammar mistakes! I'm so stupid! I hope future chapters will make is up.