Anna walked into the great hall alive with festive music and celebration, reminded of her sister's coronation ball as laughing guests joined hands and danced in two interweaving lines at the center of the room. The setup was much the same. A trio of musicians—a pianist, clarinetist and violinist—played out of the way in one of the sections between two pillars. Chandeliers twinkled overhead, their little flames giving the vaulted ceiling a golden glow.
She turned her head toward the front of the hall, eyeing the king and queen on their thrones. King Olaf nodded his head to her, prompting her to wave. Someone called her name across the floor covered with dancers. She looked in time to see the princess break free from her dance partner, who frowned at being abandoned at a moment when partners circled each other palm-to-palm.
Anna giggled at Kirsten's unselfconscious energy as the white-haired girl smiled, dodging gliding couples in her path.
"You look amazing!"
Anna looked down at her ball gown, which wasn't hers of course, but on loan from the castle. The dress was too large to be Kirsten's. Maybe it was Elsebet's. Then again, Anna doubted the queen would lend a dress to just anyone. Or would she? Regardless, it was the blue one that Hans had recommended, not that he had anything to do with her selection.
Inwardly, she groaned at herself.
"Heh, thanks!" She smiled, feeling weighted by the intricate layers of strawberry-blonde waves and braids atop her head. On Kirsten's insistence, Anna had allowed the servants to style her hair to fit the 'current fashion'. The result was a flowery mess of tendrils, in Anna's opinion. Strangest to her were the pearls dangled across the very top mass on her head, which still was short compared to what some of the women at the ball had done to their hair. Anna was grateful that Kirsten hadn't suggested hair extensions. Kirsten herself had a rather simple hairstyle and gown by comparison.
Lucky, Anna thought.
Just then, a wigged servant passed behind Kirsten, a silver tray balanced at head-level as he moved cautiously around the dancing section of the floor. Anna sniffed and stared after him, drooling over the alluring scents of rosettes, krumkraker and...
"Chocolate!" she exclaimed along with Kirsten.
The girls exchanged startled looks before breaking into giggles.
"Shall we?" Anna suggested, gesturing in the direction of the food table. Just a couple of weeks ago, she would have been equally excited about the dancing and the prospect of encountering a charming potential suitor.
But look where that had gotten her.
"Ah! I see Hansel is helping himself to the gløgg!" Kirsten pointed out the famous troll hunter gulping down the dark alcohol as they walked to another section along the wall where two long tables displayed dish upon dish of small appetizers and desserts. Hansel caught sight of them and awkwardly set his empty glass back on the end of one table as if he didn't want to imbibe in front of them.
"It was generous of His Majesty to hold this celebration," Hansel said, bowing to Kirsten. Then, a strangely bright expression crossed his face as he looked out upon the dancing. "I wish my wife could be here."
Anna recalled the wife's letter that had fallen out of Hansel's log.
"You have children?"
Hansel nodded. "Three girls, two boys... I miss the lot of 'em."
"Will you go back to Grimmstad after this?" Kirsten asked. Anna realized the princess was carefully shifting the topic for Hansel's benefit. The man had a misty look in his eyes. How long had it been since he'd seen his family? Did he think, as Volco's hostage, that he'd never see them again?
"Well..." He turned toward Anna. "You saw my hunt log, didn't you?"
Anna nodded, trying not to grimace. The troll of Grimmstad, the wolfman of Tyr, the griffin of Corona... so many. How many of them deserved to be slain, if any?
"I think it might be time for me to retire. I could find work... closer to home, of course..." Hansel murmured. It sounded as if he were talking more to himself than to the two of them.
"Your family would be glad of that!" Anna said for encouragement.
Hansel nodded, the sullenness around him lifting as he looked more determined about going home. He stepped around the two girls to pick up a little plate of berries and cheese before he waved to them.
"Thanks for everything, Your Highness and Miss Anna. When I see my children, I'll tell them all about the brave girls who rescued me and the kingdom."
Kirsten nodded her approval as they watched him leave. When he was out of listening range, she picked up a small plate herself and popped a few berries into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully.
"I wonder what he'll do now."
Anna shrugged, casually picking up a piece of chocolate for herself. "It sounds like his troll hunter days are over."
"His children will be glad to have him home," Kirsten added. Anna couldn't help but notice as the girl glanced across the great hall to her parents sitting on their thrones. The king and queen had their arms held out, holding hands between their chairs.
"Your parents have changed too," Anna observed.
Kirsten smiled. "Yes... it's so strange. All my life, the three of us have had a very strained relationship..."
I know what you mean, Anna thought, thinking of her sister.
"I never felt I could be totally open with them. Even before my magic came to light," the princess explained. She turned her head toward Anna. "But that all changed when you came to Arendelle."
Anna gave her a sheepish look. She'd seen for herself how worried the king and queen had been over their daughter's absence. Really, she was lucky that the blame had not been put on her. The princess spoke again, breaking Anna's distraction.
"You've shown me that it's worth opening up to people, even when you're not sure that they'll accept you."
"Well... I'm glad I could do that, Your Highness." Anna welled up with emotion, grateful to have gotten to know her great-great-grandmother. As much as she didn't want to, she couldn't help but feel that she had failed to show Hans the same thing.
Right on cue to the thought, a dark navy jacket and head of auburn on the other side of the dancing caught Anna's eye as she watched Hans head out to a balcony. Kirsten's elbow gently nudged her.
"Go on, Anna. Show him too."
She tried to smile at Kirsten's confidence, but it wasn't as though she hadn't tried to win Hans's trust several times now. There was only so much disappointment her heart could take.
"As your friend, I'm telling you that you should talk to Hans. As a princess, I order you to."
Anna raised her eyebrow for a second, shaking her head with a small laugh.
"Well, I can't say 'no' to the princess..."
Or my great-great-grandmother.
She ate another chocolate first, for luck.
It was a familiar scene, Hans sitting on the balcony railing—though with it being winter, there were no flowers dangling overhead, and she was suddenly grateful for all the insulating layers of her ridiculous gown.
The prince faced the night sky, but he turned as he sensed her arrival.
"Anna."
He sounded...tired. But it could have just been part of his effort to keep her away.
Anna sighed and stalked up to him, making a concerted effort to sit down next to him, only it was very difficult to do in the gown she was wearing. Finally, she settled for just leaning there instead, catching the slightest spark of amusement in his green eyes.
Well, at least that was something to go on.
"This night reminds me of the coronation," she said at last. When Hans sighed, she put a hand up to stop him. "No, please hear me out. The façade you showed to me initially... I've been struggling to figure out whether what I really felt for that person was, in fact, love. It's sort of a hard thing to know if you've never felt it before. Anyway, recently I realized that it didn't really matter anymore. Although it was just over a week ago, we're like two different people now."
"I suppose so."
"I know you haven't given me the full story. Your full story. For whatever reason."
Again, he started to object, so she shushed him.
"That's okay. We've been through a lot together, you and I. At some point, without realizing it, I'd forgiven you. And I care for you... very much." He cast his eyes downward and shifted uncomfortably, but he had the courtesy not to interrupt this time. "So, whatever it is... whatever you can't tell me, I just hope that you'll be able to share it with me one day."
That made him look up.
"For you, my door is always open," she added, chuckling at the awkwardness of it. But she hoped he would understand.
From his wide-eyed speechlessness, it looked like he did. Unless he was misinterpreting the metaphor. What else could a door be? She blushed and nearly slapped herself for over-analyzing.
"Because you know, doors. Openness. Honesty. Being welcome. Open doors. I..."
The corner of his mouth twitched upward.
"You get it. I think... oh boy, that was... heh, anyway." She patted and brushed invisible crumbs away from her gown as a sudden distraction before she stood. Between her heavy gown and hair, not to mention shoes she wasn't used to, rising was no easy feat. She swayed a little until she found her balance. Then, she gave Hans one last smile, surprised by the strength she felt. Rightfully, she should have been nervous, nervous because his face was so blank that there was no telling how he received her guts just now. She'd most certainly spilled all of them. She'd poured her heart out completely and it may as well have been to a wall. A gorgeous, heart-breaking wall.
She breathed in, tucked her chin up and gracefully left the balcony to return to the ball.
A cheerful song played as she stepped back into the crowd. It came to an abrupt end before a slower, emotional piece began, the piano taking the lead. The people around her partnered up, leaving an empty space around her as the pairs joined hands and began to dance.
A hand touched her shoulder, making her turn to find Hans behind her. He offered his hand.
Was it her imagination or did the room just get brighter?
Smiling, Anna accepted his invitation and, hand in hand, they joined the dancing couples. With her hand in his and the other on his shoulder, they breezed across the hall floor. Everyone else seemed to disappear as she spun and stepped with him, the music more powerful than any magic. The violin broke into its own heartbreaking segment, still accompanied by the softer piano. To Anna, the two sounds seemed to dance together.
In one unexpected movement, Hans pulled her close, cradling her rather unconventionally in his arms as they swayed to the gentle melody.
"Promise you'll remember me."
She wasn't sure she'd heard right. She tried to wriggle away to be able to look Hans in the eye, but he just squeezed her.
"The one that danced and sang with you and the trolls. Not the coward that left you for dead. Not the puppet who tried to kill your sister."
"Puppet?" she asked, growing more startled. "Hans, what are you—"
"I wanted to go back with you, Anna. But she'll be here soon and I don't think I can stop myself, much less her."
"She, who? You're scaring me!" she snapped, trying to keep her voice low even though the other dancers had probably already noticed Hans's peculiar break from the traditional dance. Again, she tried to push him back so she could look at him directly—and failed.
"Don't stop being you. Whether you make it home or not. The world is a cold place, Anna, believe me. Sing and laugh and keep thawing the hearts of those around you."
Was he trying to say goodbye? Who was the she he mentioned?
Anna grabbed his arms on her and pulled herself away from him just enough to look up and glare. But her face softened a bit when she met his eyes.
"I just want to thaw your heart."
Just as he started to smile at that, a howling wind blew all the balcony doors into the hall. Glass shattered as the doors smacked against the walls. A fierce, wintry blast snuffed out all the candlelight, leaving the guests to shriek and cower in confusion.
Anna looked around, frantic from the commotion around her. "What happened?!" She felt Hans's arms loosen and slip away from her, leaving her cold as she could barely see him in the hall now only lit by cold moonlight.
Gasps drew Anna's gaze to the balcony doors, where a section of the crowd backed away in fright. As they cleared away, Anna could make out a ghostly white woman standing in the middle doorway. Her hair was colorless, like Kirsten's and Elsa's. Anna recognized the woman immediately. But what disturbed her was that the Ice Maiden's eyes locked onto Hans, who now inched away to put distance between himself and Anna.
"Hans?" she called to him, noticing the way he stared at the Ice Maiden, remembering his strange behavior over the illustration of the woman. "Do you know her?"
Hans didn't answer. Instead, he looked as if in a trance, gazing upon the Ice Maiden like he'd just stumbled upon the world's greatest treasure.
"Beautiful, isn't she?"
Anna heard various whispers throughout the hall.
"What's wrong with him?"
"Who is she?"
"She looks like the princess!"
"Don't step on the broken glass."
Confused, Anna stepped up to Hans and touched his arm. He shook her off with a snarl.
"Hans, what's wrong?! Wait, where are you going?"
The prince put his back to her and moved toward the Ice Maiden, distinct longing in his eyes. Anna watched this in helpless horror, confused by the sudden change in him. She thought back to the dreams she'd had about the woman, as well as the warnings from Hansel's hunt log.
One thing was for sure. The woman was dangerous, and Hans himself said he didn't have control over himself. So, Anna grabbed Hans's arm to try and hold him back.
The Ice Maiden didn't like that. She disliked it so much that she conjured up an ice spear and hurtled it up toward the ceiling. It happened so fast, Anna could barely process it. Guests screamed. Anna looked up. The chandelier over her was falling, crashing, coming down. More screams pierced her ears. She knew she had to move.
Move. Move out of the way. Move.
But Anna looked at Hans and roughly pushed him away from herself.
There was a loud crack following the crash. Everything hurt. There was Hans's face; his green eyes panicked.
Then she saw nothing, dimly aware of how cold the floor felt against her cheek.
A/N: SORRY, cliffhangers are bad, I know. Sorrynotsorry. So, the Ice Maiden finally turns up for Hans.
Life is still insaaaanely busy. I will shoot to outline the next chapter next week. I am moving later this month though, so unfortunately I can't guarantee the date for the next update. I will do the best I can. Thank you for reading, following, reviewing, etc. :D Special thank you to those who have been reading since chapter one was published... which was... a year ago tomorrow? Wow, time flies.
Thanks again!