The princess and her aunt stared at Anna with increasing worry after her outburst about the Ice Maiden making Hans immortal.

"Should we get the doctor?" Kirsten asked.

"I don't need the doctor. Please, K... Your Highness," Anna corrected herself. "You've seen stranger things these past few days."

The princess turned for a pitcher on the nightstand and poured a glass of water, which she handed to Anna with a sigh. Anna accepted the glass and took a sip, not realizing until she drank just how parched she was. She felt Judet's and Kirsten's gazes on her and, finding the long silence uncomfortable, took another sip to avoid their scrutinizing eyes.

"The thing is, Anna... Hans left willingly. The... ice woman, she didn't force him," Kirsten said with some difficulty.

Anna felt her hands tremble as she clutched the drinking glass. She wondered if Hans had hesitated at all before he left. Was he worried for her? Did he think her dead? Perhaps that was why he left... willingly, as they said.

Then again, immortality may have just been too good for him to pass up. She hated to think it. After all they had been through, after his seemingly earnest attempt to make things right with her.

Wait a minute. He'd said it himself. He couldn't control himself.

"He didn't leave willingly," she murmured so softly that she barely heard herself.

"Anna?" Judet said, sitting at the edge of her bed.

She swallowed her doubt and looked up to meet the two women square in the face.

"It wasn't willingly... he's under her spell," she explained. "If I don't help him, he could be lost forever."

"How far will you go to help him?" Judet asked plainly.

"As far as I have to," Anna answered without pause. "As far as I can."

The old woman smiled to show her approval before she turned her head to defer to Princess Kirsten. It would be her decision, ultimately.

"Do you love Hans, Anna?"

The question made Anna jerk her head up. She felt her cheeks glow before she even processed how to answer. Admitting it to herself and hinting it to Hans was one thing—err, very well, two things. Yet it seemed like Kirsten was testing her somehow.

"I... honestly don't know if I know what love is, Your Highness," Anna finally answered, remembering the moment Kirsten had worked out that Anna and Hans weren't siblings. At what point had Anna's feelings culminated? Was it the wandering in the forest together? Being locked up for days in the dungeon? Or had the feelings been there all along, slowly budding from the ashes of his betrayal?

What were these feelings?

They were different from the tingly swooning over a sudden engagement. It was no longer the awe of a lonely princess noticed by her handsome suitor. And if there was one thing Anna learned about herself and Hans over their adventure in the past, it was that they often butted heads.

So much for mental synchronization!

Even so, he... he genuinely seemed to...

"Anna?" Judet interrupted her thoughts just as they began to make her blush.

Oh, she'd forgiven him the moment her sister had lifted the blizzard from Arendelle. Not that she realized it until now. It was forgetting she found impossible... and truly, Hans's cruelty would likely haunt her for a long time, but...

The man who'd left her to die and had meant to kill Elsa was not the Hans who sang, danced and drew on the dungeon walls with her. It was not the man who comforted her or appreciated the part of her that had for years been pushed away. At least, that was what she chose to believe.

"I believe in him."

Kirsten and Judet looked at one another.

"But how will you help him?" the Sapmi woman asked.

Anna pondered that. After all, the truth mirror had only told her how to stop the Ice Maiden from turning Hans immortal. She just... couldn't let him complete the mirror.

The princess seemed to notice the growing concern on Anna's face, for she reached out to squeeze Anna's hand and said, "I believe in you, Anna."

"Then... will you help me?"

Kirsten's face fell at that. She stared at her hand around Anna's for a moment, silently considering. Finally, she released Anna's hand and stood, her head turning toward the balcony window before she looked at the redhead again.

"Yes. But I can't go with you this time."

Anna tried to mask her disappointment. It was her fault that Kirsten had used so much of her power in the last few days. She couldn't ask her great-great grandmother to put herself in danger yet again.

So, she nodded to show her understanding and, with Judet's help, she got out of bed.

No one made a sound as the two women helped Anna into her travelling clothes. For the most part, she felt like normal. It was only when she raised her arms too high over her head that she felt the lingering bruising. Otherwise, Kirsten's magic had nearly completely healed her. Her head felt a little foggy, but she was certain that the adrenaline required for her mission would help her focus.

"Are you ready?" Judet whispered. Kirsten had moved to the balcony, gently pulling the doors open and walking out. Anna nodded her head and followed. It was hard to tell the time of day from the overcast skies above.

The princess put one hand up and Anna stopped in her tracks. She then watched Kirsten close her eyes and swirl her arms around herself in a semi-circle, glittering silver light following her fingertips and dancing toward the stone balcony floor directly in front of her. The light came together and began to take shape, at first no larger at Kirsten's feet than a small rock. Then it grew and solidified, looking like masses of snow being sculpted by an invisible pick. Both Anna and Judet gasped in delight at this show, though Kirsten's face kept solemn. The snow creature grew four legs and a tail. When its antlers sprouted, Anna recognized it as one of Kirsten's snowmounts. When the creature shook its head and snorted, Kirsten's eyes opened. She circled around the creature, brushing the fur on its back as if to make sure her work was complete.

"I've not created any long-lasting creatures yet, Anna... who knows, it may yet be a skill I'll master, but... for now, I've done my best to ensure that this reindeer will last you until tomorrow's dusk. If you can get Hans... and bring him back by then..."

"If not, don't come after me," Anna said firmly. If she couldn't defeat the Ice Maiden, she didn't think she'd live to tell the tale of her failure. The thought was enough to make her blood cold, but she put on a brave front for the princess.

She felt Judet's hand pat her shoulder and turned to find the old Sapmi woman smiling.

"Have courage."

Well, she'd certainly try.

Anna moved toward the snowmount and steeled herself for perhaps her most dangerous adventure yet. Then, she paused by Kirsten. An idea struck her, dangerous perhaps but worth the risk.

"This is going to sound like an odd request," Anna said, looking at the two of them. "Can I make one suggestion before I go?"

In case she didn't come back.

"Absolutely not."

For once, Kristoff saw eye to eye with Lord Harald. The queen's hands balled up on the council room table, tiny snowflakes rising up from her knuckles the only indicator that Elsa was trying to reign in her emotions and hence her powers. Kristoff wanted to cover one of her hands with his, but as he was about to agree with her least favorite noble, he figured it would not have the desired effect. Never mind the impertinence of hand-grabbing in front of Harald.

"If you fly out to meet them on your own, they may view it as an attack."

Elsa stretched her fingers out upon the table, her shoulders relaxing even though the frown did not leave her face. She glanced at Kristoff to at least acknowledge the point he'd made, not that she looked happy about it. At long last, she let out a sigh that made the room temperature feel as if it had dropped twenty degrees.

"I can defend myself." She held her chin up, managing to look both parts the confident queen and the defiant young woman. "If they fire an attack, I would rather they do so far enough away from town. If we send a messenger, then we risk his or her life as well."

"It's too dangerous, Your Majesty," Lord Harald said with resounding firmness.

"Umm..."

Olaf's timid voice made all eyes turn toward the other end of the table. The others had practically forgotten his presence. Certainly, no one had noticed the snow angel sitting next to him slip in for the private council meeting.

"Gyda here wants to help," Olaf said, gesturing to his sister.

"You've gotta be kidding me." Kristoff slapped his palm over his forehead and groaned. Lord Harald looked equally fed up.

Elsa looked at her creation, sensing Gyda's feelings even though she never gave the snow angels voices.

"She... she can be my voice," Elsa suddenly exclaimed.

Now, it was Lord Harald's turn to groan. "Your Majesty... the ships may still perceive her as a threat. Especially since by now they've only heard tales of your magic from the Duke of Weselton."

Elsa narrowed her eyes. Harald was still recovering from his near death, she understood. But he'd offered up no alternatives for how to handle the fleet of ships so far. He had just shot down all other ideas.

"We are running out of time," she said.

Harald faltered, glancing from her to her two snow children at the other end of the table. That seemed to get through to him, though he still looked weary.

Well, they were all weary.

After a moment, Harald relented with a bow of his head.

"I understand, Your Majesty."

Wet snow whipped all around Anna, blowing everywhere, getting in her braids and her eyes. At least she was gloved and well insulated by her cloak so that the winter winds did not trouble her too badly, though they pushed toward her and no doubt delayed her progress. The skies to her left dimmed and purpled after the setting of the sun. When the last light faded, she would follow the north star, per the mirror's instructions in her dream. A tiny part of her worried that she was being foolhardy. What if her conversation with the mirror had just been a dream? What if Hans really did go willingly to be with the Ice Maiden?

As the skies grew yet darker, Anna thought of how to save him... and what she would say to him. She'd never gotten to tell him point blank how she felt. Sure, she'd hinted at it at the ball, using that cringeworthy metaphor about open doors. She thought for certain she'd made a fool of herself, but then he'd gone after her to dance with her. That had to mean something, right?

Well, none of it would matter if Hans stayed trapped in the Ice Maiden's clutches.

The farther north she flew, the more the snow picked up. Over the northern sea, it thickened into a storm all around her as though trying to block her passage.

But Anna pressed onward, flying blind with only the occasional glimpse of the stars to guide her. She would reach Hans. She would save him or she would die trying.

The ice harvester lined up at the balcony window with the snowman on his left and the incredulous noble to his right, all of them watching the fjord save for the queen. Kristoff glanced back to find her staring at the mirror shard pulled from Liam. She turned it to and fro in her hand while Olaf and Harald commented on Gyda's flight across the water.

Elsa had given the snow angel a voice so she could get a message to the lead ship; the message was simply that Elsa was happy to host a parley to discuss the events that occurred since her coronation. However, the incoming fleet would be countered as aggressors of war if they did not stop their advance.

It was the nearest plan to sending Elsa out there herself. Kristoff thought Elsa would have been pleased. Instead, she continued to gaze at the mirror shard. Just when the ice harvester began to grow worried, Olaf shouted and drew his attention back out the window. He looked just in time to see the canon fire before the thundering boom reached his ears.

Elsa leaped from her chair, running for the balcony. Luckily, Kristoff managed to catch her by the elbow before she flew out the doors.

"If you use our magic against them, you'll just play into Weselton's hands." It didn't matter which Weselton.

Elsa tugged her arm free. "I should just let my kingdom fall under attack?!"

He felt the blood drain from his face as he shook his head.

"I won't harm them unless I have to," Elsa said as a freezing wind blasted the balcony doors open.

Kristoff shivered, watching the woman he might love rush out bravely to meet the attack. Snowflakes kissed the footprints she left behind.

When the blizzard turned brutal, Anna knew she had to be close. It turned out she was right, even if it felt like hours later that she spotted the dark shape on the ground – the Ice Maiden's fortress.

This was it. She could turn back or descend; those were the only options, for every second was precious. Every second was also against her.

Anna let out a long sigh and mustered up her courage before she lifted both reins to guide the snowmount toward the ground.

When the reindeer landed, Anna mumbled, "The things I do for Hans," as she dismounted, though she said it with a smile on her face, trying to keep her spirits up and her fear at bay. She pulled the reins to the front of the snowmount, turning left and in a circle before it hit her that there was nothing but tundra all around and so nothing to tie the snowmount to.

Anna breathed through her teeth and glanced back at the animal. Was it an animal? Did it count?

"Look," she said, growing unnerved as the creature did not even blink at her. She supposed it wouldn't need to blink. Could it see? Could it hear? Was there any point in her giving it instructions? Hopeful that Kirsten had designed it that way to be as helpful as possible to Anna, she continued. "I need you to stay here. Don't walk off... because otherwise, I'll have no escape back to Arendelle..."

The snowmount continued to just stare at her. Anna scowled.

"Gee, you're somehow creepier than Olaf was when I first met him. ...oh God. I'm talking to a reindeer..." She shuddered and inched away from the creature. "I gotta go. Stay...here."

As she turned, Anna heard a loud groan of ice and metal and saw as the castle doors opened. A figure stepped out and walked toward her.

Anna steeled herself, wary at first. But as the person drew closer, Anna recognized him.

Hans.

Her face lit up as she ran to meet him. It almost seemed too perfect, her coming here to his rescue, him walking out of the Ice Maiden's fortress. Perhaps he'd broken the spell himself?

But Anna knew that was wishful thinking as soon as she could see his face. She threw her arms around him anyway.

"So glad you're all right. I..."

He didn't push her away. He didn't return the hug. He just stood there, still as a statue. Worried, Anna pulled away and looked up. "Hans?"

"Her Majesty invites you to enter her fortress," he said blankly. "Please follow me."

He started to turn back toward the castle when Anna put her hand on his arm.

"Hans... you know me, right?"

He nodded, but that was it. He radiated cool indifference. She knew it was the effect of the Ice Maiden, but it hurt. It took her back to that time in the library. He was cruel then. That hurt too. But this? This was a different kind of heartbreak.

Again, he began to turn away. She took her chances and squeezed his arm to hold him still, jumping up to press her lips to his. They felt cold, hard and chapped. Mostly, they felt unresponsive. Still, if the Ice Maiden could cast a spell with her kiss, perhaps Anna's kiss could break it. But as she lifted her lips away and looked up into his eyes, she saw for herself the kiss hadn't worked.

Hans looked puzzled for a moment. But then he slid right back into guiding her toward the fortress.

"This way, please."

Anna followed silently, each step making her want to cry.

She'd done it. She'd kissed Hans. And their first kiss, her first kiss, had meant nothing.

It wasn't that Queen Elsa was fearless. If she were to be honest, she was terrified. But seeing the snow angel go up in flame and smoke had woken Elsa up. All her life, she'd been so passive. She could only blame the accident with Anna for so much. She'd let her relationship with her sister deteriorate. She'd let the nobles tell her what to do. She'd let the Ice Maiden turn one of her dearest friends into an ice sculpture. What was the damn point in having power if she acted powerless?

No more.

She stopped far enough away to avoid Gyda's fate, glaring at the incoming ships. They cut through the water like a swarm from a hive. Her eyes darted from row to row, frantically thinking of the quickest way to stop them all without hurting any of them. They were reacting to the duke's letter full of lies, after all.

She frowned and lowered her hands as she concentrated on the fjord below her. She didn't need to summon a blizzard to stop these ships. A chain of icebergs would work just as well. She focused on building the masses of ice underwater, shaping them so their narrowest surfaces floated up and up. The captains barked out orders which she could not hear, but she didn't need to. She watched the ships gradually stop or turn to avoid hitting the bergs, much to Elsa's relief.

But it wasn't over yet. She waited, hovering in one place high over the lead ship. At first, she didn't know what to do. If she lowered herself, they might just attack. If she turned back to the palace, they might camp outside the chain of icebergs and wait her out. Sooner or later, that would become a problem.

She itched with impatience and squinted at men on the lead ship moving to communicate with nearby ships. From her height, they looked like tiny insects.

If only she could get closer to overhear their shouts. But she didn't quite trust them. Minutes went by before anything happened, but what did was unbelievable.

Elsa gasped to see the lead ship raise a white flag high for her to see. Her demonstration of power had worked. They'd seen she was no force to trifle with.

She tucked her chin and made a graceful dive toward the fleet. As she braced herself for the most difficult conversation of her reign thus far, she couldn't help but wonder if Anna would be proud of her. But her sister's safe return was a venture for another day.

Smoke erupted from a ship in the second line. Elsa faltered mid-air and froze, staring at an object flying straight for her as she heard the canons roar.

Anna wondered if she'd been wrong about Hans... or maybe she was just wrong about being able to save him. Could she save him if he didn't want to be saved?

She stared at his back. His navy suit from the ball was now replaced with black breeches tucked around a white long-sleeved shirt, which revealed enough of his clavicles for her to notice, and black boots. The outfit hardly looked like it would keep him warm, and yet Hans didn't shiver.

Hans led her across a lonely hall made of ice. Anna was thankful for her winter boots. If not for them, she was sure she would have slipped on entry and skidded screaming into one of the many floor-to-ceiling pillars that lined the hall. It would have made an embarrassing scene in the middle of a rather tense moment.

Her body began to shake with cold. She gulped and tried to focus her on her body warmth as a warm pit in the middle of her stomach, refusing to acknowledge the pit as nervousness. She couldn't exactly afford nervousness at the moment.

"Aren't you c-cold?" she called to Hans.

She thought she heard him scoff, but he made no real reply. Instead, he stopped at a pair of double doors at the end of the hall and gently pushed them open.

Anna only noticed how silent the fortress was at that precise moment due to the loud groan of the doors, which sounded as though they were hardly used. She gulped again, hugging her arms around herself as Hans gestured for her to follow him inside the next room, which too turned out to be a hall.

Immediately, Anna looked at the throne on a dais at the far side of the room. But the floor between her and the throne was made up of an odd, silver pond at the center of the floor.

No, not a pond. The mirror.

Anna's fingers twitched, her eyes scanning the mirror from top to bottom. There were only a few dark holes; these were missing pieces. She held back a sigh of relief. So, the Ice Maiden hadn't completed the mirror yet.

Well, Hans hadn't completed the mirror yet.

She watched him kneel carefully by the lower left corner of his project, staring into it as intently as Narcissus.

"What is this man to you?"

Anna whipped around with a humiliating squeak as the Ice Maiden's voice behind her startled the life out of her. She took a couple of steps back, almost falling over Hans on the floor, but she steadied herself just in time.

"He was my fiancé."

She may have put emphasis on the term, but it was the truth.

"Was?"

Anna cringed just a bit. Then, she puffed out her chest and glared up at the frigid being before her.

"My understanding is that you had a hand in that."

The Ice Maiden narrowed her eyes, clearly not understanding. For a moment, Anna had forgotten she was speaking to a past version of the woman. This Ice Maiden was not the one who had kissed Hans as a boy... yet.

Time travel was getting to be extremely confusing.

"Why did you bring him here?" Anna snapped.

The Ice Maiden giggled. It was a hollow sound that made Anna's skin crawl.

"Why did you follow?"

"Because I love him," Anna bit back without missing a beat. Then, she bit her lip, wanting with every fiber of herself to turn and see Hans's reaction. But she knew better. He was under the damn spell.

"Love? I loved once."

The Ice Maiden looked off to the side and contemplated. She stared at nothing, her gaze piercing no particular point in her hall as she stayed quiet like Anna wasn't even there.

"Erm, that's nice, but... what do you want with Hans?"

Could she ask so directly like that? Would the Ice Maiden even answer?

"I needed a helper," the witch answered simply. "But now things have gotten more interesting." She looked down. "Hans? That's your name, right? Let's show your former fiancée how love tears up the heart."

Anna felt a shiver run up her spine as she heard Hans stand behind her. His hand suddenly snatched her by the wrist and whirled her around to face him. She cried out as his fingers dug into her skin. He drew her wrist behind her back, his arm around her body tugging her toward him as his other hand held a shard of broken glass toward her chest.

"Hans—n-no!" Anna yelped and struggled to back away from him, though he held her in place and stared down at her, his eyes icy, empty. "P-please. Wake up! It's me. Anna. Even if you never loved me, you said so yourself. You've nothing to gain from hurting me anymore..."

"You're mistaken. He wants to please me, so he'll do what I say. He can't help it."

Anna felt fear and anger wrestle within her and for just a moment, the anger won.

"Why are you doing this?!"

"Because I saw the way you looked at each other and it made me ill. It doesn't last anyway, you know. I'm doing you a favor... a favor."

Anna grabbed at Hans's hand holding the jagged mirror piece, which eerily resembled a small knife. Their hands shook as they struggled to push toward each other, Anna fighting for her life, Hans fighting to stab the sharp edge into Anna's chest. Behind them, the Ice Maiden murmured and repeated herself, seemingly haunted. Anna used the moment of distraction to her advantage and dug her fingernails into Hans's knuckles.

"Look at me," she whispered to him.

Hans's eyes flickered from the mirror fragment to her face. For a split second, he looked startled. She felt his hand nearly jerk back, but she kept her hold on it and stared up at him, eye to eye. His pupils grew as he gazed back at her. She saw a dozen messages in those eyes.

Help.

I'm sorry.

What am I doing?

Stop me.

Anna.

Where are we?

Why am I doing this?

A part of her knew she made all of them up. She'd never been able to get into Hans's head. Never. But the very least she could do was to let him into hers in case she wasn't able to stop him. And so, she smiled at him, blinking once, slowly, as she felt a single thought with all her heart and directed it to him through her gaze.

Hans blinked back and looked over her shoulder.

"I... want you to kiss me while I do this."

Anna tensed. What did he just say? He wanted WHAT?

Then her brow furrowed. Hans didn't know. Hans didn't know what the third kiss would do to him.

"Y-you can't!" she hissed.

But Hans ignored her and spun her back toward the Ice Maiden, the movement startling her enough to make her lose her grip on his hand as he asked a second time. "Will you kiss me?"

The request dragged the Ice Maiden out of her troubled thoughts. Her lips twitched, though she couldn't quite manage a smile as she stepped forward, closing the distance between herself and Anna, with Hans at Anna's back.

Anna's head swam with nausea as she looked down to see his hand still holding the glass point to her chest. She shivered as the Ice Maiden looked over the two of them, looking positively intrigued by Hans's morbid suggestion.

"He can't," Anna yelled into the Ice Maiden's face. "You've already kissed him twice. It'll kill him!"

The Ice Maiden did not bat an eye.

"Why should I believe you?"

Anna wanted to curse everything then. The trolls, the mirror, the Ice Maiden, stupid Hans and stupid time travel.

"She's just jealous," Hans murmured, his breath warm on Anna's ear. She jerked and shivered, hating her reaction to his voice when he was using it to be cruel.

It hurt. Even if he couldn't control himself, it hurt.

"Let this be a lesson in love to you," the Ice Maiden cooed to Anna as she leaned in toward Anna's left shoulder.

Anna shut her eyes and thought of Elsa. She wanted to be brave and fight them both off, but Hans's hold on her wrist was too tight. She trembled violently, anticipating piercing pain at any second. But the pain never came.

"Ah," was all she heard.

Anna opened her eyes. There was no pain. She was all right. Unless pain would come later.

She looked down... to find the mirror shard embedded deep in the Ice Maiden's chest. She only had time to gasp before Hans pulled her aside to safety while the Ice Maiden let out a pitiful, growling moan which grew into a screeching wail.

Black blood pooled from the Ice Maiden's pale chest, dribbling down her dress and staining the glass shard stuck to her. She drew her hands up to grab for the mirror shard, shrieking and jerking her hands away immediately after she touched it.

Anna looked from Hans to the Ice Maiden and back, her mouth opening and closing in frightened bewilderment as the two of them watched the Ice Maiden hunch over, writhing as she dropped to the icy floor. She tilted her head up and reached out for the two of them.

In that instant, Anna looked into the maiden's eyes and felt immense pity for her. She almost moved to grab her hand, but Hans's arm around her held her back.

The screams grew louder as the Ice Maiden started to claw at herself, scratching. Her fingernails dug deep gashes in her arms, her neck and face as she scratched at some invisible thing itching at her. At this point, Anna had to look away. She buried her face in Hans's chest and shook with fright at the relentless shrieking behind her.

Then, abruptly, it stopped. There was a single clatter of the mirror shard falling to the floor, which Anna saw as she peeked back over her shoulder.

The Ice Maiden was nowhere to be seen.

"Where-"

His hand cupped her chin and drew her face toward his. His lips were on hers so quickly and forcefully that she would have fallen back if not for his arm tight around her back.

Anna instinctively squealed into the kiss, feeling him chuckle warmth into her mouth. Her cheeks grew hot while her brain tried to catch up and process that he just kissed her. Then, she breathed him in before she relaxed and kissed back, her hands running up his arms until she could lay hers over his shoulders. She even leaned up on her toes to deepen their kiss. But just as she did so, he slowly pulled back.

"You thought I was going to kill you."

Anna's mouth dropped open. But then she glared, her brow twitching in annoyance.

"Well, you were sure acting like it. Pointy object held to my heart? Dead-killer-stare? No hesitation, might I add. I mean, it wouldn't be the first time you tried to k—"

"Oh, shut up already."

And just like that, he scooped her up for another kiss, his hands cradling the sides of her neck. Anna let herself melt just a little. Shouldn't they look around first to make sure the Ice Maiden was really gone? Nah.

Her fingers curled around his shirt as she felt his tongue prod her lips, trying to taste more of her. Her face grew so hot, she thought she'd burst if she didn't slow things down. And so, she was the one to pull away this time, more than a little smug about the disappointment on his face.

"Hans... I've got us a ride back to Arendelle, but it's got a time limit."

He raised his eyebrow at that.

"Seriously!"

Well, maybe she was being just a little bit evasive. She wasn't about to admit to it.

"All right..."

He squeezed his arm around her one last time before he let go. Then, his eyes drifted down to the floor.

"We can't just leave the mirror here."

Anna frowned. It was true, they couldn't leave it. Someone might find it eventually. The mirror wasn't evil, but it wasn't safe either.

"Right... But what should we do with it?"

A/N: Sorry for the delay! Rather than Anna saving Hans yet again, I sort of wanted him to save himself. Though the whole gaze-into-the-soul she gave him was meant to be what sort of broke the spell over him.

The Ice Maiden's motivations, both past and present, were always pretty bitter. It was never about Hans himself, but about seeing others happily in love. The future Ice Maiden was reminded of her former self when she met young Hans. That's why she wanted him as her companion. But then he went and met Anna, which sort of ruined her visions for the future. To top it all, Anna's a descendent of Mattheus and the woman he married. Her past self doesn't know that, but her past self knows love when she sees it. She also sensed somehow Hans had her 'mark' on him (the kiss) even though she doesn't recall kissing him. So with her past self, it was mostly intrigue and bitterness. Hopefully that makes sense...

The mirror was literally the only weapon that could be used against the Ice Maiden. Basically, the more she used her power from the mirror, the more she lost herself until there was nothing left but a nasty, bitter shell. She was immortal except against the mirror. Where did she go? I'll leave that up to your imagination. She's gone for good though.

Anyway, the last chapter and epilogue will wrap things up. Thank you very much for reading along!