So here is chapter two. Please leave reviews as to how you like the story's progression thus far. Reviews are very encouraging!
"You are either really brave, or very, very stupid to show your face around here, Hans," Elsa spat from between gritted teeth. "I should really just hand you over to the guards. I have every right and reason, too." She kept her boot pressed to his chest, weighing the pros and cons of punching him in her mind. Her hand absently replenished the ice surrounding his body, although his hands were no longer melting it. What was that about, anyways? She wondered, almost angrily.
Hans struggled to breathe with the ice sitting on his torso. He winced as he tried to speak softly. "Elsa, I promise, I mean you no harm. I-"
"Oh, sure, except for that time you tried to kill me, right?" Bitter sarcasm dripped from her remark. But even as she said it, she could see something in his eyes. Not remorse, but something more close to home. A feeling she was very familiar with. Fear.
She lifted her foot off of him but never once did her eyes leave his. "Start talking. This better be worth my time. And if it's not, you can be assured that you will be well acquainted with Arendelle's finest dungeons. Maybe even the one you put me in."
The young prince took in as deep of a breath as he could manage and started speaking. "M-my father, the king of the Southern Isles, he decided that my punishment for endangering our connection with Arendelle was," a ragged sigh escaped, "exile." Pleading eyes turned to Elsa. "I tried to argue why I shouldn't be sent away, but my brothers did not take well to the runt of the litter trying to elevate his station. They... escorted me out of my home. And not very carefully. I didn't know what to do, where to go. I don't have much family outside of the Southern Isles, so I just started riding." At this point, Hans looked weary, but he continued. "I was trying to find my way through the thick forests of the mainland, hoping I would find some village where I could start over. I accidentally ran into a malevolent imp. He told me that I would have the power to go conquer all if I gave him Sitron. I," he closed his eyes for a moment, and they glimmered with unshed tears when he opened them again. Hans' voice was softer now. "I gave him my best friend, and all I got in return was this curse. He disappeared before I could ask how to break the curse, he laughed and said 'A deal's a deal'. No matter what I do, no matter how I try to calm myself, my hands keep burning and it's terrifying, I don't know how to control it, Elsa, and I'm absolutely terrified."
He turned his face up to Elsa's and openly cried. "Please, Queen Elsa. I'm begging you. I know that you can control your magic, and I need your help in controlling this curse. I can't do this by myself, and you know that I would never have come back to Arendelle if I wasn't truly desperate."
The young queen was silent as she tried to process his story, tuning out the shouts that were slowly getting louder. The melted hollows around his fists showed his story to be true, about the curse at least. And she could always write to the king of the Southern Isles to determine if his banishment was true. The ginger prince made an awfully pathetic figure as he wept weakly against the ground. The uncomfortably familiar feeling of helplessness crept into her chest as she recognized his agony. He was going through what she had battled for years, and he had no one to help him. Not even his horse.
Her skirts rustled as she turned away from him and tried to reason with herself. If he attacked her, she could very easily defend herself. Plus, she would have time to break the news to Anna if he stayed. But, he was a liar, and a very good manipulator. He's not lying, though, she thought miserably. Housing her would-be murderer and usurper didn't seem like the brightest idea she had ever had, but with how pitiful he looked, she felt it was her only choice. How hypocritical would she be if she sent him away now, when he needed someone most? Anna had fiercely stuck by her side, and maybe Hans needed someone like that, someone who could change him into a good person.
The snow queen shook her head fiercely to dispel her rioting thoughts. She would help him learn to control his powers, and then send him away. Enough to make him indebted to Arendelle, but not enough to give him a hold in her kingdom. Anna probably wouldn't even find out, sparing her unnecessary worry. And it's not like he's stupid, he should learn quickly and then be out of my hair, Elsa noted mentally. If he worked well with her, she might even be able to convince him to talk his father into possible trade arrangements in the future. Taking a chance on the exiled prince was turning into a better and better idea. She made her decision and turned her eyes on the trapped man.
"Fine. I will try and help you with what I can, so long as you remain civil and loyal to me. In return, I will tell your father that you are forgiven in the eyes of Aredelle, and you will convince him to open trade routes with my country." Elsa felt so proud of her plan. Hans let out a shuddering breath of relief and let his eyes flutter closed. She slowly lifted the ice from his body, and added with a slight sneer, "But if you try anything, remember that I have much more control over my powers, and I will not hesitate to make you regret your entire life."
He stood and clenched his fists, shoving them into his pockets and looking to her expectantly. His clothing was dirty and tattered in places, definitely not the princely garb it had once been. "Now, let's find a place to keep you," Elsa said as she turned on her heel. She led him out of the gardens but kept him in her peripheral vision nonetheless. They made their way around a small creek until reaching a small, overgrown gate that led into the castle. Before she could open the door, the couple was confronted by a breathless guard.
"Your grace, please! This man is a dangerous fugitive, let me detain him!" he gasped out, taking a threatening pose.
"It's quite alright, Albin. I can handle him by myself. Prince Hans is an honored guest of ours," the queen said in low, soft tones. "However, I would be ever so grateful if we could keep his presence between us." The guard hesitated, then bowed and turned away to settle the rest of the search party. Elsa smiled and pushed through the entryway, with Hans in tow. They journeyed down a dark, slightly damp tunnel built with stone, sporadic torches lighting their way and casting distorted shadows against the walls. Hans felt a nauseating sense of deja vu coming over him as Elsa cheerfully directed him into a drafty room with high ceilings and few comforts.
"During your stay in my home," Elsa started acidly, "you will be allowed this room, right next to the very same dungeon that you put me in." She paced the edges of the room, avoiding his eyes. "You will eat meals here, sleep here, anytime you are not training with me, you will be here." The blonde felt a little bad for being so harsh, but then she remembered the wave of agony that crashed over her when he had lied about Anna's death. The memory almost made her retch, and it took all her calm to keep her from changing her mind. She glanced at his clothing once more, and started for the door. "I'll gather you some new garments. You will have to blend in a bit more to stay unharmed here.
Elsa whipped around and stalked towards him, bearing down on him with cold fury in her eyes. Hans flinched, his back against the wall. "You are not welcome here, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles. You tried to kill both me and my sister, and you manipulated and lied to all of my people. Don't even begin to think that you can relax here. I will be watching every move you make. And don't you dare go near my sister. No one here is fooled by your charm, least of all me. I am much more proficient with my magic than you are with yours, be certain of that." She straightened to her full regal height, let out a breath, and gracefully walked out, frosting the floor with every step.