Thanks to my readers who reviewed the last chapter! I appreciate your words of encouragement :) I find that I have a really hard time writing Anna and Kristoff, probably because they aren't as angsty : Oh well. Everyone, please take a few minutes to review, I love them! Time for more Helsa! 3 - marth
Anna wasn't sure if she would ever get used to seeing rocks rolling around and laughing, talking, living. Trolls were practically bed time story material, not your friend's parents. Even after spending a week in their presence, the thundering noise from their movement somewhat startled her. But they were cheery and accepting, so she made no complaints and joined Kristoff's side in his conversation with the older trolls.
"Anna, so good to see you looking as pink as usual. White hair didn't really suit you, dear," Bulda ribbed her and mussed her hair. The troll mother had been nothing but gracious and a tad overbearing since their arrival. Anna was just glad to be around people that talked to her and there were no doors to close, besides the one to Kristoff's tiny shack. He didn't stay with the trolls often anymore, so his abode was less than luxurious, but it was enough for privacy when it was required.
"And you're… looking especially rocky today!" she grinned awkwardly and glanced over to Kristoff. He flushed from her attention and cleared his throat.
"Where's Pabbie? I have hardly seen him all week." He stooped down to pat a troll child on the head. Sven was relaxing by a steam vent in the ground, younger trolls bouncing all around him.
Pabbie slowly made his way through the crowd of trolls to stand by Bulda. "Sorry, young ones. I'm old and slow, I might as well be gathering moss." He nodded slightly to Anna out of respect for her station. "It's good that you're here. I have been meaning to contact the queen, but I had no way of doing so." His eyes took on a worried look. "It seems that there have been disturbance coming from the North Mountain, though I'm not sure what could be surviving up there."
"North Mountain? That's where Elsa's castle is. Could something be living in there?" Anna piped up. Elsa had brought Olaf and that snow giant thing to life, it wouldn't be much work to make other things too, she thought. The princess' lips formed a thin line at the thought of her sister. She had hoped everything would turn out cleanly and happily, but it hadn't been that simple. The change from zero time with Elsa to almost unlimited access had been novel for a while. Unfortunately, Elsa was so busy being queen that she hardly had any time for fun things. Her bedroom door might be open now, but the door that led to her study was generally closed. Anna realized that she knew so little about Elsa, besides their shared love of chocolate. Her eyebrows formed a frustrated v. And after the vibrancy of her new friendship with Kristoff, spending time with Elsa was almost dull. They were nothing alike; Elsa was introverted and quiet while Anna was loud and rambunctious. The young woman shook her head and tried to concentrate on Pabbie's answer; dwelling on her thin relationship with her sister wasn't exactly fun.
The elder troll shook his head. "I do not know, but I'm hoping you two could go investigate. Most likely, it's nothing difficult, but it's dangerous to let that area go unmonitored. It's steeped in the Queen's magic, who knows what could have happened after she was taken away?"
Anna's eyes met Kristoff's; this could either be a great adventure, or they could both get seriously harmed.
"Let's go!" Anna exclaimed with a tiny jump and a breathless grin, her troubles forgotten.
Elsa stretched and yawned in a most unladylike way from behind the desk in her study. Books from the castle's library, notes from her staff, letters from other countries, and her father's journals surrounded her on every side of her desk. Her study had become her refuge and her prison. She had the peace and quiet her mind desired, but none of the company that her heart yearned for after years of denial. Bare hands swiftly released the braid that contained her lengthy hair as she tried to relax in the straight backed chair her father had used.
The week had gone by in a blur. Every day, more missives arrived from other countries, proposing trade, and marriage. Elsa scoured the trade letters, but tossed the marriage proposals. She hardly had time to herself, between running a kingdom and winning the trust of her people. A husband was the last thing she cared about.
Her citizens regarded her with respect and love, but she felt that despite how much they liked their newly crowned queen, they did not quite trust her ability to rule and act under pressure. And who would? The night of her coronation, she had had a mental breakdown and plunged the kingdom into icy turmoil. It was only thanks to Anna that the summer had been restored and no one had been seriously harmed thanks to her ineptitude. Spending time around her people and inviting them into the castle to discuss their woes helped, but the test of time was ongoing. Elsa briefly wished for Anna's personable attitude, but then massaged her temples to push her mind onto other thoughts.
Thankfully, the fragile economy of Arendelle had not been terribly affected by their brief winter. The kingdom had plenty of grain stores and preserves to feed the people despite their current lack of trade, not to mention the fjord full of fish. The harbor was full of ships flying her banners, but she needed ships from other countries, full of goods she had no access to. The friendly kingdom of Corona had been the most promising so far, but they were farther away than the Southern Isles. If this ..situation with Hans worked out, however, Elsa would never have to worry again.
The thought of the banished prince flooded her mind with a new wave of stress. Building a new council of advisers (Did the Duke of Weselton really leave all these gaps?), communicating with foreign dignitaries, and settling disputes among her people had kept her away from the man. And her busy schedule wasn't the only thing prhibiting her from visiting the dungeons. Spending time with Hans wasn't very high on her list of things she enjoyed. Elsa had kept constant tabs on him from a far, through Grethe mostly. He still did not speak much, his wound was still refusing to heal, and no one ever saw his hands. She had also needed time for her research on curses and the magic that accompanied them. The young queen had a hunch that she would be able to help Hans with more than controlling his magic, but she wasn't completely sure. There was no other way to find out than to try, though.
The queen shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. She knew better than anyone that concealing one's emotions was not the best way to control the magic. Knowing that there was someone suffering just as much as she had, even if it was Hans, made her feel sick to her stomach. With a defeated sigh, she pulled her fingers through her hair and renewed her braid. With leaden feet she stood and made her way to the dungeons.
Hans was counting the stones in the ceiling for the thirtieth time when the queen entered his room. Her eyes darted around the room with mild confusion before settling on him. Judging from her startled look, it was just as he had suspected; the woman who brought the food had not mentioned to the queen that she had been making him a tad more comfortable. He had been upgraded to a straw mattress with a thicker blanket, a roughly woven rug on the floor, two more sets of laundered clothing, a few candles, and books about Arendelle. He had read them all three times each, and he would wager he knew more about her country's history than she did. However, he kept his mouth closed and simply stood, bowing slightly and muttering, "Your majesty."
"Did Grethe do this? She could have least said something to me about it," Elsa said as she examined the books on his table. Hans said nothing, but instead thought back to his second encounter with the old woman. She had chipped him down from the wall, cursing him for upsetting the queen. When he had started to develop a cold, she had increased his meal portions and even brought him medicine. She was kind and stubborn, in a motherly way. Not that he had much of a mother to compare her to. The former prince halted his thoughts abruptly and voided his mind of all emotion, and instead focused on the queen.
She coughed gently before speaking. "It doesn't matter. Today's lesson will be conducted here." The queen took her place against the table and fixed her royal blue eyes to his. "You must learn to accept your emotions as they are, not conceal them. Once you find the root of your problems, you can solve them and be at peace with your mind. If anger and fear are influencing your fire, then you have to determine why you are angry and afraid and fix the problem."
Hans fought a scowl. She made it sound so easy! Whenever his emotions rose to the surface, it was totally uncontrollable at that point. The flames seemed to just appear and engulf his hands, and with every spike of feeling, the flames grew as well. "There are many things that I happen to be upset about, it would be impossible to solve them all." He sat down on the bed with a hint of disappointment. Fighting his emotions was exhausting, and for some reason it seemed to be even more difficult around her. He wanted her help and tutelage, but he was scared of losing control.
Elsa's lips quirked into a sort of frown and she slowly made her way to sit beside him. "I know that at times our emotions are overwhelming. But you have to," she pierced him with her gaze; "let it go."
His face crumpled and he stared down at his hands. Elsa sighed and gingerly enveloped them with her own. Hans jerked back up to look at her, a puzzled look on his face. He knew she could feel them begin to heat and he tried to pull away, but she held fast. "Right this minute, more than anything else, what is upsetting you?" she asked quietly.
A long breath escaped him and his hands shook; heat was radiating in waves from them now. "I'm worried that you'll decide I'm not worth your time and that you'll turn me away and I'll be stuck with this unstoppable, horrible curse forever. I will truly be a monster and it's my own fault and there's nothing I can do about it." His fingers were now encased in flame. He noticed that Elsa's own hands were protected with a layer of ice that was refusing to melt.
"Well, don't worry about that anymore," the queen started slowly. Her hands clenched around his, the ice starting to melt and drip into the flames, reducing them. "I know what you're going through, and this curse is punishment enough for your crimes. I won't turn you away. I may not like you very much," she said teasingly, "but I won't let you suffer like I did. No one deserves that."
The gentle kindness that saturated her words rang like a bell in his mind, and Hans felt the tension in his brow release. His eyes darted down to his hands to ensure he wasn't harming her. At this point the flames were entirely gone, and his hands were starting to chill. Hans nearly gasped in surprise, and was pleased to find that his mind was more at ease. One of his many internal battles had been won.
Elsa let out a sigh of relief when the flames finally dissipated. She looked up to see sparkling green eyes and a genuine happy smile gracing the young man's handsome face. A smile of her own took up residence on her lips, and she released his hands. "See? Now was that so bad?" she said quietly with a hint of pride.
Hans turned his eyes back to his hands in wonderment, a murmur of thanks passing through his lips. An idea suddenly came to her mind. "I think that you should help in the kitchens, to learn more about the nature of natural fire and your own. Grethe could always use a strong laborer. And it will give you time to practice your control while I'm busy with my duties." He nodded in agreement, his eyes locked on his hands still. The young queen worried her lip as she thought about what she was on the verge of telling him.
"I have good news for you, although it might not be the best news." His eyes connected with hers once again. "I think I've determined how to heal the burn on your chest. It's from your own fire, if I'm not mistaken?"
The exiled prince grimaced. "That's correct. When I was first cursed, I was scared, and confused. I lashed out at the imp, and in my rage, it backfired on me." He lifted the gray linen shirt he had on and revealed the bandages that Dr. Haugen had reapplied. "It doesn't burn me anymore though." Slowly he peeled away the white strips of fabric that collected the pus and blood weeping from the wound; it was just as angry looking as ever. And there, in the center of the burn, was a patch of healed skin in the faint shape of a hand print. "That's where you struck me," Hans mused, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Yes. I believe that my magic can counteract yours, which means that it should heal you." Elsa explained. Hans flinched.
"That had hurt, though. Like, really hurt. Worst pain of my life, hurt," he said as he studied his flesh.
Elsa studied as well. The burn reached all the way over his left shoulder down to the top of his right hip in a violent slash mark. "I thought so, considering the way you screamed."
Hans nearly glared at her. "I did not scream."
"You did."
"Men don't scream, women scream."
"That's beside the point," humor lacing her voice. "We can heal it a small amount at a time, since you'll probably be here for a while. Do you want to try a bit now?" she asked him seriously.
His expression darkened. "Just a bit, then."
Elsa took in a deep breath, and then lightly lifted her hand to hover over his shoulder. It took all her concentration to be as gentle as possible while controlling her power. The muscle in his jaw was stretched tight and his fists were practically destroying the blanket, and she hadn't even summoned her magic yet. For just a second, she coated her hand in a thick layer of glistening ice and clamped her hand onto the burned portion of his skin. Hans yelped in pain and jerked away from her like she had stabbed him. Elsa flinched backwards as well, then composed herself and inspected the skin she had touched. A few square inches of skin had turned pink and shiny and new.
Her eyes wide with astonishment, she finally released the breath she didn't realize she had been holding as Hans prodded the area. Somehow his eyes lit up with even more happiness than before, and Hans grabbed her small hands. "Elsa, thank-, I mean, your majesty, thank you so much!" he practically shouted as he kissed her knuckles with gratitude. Her cheeks flushed bright pink at the intimate touch, and she drew back her hands into her lap with as much grace as she could manage. Hans' smile dropped and his face grew as red as his hair. "Oh my, I-I'm so sorry, I just-"
"It's fine," Elsa assured him quietly, and his smile returned. A few minutes later, after she had left to speak with Grethe about her new apprentice, she realized that her own worries from earlier today were gone. She even felt a bit more joyful. Perhaps she should try and make more time for their lessons.