Hello readers! Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter :) Reviews are my life blood. Please keep them coming! I will continue to try and update every Monday, but my work schedule is always varied so it's sometimes hard to find time to write. For some reason this chapter was kind of grueling to write, and I'm not very happy with it. Okay, enough talk. Please enjoy!
Peeling potatoes was almost fun compared to sitting in the drafty dungeon for days on end, Hans mused. His hands were starchy and smudged with dirt, aching from holding the tiny knife for so long, but he was grateful for the freedom. Grethe had put him straight to work scrubbing and peeling the vegetables soon after Elsa had left the room.
Green eyes lost their focus as he thought about his relationship with the Snow Queen. She had actually managed to help him with subduing the inferno that raged inside of his heart. Hopefully he would eventually be able to command his magic as well as she, but he was still far from that point. His shoulder throbbed from where Elsa had touched it, but at least the cursed scar was retreating. She had seemed so happy that their lesson had succeeded, and didn't balk when he grabbed her hands like he thought she would. His lips formed a thin line as he cut a stubborn bruise from his current spud. If he was correct in his reading of her body language, she would open up to him soon. If he continued to make fast progress with her and with the curse, then he could collect what he was here for and be on his way. Deep in his own mind as he was, the exiled prince flinched when he heard a shrill voice call out to him and his thoughts flew apart.
"Hans! You're murdering that poor root! Come start this fire for me, hopefully that will keep you a bit more occupied," Grethe chastised him and gestured to the oven ready to be lit. A small smile fixed itself on his lips, and Hans moved to oblige the old woman.
"Your majesty, you have a missive from the kingdom of Corona," Kai bowed courteously and placed the thick envelope on the queen's desk. Elsa lifted it with apprehensive fingers and carefully opened it; this would either be an approval or denial. Her previous good mood was teetering on the edge of anxious as she quickly scanned the letter.
"Ah! They said yes! Oh, thank goodness, they said yes!" she exclaimed, relief flooding her body. The young woman slumped down in her chair for a single moment before straightening again and recomposing herself. Having a stable trade partner would relieve the bulk of her stress; now all that was left was reestablishing a relationship with Anna and her people, training Hans, running a kingdom. She mentally brushed aside her worries and allowed herself a small victory. Things were finally starting to look up. With a wave she dismissed her serving woman and smoothed her hair down. Pen and paper found its way into her hands and she began to immediately construct her positive response, elation lightening her words.
As soon as she was finished, Elsa tucked the letter inside her skirt pockets and began to make her way towards the kitchens. She needed to celebrate her happiness, and an extra fancy dessert was more than called for. Something chocolate, with cream and maybe wine, too. If only Anna was here, then she could tell her all about their new trade agreement, and the ambassador they could send to Corona. The moment as her mind strayed to Anna, she stopped and gripped the letter through the fabric of her pocket. She needed a way to send the letter, and what better way than to send Anna and Kristoff as ambassadors of Arendelle? That way, Elsa could stay and tend to the Hans situation and continue to build her repertoire with her people, and Anna could go on a safe little journey with her new boyfriend. If Kristoff was her boyfriend, that is. The queen mulled over the mental image of Kristoff and Anna together, feeling acutely how very alone she was now that Anna had found a more open companion. No! Today was a good day. Hans had cooperated, Corona was making agreements, and she hadn't felt overwhelmed at all. No, petty jealousy would not be very becoming, so she banished the thought.
Now all she needed was Anna to make her way back home so she could send her off on a more diplomatic journey. A twist of her hand brought Olaf into existence before her very eyes.
"Queen Elsa! I had almost made it back to the springs, too," Olaf pouted for a fraction of a second, before his well known grin made an appearance.
Elsa stifled a giggle. "Sorry about that, Olaf. I need you to deliver a message, and summoning you here was the fastest way to do so. Unfortunately I can't put you back on the mountain." She bent down to straighten his nose a bit as she spoke, and he chuckled appreciatively.
The diminutive snowman straightened himself and peered up at the queen innocently. "What can I do for you, your majesty?"
"Walk with me for a bit, and I'll explain," she said as she continued towards the kitchens. "I need Anna and Kristoff to come back to the castle; I want to send them on a diplomatic expedition."
Olaf nodded as she spoke and struggled to keep up on his stubby snow legs. The chill from his snow cloud felt quite pleasant as it brushed against Elsa's side; summer was pretty and all, but she preferred the cold. "The kingdom of Corona has agreed to establish a trade route with Arendelle, and I need them to present our acceptance letter. I need you to relay this message to them," she stopped in front of the entrance to the kitchens and turned to face him.
"Of course, Queen Elsa! It would be my honor!" the snowman proclaimed with a cheery voice and a goofy salute.
A small giggle made it past the queen's lips and she placed a light kiss on the snowman's brow. "Thank you, dear. Be safe on your journey up the mountain." She dismissed him and pushed her way into the kitchens, completely missing the look of shock and fear that crushed Olaf's smile as he saw briefly past her.
"Gracious, I forgot how big this place was," Anna panted as she climbed the remains of the icy staircase that led to Elsa's abandoned palace.
"I sure didn't. It's absolutely gorgeous," Kristoff could hardly contain his excitement at exploring the masterpiece once again. His mitten-ed hand practically caressed the frozen handrail. He had managed to form a primitive rope bridge across the portion that had been smashed, but they hadn't been able to brave it just yet. It was starting to get a bit dark outside, and they hadn't planned to leave for the palace until the next dawn, but Anna couldn't sit still and Sven needed to stretch his legs; living amongst the hot springs wasn't exactly spacious.
The castle rose up against the side of the mountain before them, beautiful to behold in the light of the setting sun. All was still and quiet, until a dull stomping sound broke the reverie. It appeared that there was something living in the ice palace, as uninviting as the habitat may be.
"It's too late to go inside and deal with whatever is hiding out in there now. I say we get some sleep and tackle this in the morning." The ice harvester didn't wait for a reply before turning around. "We can camp at the base of the staircase where it's a little safer, too. No point in leaving Sven all alone for the night."
Anna was about to argue, but a bitter gust of wind nearly blew her over and soon she was right behind Kristoff. They had almost made it to the bottom of the stairs when the wind struck again, and she lost her balance. A high pitched squeak was all that managed to escape before the two tumbled down in a tangled heap of limbs and snow.
Sven stood over them questioningly as Anna managed to extricate herself from Kristoff, her cheeks flushing from more than just the cold. She tugged at a braid as Kristoff busied himself with unloading the sled, muttering something about setting up camp. Physical contact had been a teensy bit awkward, ever since the kiss. Given that neither of them had had much human contact growing up, skin on skin and being close to each other was unfamiliar. It was nice, but totally uncharted territory. With a sigh, the princess comforted herself by nuzzling Sven, regretting that she had left her own horse with the trolls. As the sun finally set, Anna felt a tugging at her heart that she had never quite experienced before; homesickness.
But then, as quickly as her emotions had plummeted, warmth filled her heart as Kristoff pulled out his lute and shyly began to play. She relaxed into the reindeer and smiled. Surely things would be better in the morning.
"You really don't have to do this, you've given me much already, your majesty," Hans said quietly as he set down his fork. The queen had deemed it necessary to invite him to eat dinner with her, and she was positively beaming from across the table. They had mostly spoken about the Southern Isles, what goods were available for export, what might be the best way to approach Hans' aging father. She seemed to be happy to have someone to speak to at all, at least someone who could somewhat be considered an equal. Hans studied her expressions, trying to gauge what her real reasoning might be for allowing him this privilege.
Elsa let a smile grace her delicate features as she nodded to the serving girl, notifying her that it was time to bring dessert. "I wanted to. You may be a prisoner, but you need to feel more comfortable around here in order to fully grasp control of your emotions." She paused to take a sip of the warm red wine, a gift from some westerly kingdom from her coronation. "Besides, it's not like you're much of a threat anymore, and I could use the," her eyes twinkled for a split second, "intelligent company."
Ginger eyebrows rose, but Hans said nothing. It seemed like the queen was a bit tipsy, and was much more amiable than usual. He could certainly use her good mood to improve himself in her eyes. Gloved hands automatically folded in his lap as his plate was removed and replaced with a smaller dish of what looked like a chocolate and raspberry tart that was almost entirely chocolate. He cleared his throat just as she was about to lift a bite to her lips.
"Queen Elsa, I never did apologize for my actions. I have nothing but regret for how I tried to take advantage of you, your sister, your kingdom. I do not expect your forgiveness, but it is enough to have you know my true feelings." His smooth voice was full of remorse, his eyes pleading.
Elsa revealed nothing through her posture or face. It was almost like she had frozen for a moment, and was scrutinizing him. But then the tension in her body released and her eyes softened. "I am not the only one you must apologize to. Eventually you will have to answer to Anna, and my people. Just keep in mind," she played with her wine glass a bit, "actions speak louder than words. If you wish to prove that you are genuinely sorry, it will take a lot more than a simple apology." There was a finality in her words, and she closed her lips around the morsel perched on her fork.
"I completely understand. Thank you for your generosity and graciousness in this situation," he chose his words carefully.
Before he could say anything else, the queen drained her glass and stood. "Thank you for your company, but I must retire. I will try to see you for a lesson tomorrow, and a healing session if you are up to it." She studied the sweet left on her plate almost regretfully, then turned for the door from the dining room. "I'm certain Grethe could use your assistance in cleaning up, and will be more than capable of returning to your room." She murmured instructions to the serving girl who waited by the door, and then swept out of the room as only a queen can.
Dawn crept over the mountain, basking the snow in golden light. It took more than a few nudges to wake Anna, but finally her eyes opened to the blindingly bright sunlight. She stretched and yawned before taking a piece of hard bread and cheese from Kristoff, still half asleep. They had slept in the sled, surrounded by furs and separated by Kristoff's lute.
Everything had been stuffed back into its proper place, and soon they would begin the ascent to the castle. Loud thuds could be heard still, and it did nothing to calm Anna's nerves. She knew what she thought it was, and she certainly hoped she was wrong. As brave as she was, they were no match for Marshmallow when he was perturbed. Before they had gotten halfway up the staircase though, a squeaky voice could be heard yelling their names.
"Olaf?" Anna recognized the voice almost immediately. She turned to look down the staircase, where Sven was trying to play with the snowman.
"Anna, Kristoff! You have to go back to the castle! You have to go now!" he yelled, trying to fight his way past the energetic reindeer.
"What's wrong? Are you alright?" Kristoff asked, slightly annoyed by the prospect of having to go all the way back to Arendelle. He felt Anna stiffen with concern beside him, and he placed a tentative hand on her shoulder.
"Elsa! Queen Elsa is in trouble!" Olaf cried out. "Hans is in the castle, Hans is back!"
"Wait, what?" Anna's voice was starting to become shrill. Before she could question the snowman further, however, a chilling roar was heard from somewhere very close to them. She whipped her head back around to the direction of the castle, where a very grumpy Marshmallow stood at the entrance. The yelling had attracted the snow giant, and he was not pleased with his visitors. A frustrated V settled across her brow, and Anna started running down the staircase, Kristoff in tow. "We have to get back to my sister! Now!" Kristoff was silent as he urged on his reindeer, and Olaf babbled on about his latest encounter with the queen. Anna nervously chewed on the end of a braid, panic sitting on her chest like an anchor. It was all she could do to remind herself that as evil as Hans was, he was no match for Elsa, not in a million years.