Late night update! Got so excited... yay, awkwardness chapter! =)

Disclaimer: I do not own Disney or Frozen

The horse stomps worriedly amid the angry storm hissing around him. Hans had usually spoiled him in the Southern Isles and kept him in the nicest weather he could. His gloved hands caress the horse's long nose as he tries to hush it pressing his own nose up against its, "It's alright Sitron, it's only me!"

Elsa stands back a moment, to observe the strange relationship between man and his horse. Hans opens the gate of the stable, pulling on Sitron's harness to get him further into the wind and ready for travel. He pulls out a heavy coat fit for the horse, knitted with the Southern Isles crest, then he ties the saddle.

The Queen seems to have shrunk in fear next large horse, as if terrified by the animal. Hans stifles his laugh, "Queen Elsa, he's a good horse. Here, pet him."

Hans pulls Sitron's harness a bit to allow Elsa access to the horse's mane and cheeks. Her hands move timidly as she tries to reason her body to touch the horse. She had never been on top of one before. Any traveling had always been done in carriages or on ships... never on a horse.

"Hey, he can sense fear Elsa," Hans whispers in a joking tone, "just pet him and tell him what a good horse he is!" The Prince nudges closer to the horse who almost seems to smile in affection with the man next to him, "who's a good horsey? You are, yes you are!"

Elsa giggles slightly staring at the typically dignified man before her, "You talk to your horse like he's some sort of puppy... not a large... fast, trampling machine."

Hans raises his eyebrow at the handsomely tanned horse, "well... he is like a puppy," he turns back into the stables giving Elsa the reins without time for protest. The girl and the horse exchange awkward glances. Hans returns with something long and orange in his hands. A carrot, "come on Elsa, give Sitron a treat!" He smiles handing off the carrot.

Elsa wrings the vegetable between her hands before slowly offering it to the awaiting horse, "Here, horsey horsey..." She offers in a lackluster attitude.

Sitron looks at the reward for only a moment, in a snotty way, before gladly chomping down on the carrot in the girl's hands. Elsa tenses up and tries to steady herself as the horse licks her gloves. The carrot is gone, and with it a sigh of relief. A smile escapes her parting lips just as Sitron's long horse tongue comes to slobber down Elsa's cheek. She gasps in shock as Hans swats Sitron away from the obviously troubled Queen.

"Sorry, he was just giving you a kiss..."

"Giving me a kiss?" She shakes her head as she snatches Hans's offering handkerchief, "why would he do that?" She stares in disgust at the slobber adorning her regal attire.

"Just being friendly..." Hans looks up at the sky and sees the sun starting to part through, "we should probably go, Elsa. Who knows where this guy is..."

Elsa shakes her head, recovering from the incident as Hans helps her feet through the stirrups and onto the saddle, "We should ask the trolls for help. They'll be able to find him, and they'll know how to help Anna!"

Hans nods, "As you wish your majesty," the Prince coolly steps in and up over onto the horse with skill. Elsa blushes at the sound of being called a majesty, "Come on, Sitron! Hiyah!"

The horse begins to trample off with a quick speed not expected by that of Elsa, she instinctively clutches to Hans's waist as she closes her eyes, hiding herself deep into his large shoulders. Wait, what was she doing? She was the girl who ran away all on her own, she didn't need to act so helpless... and yet oddly... this horse was the most terrifying thing she had done in a long time.

Snow continues to flurry into the eyes of all the passengers, "Don't think you could ease up, could you Queen Elsa?"

"I can't control it! I've told you," she tries to shout over the heavy winds whipping past their heads. Elsa tries her best to once again redirect the snow, parting it as if it were water for the horse trying to stomp through it. Hans does his best to navigate the forested mountain while attempting Elsa's shaky directions.

They climb higher, to the middle valley, the snow is less violent up here, "so, who are these trolls anyways?"

"They've helped me control my powers in the past..." Elsa looks off into the distance and then down at her gloves, "I wish they'd just remove them."

Hans tries to look over his shoulder but is occupied with steering his horse, "Queen Elsa, don't say things like that... your powers might do great things for someone, someday... you never know." Sitron stops moving and decides to sit abruptly, in the snow, as if he's done moving.

"Why'd he stop?"

"You tired, Sitron?" Hans stands and stares at his horse, pulling out a canteen of water from the stable he had grabbed. Sitron opens his large mouth widely as Hans pours the water into it, "He just needs a quick rest..."

Elsa nods, suddenly feeling awkward around the Prince in the middle of the woods by themselves. He was cute, Elsa couldn't deny that. His sideburns added a certain charisma to him that was unstoppable. And his personality was charming in almost every way. He was Mr. Perfect. And he was also Anna's fiance. Elsa shakes her head a moment, clearing it of thoughts.

"I wish I had summer powers... like I could make fires or something, that'd come more in handy than snow," she tries to joke in the silence of the mountain.

Hans nods at her awkwardly, "Yea." Hans turns away and presses his hands up against one another. Sitron sneezes, Elsa stares over at the horse and merely shrugs... but Hans knows he's laughing at him. He rolls his eyes at the four legged creature and shakes away from him.

"You're really smart for your age, Hans, you always know what to say," Elsa stands trying to once again awkwardly make conversation.

Hans turns to face her in order to be polite, "Well I did attend private school until I was of age, I had to beg my father to let me do it, but I'm so glad I did. Learned about old kings, and kingdoms and sciences."

"My father had a private tutor for me in the castle," Elsa nods in understanding, "Anna would always rather play than learn. I mean she really didn't have to learn anyways, it's not like she was heir to the throne or anything."

Hans's eyebrow twitches a moment, "well, I wasn't really heir either... twelfth in line... but I'm still one of three that actually went on to learn something. Half of my brothers are just sitting in line while they've done nothing, it's -" he calms himself, being careful once more of what he reveals to the Queen, "I'm sorry." He quickly apologizes.

Elsa nods to herself, wanting to hit her own forehead. Why had she not remembered the poor guy had twelve brothers, hadn't Anna mentioned something about that?

"I think we should head out again now, and meet with these trolls," Hans suggests, nudging Sitron to his feet and then helping Elsa back into the saddle.

"Hans... when this is all over... I hope you marry, Anna," the confession comes randomly from the usually quiet Queen. She had been quite talkative around the Prince. She pushes a loose strand of her platinum hair behind her ear, "I mean, you're very sweet and clearly care for her, and you're clever," her eyebrows furrow as she breathes slowly, "don't be the monster they fear you are..."

Hans's eyes jolt around as the Queen leans further into him. He didn't have the heart to tell her the engagement was probably off. That this other guy would get to marry Anna. "You still remember that?" He asks trying to get his mind off of his major problems.

"Of course, it resonated with me... how did you know to say it?"

Hans stares at his gloved hands, his eyes flickering with memories that cause his body to tremble, "I-I just read the room..."

Thank you all very much for the reviews and comments! I am continuing like promised!

NarwhalWarlord - I'm glad you're enjoying the story, there's a possiblity for more dark themes later... but at the moment, it's pretty much just awkward romance scenes. ;) And the troll rock... I'm just going with the idea that they have magic. And magic trumps all right?! We'll just go with that. Thanks for the review!

LillyStoppable - Yay Helsa/Hansla it's an awesome ship! And of course there will be more Kristanna when they finally find Kristoff! Your review inspired this last chapter a lot, can you sense a little of the mood? Thanks for reading!

JavertinMinature - Thanks for the review! By the way... Javert as in Les Mis, Javert? Because if so, I approve! I'm glad I captured Olaf in the right air for you! Hahah, there will be more of him later, I promise! And the Hans comment... why not? =) Hahah, just having fun! I will def keep up with the writing for as long as I can the reviews and support help, so thanks!