Chapter 12:

Fireside Chats

"Listen, before we get in there," Hans said apprehensively, pushing Anna's chair down the long hallway towards the dining room, "I apologize in advance for whatever is said or whatever should happen at dinner."

"What kind of catastrophic events do you expect to occur?" Anna teased lightly, her eyebrow raised.

"My brothers can be…well… horrible, to put it bluntly."

"So I've heard," she grinned, crinkling her nose as she gazed up at him.

"I don't think you understand. I generally make it a rule to avoid them at all costs. Most of-" he paused, wincing a bit, "Okay, ALL of them like nothing more than to use me as a way to get out their pent up aggression. I can assume since you'll be in attendance tonight as an audience, it will be especially rough."

"W-wait, stop," she demanded. Hans halted, and Anna turned her whole body towards him, her eyes confused and troubled. "Hans, why are we even doing this if you hate it so much?" Hans sighed, shrugging a bit.

"Well, Elias requested you come to a dinner when you felt well enough and I felt like it could be a nice time…for you at least. Being around new people, getting a real meal with real conversation," he sputtered off. He faltered, the answer becoming a little clearer the more he mulled on it. He shrugged again, his face becoming quite somber. "To be honest, I probably deserve to be at the mercy of my brothers in front of you." Anna's face fell into a look of astonishment.

"Is that who you think I am? Someone who wants to see someone, even someone like you, get mistreated as a means of punishment?" Anna asked, aghast. Hans could tell she was offended by his generalization of her, which he definitely hadn't intended on.

"Well, I can't say I know you particularly well, Anna. But if I were you, I'd probably relish the opportunity…especially after everything that happened in Arendelle."

"I can assure you, I wish you no more anguish than you've already had to experience in this family, no matter what happened in Arendelle," she said, her tone still slightly offended.

"Then why are you even here? Is it not to get to witness my sentencing? To help paint a picture of me as the monster I am?" Hans asked, becoming a bit more heated than before. Now that he thought about it, he realized that her presence here was only aiding in his demise, yet she was offering her friendship.

"I'm here so people can hear the truth," she replied, finally a bit more calmly, "so that your trial is a fair one." She opened her mouth to say more, but decided against it and turned forward in her chair. Hans sighed, deeply, regretting getting so worked up.

"Look, I'm sorry. I just…I just don't understand this. I don't understand why you chose to come here, o-or why you wanted me, of all people, to be your servant. Why you insist on getting to know me… And I definitely do not understand why you are being so kind to me," Hans finally confessed. He knew, no matter how kind she tried to be, that Anna owed nothing to him. Especially kindness and understanding, which was more than baffling to him, to say the least. And how could she go from trying to befriend him to testifying against him at his trial? She turned to him once more, her face serious, her eyes intense.

"I am kind to you because I fear that the monster you were in Arendelle was the result of one too many people being unkind." Anna paused, placing her hand on his, sympathetically. "Notice I said 'were,' because I don't think that's all you are, Hans. I think you made some awful choices, and I do think you should be punished accordingly and fairly… but I also believe in second chances." Hans stared at her, taken aback by her candor; he appreciated it, more than she knew, and more than he had the guts to say to her right then and there. She smiled a bit, turning forward again. "Now then. Let's eat."

Hans didn't say any more on the topic, he simply continued onward towards the dining hall, although his mind was loudly buzzing. They approached the doors and a servant opened it for them. Hans paused, coming around to the front of the chair. He extended his hand outward towards Anna, not unlike the moment he met her, when they were merely two lovely strangers, a bout of carelessness and a hand outstretched to help a damsel in distress.

"Shall we?" he asked. Anna smirked shyly, hesitantly letting him take her hand in his as he helped her up and out of her chair. Hans brought her to his side and linked arms with her. "You can lean on me if you're feeling too weak," he offered quietly, looking into her eyes. She nodded wordlessly and the two of them walked into the dining hall together.

The table was dressed for dinner, the candled chandelier looming above the table and letting off a lovely glow. Beautiful faces peered back at them, many already starting to eat their meals, some already wine-drunk. Anna couldn't help how vastly similar the strangers looked, but darker and broader than Hans himself.

"Ah, Hans! Am I to presume that you get to take a break from serving us to actually join us for dinner tonight?" A portly and bearded prince with hazel eyes, Prince Tomas, slurred from his seat. He was swirling his cup of red wine haphazardly, almost spilling it. Hans ignored his inebriated brother, studying the faces of the seven that happened to be in attendance: tonight was Elias, Frederick, Tomas, Christian, Isaak, Mathias and Sedak. Hans was anxious now; suddenly, he'd forgotten why on earth he'd thought that bringing Anna to dinner with his awful, embarrassing brothers was a good idea.

They watched the two enter the room further, studying them, making silent judgments. Elias was seated at the head of the grand, oak table next to his beautiful wife, Queen Giana, an overzealous smile plastered across his face.

"Princess Anna, we are so pleased you are feeling well enough to join us tonight," he greeted warmly, in a tone Hans had never heard him take, not even with his own wife. Elias was soon standing from his seat and bowing. Anna, who was clearly not particularly used to more formal occasions such as dining in another kingdom, curtseyed nervously.

"Oh, th-thanks," she stammered, awkwardly. Hans walked towards a chair, pulling it out for the princess and gesturing for her to sit. Anna hurried, albeit still quite weakly, towards the seat. She made fleeting eye contact with Hans and thanked him quietly before settling in. Hans took the seat beside her.

The table was impeccably decorated with lavish, gold-plated dishes and silverware. The meal itself, however, was more than enticing, especially for Anna, who hadn't had a decent, solid meal since Arendelle. She picked up her napkin and draped it across her lap, both she and Hans trying desperately to pretend not to notice the deafening, awkward silence they sat in with everyone's watching eyes.

"Are you enjoying your stay?" King Elias finally asked Anna politely, taking a sip of his wine. Hans reached forward and took a huge swig of his, hoping to mute his nagging uneasiness.

"I am. I was lucky enough to get to tour the castle today, thanks to Hans," she nodded happily, the nervousness beginning to dissipate. "I am afraid I am still not feeling quite like myself yet, though…"

"Well, I must say that you look radiantly beautiful, nonetheless, Princess Anna," Isaak said smoothly from across the table. Anna's cheeks pinkened, a goofy smile breaking across her lips as she glanced back at Isaak, a bit starry-eyed. Hans shot a glare quickly in his older brother's direction, who winked in return with his one good eye. Although Hans was smugly amused to see the prince sporting a nice black eye, he still felt his face begin to flush, his ears growing hot.

Yes, this was a terrible idea.

"Aaaanyways," Hans said, hoping someone would choose to change the subject, and fast. He took another gulp from his wineglass, wincing at the bitterness but choking it down.

"Princess, are the accommodations to your liking?" Elias asked, earnestly. "We hope you are comfortable during your stay…"

"Yeah, any troubles with Hansy, here?" Christian interceded, just as intoxicated as his identical twin brother, Tomas, beside him. "Cause we know how to take care of him if there are any problems," he added, helpfully. Anna giggled a bit, glancing at Hans and taking in his uncomfortable, nervous squirming.

"No, thank you, but Hans has been nothing short of accommodating and hospitable during my stay." Hans reached forward for his cup again, bringing it to his lips and tipping it back, finishing off the wine quickly. His nerves where jangling, his right leg bouncing up and down anxiously. He just hoped they could get through this as quickly and painlessly as possible. His regret for bringing Anna to dinner was endless at this point.

"Tell us about Arendelle, won't you Princess Anna?" Frederick inquired, politely. Anna's face lit up, finally something she could jabber about. "I've only read about it, never visited, myself."

"Oh, it's wonderful," she gushed, clasping her hands together, excitedly. "I'd say it's the best place in the world…n-not that The Southern Isles isn't the best place in the world, it-it's just that I guess I am a little bit biased…" she rambled, then paused, took a deep breath. "But it's beautiful, and the people are amazing. Elsa and I just love it," she concluded.

"Oh yes, Queen Elsa…" Sedak acknowledged darkly from his corner of the table, pushing his food around his plate and hiding behind his hard, scraggly hair. "What is it like to have a sister with ice powers?" Anna's face fell a bit; she hadn't realized that word of her sisters capabilities had reached so far, but then again with the Arendelle fiasco a few months ago, it was sure to be the biggest news in the Isle Kingdoms.

"Um…it's interesting, that's for sure," Anna said uncomfortably, trying to downplay the severity of it. Hans refilled his wineglass, already feeling a bit dizzy from the first.

"Must have been a terrifying situation, almost destroying her own kingdom," Elias said cryptically from the head of the table, his eyes burning into Hans as he spoke. "Why don't you tell us how that all happened? I'm sure everyone here would love to hear the story of how you and Hans met…I hear you two were briefly engaged, is that right?" Hans choked on his wine, trying his best to conceal a coughing fit but failing miserably. Anna turned towards him, worry in her eyes.

"Oh, my goodness…A-are you alright?" she asked, patting his back.

"Fine," Hans coughed out, still hacking quietly. He regained his composure and took a few deep breaths. "Surely we can talk about something less intrusive tonight, can we not?" he suggested.

"Oh, how silly of me, of course," Elias smiled wryly, his tone harboring a lack of sincerity that only Hans could pick up on. "I am sure we will all get to hear about it at your trail in a few weeks."

"W-weeks?" Hans said, his face whitening. "So…you, uh… you have selected a date, then?" Hans snatched up his fork, picking at his food nervously. He'd suddenly lost any appetite that he'd had before. He glanced up at Elias' dark smile and couldn't help but notice the pure, sheer enjoyment Elias was getting out of his torment.

"I have," Elias said coldly, clearing his throat and cradling his wine glass in his long fingers. "It will be in a four weeks, after Queen Elsa arrives, of course." Hans accidentally dropped his fork, crashing loudly upon his plate.

"Elsa is coming!?" Anna and Hans both said in unison, but in entirely different tones. Anna lit up instantly. Hans, on the other hand, felt his heart skip a beat, his stomach dropping at the mention of the ice queen's name. Elias smirked darkly, eyeing Hans from his seat.

"I sent word to Arendelle about Anna's illness and requested she come at once. I suspect she will be here in a matter of weeks." Elias took a bite of his roast beef, casually. He glanced back up at Hans who suddenly looked ill. "Is there a problem, Hans?"

"Uh, I-" Hans stammered. He suddenly felt a hand on his bouncing knee under the table, attempting to calm his jitters. He glanced over at Anna, who stared back at him sympathetically, her eyebrows melancholy but her smile comforting. In that one look, he knew Anna was aware of what was happening, she was a witness to what his brothers loved to do. He smiled faintly in return, took in a deep breath, feeling slightly more at ease. Without much thought, he grabbed a hold of her hand, and she gave it a gentle squeeze in response.

"Hans?" Elias repeated.

"No," Hans replied, never taking his eyes from Anna's. "No problem, your majesty," She nodded at Hans approvingly then turned, smiling out towards the rest of the table.

"Well, as excited as I am to see my sister, I really do hope you didn't worry her too badly. She doesn't do well with anxiety," Anna said coolly. Her eyes narrowed at the King, her tone slightly antagonistic, however, a smile remained on her face. "I would hate to see The Southern Isles suffer the same fiasco Arendelle did…I would think with your mild weather year round, your people would be less…prepared…to endure such a harsh storm," she mused, taking a bite off of her plate innocently. "There are some areas in Arendelle that are still being repaired," she added. Hans smirked, happy to see the King's smug face fall into a look of concern.

Bet he hadn't thought about that one.

"Well, I'm sure Hansy wouldn't mind trying to take care of it like last time," Isaak chimed, cruelly. Anna didn't smile anymore, as all she could do was picture that day, Hans with his arm outstretched, seconds away from ending Elsa's life.

All to impress these snarling jerks.

She resisted the urge to shudder. She simply turned towards the grinning prince, whom was obviously amused with himself.

"Prince Isaak, that's an awful injury, may I ask how you acquired it?" Anna asked stoically, picking up her cup of water and taking a small sip. Isaak looked at Hans, then back at her. Anna stared at Isaak with a knowing gleam in her eye. He looked back down at his food, defeated.

"I fell," he murmured, picking up his fork and immersing himself in his food, quietly.

Well, that shut him up.

"Hans, I am feeling quite tired, would you mind escorting me back to my bedroom chamber?" Anna announced, picking her napkin up off of her lap and tossing it upon the table. Hans glanced at her, slightly bewildered.

"Wh- uh… now?" he asked. Anna shot him a glance, one that spoke to volumes to him. This is your way out. "Uh, yeah. Okay," he agreed, hurrying to his feet and helping her to her own. She turned back towards the table, curtseying.

"Dinner was lovely," she said politely. "But if you will excuse me, I am afraid I feel ill," she said, although it was clear in her tone that she wasn't just referring to her mystery ailment, but their behavior in general. She turned on a heel, marching out of the dining room. Hans, feeling brave and slightly tipsy, bowed to his brothers and grabbed the remaining bottle of wine off the table. He then followed after Anna quickly without looking back, leaving a bewildered and speechless group of royals in their wake.

"If I could relive a memory over and over again, it would be watching Isaak's face when you asked him how he got that black eye," Hans laughed, slightly giddy from the wine, but also from watching Anna silence his brothers with her comebacks. They sat on the floor in front of a plush sofa in the crackling, flickering glow of the fireplace, back in the portrait room. Hans tipped the bottle of wine he'd stolen back, continuing to celebrate escaping the dastardly dinner.

"With family like yours, who needs enemies," Anna chuckled, reaching for the bottle herself and taking a swig. She winced, almost gagging. "Ugh! That's awful. This wine is certainly not as tolerable as champagne," she noted, coughing. Hans shrugged, uncaringly.

"It still gets the job done, that's all that matters," he said, snagging it back and taking another drink. She laughed quietly to herself. Hans couldn't help but notice how close they were sitting next to each other; he scooted over, slightly, suddenly feeling flush.

"So, your brothers are always like that to you?" she asked, shaking her head in disbelief. Hans turned to her, seriously.

"Anna, that was nothing. They are so much worse than that…what you observed was them on their best behavior, thinking they were getting one past you."

"Oh, no. I saw it. Frederick and Mathias were fine and the twins are obnoxious…but Sedak, Elias and Isaak? They are so…so…ugh!" she shuddered, her eyebrows angry.

"That bad, huh?" he smiled.

"I know Elias only sent for Elsa to hurt you," she said quietly. "But in turn, he only hurt her. Whether I am ill or not, I fear he worried her terribly, which was completely unnecessary." Hans propped his head up with his hand, leaning against the seat cushions of the sofa. He stared at Anna, the way she seemed to glow in the firelight.

"How are you feeling, anyways?" he asked lowly. She shrugged.

"Still pretty weak; it comes and goes. Sometimes I feel like I might be well, then I feel like I could sleep for days." She leaned back, stretched.

"Do you want me to take you back to your room, now?" he suggested. "You look pretty tired." She shook her head.

"No, I'm not ready to go to bed yet," she said through a yawn, leaning her head down on his shoulder, which surprised him. He let it rest there, took another drink off the bottle of wine. They sat in silence for a few moments, the raging flames popping and cracking in the fireplace as they watched the fire dance. Maybe it was the wine, maybe it was the warm fire, but Hans was pretty sure it was the weight of her head on her shoulder that made this moment feel…good.

"Anna?" he said.

"Hmm?" she replied.

"Thank you." Anna lifted her head, looking at him carefully.

"For?" she asked, but she already knew what he was going to say.

"For…for having my back tonight. You didn't have to do that, but I'm thankful that you did," he said, sheepishly. "I've never really had that, before. Not since…well… since my mother." Anna smiled weakly.

"I guess that's what friends are for," she said, nonchalantly.

"Friends," Hans breathed, chuckling under his breath. "Is that what we are?"

"It's better than the alternative," she shrugged.

"Lovers?" he blurted. He laughed, reddening as soon as he'd said it aloud. Anna tried her best to contain a smile at his response.

"Enemies," she corrected, shaking her head.

"Ah," he said, "I guess that would be the proper alternative to friends." He turned his body towards her, Anna did the same. "And since we are friends," he began, his eyes studying her. She stared back at him, her stomach feeling this distinct and sudden flutter.

"Yeah?" she whispered. He reached up, tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear, his fingertips grazing against her cheek carelessly as he pulled his hand back.

"I don't suspect you could tell me just what happened that night…in the barn…with your now-fiancé." Anna groaned, rolling her eyes and turning away from him.

"I already told you this; nothing happened with him…" She glanced at him through the corner of her eye, a sly smile appearing. "Well, that night, at least," she coyly added. Hans ignored the obvious dig.

"See, I want to believe you, but that shopkeeper told me that you and he stayed the night there, so…I guess I can only make assumptions," he said, his tone remaining light but the subject matter remained important to him. If there was one thing that definitely still nagged at him about Arendelle, it was what happened that night. It was the catalyst for him turning his back on her, his sense of betrayal, and he wanted to put it to rest once and for all. Perhaps if he didn't have an entire bottle of wine swimming in his stomach, he wouldn't have had the courage to ask, but he did and he wanted to know. "Come on, Anna…if you don't clarify I will forever assume that you gave him your virtue that very night," he teased, nudging her. Her eyes widened, her jaw dropping, offended.

"Don't you dare," she growled. Hans shrugged and raised his eyebrows. "Fine," she hissed at him, placing her hand to her forehead, exasperatedly. She took a deep breath. "I'd been searching for Elsa all night when I fell into a creek and soaked my dress. If that tavern hadn't been there, I most assuredly would have perished a horrible death, I might add," she said passionately, but Hans was unmoved by her attempt to garner pity. "Anyways, I went in and bought some dry clothes and boots when this big, handsome mountain man walked in-"

"Ugh, you can spare me the corny details," he groaned, tipping back the wine bottle again. Anna smirked, amused with herself.

"Anyways, he didn't have enough money to purchase his supplies, but he knew where the storm was coming from and how to get there. Unfortunately, he offended the shopkeeper and got thrown out, but I watched him and his reindeer named Sven-"

"Reindeer named Sven?" Hans scoffed, interjecting.

"Yes," Anna responded, trying finish her story, "I saw them go into the stable-"

"He has a reindeer named Sven?" Hans interrupted again. Clearly he found the situation laughable.

"What is so funny about that?" she asked flatly.

"It's…I don't know… it's a little weird," Hans said, shaking his head and laughing. "Was he raised by elves, too?"

"Trolls, actually," she corrected.

"What?"

"It's a long story. Anyways, let me finish! You wanted to hear this!"

"Continue," he approved. "But eventually we are discussing the trolls."

"So, I purchased his supplies after I saw him go into the stable and I followed him. I went in and demanded he take me up the North Mountain. And that shopkeeper is mistaken, we were only in that barn for a few moments, not all night," she clarified.

"Oh," Hans whispered.

"See? Maybe if you had just asked me before you left me on a floor to die we could have avoided that little misunderstanding," she laughed, snorting. Hans didn't laugh, he looked dazed, sorrowful even. "Isn't it great that we can laugh about this now?" she giggled, but she stopped when she realized Hans was still, his face unchanged. "Hans? You're not laughing," she added.

"I made a huge mistake," he said quietly. "I-I thought-" he stammered. All this time he'd truly felt slightly justified, and it was all for nothing.

"You thought wrong," Anna said curtly, sighing. "But, I guess that's all in the past. Nothing happened that night and my virtue remains in tact, thank you very much," she added huffily. Hans cocked at eyebrow, looking at her sideways.

"Is that so?" he grinned. She reddened instantly, deeply embarrassed for the unintentional confession.

"Y-why-uh…Kristoff and my virtue are none of your business, anyway!" she jabbered, completely flustered. Hans laughed.

"You're right, I apologize," he said, his tone less than sincere. "He's a lucky man," he added, after a moment. That time it was sincere, although he even surprised himself that it actually had escaped his lips. Anna took in a sharp breath, looking right at him.

"Well, you could've been a lucky man, too," she blurted, instantly regretting it. Hans went to speak, but closed his mouth instead. That one stung. Anna grabbed the bottle of wine and finishing off the last of it, wincing once more. She set the bottle down, staring into the flames, as if mesmerized. "He's not my fiancé," she said quietly. Hans glanced at her.

"What?"

"He asked," she said, a slight melancholy in her tone. She turned to him, her eyes full of sadness as she spoke. "But…I didn't give him an answer."

"What did you say? What did you do?" he asked, his eyes wide. She shook her head, shaking away the beginnings of tears.

"I…I…" she stammered, trying to find the right words. Hans sat his hand upon hers, softly. She glanced down at his hand on hers, swallowing hard. She looked at his waiting face. "I came here," she admitted.

"Why?" he asked, hanging on to some kind of strange hope that he didn't even realize he had. "Unfinished business?"

"I don't know," she whispered.

"Can I just… say something crazy?" Hans asked, staring deeply into her eyes. Anna felt her lips curl into a small, weak smile. She could hear her heat drumming in her chest.

"You know I love crazy," she responded, her voice tired.

"I kind of want to kiss you right now," Hans said, his face serious once more. He didn't even know where it came from. She laughed, pulling her hand back from underneath his.

"You've had too much wine," she suggested lightly, brushing off his advances. He smiled back, leaning his head back upon the sofa.

"You're probably right," he admitted, turning towards her once more. "I've had more than my fair share of wine tonight. But…" He reached up, taking Anna's face with his hand and gently turning it back towards him, "I assure you, before your stay is over here, I will give you that kiss I denied you in Arendelle," he guaranteed, his voice determined. Anna's heart skipped a beat, her breathing shallow as she stared into his intense, green eyes.

"I think… I'm ready to go to bed now," she said, almost inaudible. She stood on shaky, weak legs, helping Hans to his own feet. He wobbled a bit, the wine rushing straight to his head. He leaned on her slightly for support. "Ouch!" she yelped as he accidentally stepped on her foot.

"I'm sorry," he slurred. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm okay," she assured, watching him have a hard time finding his footing. "Here, sit," she commanded, leading him towards the wheelchair. She chuckled to herself as he fell back into the chair clumsily. "Jeeze, I thought you were supposed to be taking care of me," she laughed, rolling her eyes. She got behind him, using what was left of her strength to push him forward, grunting. "Hans?" she asked, realizing he was slumped over, almost completely passed out. "Hans, where is your room?" she asked, trying to shake him awake. An indistinguishable moan was his only response. She sighed, blowing a stray strand of hair from out of her face. "Okay…I guess we're having a slumber party," she said to herself, wheeling him out into the hallway.

Hans awoke, his head throbbing. His stomach growled, unsettled. He finally opened his eyes, his face down in a flurry of pillows. He groaned, realizing that the covers he was immersed in were not his own, but they were very familiar. He lifted his head to see a mess of strawberry blonde hair beside him, his arm carelessly draped across the mound that was dangerously close to him. He glanced down, relieved to see that both he and Anna were fully clothed, nestled under the covers.

Hans couldn't remember much of the night before, just that he'd overdone it with the wine, and that they'd shared a moment or two in front of a roaring fire. He reached over, lifting her mass of hair from her face, studying her peaceful expression. He looked at the gentle curve of her lips, her lips that smirked, even when as she slept. He felt a small smile creep upon his face then slowly fade as he realized that there was a good chance that this was the only time he would ever wake up beside her. That would have been a thought that didn't bother him too badly before, especially before last night. But now, something about that thought made him feel a sad sense of longing.

Hans slipped out of the bed, trying his best not to disturb the sleeping princess. He was grateful that she took care of him last night, but realized that it wouldn't be the best idea to be caught sleeping in Anna's chamber with her. He stood, taking a one more lingering moment to watch her sleep. He noticed his jacket, draped upon a sitting chair. He picked it up and made his way silently out of the bedroom.