Chapter 16:

The Queen's Arrival

"I'm afraid her condition is worsening," Dr. Roahl said quietly, somberly packing his stethoscope back into his doctor's bag. Hans, standing at the foot of the bed, felt his heart sink. He glanced from the doctor to the sleeping princess. She looked so peaceful that it was hard for him to imagine that she was even sick at all; had he not been spending so much time with her, he never would have guessed that Anna was even ill. She had been so positive and happy most of the time, her cheerful disposition remaining her most defining characteristic.

Elias stood towards the doorway, looking quite somber as well. Hans could only imagine he was worried that Elsa would have a meltdown if anything happened to her dearly beloved sister, not that the king had come to care for the princess. In the time since Anna had been in the Southern Isles, he'd seen the princess so few times that Hans could count the occurrences on one hand.

Edvard and Frederick were also in attendance. Edvard stood over the princess and prayed, his rosary in hand, while Frederick thumbed through a medical catalogue, curiously trying to figure out which illnesses matched Anna's symptoms.

"Do you know what it is?" Hans asked the doctor, feeling quite hopeless. How could a seemingly perfectly healthy princess fall into such disarray in such a short period of time? And why wasn't she getting any better? Dr. Roahl sighed, his shoulders heavy. He turned towards Hans and stood, straightening his vest.

"I am still uncertain, but I am going to assume she acquired the illness aboard the ship," he deduced, turning to place a cool rag across Anna's forehead. "More than likely, it was caused by something she ate or drank," he added.

"I am leaning towards Cholera or Typhus…" Frederick mumbled his unprofessional opinion from behind his book.

"That can't be, those are peasant illnesses!" King Elias declared, aghast, finally speaking up from the back of the room.

"Aren't those both highly contagious?" Prince Hans asked, skeptically.

"Surely Hans would have come down with the disease by now if it were contagious," Edvard spoke up, "he spends every waking moment with Princess Anna." The three brothers and the doctor all glanced over at Hans, eying him nervously.

"I feel fine, guys," he shrugged, sighing. He walked to Anna's bedside, taking her limp hand in his and kneeling down beside her. "How are we supposed to help her fight this if we don't even know what it is?" he said quietly.

"I have some homeopathic medicines I'd like to try, at least to help build her strength and break the fever. Her body seems to be fighting it off the best it can, but she needs to remain rested," he ordered, sternly.

"Do you hear that, Hans?" King Elias said darkly, knowingly. "That means no more joyrides around the castle in the wee hours of morning," he warned. Hans didn't look at his brother, just simply stroked Anna's beautiful, strawberry blonde hair with one hand and continued to cradle her hand with the other. Elias observed the moment, his eyes narrowing. "I would like a moment alone with Hans," the king ordered.

"I'll be back in a few hours with some medicine for the princess," Dr. Roahl promised. Edvard, Dr. Roahl and Frederick all quietly turned and left the room, leaving Hans alone with his eldest brother. Hans ignored Elias, picking the rag up from Anna's head to soak it in the bowl of cool water, gently wringing it out.

"What do you want?" Hans asked flatly, keeping his back towards the king. Elias slunk around to the other side of the bed, staring down at the sleeping princess.

"She really is quite beautiful, isn't she?" he asked lowly, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. Hans glowered at his brother as he lay the rag once more across Anna's forehead.

"What is your point?" he spat, suspiciously.

"You seem to have taken quite a liking to her," Elias observed. "I'm starting to suspect that this is hardly a punishment for you at all," he added. Hans shrugged as he brought the blankets to her chin. "You know it will all be over in a few days, don't you? There's no way Queen Elsa will ever agree to allowing her attempted murderer marry her sister," Elias reminded. "As I recall, she didn't even care much for you when you were a gentleman." Hans turned towards Elias, his eyes narrowed.

"Who said anything about marriage?" Hans snapped, becoming increasingly irritated with Elias' mind games. King Elias stood, towering a head taller than Prince Hans, menacingly.

"I've seen the way you look at her, Hans. I saw it at dinner, and I see it now in how you stroke her hair and sit by her side. You are simply setting yourself up for disappointment."

"What do you care?"

"Just don't say I didn't warn you," he cautioned, turning from the prince and walking towards the chamber door. "I will allow you to live in your fantasy a little longer. You'll need the memories to reflect upon when you're in those cold mines. Or at least to bring you comfort on that long walk to the gallows," he sneered, leaving the prince in the darkened silence.

Hans felt a pressure in his chest, a well of emotion beginning to boil just under the surface. Elias was right, what was he thinking allowing himself to fall in love with Anna? He thought about what Dr. Roahl had said and began to realize that there was a chance that Anna wouldn't pull through this, whatever it was. He also felt guilty for taking her out into the cold, just worsening her illness even more than it already had been. He tried his best to subdue the instinct to allow a sob to erupt from his chest, breathing deeply and trying to calm his anxious heart.

For a split second, he really did wish she'd never returned. That he didn't know how it felt to love Anna, or to love at all. She taught him how. She had taught him so much in the time he'd known her. He'd taught her bravery, loyalty, sacrifice. She'd taught him love and forgiveness, she'd taught him selflessness. Surely, her sole purpose wasn't to simply teach him of these things and then parish, was it? Now that he'd know what it was to love her, he never wanted to imagine his life without her.

But then again, he knew she it was worth it.

She was worth it.

"Hans?" she called out weakly, he voice cracking. Hans wiped away what tears had formed in his eyes and took hold of her hands once more.

"Here, I-I'm here," he responded, bringing her hand to his lips, brushing a soft kiss across her knuckles. "Anna?"

"Hey," she smiled meekly, pulling the cloth from her eyes. "I just had the most wonderful dream," she sighed, whimsically. Hans forced a smile, attempting to set off no indication that he'd just been in any sort of turmoil.

"Oh yeah?" his voice cracked, bringing his hand to her cheek. "What was it?" he whispered.

"It was a ball," she recalled, her smile growing. "You were there. We danced and ate chocolate…Elsa was there, too! And she was actually enjoying herself, if you can believe it," Anna struggled to sit up, and Hans fluffed her pillows behind her back so she could. "It felt so real. Makes me excited for the ball we're going to be having here." The ball… Hans had forgotten all about it. "I can't wait to see Elsa, she is going to love it here," Anna said, her voice full of hope.

"I'm not so sure about that," Hans mumbled. Anna looked at him, an eyebrow cocked.

"Wh-why not?"

"I hardly think she will be in any mood to celebrate when she gets here and sees how sick you are," he said somberly. Anna swallowed, brushing off his comment.

"Oh, I'm sure I'll be fine by the time she arrives," Anna said, dismissingly waving her hand. "I mean, so I was a little weaker than I've been. It was probably being out in the cold last night," she deduced. Hans sat up, his smile strained.

"Anna…that wasn't last night." Her smile began to dissipate.

"Wait, what?" she asked. "Yes it was," she said shaking her head in disbelief.

"No, Anna," Hans said sadly, climbing onto the bed beside her. He stared down at her, his eyebrows furrowed together with concern. "That was three nights ago. You have been sleeping since. We've been so worried about you."

"That's…no…" Anna mumbled as she tried to remember. It all seemed so muddled together; her head was foggy. "Hans," she whispered, looking up at him, her eyes worried. "Hans, what's wrong with me? D-does the doctor know yet? Am I dying?" she asked, holding onto his shirt like a life preserver, anxiously.

"No, of course not!" he spit out, instinctively. He cleared his throat. "He doesn't know exactly what it is, but he will be back soon with some medicine for you. I'm sure he will be pleased to see that you're awake," he said, standing. Anna reached for him as he stepped away from her bed.

"Where-where are you going?"

"To the kitchen. We need to get you something to eat, you haven't had solid food in days."

"Oh," Anna said, looking down at her stomach. "Yeah, I guess I am pretty hungry," she smirked. Hans walked over to her, leaning down and placing a kiss upon her forehead, softly.

"I'll be right back."

Elsa stood in her cabin, her half-packed storage chest open in front of her. She had taken a break from packing to gaze out the large window at the rolling, snow-covered hills of the Southern Isles, almost mesmerized. She was relieved that it was winter, since her snow powers weren't going to be too conspicuous with snow and frost everywhere. She took in a deep breath, anxiously wringing her gloves in her hands as she watched the land roll by and heard men prepare to port.

"Looks like we're really here," Kristoff uttered from the doorway. She turned towards him, a warm smile appearing on her lips.

"Finally, right?" she giggled. She turned back, beginning to pack her bag once more. "I bet you can't wait to get off this ship."

"No more than you do," he shrugged. "To be honest, I'm a little nervous. I hardly think Anna will be expecting to see me. I'm actually starting to have second thoughts," he confessed.

"Well, it's a little late for that now, isn't it?" Elsa pointed out, placing her crown upon her head and pulling a dark, royal blue shawl over her shoulders. She reached down, one hand at a time and sheathed her hands with white, elbow length gloves. Another reason she was glad it was winter: it wouldn't seem odd to have her hands concealed. She suspected it would take years before she got the hang of her powers.

"I suppose it is," Kristoff chuckled.

"It'll be fine, Kristoff," Elsa comforted. "I'm sure Anna will be ecstatic to see you; I bet she's been so lonely out here, all alone and sick."

"I hope so."

"You hope that she's lonely?" Elsa laughed, shaking her head as she closed her trunk. "That's sure sweet of you," she joked, her voice sarcastic. Kristoff blushed as he realized he'd said it aloud.

"No, I just- I mean," he stammered a bit before sighing, surrendering. "Well, yeah, I guess. It's better than the alternative, right?" Elsa didn't say anything, her mind quietly buzzing. She knew what he meant; the last thing Elsa wanted was to imagine her sister getting along swimmingly with any of the Westergaard sons, particularly Hans. And Kristoff was right, if she were to be honest with herself: they didn't really know what they were walking into. But the thought of Anna alone and closed off in a room somewhere made her stomach tight. She'd had enough years of that, she didn't deserve another moment like that.

But it was not going to be a problem anymore. She was here, and she would take care of her sister and get her back home safe and sound, as though this little excursion never happened.

Anna sat across from Hans in the library, both silently mulling over the gave of chess in front of them. Hans eyed the board, face reflecting his deep concentration. Anna smirked, knowing full well that she had a good lead on the prince, and his doom was imminent. She'd freshened up, her hair in a lose braid over her shoulder and her green dress complimenting her now-rosier cheeks. Hans was just happy to see that the color had returned to her face, almost glowing.

"Still your move," she sang.

"I know," he snapped back, knowing that he was pretty much at a loss no matter which way he moved his king. He brought his hand to the game piece, hovering over it a bit. Anna eyed his movements bemusedly, trying to subdue her grin. He was cute when he was flustered.

He picked up his king, moving it hesitantly to a vacant space on the board.

"You sure you wanna move it there?" she cautioned, tapping her knight. Hans glanced down, realizing it was in the knight's path. He quickly retracted the move, sighing exasperatedly.

"Let's do something else, this is stupid," he suggested.

"I think you're just a sore loser," Anna joked. He sighed again, irritation painting his face. He studied the board, back to square one. "You could always-" Anna tried to suggest, he shot a glare in her direction.

"I don't need your help," he hissed, his pride bruised.

"You're just as bad at chess as you are becoming king," she stung. Hans stared at her in disbelief, a smile spreading across his lips.

"I can't believe you just said that to me," he gasped. She began to laugh.

"I just call it as I see it," she mused, leaning back in her chair coolly. Hans stood abruptly, nearing the princess.

"Take it back," he demanded, playfully.

"No," she giggled, her arms folded in defiance. He leaned down, grabbing a hold of the arms of her chair, turning her out towards him.

"I have ways of making you surrender," he said in almost a growl. She stared up at him, her breath short.

"Oh yeah, what's that?" she said quietly, her eyes intently staring at his lips, curled into a tight, one-sided smirk. He leaned down slowly, his lips touching hers softly. He didn't realize until their lips met that he hadn't kissed her since they'd first gotten home from their ride around the Southern Isles. He also hadn't realized how much he'd missed the feeling of her lips against his, or how it felt like home to him. She reached up, running her hand through his amber hair, gripping onto the back of his head and him closely. He lowered to his knees, pressing his body up closer to her as he pulled her in tightly, his fingertips trailing her arms, then down to her sides, gripping onto her hips, which were now at the edge of her seat.

His staggered breath escaped his lips as his mouth roughly clashed with hers, drinking her in and trying his best to keep control of himself; it was a heard thing to do. His desire for her was ever powerful, especially knowing how close they were to having to say goodbye. The last thing he would ever want to do would be to take her virtue from her, but at the same time, his heart ached knowing they would never get a chance to be with one another in that way. It made him want it all the more.

He was the one to pull away first, leaving the princess attempting to pull him in for more, but he resisted, against his own desires. She was breathing heavily, her eyelids heavy.

"Wha-what is it?" she asked. "Did I do something wrong?"

"What? No, of course not," Hans said hoarsely. They sat there a moment, intertwined and debating whether to continue what they were doing or pull away, the air thick with tension. He placed his hand on her cheek lovingly, rubbing his thumb across her swollen lip. He slowly brought his face towards her to kiss her once more when…

BANG

The door to the library burst open. Hans jumped back from the princess, startled and standing at attention as a guard came into view. The guard eyed them skeptically, both looking flushed and guilty.

"What is the meaning of this interruption?" Hans asked indignantly, just relieved it hadn't been Elias at the door. The guard cleared his throat, before turning his head over his shoulder and calling out.

"They're in here, your majesty," he bellowed, his eyes never leaving Hans'. Hans quickly smoothed down his vest, then patted down his disheveled hair. Suddenly, Elias appeared in the doorway, a dark smile plastered across his face.

"I do hope we aren't interrupting anything," he asked, insincerely.

"We?" Hans asked, his eyes narrowed into slits as he stared at his brother.

"Anna?" a woman's voice called out. Hans went white.

Elsa was here.

Anna's eyes widened in recognition, her face brightening.

"Elsa?" she called out excitedly, standing quickly. Elias moved to the side as Elsa entered the room, her pale face lighting up to match her sisters.

"Anna!" she yelled, dropping her shawl as she sprinted to her sister, taking her in for a strong, lingering hug.

"I missed you so much!" Anna whimpered, gripping onto her sister tightly, realizing just how much she'd missed her in the time she'd been gone. Elsa opened her eyes, catching a glimpse of Hans standing uncomfortably nearby, her smile falling into a frown in an instant. She pulled out of the hug but never released her sister from her arms. "Anna, what is he doing in here?" she asked, her voice full of worry, disappointment. Hans stared at his feet; he knew this conversation was unavoidable.

"Elsa, it-it's-" Anna stammered, trying to keep from getting herself too worked up. "It's fine, really. Hans and I, we've reached an… understanding," she chuckled nervously. Elsa turned her direction towards the prince, recoiling in disgust.

"An understanding? Anna, what are you talking about?" she groaned, pressing her fingertips to her temples, frustrated. "This is exactly what I was afraid of," she sighed, shaking her head. "Are you crazy? He is a despicable human being."

"I'm standing right here," Hans pointed out, his voice flat. She turned towards him, her face aghast.

"Yes, I am aware. And you shouldn't be standing right here, you should be somewhere far away from me and my little sister," she spat. "Or in a dungeon," she added. Anna reached for her sisters face, lovingly turning it back towards her. Elsa stared back, her hard face softening.

"Elsa, please, you have to listen to me. I can explain everything," Anna insisted.

"No, Anna! You can't," Elsa determined, shaking her head.

"He's-he's been taking care of me."

"Well, he doesn't need to do that anymore," a man's voice rang from the doorway. Anna paled, knowing instantly whose voice it was. She stared past her sister at the tall, burly blonde man standing next to Elias.

"K-Kristoff," she breathed, forcing a weak smile. Kristoff neared her, his eyes shooting daggers in Hans' direction. Anna felt dizzy, her heart beating fast and her breathing shallow. Hans looked at Anna, instantly recognizing the look in her eyes. Suddenly, her knees buckled out from under her as she collapsed to the floor, feeling faint.

"Anna!" they all seemed to shout in unison. Hans leapt to her side instinctively, trying to pick the princess back up into his arms. Kristoff pushed the prince back, his face like stone. Hans watched helplessly, barricaded now by Elsa and Kristoff from touching Anna at all.

"I've got it from here," Kristoff growled, picking Anna up into his arms. "Show me to her bedroom," he ordered to the guard, who quickly turned on a heel, leading the way. Elsa followed, shooting one last uncertain glance at Hans. He swallowed, hard. Anna eyed him sadly over Kristoff's shoulder, as he carried her out of the room and away from Hans.

Hans stood in astonishment that so much had occurred in just one simple moment. He felt sick, confused and worried, knowing full well that this was the beginning of the end. His eyes moved from the ground up to his brothers callously smiling face. He chuckled at his little brother's pain, lowly.

"And so it begins," Elias sneered, before turning and leaving Hans alone with an unfinished game of chess.

A/N

Next chapter coming soon! I am also beginning to work on another fanfiction that I've been mulling over the last few weeks, but I am worried it will distract me from this one. As much as I love writing Hans redemption fics, I am really in love with writing a more vindictive, sociopathic version, too. So maybe that fic can wait for the time being. Hope you guys are still enjoying it.

Also, THANK YOU for your kind reviews. I don't have to tell you that reviews are seriously the best thing about this site, and it always brightens my day to see that you guys are enjoying the story.

You should DEFINITELY leave me a lil somethin' somethin'.