Frozen Hearts
By- An Unknown Foreign Beauty
Chapter 22- Truth
Finally, Olaf and Grandma Bulda came up with a plan to fix things up between Anna and Kristoff.
The plan was very much simple, Olaf would ask Anna out for a movie night and he convinced Kristina to ask Kristoff out. So according to the plan, Olaf asked Anna, she immediately agreed. Not only because she loved going to movies, but also she wanted to avoid Kristoff's company for at least one evening. Kristoff was very grateful to have an evening out with his ex-girlfriend Kristina because the tension was so high that he could hardly breathe. Fortunately none of them were aware of the conspiracy behind it.
Careful to avoid crowds, Anna took Olaf's hand as she walked down the corridor and paused to look about her when they went inside. "Thank you, Olaf." she said, casting amused glances as they made their way across the rows, and walked up to the highest row. "I really needed an evening out." Her face glowing with happiness, she stopped in the stairs that led to the upper rows and looked about her curiously. "Where is our seat?"
"Third row to the left." Olaf said, pointing to the highest row, "Beside the man in grey jacket." Anna tilted her head to look at her movie companion, but she couldn't see his face in the dark. "Aren't we sitting together?" She asked Olaf.
"Oh, yes," Olaf shook his white head innocently, "You go up there, meanwhile I go outside to get some popcorn."
"Alright," Anna agreed.
Kristoff's seat was located for maximum view and he was waiting for Kristina to arrive, so when the girl in blue top and purple skirt sat next to him, he actually peered around to get a look at his companion's face. He hoped it was Kristina, but he was shocked when he recognized the girl sitting next to him.
"You!" Anna had never been so much shocked before in her life when she realized the man next to her was no one but Kristoff. "So this is your plan."
"No." Kristoff responded immediately with a hint of anger in his voice, "I reserved this seat for my friend, Kristina."
Anna felt a sharp pang of jealousy when she heard Kristina's name, but she swallowed the feeling anyway. She looked around herself to search Olaf, and found him sitting two rows away from her. Kristoff followed her gaze, and found Kristina waving at him happily from the seat next to Olaf.
So they planned it together.
"I'm leaving this place." Anna rose from the seat, decided to leave the theater immediately. She would better sleep off the evening than spending two hours sitting next to him. But it was too late. The lights were off. She glanced towards the exit, the door was already closed.
"You can't leave before the intermission." She saw Kristoff grinning in the dark. He looked…wait… happy? So, everything was his plan. "Devil!" she thought, but there was no way except sitting down and waiting for the intermission. So she dropped into her seat, and crossed her arms over her chest, groaning inwardly when she imagined that she had to pass at least one and half hour with this man.
The movie was named "The Snow Queen" based on a famous tale by Hans Christian Andersen. It was an animated movie about two sisters, separated after a childhood accident, and the younger sister fell in love with an awkward ice harvester. And when the ice harvester took the younger princess to meet his family, they began to convince her to marry him. Anna was at first skeptical about the movie, but soon she began to like it, specially the songs. She began tapping her feet unconsciously with the music.
"I like that movie," Suddenly she heard Kristoff saying without turning his eyes from the screen, where people on the screen were trying to fix the ice harvester into a proper groom for the princess. "I must try that fixer-upper thing."
Anna looked up at him, and then at the scenes playing on the screen. She was enjoying the movie very much, but she could not hide her annoyance about him. "Nothing can fix you up." She said through gritted teeth. As much as she wanted to avoid him, she couldn't. Somehow her fate seemed entwined with this arrogant blond.
"Oh, do you think I walk in the clumpy way, and I talk in the grumpy way like that ice-harvester in the movie? Or do I end up short of smelly like him?" Kristoff's voice was light, and his eyes had been smiling into hers, but as he spoke she saw their expression change and his lids lowered, his gaze dropping to her lips, lingering long on them, then lifting.
It was a kiss! She realized. It was a kiss, and he'd meant for her to feel it, to understand that was what he was doing. Anna wanted to feel it, and as she turned her gaze towards the crowds below, she found most of the couples sitting in the theater were busy in either holding hands or kissing. Oh, how much she wanted to kiss that despicable man, but she turned her eyes to the screen trying to forget the thought. But the princess on the screen was kissing the ice-harvester too. Unconsciously, she licked her lips. For how long she stopped kissing Kristoff? No, she shook her head. She couldn't, she couldn't do it again.
As the movie progressed further, the heroine was betrayed by her fiancé, and realized her love for the awkward ice-harvester who gave up his love to make her happy. Her arms unconsciously slipped from her lap, and rested on the armrest. Emotions swirled inside her mind when the heroine left home, broken hearted, searching for true love. But her true love was gone. She had never seen a movie so close to her own life, and her hands unconsciously found Kristoff's.
It was a tiny movement, one he might have missed, because Kristoff had been looking at the screen. And yet, as Anna unconsciously rested her hand on his, holding him for support, his hand slid into her open palm, covering it, strong fingers lacing with hers.
A jolt streaked up Anna's spine as Kristoff's thumb slowly rubbed her palm, brushing left and right, then back again. It was another kiss, she realized, her breath catching. This one slower, longer, deeper.
Kristoff knew how Anna felt, because her pulse exactly coordinated his escalated beats. He knew she loved him, loved him from the moment she laid her eyes on him, mistaking him as her fiancé. He wanted to beg pardon for what he did; he wanted to undo all the mistakes he had made. He looked at her face, her eyes were glassy as she watched, and he could almost see the images on the screen reflected on them. Kristoff stroked his thumb over Anna's knuckles. It had no noticeable effect on her. In fact, she opened her hand, and for a second Kristoff thought she was going to pull it away. Since she left it there instead, palm up, he dipped his gaze and thoughtfully traced each long finger from its tip to the vee where it met her small palm, while she continued watching the movie. Since she seemed not to notice or object, Kristoff touched her palm, her fingertip following each intersecting line. I love you, he thought helplessly, telling her so with his fingertip. Please love me too. He knew she loved him always, but he wanted to hear from her. Forgive me, he told her through his fingertip as it stroked her open palm.
Her heart swelling, Anna looked down at the beautiful male hand partially covered hers, watching his finger stroking while her body seemed to melt from the touch. She didn't want to lose her true love, like the Anna on the screen did, but she couldn't respond to his affection. The hurt he caused her was so deep, that she was still bleeding inside. Although she knew it was not his fault, he had no choice, but she couldn't jump into conclusion before she knew the truth. She didn't want to be hurt anymore; she didn't want to hurt him either.
Below, in the gallery, the crowd was noisy, and Anna tried to look perfectly casual, while the simple touch of a finger on her palm made her pulse continue to escalate. Her heart was beating in the heavy, insistent tempo that came with denying herself from feeling the emotions trying to engulf her again, and still she did not stop him. Instead she opened his hand more, fingers splaying in willing submission to her own torture.
No, she couldn't feel it anymore. She couldn't feel the false love again. She tried to concentrate on the movie, but she turned her gaze at Kristoff as he delicately traced something onto her palm, then traced the same thing again. With his fingertip he traced some letters on her palm:
ANNA
Her name.
Anna? Anna WHO? Did she ever have a surname? She tried hard to keep her eyes away from Kristoff and tried to concentrate on the movie. But she could hardly do it.
ANNA!
The elder sister in the movie screamed as she hit her younger sister with ice power. The princess fell on the floor, holding her chest, her hair turning white. "Go AWAY!" The queen screamed, as snow began to fall all around her. Her emotion reflected all over the glittering walls of her magnificent ice palace.
Ice-palace!
Anna closed her eyes tightly. Ice-palace. Where she had heard the word? She clutched the chair for support. When did she hear about that thing?
Images and voices began to flash through her mind, speeding up faster and faster, spinning so quickly that the next one appeared before the other had spun away.
A mansion… two girls… scribbling on a paper together….
"We'll make this ice palace together." A girl with white hair giggled.
A man in white wig, piggish mustache…."Oh, Anna, you must sign the contact of the ice palace in Alaska."
Anna realized that Kristoff was watching her intently. Tiny beads of sweats were gathering on her forehead. "Are you alright, Anna?" Kristoff asked worriedly.
"Yes," Anna tried to smile. She realized that she was shaking uncontrollably. She wrapped her arms around herself to steady herself, and turned her eyes to the movie playing on the screen.
"What power do you have to stop the winter? To stop me?" The ice queen in the movie shuddered.
"We'll face it together." The princess in the movie tried to convince her estranged sister.
"Oh, can't sign the contact."
"Why are you shutting me out? Why are you shutting the world out…."
"Enough Anna…"
"Miss Kingsley…"
Kingsley…KINGSLEY…. ANNA…. KINGSLEY… it had a nice ring to her name. And it sounded so familiar.
"Have you ever heard of Anna Kingsley?" Anna turned her gaze from screen and looked at Kristoff. Her question startled Kristoff; he turned head, and looked at Anna, trying to understand the reason behind her awkward question.
"Do you mean The Anna Kingsley?" Kristoff replied, still unable to guess the reason behind her question, "The second heir of Arendelle."
Arendelle… Anna took a ragged breath. It really didn't make any sense.
Her palms were perspiring on her lap; her knees were turning to liquid.
"You betrayed me…" She cried.
"I'm just trying to protect you…"
A car…a body in her backseat…the fear…the scream….the lagoon….
"Where is she?" Anna's voice trembled as she asked Kristoff again.
"She is dead. Drowned and burnt in a car accident." Kristoff replied, watching her anxiously, trying to assess if she was going insane with the hurt he caused her. What was happening to her? Kristoff looked into Anna's eyes, wide with fear and realization.
"Anna!" The snow queen in the movie was crying over her sister, who turned into a solid ice statue. "You sacrificed yourself for me!"
ANNA….Anna Kingsley….
She could practically taste the water in her mouth as she drove the straight into the lagoon. She flung open the door, trying to swim. As soon as she reached the shore, two men appeared. They pressed their fists over her mouth and threw her over their shoulders.
"Oh, my God!" Anna moaned, and covered her face with her palms. She hunched over as her arms began to shake and give way.
"Anna, what's wrong?" She felt Kristoff's hands upon hers; his fingers were brushing her knuckles gently, "What happened?" His voice was so soft, and full of concern.
Slowly, Anna lifted her face from her hands, and very slowly, she turned, while terror began to hammer through her, banishing weakness and lethargy. Her entire body vibrating with panic, she began to realize the truth.
"Can I say something crazy, Anna? Will you marry me?" An auburn haired man knelt before her before slipping the ring into her finger.
"Can I say something even crazier?" A voice giggled.
"Yes, I will marry you Hans!"
No! And she always blamed Kristoff for lying! How could she? She was Anna Kingsley, and she was engaged to someone called Hans. It was her who lied, who played with his emotions from the beginning. She was the liar.
The biggest liar in the history.
How could she do that to him? Hurt him again and again? Blaming him for the lies he never told?
"Anna!"
Kristoff's gentle voice jolted Anna out of her foggy thoughts, and she looked at his face. His eyes were tender with love and pain. Anna gritted her teeth, angry at herself once again. Since the day she regained her consciousness, she had been giving him false hopes—torturing him with false blames. She could never love him, because she was already in love with another man.
"Don't touch me!" Anna jolted back, as Kristoff tried to hold her shaking shoulders. She quickly rose from her seat, her knees were shaking.
Terror rose in the hall, and few of the paramedics rushed near to help her. But she simply denied them, and told that she needed a walk outside.
"Anna!" Kristoff began to follow her outside, but Anna shoved him so hard that he stumbled backwards. He slipped, his head hitting the floor hard. Olaf cried in alarm, and Kristina ran from her seat. Anna looked behind her as people and paramedics began to gather around an unconscious Kristoff.
She was not going back to him. Not again. She couldn't hurt him. She couldn't build her life in lies. Not anymore.
So Anna did the only thing she could think of: She ran.
She ran and ran until she couldn't run anymore, and then she leaned against the side of a building, watching the news flashing all over the digital news boards all over the city.
The grand opening of Hotel North Mountain: A live interview with Miss Elsa Kingsley.
Journalists gathered around an elegant woman in ice-blue dress, and white hair. Elsa Kingsley, Anna recognized. Her sister!
"Please tell us about your recent break up with Mr. Hans Westergard." A red-haired journalist asked. "We heard the engagement lasted for only twenty four hours."
Elsa looked troubled, and she cradled her stomach unconsciously, "Me and Hans broke up mutually."
"But you are carrying Mr. Westergard's baby aren't you, Miss Kingsley?" The journalist grew curious, "What do you think about its future?"
Staggered by yet another shock, Anna stared blindly at a passing car as she wandered slowly down the snow covered street- listening to Kristoff's voice speaking to her: We never had sex during our whole relationship and it was what made you angry. You ran away from home to have an accident. I didn't think about rise this topic while you were ill, but when you began talk about that topic, I found it was still on my mind. That is why I may have seemed…
They never talked about her past because they never met in the past.
She was the Anna Kingsley, sister of the famous ice artist Elsa Kingsley, daughter of Mr. Adgar and Idun Kingsley, a former business tycoon.
She had never been engaged with Kristoff Bjorgman. She was engaged to Hans Westergard. Then she was betrayed by him, almost driven to the road of death for him.
Now he betrayed her sister too.
Her mind went numb with shock. Tear burned the back of her eyes as she drew a ragged breath. All the time she searched for the truth, but when she finally found the truth, it was too hard to bear.
She looked at the screen, and the picture of her crying sister. No, she wouldn't cry. Not anymore. She had to deal with the truth- the truth that almost destroyed her life, and her sister's. She walked to the nearest phone booth she found, and dialed the only number she could remember from her past- Duke Weselton. She was really glad when the old man decided to help.
She walked out of the phone booth, and hailed a taxi, and told the driver to take her to the North Mountain.
.
.
.
.
Elsa inspected her reflection and the narrow waistline of her skirt resting over her belly. She wound her platinum hair in an elaborate braid, and took note of the fullness in her cheeks. Although she was not showing yet but she knew she would soon. People who knew her formally could easily predict something was wrong with her. That was the only reason she had denied to give any interview to the media at first. Her short engagement with Hans Westergard was already a hot topic in the media, and now the news of her breakup and pregnancy became made headline in most of the news channels.
"You look great!" Rapunzel giggled as she helped Elsa to get up from the chair. Although Rapunzel was five months pregnant, but she didn't look as bloated as her, and it made Elsa very much jealous.
"Don't joke, Punzie." Elsa glared at her cousin, "You don't look so weird like me."
"Calm down, Elsa." Rapunzel smiled, as two women walked towards the grand ice hall together, holding hands, "I'm not the one who is carrying twins." She said.
Elsa blushed. She looked like almost five months pregnant, although she had only completed her third month. Last ultrasonogram confirmed that she was carrying not only one baby but two. The girls joined Rapunzel's husband Eugene at the entrance, and Eugene complemented both girls on their looks. Rapunzel blushed, and slipped her hand in the crook of her husband's arm. He offered Elsa his other arm, and she gladly accepted it. And three of them walked to the grand hall full of guests.
Less than an hour later, in the crowded, noisy, icy ballroom, Elsa was painfully aware that all of the guests were watching her intently. It was the first time in her recollection when she became a subject of so much attention. Some of the foreign businessmen asked her to dance, and she agreed. While they danced, Elsa felt their eyes scanning her, especially her slightly bloated features. She saw sympathy in their eyes, and it made her to feel very much uneasy. She didn't want sympathy; she had enough sympathy since Anna's death. And sympathy from one person ruined her life forever. Now, she became a strong woman, and learned to live alone.
As she finished her dance with the Irish businessman, she noted Duke Weaslton, clad in dark suit with matching pants, approaching near her. She was searching for a place to hide, but when she found no way, she decided to confront the little weasel.
"How are you, madam?" The small man greeted her with a big smile, "How things are going?"
He was the last person in the world she'd have expected to meet here, and Elsa felt anger boiling inside her, but she better decided to keep it hidden. "What do you want now?" She said in an ice cold voice.
"I wanted to say," he began again, his eyes searching her composed features, "You better be more careful."
That did it! Annoyance lifted Elsa's delicate chin an inch higher. "For what, Mr. Weaslton?"
He swallowed, standing so close to her that his sleeve touched hers when he lifted his hand and then dropped it to his side. "I am always your well wisher, Miss Kingsley."
"What am I to say to that?" she asked, and she honestly did not know.
"In your position," he said with a grim smile, "I think you better be ready to discover more truth."
Elsa wanted hit the little man square in jaw, and she balled her fists to keep the straight face she wore. "What kind of truth?" She asked through gritted teeth, her fingernails grazed her palm.
"You can see it in time." Duke Weaslton smiled, and Elsa felt his gesture made her skin burn. "Just wait and see."
"I've seen enough." Elsa hissed, "Of you and your accomplice Mr. Hans. Now I'm ready for anything." She shoved the little man aside to make her way towards her cousin and her husband. She heard Duke's sarcastic smile from behind, "But you're not certainly ready for this, my dear." Elsa decided to ignore the annoying little man, and looked around her to find either Rapunzel or Eugene.
She couldn't find Eugene, but she found Rapunzel standing at a corner, engaged in a conversation with one of her old friends from university. When she saw the angry expression in Elsa's face, Rapunzel decided to drop the conversation, and walked beside her cousin. She quickly caught Elsa's hands, led her to the nearest sofa, and helped her to sit down.
"What's wrong?" Rapunzel asked, concerned. Turning her back on Duke's glare, Elsa said in a ragged whisper, "Punzie, I wish to leave!"
"No you can't." Rapunzel said firmly, and offered her a glass of water, "People will think that you're weak. Besides Eugene wants introduce you to one of his friends."
"But I…" Elsa tried to protest, but Rapunzel couldn't hear her because her phone buzzed. She excused herself to receive the call, and her face lit up when she heard Eugene's voice from the other side.
"They are almost here." Rapunzel smiled enthusiastically, hanging up the call, and turned to face Elsa, "You're lucky that you don't have to wait much longer."
Elsa had no interest to meet Eugene's friend, but she decided to stay out of curtsy. "Alright." She said, "But where are they?"
"There." Rapunzel located her husband in the crowd, and waved at him enthusiastically. Elsa followed her eyes, and found Eugene and his redheaded companion walking towards them. And the redhead seemed strangely familiar. Elsa narrowed her eyes to have a clear look, and when she saw his face, she felt her heart stopped beating for a while.
Tall, dark red hair, green eyes…there was no mistaking of those features.
Hans Westergard.
But who invited him here? He wasn't supposed to come here. She looked at Rapunzel and Eugene, and the smirk in their faces, and understood their plan.
"Come on Elsa." Rapunzel took Elsa's hand to lead her to the men walking towards them, "Let's meet Eugene's friend."
"No," Elsa turned in desperation to her cousin, feeling as if she was going to either scream or faint if she couldn't get out of there, not caring that the media would know that she had fled from her own disgrace. "I have to leave," she told Rapunzel.
"Oh, no, you can't." Rapunzel said very firmly, holding Elsa's wrist tightly, dragging her along with her, "Hans has something to say to you."
"He has nothing to say to me!" Elsa cried, but an odd silence was sweeping over the room, and her voice was unnaturally loud. Everyone turned to look at her. Elsa looked around her, and found six hundred pairs of eyes looking at her. She turned, and found herself standing face to face with Hans.
"I wish to leave." She screamed, jerking her hand free from Rapunzel's grasp, and turning to leave.
"Elsa," At that moment Hans lifted his gaze and looked at her with his beautiful green eyes. His face was so sad, and stricken, and heartbreakingly beautiful.
Elsa felt the ground beneath her disappearing, that she could hardly stand. She couldn't bear to look at him for long. She drew a ragged breath as his hand touched hers. Elsa," He said again, holding her shaking hand, "Please listen to me." His voice was desperate.
No, she had nothing to hear. Nothing. "Don't touch me." She jerked her hand free from him, and ran.
"Elsa…" Hans followed her, as she walked past the curving stairs, wrapping her arms around her tightly to keep her shoulders from shaking violently.
Eugene and Rapunzel watched Elsa as she walked gracefully up the ice stairs. Eugene spoke first, careful to keep the emotion out of his voice for fear that if he showed how nervous he was with the whole situation, Rapunzel would lose her slender thread of control, and the tears shining in her eyes would fall down her flushed cheeks. Putting his arm around her waist, he smiled into her tear-brightened eyes, but he spoke quickly because, as Elsa walked away, avoiding six hundred pairs of eyes watching her.
"I hoped it would work." Eugene told her, "But she is one of the most courageous women I've ever seen. Except for you."
"Thank you." Rapunzel tried to smile, but her gaze kept reaching for Elsa as she moved up the curving staircase, "Do you think our plan will work?"
"I hope so." Eugene sighed, fixing his gaze to the crowd of guests, "I can't see my friend and my cousin suffering like this anymore."
"Still I don't think it is not a good idea, Eugene." Rapunzel looked at her husband tearfully, "Somehow I can feel the consequence of this meeting will not be good at all."
"But at least we can try." Eugene shook his head disappointedly, "At least we can try to fix the things."
.
.
.
.
Elsa spent the better part of a half hour standing alone in the balcony of her ice hotel, gazing at the snow covered mountain tops, trying to compose herself. It was there that she heard the excited voices of the guests discussing about the encounter between her and Hans.
She could still remember the haggard look in his face, the deep sorrow in his magnificent green eyes, and the odd desperation in his voice when he begged her to listen to him. She almost felt guilty for turning him down like that. But why was she feeling like that? It was over. Then why she still missed him?
"If it ever turns out that I'm not the man you believe I am, or not the man I believe I am, will you still stay with me, Elsa?"
The memory drifted past Elsa's mind, aimless, meaningless. She promised him that she would never leave him, but she did. Elsa wrapped her arms around her, and rubbed her arms, as if they were cold. She couldn't keep her promise….she couldn't…She wanted to feel the lost love again. But in her state of consuming misery she was incapable of feeling anything more.
She had no idea how long she stood there alone in the balcony, thinking. From the corner of her eye she saw Eugene grin tenderly and speak to Rapunzel, who was standing beside him at the entrance of the hall. She knew they only tried to fix things up between her and Hans, but her reaction upset them. But she had no other way, except running away like that. Turning her head away, Elsa gazed out at the night, letting the restless breeze cool her face. Behind her, where Eugene had been standing, shadows moved, then a hand gently grasped Elsa's elbow, and Hans' deep, husky voice said near her ear, "I missed you, Elsa."
Shock stiffened her body, slamming against the barricade of numbness that Elsa was trying to keep intact. Still gazing straight ahead, she said very calmly and politely, "Would you do me a great service?"
"Anything," Hans agreed.
"Go away. And stay away."
"Anything," He amended with a solemn smile in his voice, "But that." Elsa felt him move closer behind her, and the nervous quaking she'd conquered hours before jarred through her again, awakening her senses from their blissful anesthesia. His fingers lightly caressed her arm, and he bent his head closer to hers. "Forgive me, Elsa."
If he said these words three months ago, Elsa would let him take her in his arms, and cry her heart out, but tonight she stood stiffly where she was, and looked directly into his eyes, "After what you did to me, I don't think that would be wise."
"Nothing we've ever done has been wise."
Elsa shook her head, refusing to talk, but the pressure on her elbow increased until she had no choice. "I insist."
Reluctantly she turned and looked at him. "Why?" "Because," he said, smiling tenderly into her eyes, "I think I love you."
The words, as well as his softness, made her wary. "What do you mean by the last part of that?"
"I mean I'm in love with you, Elsa." Hans said gently, moving closer, "I'm in love with you, irrevocably. I want to change myself. I want to live again, for you." He paused, as his gaze fell on her stomach, "And for our child."
The Hans Westergard who was talking to her tonight was almost achingly familiar; he was the boy who kissed her in the airport seven years ago.
"Please give me another chance," He whispered, increasing the pressure on her elbow, "And I'll begin making it up to you." "Please." His voice was full of plea, and his eyes were begging for her forgiveness. "Please, Elsa, please give me another chance."
If anyone saw the cunning, master manipulator Hans Westergard in this state, might die in shock. For years women flung themselves at him, surrendered to his devilish charm, but he never surrendered to anyone. There was only one woman in the world who made him to go down on his knees, and beg for her mercy.
Elsa tilted her head to look into his eyes. His green eyes were full of sorrow, his face was pale, and he looked so broken. She realized at that moment he was not lying, and an awful feeling of betrayal began to seep through her as he confessed his love for her.
"But I don't love you, anymore." She burst out; shaking her head, her heart trying to deny what her mind was realizing must be true.
Hans was shocked and looked at the unforgiving woman standing before him. She was rejecting him now, permanently. Something inside Hans gave a kneeing cry, mourning at the loss of her. "No," He said, desperately, "It can't be true." He grabbed Elsa's shoulders, and shook her hard, as if trying to drive some sense into her thick head, "Tell me Elsa, it isn't true."
"It is true." she cried, unable to endure one more betrayal in her life. "It is the only truth I've ever said to you." she said fiercely, scenes from that day were already parading through her memory. The pain of betrayal almost doubled Elsa over, and she wrapped her arms around herself, feeling as if she were crumbling into pieces.
Slowly she brushed Hans' hands from her shoulder, "Now let me go. I don't love you." Elsa knew she would cry if she tried to talk more, and she shook her head and started to turn away, to find somewhere to weep out her anguish in privacy.
"Yes, you do." Helpless to let her go without at least trying to comfort her, Hans caught her shoulders and pulled her against his chest, tightening his arms when she tried to wrench free, "You love me, and you still do," he whispered against her hair, holding her hand where the engagement ring still was," You are still wearing my ring."
The shock of being held in his arms again was almost as great as Elsa's misery and the combination of emotions left her paralyzed. With her head bowed she stood silently in his arms, tears racing from her eyes, her body jerking with suppressed sobs. "Please, Hans, let me go." She whispered weakly.
"No," Hans tightened his arms more, as if he could absorb her hurt by holding her closer, and when that didn't console her after several minutes, he gently rested his hand on her swollen stomach.
"What about our baby? Don't you think it needs its father to grow up?"
"It is my baby," Tears streamed down from her eyes, as she tried to turn her head away, "And it doesn't need you as its father."
"Yes, it does." Hans smiled, tilting her chin upwards between his forefinger and thumb. For a moment, Elsa no longer knew who was friend or who was foe, she only knew she'd felt safe and secure in his arms, and at that moment she saw his jaw tighten. She drew a shuddering breath, sensing he was on the verge of kissing her.
Elsa shook her head and abruptly surrendered her secret memories of tenderness and stormy passion. For a moment she wanted to forgive him, but she knew like all her other former illusions about him, that too had evidently been false. With a mixture of exasperation and sadness, she looked at him and asked, "But why do you look so concern about our baby when you tried to kill it off in the first time?"
"I was afraid." Hans shook his head painfully, and when he spoke his voice sounded strained, "I was afraid."
"But why are you afraid?" Elsa tilted her head, and looked straight into his eyes. Those deep green eyes were full of hurt and pain, "What are you afraid of?"
Hans lowered his head. Elsa grabbed his shoulders and shook him hard, "Tell me, Hans, please tell me, what are you afraid of?"
Hans opened his mouth to answer, but then a voice behind them spoke, breaking the silence of the night.
"Let me explain for him, Elsa."
Elsa spun around, and her heart almost stopped when she saw the figure stepping out of the shadow.
Anna.
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