A/N: The last chapter dragged on a little, but this one is a little more enticing. Enjoy and spare me a review if you find yourself so inclined!
Chapter Twenty-Six
Time-Honored Tradition
By the fifth day of her extended stay, Elsa had firmly decided she was opposed to the weather in the Southern Isles. It wasn't because the weather was unpleasant; on the contrary, the days were mildly warm and rather perfect for casual dress, even in the month of December. She just wasn't comfortable with so little moisture in the air, and she sorely missed the beauty of winter months in Arendelle. Her room came with a balcony not so different from her ice castle, and from there she could see a large scope of the town below her, and the wilderness beyond it.
She had to admit, King George ruled over quite an expanse of land. The hills were speckled with various shrubs and dots of trees, with the colors a wide variety of muted shades of green. The sun had disappeared only moments ago beyond the horizon of the sea, and soon now the lamplighters would begin to make their rounds below in town. They were never late, it seemed. Elsa knew this for a fact because she had seen their actions occur every day for the past five days. Resolved to avoid Hans until she felt ready to confront him personally- which an inner part of her was further resolved would never happen, she spent most of her time in her room. She was quite sure she must have appeared unapproachable, or at the very least, solitary, but she felt she deserved that choice.
She did manage to avoid Hans well enough, but found it was quite impossible to do the same with his brothers. There was one in particular who seemed very adamant about dogging around her door relentlessly. She'd seen him before at the ball, and after the first night, when the servant who would have normally presented her dinner was absent, he'd taken the man's place. How odd this prince would take the job of a servant just to get the opportunity to see her every night! Though most nights their exchanges were typically standard, polite, and insubstantial, she finally summoned the courage to confront him when she heard the knock upon her door. "Helena, ask the prince to come in. I want to talk to him."
Helena paused from brushing Elsa's hair and set the brush aside, nodding. She approached the door, a few quiet words were exchanged, and the prince came in her room, though his eyes did not focus on her, but on Helena, to the point of stumbling over the rug as he entered. Elsa began to connect the puzzle pieces she'd been turning over in her mind. Her suspicions were confirmed when she noticed the glow of Helena's cheeks. Elsa smiled calmly to help ease his nerves as he awkwardly set the silver tray down on her windowside table. "Is there something I can do for you? I'm sure they have more servants who can take care of my meals, Prince…" she hesitated politely, giving him the opportunity to finish for himself.
"Heins," he exclaimed with an overly bubbly smile, the same kind of smile Anna had, infectious and innocent. "I apologize if I made you feel uncomfortable, Queen Elsa." Then he shook his head. "The pleasure of serving you is just that, a pleasure! I want you to feel comfortable here. I just thought it must be lonely for you."
"Lonely?" Elsa asked curiously, readjusting her gloves.
"Being away from your homeland, that is. Maybe it isn't, in which case, you're much braver than I am. I only meant that when I was in Arendelle, I felt homesick more than once." He straightened the pieces of silverware beside the tray with focused determination.
I do miss home. Elsa tried to banish thoughts of Anna from her mind. Was Kristoff taking good care of her? With Anna in charge, was the kingdom in flames by now? Would there be anything left when she got home? "I miss my sister." She snapped her mouth shut afterwards, stunned that such a personal feeling came so freely from her lips.
"I understand." Heins met her gaze for moment, his green eyes gentle, face softened in compassion.
Cold ripples of magic shot up her spine defensively, spreading through her hands. If she hadn't been wearing her gloves, she might have frozen something nearby. Her eyes narrowed a little as she watched him. How could you possibly know what that feels like? You were away from your home for a few weeks, at the very most. You have twelve brothers to keep you company. I only have Anna. If I lost my sister… my ONLY sister… I'd never forgive myself.
As if he sensed her irritation, he dropped his gaze, his fingers enclosed around the handle on the lid of the tray, his eyes focusing on his reflection in the silver. Then he said something which shattered Elsa's defenses. "I miss mine, too."
The snow queen felt as if she'd been slapped in the face. There was such vulnerability in those words, she could tell he was speaking from the heart. And Elsa's own heart began to swell with compassion towards this prince she hardly knew, because despite her silly fears about Anna running wildly amok in her mind, she knew she would she would see her sister when she returned home.
But Prince Heins would never again see his.
Her attention was drawn by the clank of metal as he lifted the dome covering the tray. "It's chicken tonight, with some nice steamed broccoli and freshly-baked bread."
Elsa set the brush she'd been idly fiddling with on top of the bureau and got up from her chair, resolved to be nothing but kind to this young man for the rest of her time in the Southern Isles. He must have been only a little boy when he lost his sister. She walked over and smelled the tantalizing scent of the still-steaming food, spearing a piece of broccoli and lifting it to her lips to taste it. She chewed and swallowed, setting the fork down on the table.
"Is it to your liking?" Heins asked, looking hopeful.
"It couldn't be better," Elsa replied, thinking about something she could do to make him happy instead of leaving after such a morose moment. He lingered just long enough to meet Helena's gaze once more, and then turned to take his leave with a little bow.
"Pleasant dreams to you, Queen Elsa. I'll pick up the tray later tonight if you would kindly leave it just outside the door as usual."
Elsa wildly tried to think back on the last time she'd seen him and use what she knew about him to her advantage. Like a lightning bolt, an idea flashed into her mind. "Wait!" she called, hurrying to one of her trunks of clothing, she rifled through the myriad of colored material, while Helena offered Heins a puzzled look of bemusement. "Here." She turned, holding her shawl in her outstretched arms. Hundreds of thousands of snowflakes, each different, had been interwoven together to make it. She likened it to the people in her kingdom, their fate resting on her shoulders. She'd made it as part of her dress, each piece stitched with her magic ice, impermeable to melting. The snowflake shawl sparkled in the faint light of her fireplace, more delicate than lace, soft as powdered snow. She thrust her arms out towards him with a serene smile. "Go on."
"What's this?" Heins asked, making no move to accept the piece of clothing.
"I remembered you asked at the ball… to touch my shawl. Go on, you can touch it," Elsa encouraged, gesturing towards him one more.
"You… you mean I can… I really can?" A look of blissful glee sparkled behind his eyes as he met hers, his grin rivaling that of a child's as they receive an unexpected present.
"Yes!" Elsa held back a laugh. "Go on, it's the least I can do to thank you for delivering my dinner so punctually and politely every night."
Heins subtly bit his lower lip, rocking on his heels as he reached out a finger, reverently making contact with the shawl. "Ohhh…" he groaned as he slid the finger along the material, his touch professionally respectful. "Oh, Queen Elsa… it's just… the material is so… and the way it holds together… I wish I could express how it makes me feel…"
"Then just say it!" Elsa exclaimed, as much exasperated as she was amused.
"It's the most beautiful shawl I've ever seen!" he blurted, giving a little hop. He whirled behind him and pointed back at the shawl, practically skimming on the floor. "Helena, did you see me? I got to touch it! I even stroked it!"
"I saw, I saw!" Helena said with a giggle of glee.
"Thank you, Queen Elsa, you've made me the happiest prince on the premises!" Heins said, lifting the material to his cheek before letting it fall back into her hands. "If only I could learn how you made it! If I could use the material myself! Can you imagine what I could do with it?" Helena's giggles escalated into cheery laughter seeing her beloved so enthralled.
Elsa accepted her shawl back and replaced it in the trunk, amused at how much the clothing seemed to entice him. "Please, Prince Heins, call me Elsa. I hear too much of the title back home. It feels good to have someone who can just call me by my name without any of the frill."
"Only if you call me Heins," he replied, his face aglow with his grin. "If you say 'Prince' you'll get twelve other heads turning! But if you use 'Heins', you'll only get me." He pointed at himself.
"Very well, we have an accord," Elsa said agreeably. "Perhaps tomorrow you wouldn't mind showing me more of your kingdom. I'm afraid I've been a little less-than-sociable to you and your family. I would like to remedy that before the time comes for me to return home."
"Me?" Heins replied, looking surprised. "Why would you want me?"
"Why not? I'm sure you know everything there is to know about living in the Southern Isles," Elsa exclaimed, flashing a quick wink to Helena.
"Well, I… I could show you the gardens, and the gallery, and oh, where they make the clothes for the royal family, that's my favorite! I would show you tomorrow, but… I don't think it's going to work out very well, you see- wait! Hold on a moment! Why don't you come along?" His face brightened and he clasped his hands together. "Of course! It's perfect! You can come with us!"
"Wait? Come where with who?" Elsa watched him practically skip off towards her door. "What's going on tomorrow?"
Heins paused before the door, one hand on the knob and a hint of pink entered his cheeks. "Oh, sorry… I got a little excited. Tomorrow is the annual Southern Isles fox hunt! We do it every winter; it's sort of a family tradition. I'm sure father would be thrilled to have you join us and you could meet the whole family again on a less formal occasion! It's all very exciting! You will come, won't you? We leave at sunrise."
"I…" Elsa hesitated. She wasn't sure how she would cope with so many people around her, each one certain to be watching her every move. In the end, Heins' hopeful eyes convinced her she must try. "I will be ready in the morning to join you."
"I'm so glad to hear," Heins replied, turning his attention on Helena with a wistful expression.
Elsa's smile returned. "Would it be quite alright if I brought Helena with me? I can't seem to do anything without her."
Heins' inhale of joy made Elsa feel warm inside, and he nodded voraciously. "Of course! She would be welcome! You'd like to come, wouldn't you, Helena?"
"Of course I would." Helena said, her cheeks glowing bright enough to give the moon a run for its money.
"Then it's settled," Elsa remarked firmly, adapting to her queenly stature. "We'll see you tomorrow, Heins."
"Goodnight, ladies," he replied, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm not even sure I'll sleep tonight after hearing about tomorrow! I can't wait!"
#
Heins may not have been able to wait until tomorrow, but Elsa certainly could. Her night was filled with indiscernible drifting in and out of sleep, and the few times she dreamed, it was only through scattered, mostly blurred visages. She couldn't remember most of them, though she remembered her parents making one appearance, and she remembered Hans. Each time she shut her eyes, his face haunted her, and she could hear their words hanging in the air as if they'd just been spoken.
If you would just stop this winter, bring back summer… please.
Then, earlier only a few days ago, his words so hesitant, his face so vulnerable…
Does that mean it is forgiven?
She turned on her side, her blue eyes staring into the darkness as she heard her own voice.
Don't you see? I can't…
She pursed her lips and forced her eyes shut, willing her body to sleep. She would need the rest for facing Hans tomorrow. But can you face him on your own, Elsa? Without all the formality and the trade negotiations backing your façade? Can you keep yourself under control with so many people around you? Conceal, don't feel. I have to. I'll make myself. Remember, you're strong. The past is in the past. Love will thaw. Love will thaw. Love… will…
And before Elsa could finish her solemn recitation, she was fast asleep.
#
Exhausted by her restless night, Elsa slept in, having to be woken by Helena as the queen frantically picked out a crème-colored lace gown. Helena opted for a soft burgundy dress of cotton, the ribbons interlacing over the bodice neatly. Elsa had only just finished dressing when Heins stopped by their room to check on them and as he led them out, he was a never-ending chatterbox. "Oh, it is so much fun to take part in the chase! Of course, mother and father don't actually go; they usually watch from the castle observatory or the hills where we used to eat afterward in a picnic, and it always seems like it's been so long since we all did it; I'm so happy to have so many new people coming with us that I could just die! I already told them you were going to be riding with us, and they said that was fine, so we can leave once we get you both some horses-"
Elsa listened to him go on with a silent appreciation for his bubbly discourse, as it reminded her of Anna. After a quick breakfast, they were led downstairs and the doors of the courtyard opened to reveal a small gathering of most of the princes who were talking excitedly amongst themselves as their horses were brushed or saddled, the air brimming with an electric anticipation. Elsa took pause as she passed by one of the men, who was not in anything resembling riding gear but still dressed rather finely. He held a book in hand, and with a quill seemed to be scribbling numbers in it.
"Put me down for thirty on myself, Horatio," said one of the brothers. "I'm stealing the trophy from Harken for myself this time."
"Can we do double or nothing?" asked another.
He took notice of her as she approached them and nodded stiffly, snapping the book closed. "Queen Elsa."
"Aren't you going along with us?" she asked, as Heins led Helena to the stables to fetch extra horses for the guests. For a moment she briefly wondered how wise it was to let the two of them go alone to a private place. She decided to let them have their fun and focused her attention on the many sons of the Southern Isles before her, especially this one. She remembered him from the trade discussion, but she could only make her best guess at his name. "Prince… Horatio?" How she hated wondering whether she'd gotten their names correct, but how was she to remember exactly what they all looked like and tell them apart when all their names began with the same letter?
"You're correct," he responded with a slight nod of affirmation. "I'm surprised, most people don't bother to remember our names if they aren't related to us in some roundabout way. Not that I can blame them. And no, I can't say I'll be joining you. I rather dislike the idea of hunting down a creature that is doomed to lose in a game in which it is impossibly unmatched."
"He finds it barbaric," scoffed one of the brothers near a tall, beefy, muddy brown horse, sneering in their direction.
"In a way he's right, Harken," said a soft voice of one of the brothers, coming up next to Horatio. His eyes were downcast, and his words gently spoken. "I feel sorry for the poor fox."
"You're just squeamish, Harry," remarked Helm, hoisting himself up into the saddle of his caramel-colored horse with a hiss of effort. "It's better you stay home. Keep the twins company."
"Maybe you should all stay home. It's not as if you stand a fighting chance; we all know I've won the fox hunt for the past six years in a row," Harken remarked, nudging his horse on with a quick kick in the flank. "Come, Attila. We have a game to win." The beast snorted, turning from the group and trotting a small distance away to graze, tail flicking as if to disregard the brothers entirely.
"Nevermind him," added one of the older brothers as he rode up to the small group and faced Elsa. "Harken has always been extremely competitive to an unhealthy degree. Queen Elsa. It's an honor having you attend with us."
"Thank you, ah…" This brother Elsa had not met yet, but she knew he was one of the eldest, if not the oldest. "Very much," she lamely finished, wringing her hands.
"Are you really going with us?" asked a new voice as Heinrik strode up, accompanied closely by Johan, who was leading the prince's pinto horse. "Well, maybe this hunt will be fun after all. And here I thought it was going to be another typical tousle for male superiority." He flashed her a winning grin and hoisted himself up in the rider's seat with a single grunt. "Not that we don't already know who's the most masculine here already."
"I should think the answer to that would be obvious." A gleaming black horse rode up to the group, the rider astride it wearing pristine clothing, his cool eyes scanning Elsa discomfortingly and then switching to Helena. Although his gaze on Elsa had not lasted long, his eyes fixed upon Helena for much longer. As Helena finally took notice and blinked in surprise, he drew his gaze away from her and focused on preening his horse's mane, who seemed to enjoy the extra attention.
"You're going, Heinrik?" responded Helm with a raised eyebrow. "But you always hated the hunt."
"Yes, that's true…" admitted Heinrik, riding a little closer to Elsa until he could lean over in the saddle and murmur from the corner of his mouth, "But I hate princely lessons even more." Elsa immediately decided she liked him far more than the previous one who'd eyed Helena for far too long with much too invasive a stare.
"Is everyone here yet?" The buzz of conversations suddenly grew still in the wake of the newest rider approaching the group, his cinnamon-colored horse coming to a stop before them, the nostrils flaring, head held high as if the beast held the same sense of superiority as its master. His rider's hard eyes overlooked the company and he swiveled in his seat to see Harken a little ways away, chuffing in irritation under his breath. "It looks as if those who were coming are more-or-less present." His green gaze focused on Elsa, the medals on his chest twinkling as he disembarked from his horse, his boots thudding on the ground, the impact giving off mini eruptions of dust. "Queen Elsa, may I take the opportunity-"
"Sorry, sorry! I hope we didn't hold anyone up!" Heins returned from the stables a bit breathless, holding reins in each of his hands, one horse a spotless white color and the other a muted blonde shade. "Introducing Primrose for Elsa and Buttercup for Helena, as well as Kalk for myself."
A harrowing glower from Harald quickly caused Heins to recoil, and the predatory eyes honed in on the younger prince. Tenuously, almost as if he were stalking a helpless animal, Harald walked over and firmly plucked the reins of the pure white mare from his younger brother. Returning to Elsa, Harald swept into a graceful bow, and, straightening, offered her his hand. "In light of my being interrupted earlier, allow me the honor of assisting you into your saddle."
Elsa stared at the extended palm, lifting her gaze to meet his eyes, studying him. His eyes were shrewd, strict, and sharp as icicles, brimming with far more intellect than he let on at first glance. She exhaled, intimidated by the disquieting spirit she sensed within him. Vapors accompanied her breath, but not due to the refreshing chill of the morning air. My magic. Elsa looked into his bitter eyes and tried to convince herself she wasn't afraid, her hands wringing one another. His grip tightened on Primrose's reins, and Elsa heard the faint straining of the leather in his riding gloves.
Gloves.
Suddenly her breath caught in her throat. Her gloves weren't here. Her hands were bare. She couldn't risk touching him, not like this, not when she felt so nervous. She shrank back, pinpricks trickling over her spine, sparking her magic to life, sending it shooting down her arms into her fingertips. Oh, no. No, no, not here! Not now! Control it, Elsa! Conceal, don't feel, love will thaw, you can't let it go now!
"Elsa?" Hans walked over to join his brothers, Sitron's bridle in hand, staring in confusion at her. She looked terrified. What had his brothers been saying to make her look so frightened? "Your majesty… are you alright?" He looked from her withdrawn position to his elder brother's hand extended towards her. Then, before he thought about it too much and changed his mind, he extended his own hand. "Here, Elsa… take my hand." Elsa was completely unaware of the crowd of burning eyes on her, all of her attention focused on Hans. "Please." Elsa met his sorrowful green eyes, swallowed to give herself strength, and instinctually slipped her hand into his.
It wasn't until she was in her saddle that she realized she was still holding his hand… and her powers were still contained. He removed his hand from hers, and the absence of his touch felt startlingly significant. "My gloves…" she whispered, stunned. "I need my gloves from my room." She turned quickly, her platinum blonde braid whipping with her momentum, to look for Helena, who was standing beside her mount.
"I'll fetch them for you, your majesty," Helena volunteered with a smile, waving to Heins as she parted their company and disappeared back into the castle. Everyone's attention was so split between Elsa, Hans, and the deadly glower Harald served his brother, no one noticed the black horse was missing a rider.
#
Helena hurried back to Elsa's room, quickly locating the trunk she knew contained the queen's gloves, crouching in front of it and moving clothes aside until she found them. Lifting them to her chest, she was just preparing to leave when she heard the slow squeak of a door closing. She turned, gloves in hand, facing one of Heins' brothers. "Oh… h-hello, your majesty," she stammered awkwardly.
Hugo's lips curled into what passed as a smile, but it didn't seem to reach his eyes, his stance remaining glued in front of the door. "Hello. I was worried you may get lost… I came to help you find what you were looking for."
"Oh, I did," Helena assured him hastily, holding out her hand with the gloves.
Hugo's teeth, which Helena noticed distractingly, were perfectly white and even. The temperature of the room suddenly seemed to plummet with the faint echo of a lock clicking. "So did I."
A/N: Wow, we have some exciting things going on here! Hope you all enjoyed it just as much, thanks as always for the love and reviews you give me; I read every one.