A/N: Thank you for all the kind words, everyone! I'm so glad you're enjoying it. Sorry about the wait on this one, I just moved so I'm still in the midst of sorting things out, but hey, at least it's long. No, seriously, prepare yourself. This chapter is, more or less, a cool down period, if you'll pardon the expression. Though… that's not to say it's without its own… intense moments. Alskling= "loved one" in Swedish.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

There's Snow Going Back

It was no real surprise to Hans the snow continued to fall overnight, building until it was a foot by morning and still layering by the time he got dressed. He would have to thank Elsa again for her help. It took him a little longer than usual to find his warmer clothes and put them on, due to the fact that their use in the Southern Isles was limited. He was pleased to find they still fit pretty well, even if he rarely touched them. He had only just finished buttoning his thick brown coat when there was a round of raucous pounding on his door.

"Hans! Hans, are you awake?"

He could recognize his brother Heins' voice from a mile away, much less just beyond his door. "I've been up for hours," Hans replied with a little laugh, which was true. He had always been an early riser in the family. Feeling a little playful with his brother, he tacked on, "Who is it?"

There was a mix of a sigh and a gasp from beyond his door. "Don't be ridiculous! You know who it is! It's me- Heins! Hans, hurry up! Look outside!"

"I see it! It's snowing!" Hans went to his door and took the handle, swinging it open to greet his brother. Heins burst straight past him into the room with the speed of a bullet shot from a gun, rushing to the window and pressing his face against the glass, getting a scope of the view. Hans wondered if the sights really could be so different from another room.

"It's so deep!" Heins exclaimed, breathing out in awe.

"You're fogging up the glass," Hans chided lightly, bending over next to him and taking a look himself. He could hardly remember seeing snow this deep in the Southern Isles since Kris was alive, and it summoned forth a strange, sudden twist of emotions within him.

"Hey, Hans…" Heins turned, green eyes bright as he smiled. "Do you want to build a snowman?"

Hans smiled back, pushing away the unwelcome thoughts into the back of his mind once more. "Yeah. Yeah, I do."

#

It was rather comical to see some of the royal princes venture out into the snow, with the majority of them acting as if they were tip toeing through a field layered in bear traps, picking and choosing their steps carefully. Though not all were as quick to head outdoors from within the confinement of their warm castle, Hans was confident they would all come out soon enough. The braver ones eased out into the powdery snow first, the more analytical such as Harvard and Horatio echoing one another's footsteps, with Helm following in turn behind them.

Harken waded through the snow as if it were nothing more than an inconvenience to him, going out of his way to shove Helm back into a large snow pile, where the man collapsed with a powdery explosion of flakes. "Out of my way," Harken grumbled, sneering at his brother as he made his way towards the stables. Hans watched, and made a mental note to ask his brother how Attila was faring after her stumble the other day. He'd said the horse was fine, but Hans doubted Harken would have let on to pain even if he had been shot himself, and the stubbornness carried over to his horse.

Although Harken was as unpleasant as usual, Hans himself couldn't keep from smiling as he heard the crunch of the snow beneath his feet. Only vague memories were sparked by the sound and the sight of white blanketing his father's courtyard, but he was beaten into the middle of it by a gleeful shout as Heins burst out into the white of the courtyard behind him, dragging Helena by the hand. Her long red scarf, which sent a strange tickling feeling of déjà vu down Hans' spine, flailed in the wind behind her as she came to a sudden halt, where Heins bent to his knees and began to shape a small ball, scooping the snow around him to build upon it.

"What's that supposed to be?" asked Harald, who stood beside Heins and gazed, his glower scrutinizing, at the start of the tiny snowman body.

"It's a snowman!" Heins replied cheerfully, packing the snow as Helena moved off to the side a ways. Harald raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, looking unimpressed. Heins looked up at his older brother and a shy smile filled his face, his cheeks already pink from the cold. He went back to his packing. "Well, it will be a snowman! Right now, it's just a little ball of snow!" He turned sideways to yell back at his younger brother. "Hans, you start work on the head, and see if you can find some proper color-coordinated rocks for buttons! My snowman is going to be nothing if not the most fashionable one ever built!"

"I'll start work on the middle, Heins," Helena called with a smile, bending down a little ways away and pulling snow towards herself to follow his lead.

"A snowman?" Harald repeated, wrinkling his nose and scoffing as he continued to stare.

"You could help build it," Heins elaborated, looking up at his brother innocently, his voice softening, "if you want…"

Harald crossed his arms over his chest, chuffing out a puff of vapor and turning his nose up at the mere suggestion. "Although I don't deny I was wrong about the snow sticking, I will say that the very sight of you kneeling there to build a snowman, it's… it's embarrassing, to say the least. And you honestly think I would stoop so low as to waste time building something that will likely be melted by morning?"

During all this time of scolding his brother, Harald did not notice Heinrik sneaking up behind him with one belabored foot at a time, following Harald's footsteps to lessen the soft crinkle of the power. "Ha-ha!" Heinrik made his leap and snatched Harald's hat once more from his head, repeating the trick he'd pulled inside the castle the day before, only this time he bolted away through the courtyard. "Come and get it!"

"Heinrik!" Harald snapped, making a wild grab for the hat and tripping up, stumbling to his knees in the snow and brushing it from his legs as he stomped a few steps towards his sibling. "Heinrik, I demand you give me my property this instant! Don't be childish! Are you five years old?"

"Only in mind, brother!" Heinrik called from the other side of the expansive courtyard, clapping the hat on his own head and straightening rigidly, shoving a hand inside his coat to cover his heart, donning a deeper voice and talking loudly enough for everyone to hear him. "I say, gents! It's quite impossible it will snow here! It never snows in the Isles! Why, if I so much as see a snowflake, I'll eat my own hat, I will! Oh dear, what's this? I do believe this may in fact be snow! Bother it all! I seem to have misplaced my seasoniiiing!" He broke off at the end into a fit of laughter and dodged Harald once more, snow flying as he ran across the yard.

"Heinrik! Give me my hat now!" Harald roared, not quite as nimble as his brother, following after him as he passed through a small opening leading to another portion of the courtyard, their voices growing more distant.

Hans chuckled as he watched, leaning down and grunting as he began to roll his ball into the snow, building its mass until he was satisfied. Heinrik would be able to get away with teasing Harald, at least until he was caught, but Hans would not dare try anything against his older brother. Harald had always seemed stern, but around Hans, that suddenly bubbled into anger. He paused to examine the snowman's head as he crouched, deciding it was a good size, nodding in approval.

"I saw you from the window… I thought you might need one of these," said a voice, and Hans' peripheral vision caught a pair of slender hands holding a carrot.

Blinking, he looked up, and straightened before Elsa. She wore a long, blue winter gown of turquoise with dark blue designs swirling up along the edges of the skirt like snow, the collar and wrists lined in a white fur, her hair trailing over her shoulder in a loose woven braid, her blue eyes sparkling. "Thank you," he said, accepting her gift. "I think Heins will be grateful." He put the carrot in his pocket, hoping his cheeks were pink because of the cold and that Elsa thought the same. "You look… nice."

"Thank you," she replied with a smile, bending down next to the snowball he was forming and sinking into the snow with her knees. "May I help you smooth it over?"

Hans nodded, trying to keep his attention on the snowman and failing horribly. Her bare hands moved to rest over the snowball, and Hans saw a thin line of light outline her fingers, a bare spattering of snowflakes floating down. The edges of the snowman head became polished and smooth, her palms stroking the snow with a tender touch. "I haven't built one of these like this for quite some time… let's just hope that I don't make him come to life… one Olaf is quite enough," she remarked, the end punctuated by a breathy laugh which Hans thought sounded as musical as a windchime. He watched her movements as she rolled the ball about to get to all the sides.

"You're not wearing gloves," Hans remarked, his eyes still focused on her hands. He was stunned to see it, because she'd seemed so fearful without them earlier, but since yesterday, he hadn't seen her wear them at all.

"Oh… you noticed," Elsa replied, bringing her hands to her lap and cradling them together.

Hans recognized her nervous habit almost as if it were his own, and he reached out, taking one of her hands to give it a gentle squeeze. "I like it."

Elsa felt a pulse of what she swore was warmth with his squeeze, even if he wore gloves himself, and she dropped her voice into a low murmur just loud enough for them to hear. "I was afraid that… being here, in such an unknown place… with all the pressure to face what's happened… to face you… that I might lose control, expose who I am. But I came because…I wanted to know who you are… before I can understand what you did."

Hans released his gaze and watched his breath float away on the wind as he exhaled steadily. "I see."

Elsa shook her head and let her hands fall away from the medium ball of packed snow, her expression furrowed, voice no louder than she needed for Hans to hear her. "I still don't understand why you did what you did, but I think I'm starting to know who you are." She took a small breath, and Hans watched her lips part as the vapor seeped through them with her exhale. "I never thought I could forgive you… until I began to think… what if you can't forgive yourself, either? Maybe you know how it feels… to think you've done something that you can never take back… something that haunts you for so long it starts… to take control of you… and make you something you're not."

Hans wanted to say something to her. He wanted to tell her right then all about his sister, about what he remembered, what he did not, and the nightmares which haunted him so often whenever those memories got too close. But all he could manage was to cover her hands with his own and give another meager squeeze. "I know, Elsa… I know."

"Oh, Hans!" Heins exclaimed in awe as he jogged over to check on progress. "It's perfect!I" Noticing Elsa, he swept into a graceful bow. "Elsa! My, but don't you look divine in that winter dress, the fur sets off your complexion so smoothly! It's lovely to see you enjoying the snow with us! Isn't it great?"

"It is!" Elsa exclaimed, unable to keep from smiling at the sight of Heins' excited expression. "I hear you're building a snowman. I brought you a carrot to donate to your cause. It's safe with your brother."

Heins brightened as Hans patted his pocket to emphasize the point. "That's so nice of you! Our snowman will be wonderful! But you're so quick, Hans! I'm not even close to finishing with the bottom, and you're already finished with the head! You must have the magic touch!" Heins held out his gloved fingers and gave them a little wiggle before his eyes as if to examine his own hands.

Hans smiled secretively and looked at Elsa. "I had a little help."

Heins followed his gaze and held out his hand to the queen. "Would you like to join us, Elsa? I'm already winded trying to keep my ball of snow together, since, well, it's been so long since I've last built a snowman! I'm completely out of practice!"

Elsa paused, looking at his hand, offering him a weaker version of her earlier smile. "I don't want to intrude…"

Heins waved the hand in the air and shook his head, blowing air from his lips in a raspberry. "Pffft, intrude? You? It would be nothing short of an honor to have you join us! Besides, you don't want to go back into the castle when we're all out here! I'm sure it would get lonely, all those empty rooms? What would you do? Sit and watch the hours tick by? Not while I'm here! Come on!" Before she could say anything else, Heins grabbed her hand and led her out into the snow, Hans quick to follow. Heins paused before his own ball, which was off-kilter and a little oddly shaped, certainly not big enough to be the bottom of the snowman, not even as large as Helena's middle. He tilted his head to the side and leaned a little. "Well, it looked straight when I started it."

Elsa offered up a giggle, bending over and putting her hands on it. "Let me try to give it a little push. Would you mind helping me, Hans? If that's alright with you, Heins."

"By all means," exclaimed Heins, backing away, looking at Hans with a grin almost as lopsided as his snowball and patting him once on the shoulder. "I'll go and see how Helena is getting along."

As Heins jogged away, Hans leaned over with Elsa, placed both hands on the ball to brace himself, and pushed, but he found he hardly needed to exert any effort, as the ball was almost moving on its own. He chuckled under his breath as he walked alongside her, snow crunching pleasantly under his feet, and turned to look at her. "You don't really need my help, do you?"

"Whatever makes you say that?" Elsa responded, smiling from ear to ear, her braid drooping through the space in her arms, framing her face. "Maybe you just don't know your own strength."

Hans decided to play along. "I wonder what would happen if I gave it a real push."

"Give it a try," Elsa encouraged, her teeth now showing through her smile.

Hans braced himself and moved all his strength forward, but before he could place his hands on it, the ball suddenly rolled straight on its own account, flying a few feet beyond them and causing Hans to fall flat on his face in the blanket of snow. He got up and shook himself, brushing snow from his hair and clothing. While clearing off his pants, he shot Elsa a look, but he couldn't be angry with her, not for a moment. Not when she was making the most beautiful sound with her laughter he had ever heard.

"See?" she managed through a few breaths, "I told you, you don't know your own strength!"

"I never knew what I was capable of," Hans joked, flashing a look at his bicep for a moment.

"I'm so sorry that happened," Elsa said, still trying to hold back a few last giggles, "If I'd have known you weren't ready, I never would have-"

"No, no…" Hans interrupted against the rules of his etiquette training, "it's okay… you don't have to apologize. But… we should probably go back to rolling a snowman the old fashioned way. Before we start getting carried away with ourselves."

Elsa nodded, her smile making her face glow with warmth. "I seem to have captured the attention of a few people."

Hans followed her gaze to see Horatio giving him an odd look across the way, where the man, as usual, held a book in one hand and an umbrella in the other. Hans waved once and went back to their snowball, taking a second to judge its size. "Don't worry about him, Elsa," he said comfortingly, "he's just a little stunned to hear me laughing, I think. There's not much of it around the castle… at least, there wasn't before you got here."

Elsa met his gaze and her cheeks bloomed with a color strikingly pink against her pale skin. Her hands went to stroke her braid reflexively. "I'm glad to help… it's odd to be around someone with so many siblings… I only have Anna… but you've got twelve. How long has it been since you've all done something together?"

Hans scoffed lightly, shrugging his shoulders. "Years, probably not since I was too young to remember. It's hard to get us all together, and harder to get us to agree on something. Getting us to actually do something without it falling apart is nearly impossible. You should have seen the last dinner we all tried to have together…but the snow did help… make us all… happy."

"Nearly impossible…" Elsa looked back at Horatio and waved a hand in the air, calling. "Excuse me! Prince Horatio!" She felt pride burn inside her at having remembered his name so clearly. In fact, she was finding she could remember them all now. Horatio looked up from his book where he had been reading, his normally stoic expression taking on surprise.

"Your majesty?" he called, blinking.

"Would you mind helping Hans with this snowball? It's growing a little too heavy for me to move!"

Horatio looked down at his book, back at her, and snapped it shut, slipping it inside a pocket of his coat and coming over to join them. Examining the snow for a moment, he jerked his head back in the direction of the castle. "We're pushing slightly uphill if we continue in the direction you were going. Heading back towards the castle should give us a little more decline and in turn, less effort to produce a larger circumference. We'll also have a simpler time conjoining with your other two pieces going that way."

"You want to help?" Hans asked, stunned beyond reasoning. "Wh…why? I've never seen you put down your book for something like this."

Horatio handed off his umbrella to Elsa with a short bow of respect. "My lady." Then he bent over next to Hans and the two brothers pushed together. "Well," he grunted, the snowball no longer moving as easily as it had before, "I guess it's a matter of reason. Books are here whenever you need them, but snow… and siblings…" he added with another low grunt, "are here one day and gone the next."

When they stopped, and Horatio had gone to evaluate the sizes of the other two sections of their snowman, Elsa stepped in next to Hans, close enough to touch his arm. "Anna sacrificed everything to try and find me… to bring me home. She believed nobody wanted to be alone. And do you know something… I think she was right. She says…" she shook her head with a muffled giggle, "she says that she has some love expert friends… and they told her that sometimes all people need is to have a little love shown to them…have you tried that with your brothers?"

"Love…" Hans repeated, ruminating over the word as he spoke. "There's not much of that around here."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that…" Elsa trailed off, motioning with her eyes. Hans followed her gaze to see Heins and Helena next to one another in the snow, spreading one of their arms and legs each respectively back and forth.

"It's a snow angel!" Heins exclaimed as he got up, pulling Helena with him. "See? You're one half, and I'm the other half!"

"That's an odd-looking angel," remarked Helm, who had been watching with the two oldest brothers.

"She's beautiful…" Heins breathed, staring into Helena's eyes as she brushed some snow off his shoulders. "The most beautiful angel in the whole, wide world."

Hans admitted defeat with a conceding nod. "Okay, so maybe there is. At least, in some circles." He couldn't imagine Heins not syncopated with the definition of love and joy. "And I think he's what's keeping this family afloat… he's the reason I started this journey, the reason I arrived in Arendelle alive… and stayed alive."

"Then I'm grateful to him," Elsa replied.

"Yeah… I am, too." Hans murmured, thinking on his brother. You've always been there for me, Heins, ever since I can remember. You defended me in front of Kristoff, helped heal my relationship with Anna, even worked to support me and saved my life in the storm… and I swear I'll always be there for you in return. I've never seen you angry… not like you were when you hit… His eyes trailed up to the castle and he stared, still deep in thought. You have to show me… show me how you forgive him. And maybe it will give me hope… that I can be forgiven, too.

#

"Ouch!" Hugo exclaimed, flinching away from the doctor's touch and causing her to drop the end of the bandages. "Be careful! That hurts!"

"If you would hold still and allow doctor Helen to remove the bandages in one constant unwind, my love, it wouldn't hurt as much," Allowyn crooned soothingly, her blue eyes saddened by the sound of her son in pain.

"Well, if Heins hadn't have hit me, this wouldn't have happened," he snarled, wincing as the doctor patiently resumed her work. "He should be hit in return; it's only fair. I didn't do anything to provoke such an attack."

Allowyn bristled. She'd never liked the fact that a few of her sons in particular were violent at times, nor that those particular sons tended to spend their free time with one another. She may have been a mother, but she was not blind to her sons' actions, in particular, how Hugo reacted around women and his denial of his wrongdoing afterward. Hans' trespasses were difficult to understand, but violence of one family member against another in their household was unacceptable, and she had immediately done some digging of her own to hear stories from several sides. She was determined to put a stop to whatever pity Hugo was attempting to scrounge from her heart. "If you were not so unkind towards that woman, he wouldn't have hit you."

"Well," Hugo began, fumbling for his words and realizing his mother knew more than she let on, "he shouldn't have fallen in love with her in the first place."

"Well you shouldn't have been trying to force yourself on her!"

The room suddenly became silent, Hugo staring at his mother with eyes as big as saucers, until Helen cleared her throat. "I've finished removing the old bandages."

Allowyn placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, and the two exchanged looks only a mother would understand. "Thank you, Helen… I'll take over the new bandaging. Please see to the checkup on Attila. I believe Harken is waiting for you in the stables. He will be eager, I'm sure, to hear that she is healthy."

"Yes, Allowyn," Helen replied, formality long since abandoned between them. She passed the queen the fresh roll of gauze and some cream to stop infection, looking back at Hugo before she slipped out. "I believe he will."

Allowyn dipped a finger in the cream and lifted it to cover her son's wound. "Now hold still…this may sting a bit." Hugo flinched as she lightly dabbed the cream over the raw area of the broken nose. Though it was barely skinned from the outside, Heins' thrown punch had hit hard. Hugo's nose had twisted visibly, swollen to the point where he was forced to breathe through his mouth. Helen ensured Allowyn that in time, the man's nose would heal back, probably stronger than before, and no one would be the wiser. Until that time, even as the swelling went down, he would have a visible disfigurement. Her fingers working with the light touch of a feather, the queen began to wrap the gauze about her son's nose.

Hugo spoke when she had just wound the strip up to the halfway point, and his voice was as low as his gaze. "… Are you going to tell father?"

Allowyn shook her head as she wound the bandages, her lips pursed together. "He already knows."

Hugo ran the facts over in his mind, the pit of his stomach dropping, his color draining away and leaving his complexion paler than usual. "What did he say?"

Allowyn gave pause to this, taking the scissors and clipping off the last bit of gauze, pressing it against his wound lightly, though it still caused a small hiss of pain from him. "He said he would speak with you alone." Eyes darting back and forth, Hugo tried to think through what Heins might have told father so he would have the advantage. He was certain the two had spoken, as violence from Heins would be unthinkable. His father would have immediately questioned it, and therefore, questioned him. He only hoped she hadn't spoken to anyone else.

"My alskling…" The endearing word his mother had used with him often as a child cleared his mind of anything else, leaving him dumbfounded as he stared at her. Though he no longer confided in her as he once may have, he still held her in high respect, and to hear her tone so laden in sadness struck him deeper than any sword. Allowyn brushed back a strand of dark hair behind her son's ear before speaking. "Just tell me… why?"

Hugo defaulted to the first response which came to his mind. "I don't know."

Allowyn, not satisfied with that answer, shook her head. "I've known of your weakness with women for a long time, son… you flirt too much… have your fun… and leave a string of broken hearts behind you. When you were a child, it was simply cute. When you turned into a teenager, I assumed it a phase. But something like this, at this time…"

"I know…" Hugo trailed off, avoiding her eye contact. "It shames you."

"Yes, my love, it does… but more importantly than that…" She reached up and cupped Hugo's cheek, turning it so he had no choice but to face her, making eye contact. "It shames you." She let her hand slip away to rest on his shoulder. "A sacrifice for your sake means nothing to me. I would be shamed a hundred times before I would see your name slandered."

"Mother…" Hugo broke eye contact with her, staring at the floor. He searched for the right words, determined to give his mother the best explanation he could offer. "I just wanted her… to distract me. I was just… so angry when she refused me. No one has ever refused me before. I'm sorry…"

Allowyn studied him, searching her son from his body language to the way he spoke and the words he said. It was so simple to read some of her children. She could tell when Heins was having a bad day by the clothing he wore, but some others like Harald were often nigh impossible to read. Harken had been brushing her concerns off since he'd first learned to walk, fussing when she would try to help him up almost as if he were determined to do everything on his own. Hugo… there were times when she knew he only said what needed to be said to save his skin. And then there were times such as these, when she had to weigh her trust against her love, and those times were the hardest of all. "If you are truly sorry, my son… you must make it right."

"How?" Hugo's brow furrowed, which only made him give a short cry of pain, and he seethed through his teeth as he looked back at her for an answer.

"You know how you must start." Allowyn refused to give him any more explanation than that, and leaned back to look over her work. She was no doctor, certainly not a professional like Helen, but the wound already looked better than it had yesterday, when the blood had caked his chin. "I think it best you go outside and spend some time with your brothers now, as long as your wound permits. They will be anxious to hear of your condition."

Hugo watched as she rose in one graceful, fluid motion. If there were one thing he'd always admired about his mother, it was the way she moved. She was, and always would be, a queen among queens. There was no arguing the point. There had been other queens with beauty, both in clothing and in appearance, but his mother outshone them all. Where other women braided their hair, his mother wove flowers into it. When other woman walked, she glided. He could not have asked for a purer symbol of royalty. "Mother," he whispered almost instinctively.

She turned to face him, her skirt train swishing over the floor like a cloud. "Yes, my love?"

Hugo decided, for the first time in… quite some time, he would confide in his mother again. "Do you not think it wrong that Heins has chosen her to carry on the lineage? Am I so wrong to be against it?"

The very fact that Hugo had asked for her opinion concerning one of his decisions shocked Allowyn so thoroughly that she heard her pulse thunder in her ears. She could not, in good conscience, hide the truth from him, but the time was not right to breach such a sensitive subject. She'd never given thought to telling any of her children the truth about her life, and to this day, only George, herself, and most recently, Elsa, knew of her past secrets. "No, my love, I do not think it wrong. But you must ask yourself this: why is it that you do?"

Hugo seemed taken aback by the question for a moment. Then, getting up to his feet and turning to face the wall, he vented his troubles. "She knows nothing of ruling a kingdom. She has never been faced with the duties required of a princess, of royalty. She knows nothing of what it means to support your people, to handle the weight of that responsibility."

"Then it falls to us to teach her," Allowyn gently persuaded. "I am confident in Heins' choice. She would make as fine a queen as I, if given the chance."

"She will never be as fine as you!" Hugo spat, slicing the air with his arm as he whirled to face her. "No one will!" His mouth fell open as he stared at his mother, his breathing a little more ragged than usual. "No one could ever hope to be like you! No one will ever take your place!"

"Oh, my son…" Allowyn said, battling her feelings of love for her son with confusion at his outbursts. "She is much like me… more than you know… but I sense that is not what's bothering you."

"What do you mean?" Hugo asked, his eyebrows furrowing once more and, in turn, seething through his teeth in pain.

Allowyn concentrated her gaze on him and moved forward until she could put both hands on his shoulders. "Tell me why this bothers you so, Hugo… please… confide in me as you once did. Tell me everything, and don't be afraid… talk to me."

Hugo stared at her, his forehead wrinkled. His eyes watered, but Allowyn wasn't sure whether it was because of pain, or because of the confrontation. Finally, he grunted, his tone low and grated. "At first it was because she was a peasant… but after she refused me… after the fight… I think it's because… because I don't want another sister."

Allowyn just blinked. "What… son, what do you mean? Harvard is married, and you've had a sister in the family for years now."

"Not like her." Hugo shook his head. "Not here… not living here, not someone who can bring everything back just by looking at me, someone who can wear her clothes and make my heart stop because I see her there and I see myself just st…" he broke off, exhaling a shuddery breath. "I… I don't know how to stop it."

Allowyn slipped her arms behind her son's shoulders and brought him in close, hugging him to her tightly. "Kris will always be with us, Hugo. She will always be here in our hearts, in our memories, and no one will ever replace her as much as no one can replace me. You are never, never alone here. We are still a family, and we are still here for one another. No one can stop the pain we feel… but we can stop the anger. You can stop the anger." Hugo looked up at her, his eyes shining with unshed tears, his eyes glancing off to the left, and then back, hands motionless at his side. Allowyn squeezed his shoulders tightly. "Go…" she murmured, leaning in and giving his cheek a kiss. "Stop it."

#

It was a few moments after Hugo left the room that the queen was startled by the sound of the door opening again. George walked inside and closed the door behind him with a quiet sense of nobility, approaching his wife and sitting in a chair directly beside her. Both were silent for a time, taking solace in one another's presence, before George initiated the conversation. "You always know what to say… how to speak to them in a way I don't begin to understand."

"He was scared, George. When he heard you knew about it, he was scared to death."

"Good. What he did is inexcusable for any man, much less my son." George leaned an elbow on the windowpane next to his chair, watching his children below walk in the snow.

"I agree… but did you hear why he was so against her?"

"I did." George met his wife's eyes. "It's no wonder she has been so frequently on our minds… snow hasn't been this deep since she was with us. And our Miss Helena even fooled my eyes the first moment I saw her round the corner waiting for them to return from the hunt. I only wish someone had consulted me passing on her possessions." He served his wife a look of disapproval, though light in nature.

"I know, my love… I should have told you. I'm sorry." Allowyn pointed below to her children. "It's been hard on all of them lately, particularly Hans… I just don't know what I can do for them… but… although it's pushed us all, I think it's been good for us."

"Good?" repeated the king, confusion lining his brow, his frown making his beard shift.

"Yes, because through the pain the memories bring, through the grief they're all experiencing anew, I'm seeing our children grow. Opportunities are springing forth, and lessons are being learned… all because of what's happened." Allowyn took his hand and squeezed. "It is good for us… helps us remember her… because when we shut her out… we shut a piece of our world out. What are we so afraid of, George? Are we afraid to remember our little girl?"

George stared down at his wife's hand touching his own and slowly rose from his chair, his voice level. "I'm needed in the great hall."

"George, wait." Allowyn encircled both her hands around his and guided him back to the chair. "Stay with me. Please? Just for a little while longer."

"Love, the law will not-"

"Wait." Allowyn pointed down into the yard as Hugo entered the courtyard, heading towards Helena. "Watch, George. Just watch and you'll see."

George looked from his son to his wife's eyes, and sank back into his chair with a sigh. "Alright… I'll watch." Together, the king and queen held each other's hand and watched below, holding their breaths to keep the window clear.

#

Helena had finished the middle quickly with the help of the brothers, and now they were in the midst of overseeing the snowman put together properly. "He looks perfect, all he needs is the buttons, yes, just there, Hans!" she exclaimed as Hans pushed the chosen rocks into place on the snowman's middle. "What do you think, Hei-" she stopped as she turned, the words leaving her lips as nothing more than vapor.

Hugo had come from behind most of his siblings, but now was in full view, standing before Helena. Silently, like a blanket of fog rolling in, Heins approached from the side and stopped slightly in front of her. He faced his brother with smoldering eyes which made Hugo's nose ache all the more. He swallowed and faced Helena, doing his best not to give Heins cause to break some other part of him. "Brother, please… just let me say what I must…Helena… I know you may not believe me… but I needed to tell you… I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I swear… on my family's name, that I will never give you cause to fear me again. And Heins… I don't expect you'll forgive me or believe my apology is sincere, but… it is true."

Helena remained quiet for a moment, and then nodded. You have to trust him. He's your brother-in-law, or will be. Give him a chance, Helena. Give him a chance like you gave Heins a chance. "I accept your apology. I'll need your help… if I'm ever to figure out how to properly act a royal."

Heins had listened quietly, and watched as Hugo turned to face him, staring at his brother with the same serious eyes so uncharacteristic for him. Then, turning to look at his snowman, he trailed a hand over the middle sides. "It needs something else… you could help it find arms… if you want." He looked back at Hugo, his lips curving into a soft smile as he extended a hand. "Want to help built it?"

Hugo reached out and took his brother's hand, shaking it. "Let's go find the perfect pair of arms."

Hans watched in amazement as the three of them walked off together, giving a chuckle of disbelief. Is it really that easy? Is it all forgiven just like that?

Elsa was already looking at him when he turned to her, and, leaning close, she murmured, "a little love their way brings out the best."

A little love… Hans turned toward the stables as he heard someone approaching, and saw Harken returning to the courtyard. Well, if I'm ever going to test out the theory on someone who could use it, I couldn't find a better subject. "I'll be right back," he commented to Elsa, though she was quick to follow him. "Harken!" he shouted, jogging over to his brother and holding a hand in the air. Harken stopped beneath one of many trees planted in the courtyard, this one empty of leaves but full of snow.

"What?" his brother snapped, as irritated as always.

"How was Attila? I meant to ask you after you heard from the doctor," Hans elaborated.

"A slight sprain in the left hind leg," replied Harken. "Not that you care."

"Why would you say that?" Hans asked, walking towards Harken at a slower pace, closing the distance. "I'm asking, aren't I?"

"The whole thing is your fault, that's why." Harken growled, giving Hans a little push back when his brother got close enough, making him stumble. "If you hadn't tried to catch up with me and win at my best event, none of this would have happened."

"I only wanted to keep the fox alive," Hans defended, regaining his balance. "I never wanted to win the hunt."

"Damn the fox!" Harken replied nastily, a sneer curling his lip. "Damn the fox and damn the hunt!" He hesitated, anger burning within him, and lowered his voice to a hiss. "And most of all, Hans, damn-" Suddenly, his words were swallowed up as a great pile of snow fell over the top of him, nearly covering him entirely as he collapsed into a sitting position. His head poked up out of the mound and he sputtered, leaning against the trunk for support as he stood and glanced overhead at the filled branches.

Hans bent over to help his brother up, his head swiveling about to look for Elsa. She was, however, already prepared, hiding away behind a nearby tree, where she had to cover her mouth to hide her giggle. She'd sworn she'd never use her powers frivolously, but this, she convinced herself, did not count. She let one tiny squeak of her laughter escape until she heard something that made her blood turn as cold as the snow.

"I knew you had something to do with this." Elsa whirled around, her braid flailing, meeting eyes with Heinrik, who was red in the face, sporting his brother's hat. "I still don't really know how you do it… maybe I never will. But I first thought it when there was snow around you earlier, and then remembering what happened with Harald on the hunt. I told myself I was thinking crazy thoughts, that no one could possibly control snow, but then seeing that? Snow appear out of thin air and drop on my brother in a pile big enough to bury him? Now I'm sure."

Elsa's heart leaped into her throat, and she wrung her hands, shaking her head. "I… I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, no! No, no, please! Don't be afraid!" Heinrik shook his head, holding his hands out so she could see them. He grinned, exposing his teeth. "I think it's a riot! It's… amazing, is what it is. You have my solemn oath as a pirate prince hybrid that I… well… that we won't tell anyone." He turned behind him and jerked his head towards a decorative statue of a cherub in their portion of the courtyard, though from Elsa's point of view there was no one there. Heinrik clicked his tongue and sighed heavily. "Come on, don't be a sea slug!" Slowly, from behind the snowy statue, Johan emerged and walked over to stand beside his captain. She could see something akin to uncertainty in his eyes, and she decided it was up to her to take the situation into her hands, before fear told hold.

"I promise I won't hurt anyone," she solemnly said, as if she were reciting an oath. "I've always been like this… ever since I can remember. I want to tell everyone, in time… when I'm ready to show everything to the world… but until then, I want to use my powers for good… to make others happy."

"It's working! The snow is great!" Heinrik exclaimed, barking laughter as he leaned around the tree near Elsa to get a better look at Harken. Though Johan was not as eager, Heinrik seemed to show a complete lack of fear in the face of the unknown, and Elsa was glad of that. "Look at Harken's face; it's priceless! Oh my God, I think I see a hint of a smile… hey, maybe we'll even see that from-"

"Heeeeinriiiik!"

"Uh-oh." Heinrik bit his lip and shoved his hat into Johan's arms, who stuffed it into his shirt. "Cover for me!" Heinrik took off across the yard, his unruly hair waving in the air, Harald tearing out of one of the pathways, as red in the face and sweaty as Heinrik, his uniform disheveled.

"Give me back my hat!" he roared, chasing after him all the way towards Harken. Heinrik darted behind his brother, grabbing him and holding him in front like a human shield. Though Harken was larger in stature than Heinrik, Heinrik had enough muscle to keep him in place, even if he were only playing. Harald swept down and gathered snow into a packed ball, too frenzied with frustration to bother paying attention to details, and hurled it at his brother.

But Harald had never possessed the best aim when it came to throwing. The snowball flew through the air and hit Harken in the forehead with a smack, leaving everyone, especially Hans, gaping in awe. No one hit Harken and lived to tell about it. Harken brushed snow from his hair, sternly glowering at Harald, eyes burning with vengeance. Snorting, he bent down into a squat, gathering snow from each side towards the middle, patting it into a ball. "Brother, you'd do best to surrender now, because you've just declared war. "

Harald stiffened, backing away a step, but before he could say anything, Heinrik cupped both hands to his mouth and yelled. "Snowball fiiiight!"

Chaos erupted in the courtyard, and the princes split off into sides, snowballs flying haphazardly all over the enormous outdoors. Hans found himself taking shelter behind a tree, which was too skinny to provide much cover, and Heinrik leaped behind it soon afterward, covered in snow and laughing wildly all the while. "Oh come on, Hans! Don't be a coward! Get out there and get some battle scars to brag about!" With that, Heinrik dashed away, giving his brother a playful push out into the open. Hans sprinted to the next area of safety, having little desire to be a target for his older brothers. He ducked behind a bush, realizing that although it had enough cover to protect him from incoming projectiles, there was not enough protection to shield him from sight.

"Hans!"

He jerked his head towards the sound, spotting Heins, who was hiding with Helena, most surprisingly of all, with Hugo forming somewhat of a shield against her. Heins waved him towards an abandoned boulder in the front of the courtyard, a large boulder Hans recognized even under the cover of snow. It had always been part of their playtime in the past, from king of the mountain games, to tag, to hiding. Yes, it would be the perfect cover. Waving once to thank his brother, Hans lunged. He dove and slid to a safe stop behind the boulder, backing away to conceal himself. He thudded against something that was certainly not stone, and whirled, to see his brother's military jacket, though his brother was not wearing it. His eyes locked on the loose platinum hair trailing down the suit in a braid. "Elsa?" he asked, stunned.

Harald leaned over from the opposite side of the queen, looking just as stunned to see Hans. Harald looked remarkably different, bare and exposed if not for his white cotton shirt with the absence of a piece of his uniform. "Hans?"

"Why did you take your jacket off?" Hans asked, blinking in awe.

"Why did you abandon the queen in the midst of this?" Harald replied, absorbing a hit with a little grunt. "It's not much protection, but at least I can offer her something!"

Hans felt a surge of jealous anger pulse through him for just a moment. "I would have if I'd known where she was, but if you had not hit the one brother of ours who takes it seriously, this wouldn't have happened, would it?"

Harald grunted at another hit. "Well, we can't just stay here! We're sitting ducks with all three of us hunkered down like this!"

"He's right," Elsa interrupted, the only one to have kept a smile on her face the entire time. "Harald, you have the left. Make as many snowballs as you can, and Hans and I will take the right. We'll attack them together in a flank. Alright?"

Hans and Harald met eyes, and Harald reluctantly nodded. "Right." With that, the man turned his back to them and began to gather snow, packing it.

Elsa turned opposite him, flashing Hans a knowing smile. Hans realized, with a great pulse of excitement rushing through him, that he was about to witness Elsa's magic firsthand, and this time, he would see it used for good. Her hands, spread a few inches apart, began to weave and circle about one another. Sparkles of ethereal light swirled gracefully within the confines of her fingers, stitching together and forming a small ball of white snow. Hans' green eyes widened and his smile broadened until it could go no further.

"Are you ready?" Elsa whispered, her eyes sparkling as brightly as her magic as she met his gaze.

Hans nodded, holding back his breath as he stared, transfixed. Then, in a burst of light and enchantment that was remarkably silent as snow falling, a plethora of packed snowballs appeared in front of her, which she quickly began to gather into her arms. Hans was quick to help, stuffing his own arms full and turning to his brother as they finished. "Ready, Harald?"

Harald turned, having gathered four of his own, nearly dropping his load as he blinked at the two of them and their cargo. "How… how did you…" he gasped.

Hans just smirked. "We have a secret weapon."

Harald grunted in disbelief, and Hans almost caught the flicker of something on his face… he thought, for a brief, fleeting moment, his brother might have smiled. But as soon as he thought it was there, it disappeared, and Harald returned to his typical expression of misdirected displeasure. "On the count of three…one…two… three!" And with that count, the two princes and the queen charged into the fray of the war.

#

By the time the snowballs finally ceased and a treaty was called, the sun was nearly gone and the brothers had spent all day outside with each other. "My arm, oh God, no, why my arm?" Heinrik cried, his sleeve empty, arm tucked inside his shirt. He took a few wavering steps beside Johan, the two heading back towards the castle with everyone else, and collapsed to his knees, grabbing for his best friend's shirt. "I can't make it… Johan… tell the women… I'm sorry."

Johan scoffed playfully and pushed Heinrik back into the snow. "The women will be thanking me." With a wink, he replied, "Don't worry; I'll console them for you."

"Hey!" Heinrik got to his feet and brushed snow off his pants. "Where's your loyalty?"

"My loyalty died when you shoved me in front of three snowballs in a row," Johan countered, his jet black hair still speckled in white.

"Then I guess I need a new best friend!" Heinrik exclaimed, jogging ahead of his brothers to the snowman they'd built, standing proudly through all the battle as cheerfully as ever. "How about this guy? A man who can stand tall in the cold! Who never falters! That's what I need!" He quirked his lips into a fish face as the brothers lingered around him. "What's with the two different mittens?" The twins raised their hands.

"I gave him an orange," Hedvil volunteered, looking to his brother.

"And I gave him a purple." Henning finished, each holding up their hands, and each missing a mitten.

"I like it," Heinrik approved. "Makes him unique."

"Slightly passé," muttered Heins until Helena took his arm and leaned against him, making him smile. "But unique!"

"Still needs something, though," Heinrik remarked. "But what?... he's got the arms, the nose, the mouth, the buttons… oh, I know what it is!" He motioned to the top of his head mouthing the word "hat" to Johan. Unfortunately, Harald spotted the motion.

"My hat!" he exclaimed, pointing at Johan. "Give it here…" His gaze darkened. "Now."

Swallowing, Johan reached inside his coat and removed the hat, sweeping his hand over it and dusting off a little powder from the snow. Sheepishly, he offered it to Harald, who snatched it. It was only then he realized all eyes were on him and he looked back at the snowman. Grunting and muttering something unintelligible, he straightened the anchor pin on the brim and placed it on the snowman's head. "Too wet and cold for me to wear, anyway. Better not blow away… come on now, everyone, let's head inside, get dried off, and dress for dinner."

This time, as Hans watched Harald in amazement, he was almost certain, as his brother turned away, that he was smiling. And if Harald could smile… well… big things were happening.

#

The rest of the night consisted of laughing, talking, and good-hearted stories around the dinner table. The only one who did not participate much in the banter was George, and only because he was too stunned to say anything in the face of a relaxed, enjoyable family dinner. By the end of the night, after bidding goodnight to each of his children and Elsa as they excused themselves and parted ways, he turned to his wife in bewilderment. Allowyn, as shocked as he, laughed as she took a bite of sweet dessert raspberry tart. "My, my… wasn't that unusual?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, dear," George replied, taking a long drink of his goblet half-full of wine. "I've long since resigned to the fact that I'm dreaming."

Elsa had, for the past few days, been consistent to follow the same stretch of hallway to and from her bedroom. She particularly appreciated the line of decorative windows along the hallway which exposed the entire courtyard and a distant part of the town below, so much bigger than her own home. As she peered outside, she happened to see a lone figure standing in the courtyard, not far from the snowman they'd built earlier. Anna had always been the inquisitive one in their family, but Elsa figured it wouldn't hurt to investigate a little herself, while she was away from home and could get away with it. She went to her room to fetch her winter cloak and made her way back downstairs, sneaking outside and heading for the shadowy mystery person.

Elsa naturally felt it unusual that someone would be standing out in the middle of the night through such cold temperatures, but she was even more astonished to see who it was. Hesitantly, she approached Harald, who was standing stiffly a few feet from their snowman. She spoke loud enough to avoid startling him, but soft enough to keep attention from herself. "Isn't it a little late for guard duty?"

Harald hardly reacted to her presence, glancing back at her and resuming his post, arms at his side. "Someone must stand guard at all times of the night. The captain of the guard is responsible to see it's done."

"But you aren't on guard duty, are you?" Elsa asked.

"What would make you say that?" Harald replied, arching an eyebrow.

"Your position. You're far too close to the castle, and you have no other guards around you. If you were really on duty, you would be higher, and you would have others around you. The king has many guards here; your brother Horatio versed me on your military prowess."

Harald chuffed under his breath. "That figures."

"So then if you aren't a guard… what are you doing out here?" Elsa asked again, moving closer to stand beside him.

"…Thinking," replied Harald in a faint voice.

"About what?" asked Elsa.

He hesitated for a long moment. "Curiosity is a common thing, but it often leads to destruction."

"You could have just said you didn't want to tell me," Elsa said with a slight frown.

"…I apologize." Harald turned to look at the queen. "Forgive my disrespect, your majesty. My mind is in another time these past days and I often forget my place in turn."

"No, no, that's alright," replied Elsa, feeling guilty at how seriously he'd spoken. "I'm sorry for asking you so many questions."

"I was thinking about my brother." Harald jerked his head towards one of several openings leading to side gardens. "Hans is by my mother's swing. I was watching him from here for a while."

Elsa followed his gaze and she could just make out someone moving back and forth in the distance in a sitting position. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know." Harald said, still looking in that direction. "But…" He turned towards her. "I know someone who could find out."

#

Hans trailed his feet in the snow, only a few flakes now falling from the skies. He let himself swing lightly back and forth, the rope creaking as it moved.

"Hans."

He jumped in startlement, vaulting off the swing to face Elsa. "Elsa… what are you doing out here?"

"I should ask you the same thing." She moved closer, her hand resting on the rope of the swing.

Hans looked down at the seat of the swing, silent, and Elsa slowly sank into the wooden seat, rocking herself back and forth. Hans gripped the rope above where she did, pushing her lightly and pulling her back to help her along her efforts. As her ankles crossed, Elsa looked up at him, her braid swaying in the gentle momentum. Hans looked into her tender blue eyes. "I was thinking."

Elsa smiled, holding back a chuckle. "That's what your brother said. What were you thinking about, if I can ask?"

Hans frowned lightly, but continued to rock Elsa in a slow sway. "I was… thinking about what I told you earlier today… about the laughter that's been missing here for so long."

"Go on…" Elsa encouraged. "Tell me…"

"I'm not sure I can," Hans replied, his gaze falling low.

"Please, Hans." Elsa lifted her hands until they could touch his. "Tell me."

Hans sighed and looked away, focusing on the distance so intently Elsa wondered if he saw something she did not. "I know this might not be what you want to hear… but… but I'm glad of what happened in Arendelle… I'm glad because… it brought you here now. If not for my mistakes, I never would have known you, not like this. And Elsa… I'm so glad to have met you…"

The two of them stayed silent, swaying back and forth and watching the snow fall. Elsa put both feet on the ground to stop herself, took a deep breath, and stood up, turning to face Hans on the opposite side of the swing. Her cheeks were pink from the cold already, so she hoped it would help conceal the flush. "I might not have ever admitted it… but… I'm glad of what happened here, too… and Hans…" She met his eyes, her breath rising before her face as a wispy white cloud, "I forgive you."

Hans stared, swallowing. He felt his vision blur as tears gathered in his eyes and he turned away to wipe at them with a glove. It wouldn't do for her to see him cry; his brother always said real men didn't cry. "Thank you," he rasped, having to swallow halfway through and try again. "Thank you, Elsa…" He moved his hands to cover hers. Elsa stiffened, her cheeks shifting from a pink to a blooming rouge. Hans released them, exhaling through his teeth. "I'm sorry. I forgot how long I've been out here… my hands are cold…"

Elsa shook her head, weaving her fingers back over his hands and then interlacing them with his. A sweet, sincere smile curved on her lips as she whispered. "No… it's fine. The cold never bothered me, anyway…"

A/N: Again, I apologize for the wait on this one, but I couldn't find a stopping point I was satisfied with, so we ended up with the longest chapter in the fic's history. We really got to look inside a few characters and see some blooming, didn't we? Drop me a review if you get the chance, would love to hear what you thought! Hopefully the next one won't take long, since I'm figuring it will be a bit shorter. But… I think you'll hate me for it. I'd better take cover now.