A/N: I'm too impatient to wait for Friday. Thank you so much for the reviews and encouragement :)

The pirate accents are a mess and I apologize for that; I ended up mixing cockney and American redneck.

Baboon Watch - The watch a sailor takes in port while everyone else is either ashore or below deck.

Holystoning - Scrubbing the deck (it was called the holy stone because you got on your knees to use it).

The Surly Mermaid was the name of one of the one ships in Sydney harbour in Finding Nemo

Hans knew he hadn't drank that much, but his splitting headache begged to differ. He tried to move his hands from behind him, but found a resistance he wasn't expecting. He tried to open his eyes only to find his vision obscured by what he assumed was a blindfold, and he could feel cold metal around his throat. It took all his will to control the panic that began to rise inside him. He forced himself to listen; he could hear only water splashing against rocks and the echoes of dripping. There were no voices or sounds of footsteps, so he assumed it was safe to move.

After many painful attempts he finally worked the shackles and chain under his legs and brought his hands to the front. He pulled off the blindfold and found himself in a sea cave, the shackle around his neck was held to the wall by a short chain. He dug in his boot and found the hook pick. He made quick work of his shackles and slowly crept towards the front of the cave. The mouth of the cave was large enough for a ship to enter and he assumed that's how he ended up there, but there was no ship there now.

His only guard was a thin man with a sword and crossbow that had his back to him. Hans snuck up behind him, put his arm around the man's throat pinching his trachea in his elbow, wrapped his leg around the man's legs and locked it by putting his foot behind his other knee. They both fell to the cave floor, the pirate losing consciousness quickly. Hans drug him back to where he had been and shackled him the same way; he used the blindfold as a gag hoping to buy himself more time when the man woke up. He used the pirate's knife to cut the strings on the crossbow then took the knife and sword and headed toward the mouth of the cave; he had no delusion that he would escape that way, but if he was going to go deeper into the cave and hope he could find a way out that wasn't the cave mouth he was going to need a torch.

Shortly after the word arrived of Hans' presumed kidnapping Reinvald left saying he was going out searching, Queen Adelaide refused to leave her room and King Anders refused to leave her side. The staff could see their breath as they passed Elsa's room. Inside snow covered the floor and ice hung from the ceiling. She cried into the shoulder of her heavily clothed sister and gripped her as if she would fall apart if Anna let her go, "I'm so sorry," she said between sobs, "Hans is dead and I ruined your honeymoon!"

"Elsa, this isn't your fault. You heard Siegfried, he's probably being held for ransom or something. Not that that's great or anything, but I'm sure he's alive," Anna stroked her sister's hair with a mittened hand, "And don't worry about our honeymoon, we'll go when Hans gets back."

Hans lit the torch from the lantern that hung on the outside of the small wooden shack built inside the cave. While accomplishing his silent task he overheard two men from within.

"He's pretty mad about the admiral gettin' away."

"I know, but how could we a'known that fog was gonna roll in?"

"Well, Arendelle is ruled by that ice witch, I'm a'guessin' ya gotta expect strange things in those waters."

"Have ya sent out the note yet?"

"Aye. Not sure why he's waitin' ta kill 'im though."

"Iffin' we kill 'im now we'll have their whole damn navy huntin' us down. He is a prince. Right now he's off the water and he'll take care of 'im later; make it look like an accident or sumthin'."

Hans didn't wait around for more; the torch would only last for so long, but he now knew he was being hunted, he was no longer in Arendelle, and it was imperative he escape.

His guard was still unconscious and Hans stopped to make sure he was still breathing. The ceiling in the back of the cave sharply dropped forcing him to duck as he walked. The path he had chosen wound strangely and seemed to be going upward, but narrowed significantly. Much to his dislike he was forced on his hands and knees to peer down the tunnel, but to his delight he could see sunlight and it looked wide enough for him to fit through. There was no possible way he could take the torch with him lit, so he snuffed it out and slid it under his belt (he wanted to make sure there was no indication of which way he had gone). He began to crawl through the darkness thankful his boots were protecting his knees, but the same could not be said for his hands. The passage narrowed again forcing him to crawl flat to the ground. He could feel the rocks slicing through the material of his gloves and trousers, but that was still better than the alternative. At the end of the tunnel was a small room just tall enough for him to stand in. In the center was a large pile of rocks where the ground had caved in. He tried to climb the pile only to have stones give way under him causing him to fall painfully on his rear. He had not come this far to let a mound of large pebbles stop him. Grabbing the larger of the stones he built a small platform and stood on it, which let him just see out of the hole; it appeared he was thankfully surrounded by wilderness. He built the platform as high as he could, ignoring the pain in his legs and hands. It wasn't tall enough for him to step out of the hole, but jumping out was worth a try; climbing out would most likely cause the ground to give way more and the last thing he needed to do was fall and break a limb. He stood on the stacked stones, gathered his courage, squatted down, and used all the force he could muster to push up with his legs. Much to his surprise he landed on solid ground, but had to grab a nearby tree to regain his balance. He moved away from the opening and sat beneath the shade of another tree. His gloves and trousers were stained with blood, dirt, and he neither did he know, nor want to know, what else. He couldn't rest long; he knew it was only a matter of time until his captors figured out how he escaped.

Elsa watched the sun set over the harbor and prayed for it to stop. The setting sun just served as a reminder that he wasn't there; that an entire day had passed without word of him. Anna's optimism did little to settle her mind and she knew she had another sleepless night ahead.

The first rays of dawn broke through the tiny holes in the thick brush he had covered himself with the night before. Hans listened carefully before climbing out of his hiding spot; if he made it out of this alive he would have to find Thorfinn Skov, give him a sizable sum of gold, and have him create a training program.

He found a small stream, rinsed the blood off his hands the best he could and examined his wounds; thankfully they were all superficial. He had seen smoke rising from what he guessed was some sort of town the night before and since he had been held in a sea cave he assumed it was a port. His captors would most likely look for him there, so his best chance was to make himself unrecognizable. He cut the cape off his coat, sliced it into strips and used them to bandage the wounds on his thighs, ripped the stitching and removed the wave pattern from the bottom of his coat and used it to bandage the cuts on his hands. He took the charcoal remains of the small fire he had built in an abandoned fire pit in his hands; he had used the fire to consume the torch and his mangled gloves. He hated doing this, but he hated to be dirty. He ran his hands through his hair, along his sideburns, and in his eyebrows; he knew his hair was his most distinguishing feature and hoped the charcoal would be enough to alter it for the time being. He rubbed the charcoal onto the gold markings on the cuffs of his sleeves and collar to dull them as well, and began to walk in the direction he had seen the smoke rising from previous evening.

It wasn't much to look at, but it was port; most of the occupants looked as though they hadn't bathed in longer than Hans really wanted to contemplate and any worries about standing out for that were soon dissolved. He didn't recognize this place, but from the looks of it, it was probably mostly frequented by pirates and privateers. He caught his reflection in a shop window and cringed. The charcoal had turned his vibrant red hair a dark brown that bordered on black, the bit that fell from his slicked back hair and the smoke from the fire covered his skin in a thin layer of dust that hid his freckles and his fair complexion. His clothes were torn and stained, his cravat was missing, he had a large bruise around his left eye and a split lip; he felt he was in no danger of anyone thinking him a prince or an admiral.

He nodded to the waitress that brought him his drink careful not to smile. He adjusted the black leather gloves he had purchased, drummed his fingers on the glass and listened. He stopped on his way to the tavern to buy a chest, a few pairs of trousers, shirts, drawers, and vests; his purchases were minimal, mostly due to the fact he hadn't much coin on him since he hadn't expected to spend much when he left the castle. Men were recruiting sailors for the merchant ships, he knew he had to avoid anyone claiming to be bound for Arendelle or the Southern Isles as it would most likely be a trap. Corona would have been ideal given his acquaintance with Prince Eugene, but that didn't seem to be an option.

A small package sat untouched on Elsa's snow covered desk. She was thankful Kai had the sense to bring it to her instead of King Anders despite it being addressed to him. The paper was dingy and stained; the black seal bore a skull, "Have you opened it yet?" Anna asked as she entered the room. Elsa shook her head no, "Do you want me to?"

"I will do it," Elsa sat down and with trembling hands cut the twine with her letter opener.

King Anders of the Southern Isles,

Your son is mostly unharmed. 100,000 gold will ensure his safe return. Inside this package you will find proof of his capture. You will be given a month to gather the funds then you will receive another letter giving instructions for the trade off.

The letter was unsigned and the hand difficult to read at times. Inside the package was a silk burgundy cravat spotted with blood and folded in that was a lock of fiery hair. Tears fell melting the snow that had settled on the letter and caused some of the ink to run, "I'll take this to King Anders," Anna said as she carefully lifted the paper and left her sister clutching the rest of the package's contents.

Anna explained what proof the package had held as she handed him the letter. "I will write to Wolfgang immediately. When the second letter arrives I will send the instructions to him as well."

Kragero was the best he could do, but at least it wasn't too far from Arendelle and he should be able to safely find passage to Arendelle from there. The ship was of decent size and the crew seemed at least mildly experienced. Hans joined the crew under the name of Bastian Stray, avoiding any name that could be associated with him. As one of the crew's newest members he was assigned many of the jobs nobody else wanted; braiding rope, operating the bilge pump, scrubbing the deck, and taking most of the middle watches (midnight to four in the morning). The odd hours helped him sneak and recolor his hair and growing mustache and beard after cleansing himself; the rules of cleanliness were not as strict as he kept on his ships, but his were considered ridiculous by some. He never complained and rarely spoke. He would spend the nights in the nest thinking of her. The nightmares and guilt had come back with a vengeance since the elder troll had adjusted his memories and they were more vivid than ever; Anna's eyes as he left her to die and Elsa's face when he stopped her from killing the Duke of Weselton's guards haunted him the most. The look his betrayal brought to Anna's face cut deeply, but the look of sadness and realization Elsa wore was worse. He knew he had only stopped her then so he could put himself in the position of the hero; he had only stopped the guard from killing her so he could do it later. He berated himself for their last encounter. Jealousy was something he had no right to; she wasn't his even if he was hers. He had assumed their closeness, but realized he had no idea who she wrote to, or who she spent her time with when he wasn't around. For all he knew she was closer to Prince Eudoro than she was to him. Then, of course, there were the subjects of his nightmares. Despite these thoughts a little voice in back of his mind would remind him of how she demanded he leave the ship, how he had chased her through the trees and the small piece of blue silk that remained tucked in the pocket over his heart.

Elsa knew she had more than just herself to think about, and reluctantly resumed her duties as queen. Contracts were signed, invoices paid, audiences granted, visits made, and the other guests were seen off. Anna and Kristoff refused to leave for their honeymoon, and instead suggested they throw a festival celebrating their wedding for everyone in Arendelle, "There's nothing we can do until they send the second letter, and we know that Hans is alive. Come on, it'll be fun!" Anna insisted. It had been over a week since she had seen Elsa smile, "We'll have chocolate and ice skating and flowers and dancing and you know how children love Olaf."

"Alright, talk to Kai; I'm sure he can have it arranged."

The ship from Kragero to Arendelle was smaller than the one that had brought him in. The crew was also smaller and the captain appreciated hard work; Hans had to repeatedly insist he wanted the middle and baboon watches. Without the vast crew of the first merchant ship constantly milling about he found it harder to keep his mouth shut; he didn't converse much with the crew, but found himself singing along with the shanties.

"Stray!" the boatswain called. Hans looked up from holystoning the deck, "come with me," Hans rose and followed the man into the captain's quarters.

"You are dismissed, Karl," Captain Van Dyke said to the boatswain, "Have a seat, Bastian," He was old enough to be Hans' father, with salt and pepper hair, a neatly trimmed beard, sharp grey eyes, a Roman nose, and square jaw, "Who are you?"

"Bastian Stray," Hans asked pretending to be confused by the question.

Van Dyke chuckled, "That is the name you've given, but I doubt it's truly yours."

"I don't follow, sir."

"I've watched you; you could run this ship as well as I do. I've seen you go behind men and fix errors when you thought no one would observe you. I also know you spend a lot of time on watch adjusting sails and correcting course on clear nights. You have a grace in your movements that are not indicative of an average sailor, and I know that you are disguising your hair colour."

"And how did you come to that conclusion, captain?" Hans forced his voice steady.

The captain stepped forward and tapped Hans' left forearm, "You don't match." Hans mentally kicked himself for forgetting something so obvious, "Also, the tattoo on your right arm is not one that could have been created in this part of the world, or on the average sailor's pay." He never thought rolling up his sleeves would get him in so much trouble, "Again, I ask, who are you? I will not have a man on board that is a risk to my crew."

"I respect your concern for your crew, sir, but I assure you I am no threat."

"Don't play games with you, boy," his steely eyes bore into Hans'.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, and telling you may put my life in danger as well as you and your crew, sir."

"You are a wanted man?"

"Not by any kingdom for any crimes, Captain, and your discretion on this matter will be greatly rewarded once we reach Arendelle," it was now Hans' turn to test Captain Van Dyke with his unwavering eyes.

"See that I am not forced to regret this agreement."

"I guarantee you, sir, you will find it lucrative."

Kai and Gerda had really outdone themselves. The courtyard was covered in flowers and ribbons, tables were set out along the sides teeming with foods to delight every taste, and the best musicians had been called in for the occasion. Elsa had frozen a section of the pavement for the sole purpose of ice skating, and Olaf was absolutely giddy at the prospect of so many children to play with. Anna looked to her sister who nodded, "Open the gates!" she yelled excitedly.

He couldn't help but smile when he saw the Absalon was still in the harbor. As the gangplank was lowered he stopped on his way to disembark, "I will meet you at The Surly Mermaid tomorrow evening. I would say this evening, but I doubt I will be able to get away." Captain Van Dyke nodded in agreement as Hans left the ship. He walked towards the open castle gates looking forward to seeing Elsa, his parents, a warm bath, and a shave.

Kai turned at the sound of trouble and saw a group of guards arguing with a group of sailors. The scuffle didn't last long and the men were quickly taken into custody. Kai approached one of the remaining guards, "What was that all about?"

"Just a bunch trouble makers, sir. One of them told me to give you this," he handed Kai a piece of cloth.

Kai examined the handkerchief, it was pale blue and a little dirty, but what caught his attention was the embroidered crocus, "Where did they take him?" he asked with a hint of panic in his voice.

"To the dungeon, sir," the guard had never seen the rotund steward move as fast as he did when he finished that sentence.

Hans sat with his head against the cold stone wall, a wry smile on his face. He had escaped the chains of pirates only to be chained feet from his freedom. He hoped the guard would give the handkerchief to Kai otherwise he had no idea what he was going to do after they released him and the group of inebriated sailors when the festivities were over.

"Open this door immediately!" Hans heard Kai yell from the hall. The door swung open allowing him to enter followed by two armed guards, "Who is the man that gave this to the guards?" he held up the handkerchief.

"That would be me, Kai," Hans said as he stood and smiled.

His hair was black, he had a short beard and mustache that were black too, and the white shirt, tan vest, and brown trousers he wore were too big for him, but the goofy grin and big green eyes were all he needed, "Well, I'll be. Prince Hans, it is you! Undo his manacles this instant!" he barked at the guards.

Hans rubbed his now free wrists, "Thank you, but before you tell anyone else I'm here, can you please arrange for a bath and a shave. I don't wish anyone else to see me in this condition."

"Yes, yes, of course," Kai looked Hans up and down, "Why are you in such a state?"

"It's a long story. Please, a bath first."

It had taken three tubs full of water before he felt he was sufficiently cleansed. He sat in the fourth enjoying the warmth on his skin and blowing bubbles with the soap. He could hear whispers outside the door and knew his secret arrival wouldn't be a secret for very long. He reluctantly removed himself from the tub as the water became too cool for comfort and began to dress. He had never been happy to look in the mirror and see his flame colored hair; he was then, even though it still refused to cooperate, but the beard and mustache had to go. He tied his cravat, pulled on his gloves, and went to put his pocket square in, only to frown remembering he was no longer in possession of the precious silk.

The walk to the castle doors seemed both too short and too long; he spent the walk rubbing his newly shaven skin. He wanted to ease his parents' anxiety, but was concerned about the reception he would receive from Elsa. He quietly stepped out and noticed his parents were seated near the doors and Queen Elsa was ice skating with Princess Anna. He came to stand between his parents, "The people of Arendelle do enjoy their festivals."

Queen Adelaide and King Anders jumped out of their chairs and eagerly embraced their son, "My baby!" his mother cried as she grabbed his face and placed kisses on both of his cheeks; King Anders said nothing, but embraced him tightly.

The commotion had caused everything in the courtyard to come to a grinding halt. Hans noticed the silence and turned. Elsa walked slowly through the crowd until she could fully see him. He met her stare and she stopped; her eyes grew wider than he had ever seen them and her bottom lip began to quiver, "Your majesty," he said with a deep bow. She picked up her skirts, ran forward (ice blossoms springing forth from every place her feet touched), threw her arms around his neck and wept into his shoulder. He wrapped his arms tightly around her; the wind picked up creating a small vortex around them in which beautiful ice flowers formed and burst like fireworks.

"Do you have any idea who could be behind this?" King Anders asked. Prince Hans, Queen Adelaide, Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, Prince Kristoff, Kai, Gerda, Prince Reinvald, who had returned just a day prior, and he sat in the drawing room.

"No, but I do know the incident with the little blockade was no coincidence. I do not know why I'm being targeted or by whom," Hans yawned, "I'm terribly sorry, I haven't had any decent sleep in nearly a fortnight."

"That's alright, boy," King Anders chuckled, "none of us have. I think we could all use with a good rest."

Everyone else left leaving Hans alone with Elsa, "Your majesty, I'm sorry."

Elsa laughed, "Will you ever give me the chance to apologize first?" Hans gave her a quizzical look. "I need to apologize for how I acted right before you left. I would much rather have you in the castle for the remainder of your stay."

He wanted an explanation for what had happened then, but was too afraid of what the answer might be to ask, "My behavior was deplorable. I had no place criticizing your actions with Prince Eudoro; he is a fair man and will make a fine husband."

Elsa looked very confused, "What? I have no intention of letting myself be courted by Prince Eudoro, much less of marrying him."

He tried to fight his smile, "Oh, then, I also apologize for my assumptions, your majesty."

A smirk crept along Elsa's lips, "If you think Prince Eudoro would make a fine husband, why did you seem so upset at the idea?"

"I…uhh…," he slowly backed towards the door, "I just didn't want you to make any decisions too quickly," he fumbled behind himself for the door knob as she slowly walked towards him refusing to drop his gaze, "Oh my, look at the time," he said hunting for a pocket watch that didn't exist, "I really should be getting to bed, it's been quite an ordeal," he finally got the door open and practically fell into the hallway.