Chapter Ten: The Proposal
"I want Anna's hand in marriage to me."
His words did not surprise her. She had expected this as France had wanted the same thing from her. Yet Hans' audacity still had the power to astonish her. He didn't even have the courtesy to ask for her blessing. He was demanding it. This was the price he was exacting for his help. Her sister and her kingdom all in one swoop. Well, she wasn't one to give in that easily. She would fight to get out of this mess even if she had to freeze him.
"Never," she replied as she lowered the temperature of the room once more.
If he was cowed by the sudden climate change, he didn't show it. His face remained calm and when he spoke it was soft and steady. "Queen Elsa, I am not threatening you by asking this."
"Oh you're not?" she shot back. "How is this not a threat? This is blackmail of the highest form. My liberty, the security of my people in exchange for my sister!"
"Please, just listen to me for a moment," he continued evenly. "It's the only way to protect Anna. Don't you see both France and the Coalition will stop at nothing to ensure you are in their control and they know they can do that if they have Anna and Arendelle."
"And so you're here as a representative of the Coalition so they can rule over me and Arendelle. You're not any different from France. Perhaps I'm better off taking chances with Emperor Bonaparte."
"And allow Marshall Baujeu to marry Anna? I won't let that happen," he said fiercely.
"That's not for you to decide!" she shouted at him.
"Neither is it yours!" Hans thundered back before he seemed to realize how high his tone had gotten. When he spoke again his voice had gone back to its normal cadence. "Queen Elsa to allow Anna to marry that beast is a grave error. You will put her in danger."
"No more dangerous than she will be if you marry her."
"I am not going to hurt her!" he protested.
"You already did once or is your memory impaired?"
His countenance changed so dramatically, Elsa suddenly feared she must have struck him. However, there was no sign of her ice anywhere near him. Nevertheless, she willed the room to return to its normal temperature.
"I am sorry for that, I truly am," he said slowly as if each word hurt. "If I could take it back, I would. I can't, and all I can do is to make it up to her." He wrung his hands in what appeared to be a gesture of frustration. "I will never hurt her, but Marshall Baujeu will if you allow him to marry her. I have heard enough tales from the whores he beds to know exactly what kind of man he is. He will break her body and destroy her will. I won't let you allow that to happen to her."
Elsa believed him, at least on what he said about Marshall Baujeu. The man eyed both her and Anna like he already owned them. The thought of him touching her sister with his clammy hands made her sick each time that she would willingly flirt with him just to get him off Anna's back. It made her feel dirty, but she would rather endure it than have Anna suffer.
"Caleb has ordered me to marry Anna," Hans continued. "Prince Carl John of Sweden has also provided me his blessing to do the same. The entire Coalition is behind them. They intend to secure Arendelle's loyalties by marriage or by conquest. It wouldn't matter to them as long as the job's done. I'm sure we can both agree an alliance through marriage is preferable as it would mean fewer sacrifices and none of your people need to suffer for it."
None except Anna. Elsa knew this. It was precisely what Lars had told her to do: get an ally to protect her through royal marriage. And yet, she couldn't bring herself to admit it to him. She turned away from him so he couldn't see her the fear and apprehension on her face.
"If I don't marry Anna, the Coalition will send someone else who will and that someone we cannot be certain will be kind to her the way I will be," Hans went on. She felt his soft footsteps walk towards her. He stopped just inches from where she stood. She turned to him and was startled by how devastated he looked.
"Queen Elsa, I don't want to do this, but it's the best way to ensure your safety. I swear to you I will treat Anna and her children with decency and respect. I will protect her and by extension Arendelle to ensure it maintains its independence. And I'll..." he faltered slightly. "I'll try to make her happy if she'll have me."
His reply seemed so honest that Elsa was starting to doubt her convictions. Maybe he does care for her. But how can I be certain?
She steadily held his gaze. "So you love her now?"
She meant for it as a mockery and as a way to catch him in a lie. Certainly, he would avoid her eyes, stammer or make up some excuse and retreat from the query. To her surprise, he didn't even blink when he spoke almost immediately:
"Yes, I do."
The way he said it was so decided, so convicted that it was she who averted her gaze from him. She stepped back until her back collided with the closed door. She could still feel his eyes on hers, challenging her to protest or dare him to deny his statement. It was like he held a power over her, relentless in its insistence of his proclamation as truth that she could not speak.
"I never told anyone until now. I love her. I would do anything for her."
The earnestness of that statement felt like a stab in her gut and unexplained anger surged through her. She wanted to hurt him for saying it and spat out the first words she can think of that could do so. "Well, she doesn't love you! And she won't fall in love with you, even if you tried. Not with you. Not with any other man!"
She regretted losing her temper almost immediately, for he just stood silent for a long moment before his face seemed to brighten with realization.
"Not with any other man?" he mouthed in almost a whisper. "He's… he's alive, isn't he?"
"What?" Elsa could only gasp.
"Kristoff Bjorgman. He's alive!" he uttered with such relief Elsa was confused. Is he happy Anna's not a widow?
"That's why you didn't attack me the moment you knew who I was," Hans went on. "You knew for certain that I spared him! You know because he came home to Anna! She didn't lose him!"
"I never said..." Elsa began to still maintain the facade of Kristoff's whereabouts.
"You never said he was still missing." He eyed her carefully. "Is he?"
Elsa avoided his gaze once more and took a moment before she answered. "Yes, he's still missing."
"You hesitated," he said in a teasing tone that infuriated her. "And you couldn't even look at me. You're a terrible liar, your majesty."
"But you're an excellent one," she retorted. "Which is why I don't trust you and I will never trust you. If you must know yes, Kristoff is alive. Where he is, I will never tell you to ensure he keeps on living. Which brings us to the reason you cannot possibly marry Anna even if I allow it, which I won't."
Hans bristled audibly and turned away from her. He silently paced the room. His movements, she noticed was uneasy in a way she had never seen him before. It's either I'm getting under his skin with this issue or he is simply so good an actor he can pull off so effectively the appearance of being disturbed by this.
Finally, Hans stopped pacing. She heard his breath hitch before he faced her. She was startled with the look of sadness that creased his face.
"Keep Kristoff hidden from the public eye. Allow the world to assume him dead for now then let me marry Anna. I'll marry her in name only. I will never share her bed, never demand or expect any relationship from her other than a friendship. Publicly, she can take my name and the protection it provides. I will use all the influence I have in Sweden and the Southern Isles to keep Arendelle's independence. In private, she remains Kristoff's wife."
He paused and bit his lip as if fighting an inner struggle before his face settled to hardened resolve. "And when the time comes when she is safe when Arendelle is safe, Kristoff can make a miraculous survival and reappear. His being alive automatically dissolves Anna's marriage to me."
Elsa was astonished he would offer something selfless, which was why she doubted his intentions. She decided to test him. "What if she has more children with Kristoff while married to you, what then?"
"I will acknowledge them as mine, consider them my legal heirs for as long as Anna needs the protection through marriage with me," Hans said without hesitation.
Elsa was reminded of what Anna told her about the letter their father wrote to Hans' mother. Hans was offering Anna the same thing her father offered to the first woman he loved: an honorable marriage and legitimate protection of her children. Hans was offering all these with the full knowledge Anna would never return his affections and at some point, he would need to give her up entirely.
Of course, Hans could just be playing an elaborate scheme and this is all a move to manipulate me into giving him power. But what if he's not? There is one way to know and if it worked, it would help me solve my problems.
"Prove it," she challenged him.
"Prove it?" he asked.
"Prove that you love her as you claim. Take back Arendelle for me. Expel the French regiment stationed there and work with me to free my citizens still under French custody. Once you've done that and handed back the reign of power to me, I will consider it."
"Alright, I think it's only fair I give you a show of good faith. Liberation from France is the only way for us to move forward anyway. However, you do realize Anna has a say in this?" he retorted.
"She does. Once you have my blessing she can decide whether she wants to go through this with you. However, until I say so, you will not tell a word to her about this or anyone for that matter. This agreement is between us alone. Are we clear on that?"
"Perfectly, your majesty," he replied.
"Good," she concluded. She couldn't help but feel an inward sigh of relief. "I think it's time for us to meet together with your men and mine and plan this invasion."
"I'm glad you feel that way, your majesty," he said. He too seemed eager to move off-topic. "Let's start by recovering those 18 Arendellian soldiers and regaining Arendelle."
She liked the way he got to the point. "What's your plan then?"
"It's still a work in progress here," he said as he pointed to his temple.
Elsa frowned.
Hans quirked an eyebrow. "You look disappointed?"
Oh, I am definitely disappointed. It seems you're not all prepared for everything as I expected, she thought but she settled for:"I was hoping you already had something more concrete in mind."
He gave a bitter little laugh. "No tactician is perfect your majesty. We can't all think of entire schemes by ourselves. Sometimes we need a bit of help. Accepting valuable input from others is always the mark of a good leader, don't you agree?"
"So you need my input?" she asked sarcastically.
"I humbly admit, I do," he replied. "But our heads are just not enough for this one. It's time you met with my consultant."
"Consultant?"
"He's quite an acquired taste, but I assure you he can be very valuable to our cause."
She eyed him warily. "Why do I get the feeling, this is a trap?"
"No trap, Queen Elsa, but you may want to keep your patience on a long thread," he replied as he moved to the door and gestured for her to follow.
Elsa did so but kept herself on alert. She felt no danger to herself for some odd reason, but she couldn't help but feel uneasy.
They rose together up to the upper deck. Once there, Elsa immediately saw him even before Hans made any reference to an introduction.
You've got to be kidding me.
"Hello Queen Elsa, a pleasure to meet you again," the little man greeted her said with an animated bow.
It was the Duke of Weselton.