Chapter Fourteen: Love and Lust

Mjosyndi

May 1, 1813

"Answer me now if you want what's best for you! WHO ELSE IS BEHIND THE LEAGUE?!"

Elsa shuddered at the menace in Hans' voice as he circled the man seated and tied up in a chair in this bare cell. This man who had stolen funds from her people and had sent thugs to kill Private Thompson and that innocent village girl was a criminal and should be punished severely. Questioning him was vital, but Elsa hated seeing that ugly process before her. Watching Hans do it, was something that unnerved her so much she couldn't help but let out a few bursts of cold which she knew everyone around her felt, including the prisoner. He visibly shivered and eyed her with fear.

"I'm waiting for that answer!" Hans glared at him.

"I don't know! I don't know! I swear!" he rattled on as he tried to squirm from his bonds. They held and he could only shrink back further into the chair.

Elsa barely knew Governor Ratchel. He was one of those officials who had been appointed even before she became queen. Mjosyndi was too far from the Arendellian capital the governor was only required to report to her once a year. Often, he even sent a delegate to do it on his behalf. Elsa had probably met him only twice in her lifetime. She didn't see the need to summon him personally when a written report would suffice. She saw nothing out of order in his annual reports and the due taxes were always paid on time, so there was never any cause to worry.

She knew now from Tommy Thomson's report that she had made a huge error in judgment for not paying closer inspection on this remote village. The young soldier uncovered a trove of problems she was never aware of: corruption among her local officials, abuses in power, and burgeoning poverty that were all contributing to the deep mistrust of her people to the crown, and what most likely led to the creation of the Purification League.

The moment she marched into the village of Mjosyndi with Hans' men in tow, she realized just how deep the trouble lay. The most troubling first sign was Niklas Hagen's wife. The Arendellian soldier she recently rescued was a native of Mjosyndi. Upon seeing her husband walking behind Elsa, Katrine Hagen instead of running to her long-absent spouse fell prostrate before the queen and begged for her husband to be let go and to spare her children. Elsa was shocked to realize the woman thought Elsa was holding her husband hostage.

Katrine Hagen wasn't alone in that belief. Everyone in the village from the littlest of children to the most muscled of ice harvesters cowered fearfully when she passed them. However, beyond the fear, Elsa could see their disdain. It only eased when Niklas himself addressed his friends and neighbors and proclaimed that he was brought home by the generosity of their queen and that she meant no harm to them. Niklas later apologized to her personally on behalf of his community and swore to do all he can to change their minds. Elsa was touched by his trust and expressed her gratitude to him. However, she knew it would take time before the doubts that had long been planted in this village could be fully uprooted. She knew from Kai's reports, Mjosyndi was only one of more than a dozen other villages where she had never set foot on were the Purification League took hold. She might be facing an almost nationwide-level of distrust.

She remembered Anna once told her shortly after she was crowned that they should undertake a national tour of Arendelle. She put it off as a non-essential trip back then and made an excuse each time Anna brought it up that she was too busy dealing with one crisis after another (from the food shortage to her messy marriage to the war) to leave the capital. So she never got around to doing the trip at all. She regretted that decision now.

"You have been stealing pensions from your people and maligning the queen's name and her family," Hans continued at the frazzled governor. "A printing press producing pamphlets with false information has been operating in your village and using peasant children as couriers. I find it hard to believe that you as its governor would know nothing about such operations."

"I know nothing of it. I swear," Governor Ratchel continued. "The Brothers of the League, they come here, it is true. But they are religious people and that is well within their rights to come here and speak to the villagers if they want."

"Religious people? You dare call them that in front of your queen when they have been abusing her name?" Hans viciously shot back at him. "If you defend them so well, then perhaps it is because you are the one that leads them."

The Governor turned even paler and he turned his gaze to Elsa. "No, I'm not… I swear… Your majesty, I am your faithful servant, appointed by your father. This is all a misunderstanding."

"You have refused pensions I have granted to the most vulnerable of the families who have lost their fathers. I assure you, there is no misunderstanding there," Elsa told him harshly.

"And I am inclined to believe," Hans continued viciously. "Those pensions are being used to fund your schemes to overthrow Queen Elsa's government of which you are its head."

"No, I never…. I never led it… I mean, I know nothing… nothing…"

"My dear Sir," the Duke of Weselton suddenly spoke as smoothly as the diplomat Elsa remembered during her coronation. "You say you know nothing but you must be aware we have witnesses. We could easily get them to talk, but we can all make this easier if you cooperate and tell us what you know. Should you do so, you may at least have a better chance of your sentence being reduced to the noose."

"T-the noose?" he shivered.

"What you have done is treason," the Duke continued as he circled the man like a vulture. "Death by hanging is the standard punishment for that. But then you do have a queen with magnificent ice powers and she is well within her means to be creative on how to execute that punishment as she sees fit. She can make it a lot less pleasant and a more prolonged agony than the noose."

Elsa was about to protest that she would never resort to using her powers to torture or kill no matter what the crime, but she met Hans' eyes who reminded her to stay silent.

In less than a minute, the governor was openly talking with much detail. By the end of half an hour, Elsa had a list of over twenty-five names, all members of the Purification League and most of them were local officials not just in Mjosyndi but various villages in Arendelle. Their operation was so widespread and organized, Elsa was astonished it had been carried out so effectively for a long time. There was practically a small militia of the League in Mjosyndi itself just waiting for a signal from some other base to take over the capital at the right time. Whoever was behind it, the governor didn't know, for it was obvious he was only another keg on a wheel that was being turned by someone who had more power. Elsa however, now had enough information to proceed to cut off this potential rebellion before it escalated into a full-on takeover.

Elsa had to hand it to Hans and the Duke of Weselton. Both men were nefarious in their methods of persuasion, but by playing stick-and-carrot to the governor together, they were quite effective without even resorting to physical violence. Hans was even more impressive when his troops had rounded up all those names within the village in just two hours, while the Duke of Weselton sent his men along with Elsa's Arendellian soldiers to search for further evidence in the Governor's house and in the printing press pointed out by Tommy and Mags. It all felt so surreal that she, Hans, and the Duke of Weselton were working together this way. If someone had told her after her coronation that the three of them would end up allying with each other to reach a common goal, she would have laughed. However, the last few days she began to see both men in a whole new light.

Lord Ragnar had a brilliant mind in his way. His suggestions towards proposing for a legal union with Sweden had been in her thoughts long before she even left Arendelle. However, his added insight served to validate her ideas. She realized she could rely on him even in the long term. The man was just as desperate as she for survival and she could play to his greed for commercial expansion as long as it did not hurt Arendelle's interests.

What surprised her about him, however, was his eagerness to help her in terms of her sister. Each time he mentioned Anna, she noted how the elderly duke's eyes would light up in an almost loving way. He had the same look whenever he mentioned his recently perished son. He certainly looked disturbed when he saw the French newspaper that announced Anna's upcoming marriage to Marshall Baujeu. For all their past differences, Elsa realized, Lord Ragnar was also a loving father and it appears that Anna by association with his son, was someone he saw as something akin to a daughter.

If there was one person who can bring about the human side of a man who committed previous atrocities, it was Anna. She melted Lord Ragnar's heart just as she melted everyone else's, including mine and perhaps even Hans.

Elsa supposed Anna charmed her way into Hans' heart too if Hans was to be believed. However, Elsa still had her doubts about him. He was a chameleon that changed his colors too often for her to trust. This temporary alliance with him had served her well so far. If Hans keeps up his end of the bargain, she can consider her options later with him.

As she sat that evening in the Governor's now empty office after a tiring day of overseeing the arrests and posting guards to maintain the peace in Mjosyndi, she now had a chance to look at the mess of the accounting records left to her. She will have these records sent to Kai for a thorough review and investigation to gather further evidence of corruption before the trials of the governor and his co-conspirators need to proceed. This was just one of the several things that needed to be done. She had a daunting task in the days ahead. It was not enough that she regained the Arendellian capital. After that, she would have to face the challenge of arresting the members of the Purification League in the other villages and somehow repair the damage they had done. From there, she faced an uphill battle of regaining the trust of her people. Thinking about all that was enough to make her head spin that she had to cradle her forehead on her palms to relieve the tension.

She heard footsteps approach and she jolted up in attention. Hans stood outside the slightly open door of the office.

"Forgive me, I was about to knock but the door was already open," he apologized.

"Do come in General," Elsa said as she stood. "Is there additional news?"

"We rounded five more men into custody as they were trying to escape through the provincial road. Lieutenant Hagen and Private Thompson are now delivering them into prison as we speak and will be questioning them."

"I should go there," Elsa said but Hans put up a hand to stop her.

"Let them be for a moment. The men have proven more than capable and they will provide us a report soon enough. For now, you need to stop and rest. Have you eaten anything?"

Elsa shook her head. She hadn't eaten anything since before they landed on Arendellian shores this morning. The grandfather clock on the corner of the elegant office told her it was already a quarter after seven in the evening. She realized she was famished as well as tired.

"There's a bit of soup, bread and hot glogg left at the makeshift kitchen outside," he said rather apologetically. "I'm afraid, the men had already served the meats and cheeses from the Governor's larder first to the starving villagers. They were the first ones to run out. I'm sorry, I didn't realize you haven't partaken anything. I neglected to tell the men to save you a portion."

Elsa couldn't help but offer him a smile. Even amid the confusion of the arrests throughout the day, Hans remembered the starving villagers they passed by. His first order upon securing the Governor's house was to take stock of the food within and set up a distribution center for the entire village. A soup kitchen was quickly made and offered hot meals to both his soldiers and the villagers who most haven't had a full-bellied meal in months. That act reminded her how Hans had treated her people in the capital when she froze her kingdom. She admired him not just for his efficient commandeering skills but his sense of priority. She could hardly fault him for forgetting to save her some prime cuts.

"Whatever soup left is fine. I don't need anything special."

"May I join you then so we can talk?" he asked.

"Of course. Please lead the way."

They walked together to the governor's open square where makeshift tables and benches had been set up. There were some villagers still partaking in the supper offered. The girl that had been ladling soup looked like she was about to have a heart attack when Elsa approached her and she realized she had nothing to offer but whatever was left in her pot. Elsa was quick to assure her whatever she had left was sufficient but it was Hans' calm and almost teasing manner that put the poor serving girl at ease.

"The Queen eats whatever you have. She's human too just like you and me," he said with a flirtatious grin that sent the girl into a giggling mess before she awkwardly handed Elsa a bowl with a bit of bread and a cup of hot spicy beverage.

"Thank you, you're doing very well here," Elsa told the girl. "I am sure this is delicious."

The girl could only bow nervously before retreating behind the pot.

It was only when Elsa and Hans were seated at a table at the far end of the corner of the square that Elsa raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're quite confident saying that about me to a stranger," she said.

"I know you well enough that you wouldn't contradict me," he replied. "Not when you need the approval of these people so badly."

"You think I'm sitting here with you to impress people?" she asked irritably.

He gave her a scoff. "Yes, and you did very well for a first try. This dinner is a small step. It's good of you to be seen eating at the same open table as they are and the same soup as everyone else instead of hiding away in a private dining room. Look around you."

Elsa glanced around them. People from other tables were staring at them but trying to pretend not to. They appeared to be whispering as well. Elsa was used to that by now.

"So people stare. They always do with me. What's your point?" she asked.

"The point is, you need to be seen as human in their eyes, not some distant other being. So smile and wave, Queen Elsa. Do it to everyone that looks at you. You can start with old toothy at your three o'clock."

Elsa glanced to her side and noticed that there was indeed a toothless old man looking at her from his bowl of soup. Elsa shyly smiled and wave back at him. The man looked shocked for a moment before raising his spoon to wave back at her.

"A decent gesture," Hans praised. "Now take a sip of soup, pretend it's the best-tasting meal you've ever had then give a thumbs-up sign to the girl that just served us."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because if you do that, you make a connection with her. Just do it and watch what happens."

Elsa was still confused but decided to follow. She daintily took a first sip of the soup. It wasn't exactly the best tasting one she had but it was filling enough on a hungry stomach. The smile that touched her face at the satisfaction was quite genuine and it was easy enough to give a thumbs-up sign to the girl. Hans, on the other hand, made an exaggerated gesture to eat then turned to the girl and raised two thumbs while mouthing the word "excellent" in her direction. The girl looked at them as if Elsa had just given her the keys to the Arendellian treasury.

"There, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Hans told her. "Now that girl is going to tell all her friends and family members that the mysterious Snow Queen of Arendelle is not only completely human but also a generous lady who adores her cooking. You have just taken the first step into winning back this village's loyalty."

"All that with a thumbs-up?" Elsa asked, puzzled.

"Yes, it was a little effort on your part, but I amplified it with my charms so it's still effective."

Elsa scowled at him. This man's self-confidence was so high, she wanted to smack him just to lower it a notch.

"Now don't give me that look. I did you a favor. And I will keep doing it if you let me marry Anna."

Elsa continued to scowl at him.

"You can be mad at me all you want Elsa, but do it with a smile, at least when we're in public," he said with as big a grin on his face as possible.

Elsa forced herself to dissipate her scowl and smile as she realized two new groups had just sat down at a table near them. She gave them both acknowledging nods before turning back to Hans's ever-present grin. She didn't miss the fact that Hans had also used her name without her title, an indicator of his ever-growing insolence around her.

"What favor do you mean if I let you marry my sister?" she growled at him under her breath.

"I can help you win over your people. After we take over the capital and I marry Anna, she and I can embark on a tour among the villages. She's a natural with people. With her on my arm, she can show those people that they have a monarch that is accessible and one with them. So while she's charming them to her side, I'll undertake to purge out the Purification League from their ranks so what's left will only be loyal to you."

Or to you, Elsa suddenly thought. She wasn't so naïve to think that Hans could not see the benefit of this to himself.

"I'll consider it," Elsa replied in the same even manner as when he asked for Anna's hand the first time around.

He didn't reply and they spent the next few minutes in silence as they ate together. It was rather strange to be eating alone with him for the first time. They did dine together on the ship but they were always surrounded by the Duke of Weselton, her ladies, her guards, and his high-ranking officers. They always maintained a distance during meals. She mulled over what he said but couldn't think as she was too distracted by his closeness. She couldn't help but focus on his face and the prominent scar on his cheek. If she moved only a little higher, she would be lost in his green eyes.

They were the same shade of green eyes she had been dreaming about as a little girl. The ones she had hoped she would find one day and take her away from the four corners of her bedroom prison to a life of adventure she can only read about. She would never admit it to anyone, but she also dreamed of romance and adventure in her youth. She shut her eyes as she recalled the stories she had read where she imagined herself joining a sea-faring young man at sea where they would fight pirates, rescue damsels, defeat villains, storm castles, conquer kingdoms, and live happily ever after together.

She shook her head to clear it. Isn't that exactly what I'm was doing with Hans right now? The difference is I'm storming my own castle to rescue my sister and conquer back my kingdom with the aid of a pretend pirate who may or may not be the villain of my childhood dreams.

She wasn't exactly sure where the happily ever after fit in.

She opened her eyes and was met with Hans' green eyes once more. To her surprise, he was staring at her, seemingly lost in thought. His gaze was focused on her lips. She looked away as she felt warmth envelop her cheeks, well aware of what his gaze meant.

Doesn't he?

Those two teasing words by Lord Ragnar told her the Duke of Weselton had seen something even before she realized it. She had been stared at by men for so long she knew what they thought of her when they stared at her the way Hans just did. She wasn't blind to her beauty. She knew from an early age of manipulating her father she had a power over men that not all women possess. For a moment, she couldn't decide whether to feel angry or excited by the idea that Hans was not immune to the thing about her that always attracted men.

You can make him want you.

Elsa internally cursed Lord Ragnar for suggesting that idea. She had been thinking of it a lot since he spoke about it and she had been making an extra effort to shut it down. There was no ignoring it this time. She had seen Hans' desire and the revelation of that fact made her furious.

What a liar he is! He claims he loves Anna but he secretly thinks of me in impure ways. He's a beast of a man just like all others. Well, he's not marrying Anna, not if I can help it!

Help it then, a voice in her head that sounded awfully like Lord Ragnar invaded her thoughts. He already wants you, even in a physical way. It would not be difficult to convince him to marry you. If you ask, he won't say no.

She forced herself to look back at him. His green eyes locked into hers and she felt her heart pound. Behind his head, she could see little flecks of snow were starting to appear.

She shut her eyes and forced herself to calm down. When she reopened them, the snow had faded, but there was a bit of powdery dust over his shoulders and hair.

"Are you alright, Queen Elsa?"

The way he said her name tickled something in her skin. Her throat suddenly felt dry. She chugged down the last bits of her glogg with one gulp before getting up from her chair. "Excuse me," she said in a tone as even as possible.

Hans got up as well, seemingly startled by her sudden movement. "I will escort you—"

"No," she said firmly. "That will not be necessary. I have much to do and…"

Elsa stopped as she spied the Duke of Weselton approaching with an apprehensive look on his face.

"What is it, Lord Ragnar?" Hans asked the man.

Elsa noticed the older man looked nervously at her before focusing back on Hans.

"We found some evidence. The papers in the printing press were already burned when we got there so there wasn't anything left of what they've printed. However, my men found a second smaller printer in the basement of the governor's house, and we found this still left on the machine."

He nervously handed Hans a folded piece of paper. Hans slowly unfolded it. Elsa was too far away to see what was written but she clearly saw the horror that creased Hans' face when he looked at the sheet.

"What is it?" Elsa asked.

He didn't answer and Lord Ragnar took the page away from him, folding it quickly so she could not even get a glimpse.

"Your majesty, I don't think you should be concerned with this. I'm sure your men can handle it," said the Duke, who looked a bit ill himself even when he was trying to assure her.

But Elsa was more concerned with Hans. Darkness clouded his eyes, chilling cold with rage.

"General?" she asked.

Hans ignored her and rushed out of the courtyard and into the street. He crossed right across to the opposite building of the garrison which now housed all the arrested suspects of the League. Elsa followed after him, sensing something was deeply wrong. He ran down to the cellar and shouted for the men on guard to open the door of the governor's temporary prison. They immediately obeyed. To Elsa's horror, Hans grabbed the governor by the scruff of his collar and threw him to the ground. Then he proceeded to pummel the man's face with a viciousness that sent a chill on Elsa's veins.

"How dare you! You evil bastard with your dirty mind!"

"General! General Stop!" Elsa cried out but Hans was beyond hearing. He kept hitting the governor with the brute strength of his hands. Blood spilled all over the floor as the crack of bone echoed within the cell with each strike.

"STOP IT! You're going to kill him! Hans, please! Whatever he did, it's not for you to take his life."

Elsa was about to use her ice to bind him but Hans stopped before she could strike. He threw the half-conscious bloodied man on the floor and stood away from him.

"She's right, Governor, it's not for me to take your life. It's hers. I will be satisfied to hear you hang after you've rotted a few days in prison for treason."

He walked away from the cellar without even glancing her way. Elsa followed after him but the Duke of Weselton blocked her path.

"Leave him, your majesty," Lord Ragnar said calmly.

"Why?" Elsa demanded. "What is going on? What is this evidence?"

Lord Ragnar looked uncomfortable. "As I said, this is not for you to be concerned. Leave this to your men."

"I am Queen here, Lord Ragnar," Elsa said firmly. "I demand you turn that evidence to me now."

The elderly man heaved a sigh and refused to look at her as he handed her the page.

Elsa opened them to see another one of the dirty pamphlets. It featured a caricature of a naked Anna being pleasured by a monstrous Olaf. It was one that she had seen before, but Hans hadn't. Elsa realized it was what set him off that he went on the rampage to almost kill the man who possessed it.

The shock of what that meant sent her almost reeling.

He loves her! He really loves her.

Hans truly cared for Anna. He would not have reacted so furiously if he was feigning affection. Elsa didn't want to believe it. It would be so much easier to keep believing he was lying to her about Anna. Now that she realized, he wasn't, she didn't know how to feel about it.