Chapter Twenty-Seven: Confrontation

Hans increased the pressure slightly of his knee onto Sitron's side and the fjord horse increased speed by instinct. He missed this: the predictable movement of Sitron beneath him and the way they could communicate with just the slightest of gestures. In the years that followed his arrest and punishment from Arendelle and the succeeding battles he joined, Hans had ridden many horses. The French were known to train their cavalry steeds very well and most of the horses Hans had been with were more than capable. However, he had never found a bond with them in the way he did with Sitron. Sitron had been his horse since he was a foal and for years, he was Hans' only friend when Lars had gone away to be married in the Northern Isles. To Hans, he was more than a horse, but a twin brother that had been his biggest confidant and comfort. It broke his heart when he had to leave his faithful friend in Arendelle. When he was allowed to ask for one request to Elsa's court as was tradition for all convicts, he did not even plead for his own life. Instead, he implored that Sitron is kept alive, safe, and in decent conditions. When the court responded that Sitron was assigned to be kept in the Arendelle royal stables as Elsa's horse, he wrote back a long letter of gratitude to Elsa. He figured Elsa never actually read it. It was only a few weeks ago that he found out that she did when she granted him immediate permission to take Sitron whenever he wished. He had been taking short nightly rides daily with Sitron ever since just to catch up with his friend.

Today, Hans took Sitron out after his encounter with Elsa and her unexpected proposal. Hans needed to clear his head alone and Sitron was the only one he wanted with him. Together, they raced up to the surrounding woods and jumped as many fences and shrubs as they could find. He didn't have to direct Sitron at all for he could sense his friend understood he wanted to get away from the castle and was leading him somewhere where he could find his moment of peace. So up the wooded mountains, they went until he reached a familiar clearing and Sitron abruptly stopped. Hans recognized it at once: a small lake with a waterfall cascading down a tiny hill.

It was the place where he proposed to Anna.

Hans got off at Sitron and rubbed the horse's nose affectionately. "You know me all too well buddy."

He sat by the water's edge and watched it glisten in the afternoon sun. Sitron sauntered over beside him to take a drink. "You still remember she took me here, don't you? I asked to marry her but I lied about it. Well, I'm going to marry her now. I'm going to ask her again tonight."

Sitron paused from drinking and looked at him rather quizzically before morphing into a horse's version of an expression with a raised eyebrow. Hans understood Sitron's expression to mean, "Are you kidding? Why would you want to do that again?"

"I love her you know. For real this time."

Sitron rolled his eyes.

"I'm serious. I love her."

Sitron blew a raspberry at him.

"What do you mean I'm delusional? I have never been more clear-headed in my life."

He neighed a familiar sound whenever he referred to Elsa back when Hans was still a teenager and they discussed his Arendellian dreams.

"No, Elsa, as I told you before after I met Anna the first time we were here, is out of the picture. That was a stupid boyish dream and I've gotten over it."

The horse rolled his eyes again and then began nudging Hans' back with his snout.

"I know you like her because you're her horse too. But that doesn't mean I'm going to marry her just because of that." He paused before mumbling under his breath. "Even if she did ask me."

Sitron pulled away to give him a surprised face.

"Don't give me that look. She doesn't want me. She doesn't even like me. She's doing it for political purposes and probably Lord Ragnar put her up to it in some scheme he's sure to benefit. It's a trap and we both know it. I think she's plotting something up as we speak. She may have sounded like she has given in to me this morning, but if I know her she's not giving up her plans so easily. You know that woman is sneaky."

Sitron huffed at him in a way Hans understood his horse was mocking him.

"Oh shut up! I know, I'm sneaky too which is why I'm putting my guard up against her tonight. You know we should head back and find out exactly what she's doing. She probably has her council riled up by now to rally against my marriage to Anna."

He got on Sitron and they swiftly returned to the castle. As he approached the stables he caught sight of Anna waving frantically at him from one of the castle windows.

"Hans! Hans! I need to speak to you!"

Hans stopped and got off Sitron.

"What is it Anna?" he replied, as he sensed her urgency.

"Don't move!" she ordered. "I'm coming over!"

There was a waiting groom nearby and he handed Sitron over to him. Before they parted, Sitron gave him a look that communicated a clear message to him: "Don't marry her, you idiot!"

Hans wanted to retort but he realized he would look ridiculous in front of the groom and Anna who had seemed to have run down as fast as she could to reach him. He settled for giving his horse a warning look to shut up.

"What's the hurry?" he asked.

"Don't say another word until you see these." She had in her hands a cylinder that she opened and brought forth several sheets of paper from within. "Elsa made these," she declared.

"Elsa?" he repeated as he stared at the sheets full of drawings. The images were familiar and for a moment he couldn't help but admire her artistic skill in creating such realistic pictures. However, when he saw the one completed oil painting, he understood what it was.

"Well?" Anna asked expectantly. She was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"You say these were made by Elsa?" he asked her.

Anna's eyes crinkled with mirth. "Yes."

"And these dates here, they reflect when they were done?"

"Yes!" Anna enthused. Hans noticed how her eyes glowed as she glanced between him and the drawings. He discerned what was going on in her mind as a feeling of dread grew from the pit of his stomach.

"Where did you get these? Did Elsa… show them to you?" he carefully asked.

"No, but I found them in the attic when Elsa sent me up there to find some cloth she wanted to use to…I mean it doesn't matter what she wants with the fabric. I found them in a trunk in the attic."

She sent her there to find this. Sneaky, sneaky Elsa. I was right about her. So this was her game! Well, she's not going to ruin this for me so easily.

He carefully rolled the sheets back into the cylinder. He wanted to say something to Anna to explain, but right now he had to deal with Elsa first before she damages even more of his plans for tonight. He settled for a quick "Excuse me," then entered the castle and ignored the servants who greeted him politely. He figured she must be in her office and headed there. However, he saw her just above the top of the main stairs. She seemed startled to see him.

"I need to speak to you," Hans said seriously.

She quickly hid her surprise. "What about?" she asked as she gestured that they go to her office on the ground floor.

He realized this conversation was best done in private, but her office wasn't ideal. There was a certain object in the library that he needed to prove his point. He quickly climbed the stairs to meet her. "I think you should come with me to the library," he said.

She looked rather uncomfortable. "It's rather early for the meeting with Anna."

"This can't wait," he said firmly.

She nodded and turned in the direction of the library. She started slowly then seemed to walk a bit faster until she was almost half-jogging. He picked up the pace so as not to be left behind. He was reminded of the last time he was following her in this hallway. He suddenly feared she was going to hide in the library and slam the door in his face again. By the time she turned the doorknob, he was at her back and he beat her in pushing the door open with his hand just above her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" she demanded as she turned to him.

"I uhhmmm…" he muttered awkwardly as he how ridiculous this was. He looked like he was trying to beat Elsa to the door. At the same time, he realized just how close he had come up behind her.

Elsa sighed and pushed the door open further and moved away from it to let him through. "By all means, go on ahead," she said.

He went inside. She followed after him and closed the door. They faced each other in silence for a long moment. He suddenly felt awkward around her and wondered how exactly he was going to confront her about this.

"Is there… anything I can help, General?" she finally asked as she eyed what he held in his hands.

Hans decided there was no gentle way to address this. He gestured to her to move to a small table. He opened the cylinder and laid out the sketches and the painting all across it.

"Your majesty, would you care to enlighten me on what these are?" Hans asked.

Elsa merely glanced at them and looked away, a telling sign that she knew exactly what they were. "Where did you get these?" she asked.

"Anna showed them to me. She said these were your works. Are they?"

"Yes," she replied as she stared noticeably at the floor. "These are some of my early works years ago."

"Well Anna seems to think I am the subject of these works," he pushed on.

"I could see the resemblance," was Elsa's unemotional reply with a glance again at the pictures before looking away.

"So do I, and so does Anna." He paced in front of her. "She's convinced I am the subject. Quite a mystery since you could not have possibly drawn me as I have not yet met you when you created these."

Elsa shrugged. "A coincidence perhaps?"

"Anna doesn't believe it's a coincidence. I figured she is imagining you were haunted by dreams of my image which prompted you to create this and we are fated to eventually meet."

Elsa laughs uneasily. "Anna still believes in fate."

"But you don't," he said harshly. "I don't either. You want to know why?"

"Why?" she asked steadily as she finally met his gaze.

"Because those drawings, they're not me, are they?"

"What do you mean?"

He didn't answer. He went to the bookshelf and began running his fingers through the spines until he found the one he was looking for. It was still there in the same place he left it years ago. He noticed though that this book had been free of dust, which suggested it had been touched recently. He pulled the dog-eared volume and handed it to her.

The Life and Times of Admiral Johann Kristian Jorgenbjorgen.

"I have a copy just like it in the Southern Isles library and it's perhaps as worn out as yours. That's not surprising for me because he is my grandfather. But you seemed to be fascinated with him too. I found your copy here during the time I was left in charge of Arendelle. When I saw the drawings I recognized them immediately."

He opened to the center of the page where a picture of the old Admiral was in the same pose as Elsa's painting.

"You didn't paint this from any vision. You copied his photo from this book. His features are almost similar to mine Anna would not have noticed the difference."

"What's your point?" Elsa asked as her eyes again noticeably refused to meet his.

"You set Anna to think you wanted me. You made her believe we were fated to be together because I wrote you a stupid poem and you appear to be drawing my image before we even met. You did it so she would back off from marrying me."

"What an imagination you have," she scoffed.

"Oh do I? Yours is highly creative, I give you that. You know your sister believes in fate and true love, so you manipulated her to think we were some sort of soulmates or whatever romantic nonsense. She will stand aside for you and you know that."

"Fine!" Elsa bristled as she finally turned back to face him. Her face flared angrily. "You should know by now, that I will never let you marry Anna. Not after what you did to her. I will guard my sister's heart against you even if I have to marry you myself."

Her tone infuriated him and he couldn't stop himself from suddenly letting out his frustration.

"Don't you think you should let Anna decide that for herself? She's a grown woman, not a china doll you need to protect all the time."

"Well, she appears to be blind when it comes to your deceptions."

"I'm not deceiving her! Not anymore, why can't you believe me?"

"Have you ever done anything to prove yourself worth believing?"

"I've done everything you asked me!"

"I'm asking you to marry me!"

"Are you that desperate?!"

"I am not desperate! I am trying to protect my sister! You want to prove you care for my sister then marry me and secure her family, her future, and her country on my terms!"

Hans buried his face in his hands. This argument was going nowhere and he was getting tired of it. He had to make her see that this marriage she was proposing was a bad decisionthat would be detrimental to both her and her sister in the long term.

"Oh I suppose if I do agree with this marriage to you, we do so in name only just as I offered," he said sarcastically.

Elsa didn't reply that Hans thought she hadn't heard. "Your majesty, you are proposing we do this in name only, am I correct?" he added as he emphasized the obvious.

"Not exactly. I do need an heir."

He stared at her, bewildered. "Excuse me?" She does know she can't have children.

"I won't object to you having a mistress as long as you are discreet. And I would require that you only take in another woman only after we have a child."

Which we will never have because she knows she can never have children. Is this some kind of sick perverted punishment she is trying to impose on me?

"Oh no, your majesty," Hans replied bitterly. "You claim I am the epitome of deceit, but you're the one who has been lying and manipulating everyone around you. If you hope to even make me consider this, let's discuss this truthfully. Just say it outright. You want me to live a celibate life, locked in legal matrimony to you, protecting your interests, and making me jump hoops for you like a dog while you use my love for Anna like a leash."

"Celibate?" she frowned. "I'm confused. I just told you, I require an heir. I expect you to do your duty."

So she's still trying to maintain the illusion that she can have offspring.

"I assure you, your majesty, I can perform my matrimonial duties. Can you say the same about yourself?"

"Excuse me!" She exclaimed in a tone she was highly offended. "What exactly does that mean?"

"Do you really need me to say it?"

"By all means! Enlighten me!"

"Lars told me about your wedding night."

She said nothing and her cheeks suddenly flushed with color. He couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked, with her face so red with a mixture of embarrassment and anger.

Finally, her blue eyes blazed right back at him and he was struck by the rage in her gaze. How was it possible that the snow queen could appear like a fire goddess?

He suddenly couldn't decide whether he should run away in fear or satisfy an urge to feel if her body was as blazing hot as her expression.

"So you don't think I can be intimate with a man without freezing him?" she challenged as she moved towards him. He could suddenly feel the air around him feel warm. He dismissed it as his imagination, unable to concentrate on anything but those fiery blue eyes and alluring red lips.

"It... it... crossed my mind..." he muttered as she was now just an arm's length of him.

"One incident," she said, angrily walking up towards him in a threatening stance. "It was one incident and you don't even understand the situation. Lars didn't understand the situation."

"Then make me understand," he moved forward until he was so close he could feel her breath on his chin. It was warm like spring mornings in the woods.

"Maybe I will!" she protested hotly before he felt a surge of heat invade him completely as her lips slid over to his. Everything faded from his mind but the sensation of that warmth. It was better than all his fantasies about her. Her lips were soft, lush, and tender. There was nothing cold about them.

He felt her pull away but he didn't let her. His hands grasped at her back and pulled her closer to him. Her lithe body was as soft and warm as her lips as she molded them against his. She fit right into him as if she was made to be there, a part of him he never knew before that was missing.

Her arms clasped around his neck and he responded by deepening the pressure on her lips. He wanted to go deeper and explore the nuanced surfaces of those lips and he did so as his tongue found purchase between her crevices, teasing them apart. She allowed him in, releasing a flood of new sensations. His hand grasped her cheek, delighting in the feel of her skin even as his mouth explored hers further.

She pulled away gasping, but her blue eyes connected with his. He felt a cold rush of fear and uncertainty that he had been mistaken. Maybe she didn't want this. Maybe her kiss was just an accident and he took advantage of her by kissing her back. He wanted to ask her if she was alright with this but all he could say was one word.

"Elsa?"

Her only response was to tilt her head to expose her neck. That was answer enough for him. He captured her bottom lip, sucking on it passionately before he moved down to kiss her offered neck. He trailed kisses down to her collarbone and found it was not enough. He moved further south until he reached the top of her sweetheart neckline that hovered just above the valley of her breasts. He dared to kiss as far as he could go on the exposed skin of her gown and was rewarded by her moan. The sound of her voice undid him and suddenly it was difficult to remain standing without support. He gently pushed her and she moved with him until her back hit the bookcase. Once she was propped against the shelf, his lips found her neck again as his hand reached out to touch her left bodice. To his surprise, his hand connected not to fabric but to smooth skin. His gaze riveted down to see her breast was bare, her nipple taught and inviting. He looked up and was met with her sultry gaze that left him without a doubt of an invitation. At the same time, his peripheral vision saw the right bodice of her gown disintegrate leaving her completely bare-chested. He covered both breasts, one with his mouth, the other with his eager fingers. Her fingers had reached up to his head and began running through his hair as she moaned his name. The way she formed the sounds motivated him to swirl his tongue on her left nipple, even as his fingers tweaked the other. His other hand meanwhile, had finally found the knee he had long been fascinated with. He caressed that knee before moving up her thigh, trailing higher until he reached the apex of her legs.

He discovered her wet and wanting as soon as his hand connected to her most intimate part. She pulled away with the shock of his touch that he was suddenly afraid he had gone too far.

"Hans…" she uttered. He hovered with anticipation that her next words were a warning or a rebuke. But a long moment passed and she said nothing. He stood so his face was level with hers, their bodies barely an inch apart.

"Will you let me?" he finally asked.

There was a flicker in her eyes before she whispered back: "Yes."

His mouth claimed hers again and she quickly responded with equal fervor. He lifted her slightly and seated her on a small ledge of the shelf even without disconnecting his lips from hers. Her hands moved down to his shoulders, but he found their position too slow for his taste. He used both hands to cover hers, then led them to his breaches. She took the hint and spread her legs for him, parting her skirt to allow him even closer to her core even as her hands clumsily worked at unraveling his buttons.

He helped her tug at them until he freed himself of the restricting fabric. He moved closer to her. His tip felt her wetness and he knew there was no going back.

But then she stiffened.

That one sudden movement caught him by surprise and he stared at her face. Fear and embarrassment were written all over it as she stared at something behind him before she dove her head against his shoulder. At the same time, her dress magically repaired itself, covering her breasts.

"Oh… my…?"

Anna's voice brought him down to earth like a cold splash of water on his head.

He didn't know how he managed to re-button his breaches but he did, just before Elsa stepped out from his frame and walked barefooted towards her sister. Even then, he didn't dare turn around to face his former fiancé.

"Anna… It's not what it… looks like…" Elsa began.

Anna did not reply.

Well, how could she? She just caught me being intimate with her sister. Nothing Elsa and I could say would make any excuse for this.

"I mean…" Elsa continued pathetically. "I… I asked Hans to marry me…"

It's useless. That would just make it worse—

"Oh my goodness! YES!" Anna's squeal cut off whatever he was thinking.

In the next instant, he was being tackled into a three-way embrace with Elsa.

"I knew it! I knew it! You were meant to be all along! It's fate!" Anna continued to cry out as she snuffed the breath out of him with her fierce hug.

Hans couldn't face her, much less say anything to correct her perception. However, Anna grabbed his head and forced her to stare back at her. "You're going to be my brother! Oh, this is perfect! I thought I was just planning on making you the perfect date, but now I'm going to be planning your wedding!"

Wait-what? No! Hans screamed internally at himself but he could not even speak a word.

Elsa looked just as confused and was staring determinedly at the floor.

"Oh no! I am so sorry, I interrupted," Anna suddenly said. "You were busy."

"Anna I…" Elsa started but Anna just cut her off with her non-stop rant as she headed towards the door.

"Oh don't mind me. I didn't see anything, nothing at all. I wasn't even here. Just go on ahead. Oh boy, the council members have just come out. Oopsie! I'm a little too noisy. They're probably on their way here to check what I've been screaming about. Sorry about that. But don't you worry. I'm going to be keeping everyone else from coming in here. You two just do what you were doing and you know… I won't judge. I mean Kristoff and I… we didn't wait 'til the wedding either. So who am I to judge? But the bookshelf is uncomfortable if you're going to do that. You should move to the couch… I mean… none of my business I know… but have fun… so… bye!"

She closed the door behind her and they could hear her voice wafting and giving orders. Hans didn't know if he could feel even more mortified, but he was wrong.

"No one goes into the library until tomorrow okay? Elsa and Hans are busy there all night and need complete privacy… I mean they're working there on… erm… something… look it doesn't matter what it is, as long as nobody interrupts them. It's private!"

Great! By tomorrow the entire kingdom will know I've been with Elsa.

He turned to her and it all clicked in his head. A chill went up his spine that had nothing to do with Elsa's ice powers.

"You planned this."

"It wasn't exactly how I expected it—"

"Oh but it was so effective!" he cut off her pathetic attempt to explain. This woman was not innocent like Anna. He had known that beforehand, but he never understood until now to what lengths she will use guile to further her means. He had been played for his baser urges and he fell right for it. He was furious, but more at himself than of her.

Even now, as she stared at him with that that expression of embarrassment on her face, all he could think of was she was still reeling him in and acting to make him feel sympathetic. He would have preferred if she had just openly gloated at him. Behind that doe-eyed exterior was a dangerous woman hell-bent on destroying any hope of happiness he clung to. He would never make the same mistake of trusting her again.

He shook his head at her. "You win Elsa, I'll marry you. Don't think for a second this will change anything between us."

He caught a tiny quiver of her lip that momentarily showed him she was rattled by what he said. But then it was gone and replaced once more by her cold demeanor. "I'm not counting on it," she replied.

He huffed and marched out the door without looking back. He felt a blast of cold at his back and it left a bit of frost on his shoulder but he didn't bother to flick away the flecks of snowy powder off his coat.

She watched him turn around and walk off in anger and shut the door behind her. Once she was alone, she sank into the couch and cried.

It was done.

She achieved what she set to do and now she was truly the monster: a cold, terrible woman who just broke a good man's heart.

Hans had seen through her plan as if he read her mind. And he was just so infuriating at the way he revealed the most private aspect of her former marriage. She decided to kiss him there just to prove his baseless accusations wrong.

She told herself she only planned to kiss him. Just one tiny, brief and chaste kiss. She could tell Anna about it and say she felt a flutter in her heart at the experience and it would be enough. Anna would buy it, especially after she saw her artwork. She would never agree to marry Hans.

Somehow the moment her lips connected with his, all thoughts of Anna just disappeared. He had such warmth more satisfying than chocolate that was startling and infinitely fulfilling at the same time. When she pulled back and he held her, she no longer hesitated to bring him back towards her. She couldn't seem to get enough of him as his mouth explored hers further. It was not invasive like Knudsvig had been on their wedding night. Hans seemed almost hesitant. He took his time, offering only the lightest of pressure. When she reciprocated it was only then he pushed forward.

She had to pull away for a moment to breathe. She would have ended it there.

He asked her permission to go on.

It was the one thing she did not expect. She had counted on him becoming possessive to a point she had to use her powers to physically pry him off her.

Instead, he asked her, not just once but twice. Each time, it undid something in her that pushed her to continue. Suddenly, it was no longer about protecting Anna or securing her kingdom's stability. In this one thrilling moment, she just wanted him. His touch, his mouth as he discovered her body and gasped her name. The thought that he wanted her, increased her euphoria that the moment he asked her one last time to make love to her, she replied to him in all earnest:

"Yes."

The look on his face was so tender that she dared to imagine what it would feel like to wake up the next morning in his embrace.

Then Anna barged into the library.

The first instinctive feeling she had was indignation at her sister's interruption, followed by a deep disappointment at the loss of Hans' touch. The moment passed when she realized the shameful way she allowed herself to be caught in this way with him.

She sensed Hans' shame too as he hurriedly reorganized his clothing. She willed her dress to fix itself faster than he could and stepped in front of Hans to shield him. She faced her sister but didn't know exactly what to say.

"Anna… It's not what it… looks like…" she realized how stupid that lie sounded. Anna knew exactly what this looks like. It was best to just come clean with everything.

"I mean I… I asked Hans to marry me…"

"Oh my goodness! YES!"

And he said no... She never got the last words out. Anna had effectively accepted her proposal on behalf of Hans. Before Elsa even realized it, Anna had Hans cornered, leaving him without a way to protest or contradict her.

The whole thing was so surreal, Elsa's mind had frozen and let things happen. She only woke up when she was finally alone with Hans and he stared at her with such venom it almost felt like a physical bite.

"You planned this," he accused.

"It wasn't exactly how I expected it—" she began to explain.

"Oh but it was so effective," he interrupted sarcastically. "You win Elsa, I'll marry you. Don't think for a second this will change anything between us."

She knew she had sealed her fate. She got what she wanted, but he will never trust her again. He would do his duty to her, but she could never expect a tender moment with him. Her mind drifted to that book Amelia had given her and how it described all the vicious cruelty men can inflict on their wives behind closed doors. This was what awaited her once she was bound to him.

In public, though, she was still queen and she will keep up that dignified front for what remained of her days as a free woman.

"I'm not counting on it," she replied indignantly.

The look on his face reaffirmed what she already thought and he stomped off in a huff and never saw how the room froze completely once he left.

A/N: This chapter was inspired by the library scene in the book/film "Atonement." I thought it was a lovely scene to play up for both a combination of passion and awkwardness.

I want to thank everyone who has patiently kept up with this story despite my prolonged update delays. Credit to reviewer Ms. Clenny for guessing that Elsa's paintings had something to do with Hans' grandfather. The reference to this is my other unfinished story "The Silent Listener" where I provide the context of the name of Elsa's doll Sir Jorgenbjorgen. If any of you have read that, you would know Elsa named her doll after Hans' grandfather, which she had a bit of a crush on when she was a child.