Elsa had good intentions.
After Iduna gave her a proud smile, she made to leave.
This time, Elsa would be there for her sister. She would apologize, try to make amends and begin to repair their sisterly bond. She was bound and determined that nothing would stop her from getting back to Arendelle.
Well, it was easier said than done.
Due to her argument with Anna, Elsa had completely forgotten that Honeymaren needed her help with something in the Enchanted Forest.
When Iduna's spirit disappeared, Gale arrived with a letter.
Elsa knew it came from Honeymaren and she slapped her forehead in embarrassment.
Before she read the missive, Elsa was prepared to blow off Honeymaren with some excuse. Anna needed her at that moment and Elsa didn't want anything delaying her plans.
Unfortunately, luck wasn't on her side.
The task proved to be more daunting than Elsa thought.
In fact, Honeymaren required her help with a lot of tasks.
As in more than one.
First, Elsa had to supervise as the earth giants removed some leftover debris from the dam that was blocking a major part of the river. The Northuldra depended upon that river for trade between the respective tribes.
Second, Elsa had to mediate a minor dispute between Honeymaren's tribe and another band of Northuldra. Thankfully, the dispute was nothing all that serious.
But it COULD have escalated into a major conflict if Elsa didn't intervene.
Before Elsa could retreat when the talks were over, Honeymaren asked that Elsa and the Elemental Spirits escort her tribe to a new location. There were rumors of marauders in the area.
Honeymaren wanted protection, just in case.
By the time the journey was over, it was late at night.
Too late to return to Arendelle.
So, Elsa decided to return to Ahtohallan and hit the hay.
But it appeared that Ahtohallan had other plans. Elsa was horrified to learn the truth about Grand Pabbie and his machinations. She wanted to vomit as she learned that he'd altered her and her sister's memories on several occasions.
That he implanted her fear of her powers.
That he spelled Anna to avoid her as she grew older.
Even worse was the knowledge that their parents fully participated in Grand Pabbie's schemes. Elsa even witnessed what happened the night Anna was born.
She didn't remember, as she was only three at the time.
But Iduna nearly died.
As if that wasn't bad enough, Agnarr blamed Anna for the entire mess. Even though Iduna didn't die, Agnarr still subconsciously held his second daughter responsible. It was mostly why he treated Anna like garbage and practically ignored her.
Elsa was sickened that her father used her as an excuse to push Anna to the wayside.
She also felt guilty.
Their parents were so preoccupied with helping her and her powers, they had virtually no time for Anna. Elsa would also learn the harsh truths their parents hid from them.
Such as Arendelle's bloody history.
The truth about Runeard, his father Stoiske and their ancestors.
She would even learn about Hans and the truth about his seemingly villainous actions. She couldn't believe that Grand Pabbie would sink so low. She also wanted to vomit at the fact that she and Anna were descended from a vile bastard like Stoiske.
He was the one who started it all.
The reason behind Hefnd's curse.
"Release me at once, Elsa!" Grand Pabbie demanded after his shock faded.
"Release you?" Elsa couldn't believe her ears. "You have quite the nerve, Grand Pabbie. How dare you think you have the right to be furious, considering what you've done?"
"Everything I did was for the Grea- Gah!" Grand Pabbie cried out in shock and pain.
Elsa just struck him with her magic.
"Everytime you say THAT phrase, I'll hurt you again." Elsa hissed.
"Elsa, I had no choice." Grand Pabbie said. "You have no idea how many times Arendelle has come to war over the decades. I did what I had to, to keep the peace!"
"Keep the peace?" Elsa echoed in disbelief. "You call altering Hans' mind and personality 'keeping the peace'? You call altering the memories of my sister and me, 'keeping the peace'? You call helping my parents imprison me in my chambers, 'keeping the peace'? You call sitting back and doing nothing as Anna was neglected and ignored, 'keeping the peace'? You call letting Kristoff's parents DIE, 'keeping the peace'!?"
"Elsa, I had to." Grand Pabbie insisted.
"Why?" Else demanded.
"The alternative would have been far worse." Grand Pabbie said.
"So, letting Kristoff's parents live would be a worse alternative?" Elsa asked sarcastically. She couldn't believe Grand Pabbie's nerve, his arrogance, his prideful belief that he was in the right in regards to his foul actions.
"He wouldn't have trusted us otherwise." Grand Pabbie said.
"Judging from what I've seen, it would have been a good thing." Elsa snorted.
"Elsa." Grand Pabbie was horrified.
"Do you know what the worst part is?" Elsa asked.
"What?" Grand Pabbie said.
"You knew about Hefnd's curse the entire time." Elsa said. "You knew what Stoiske was planning and did nothing to stop him. You could have prevented the massacre of that Northuldran settlement. The blood of those men, women and children are on YOUR hands."
"I couldn't interfere, Elsa." Grand Pabbie said.
"Why not?" Elsa crossed her arms over her chest.
"It would have interfered with the timeline." Grand Pabbie explained. "I had to let things play out naturally."
"Play out naturally?" Elsa snorted. "Don't make me laugh."
"Elsa." Grand Pabbie tried.
"Don't." Elsa held up a warning hand. "You don't get to use that excuse, Grand Pabbie. If you didn't interfere and remove Anna's memories of my powers, she would have helped me overcome my fears and gain control over my powers naturally. But no, you HAD to stick your bulbous nose where it didn't belong and alter her memories. So, you certainly have no problem interfering when it's convenient for you."
"..." Grand Pabbie winced. There was little he could say to that.
"Even worse, you're behind the murder of our parents." Elsa said.
"Elsa, it was an accident." Grand Pabbie said.
"No, you encouraged them to head for Ahtohallan." Elsa said.
"Elsa?" Grand Pabbie was clearly hoping she didn't know the truth.
"Ahtohallan revealed everything." Elsa said.
FLASHBACK
"Darling, I've been thinking." Iduna said, grasping Agnarr's hands. "It might be time to tell Anna about Elsa. I can't bear keeping her shut out anymore. She's maturing now. She can be responsible."
"It's not Anna I'm worried about." Agnarr said, carefully hiding his subconscious distaste as the subject of his unwanted daughter was raised. "What if we let them get close again and the feelings are too much for Elsa." It was more than obvious that Agnarr's concern lay primarily with his eldest daughter. "Joy brings her powers out as strongly as fear."
"But if anyone can find a way to help her, it's Anna." Iduna insisted.
"You may be right about that." Agnarr agreed reluctantly. "There's not much that girl can't do." Even as Agnarr was (grudgingly) complimenting Anna, there was still a hidden note of contempt in his voice.
"Her love could hold up the world." Iduna said.
"Lucky for the world." Iduna was too lost in thought to hear the bitter sarcasm in Agnarr's voice. "Okay, we'll tell her when we return."
"Hmmm." Iduna let out a content sigh as she hugged her husband.
FLASHBACK ENDS
"Mother and Father were going to tell her the truth about me." Elsa said. "But you couldn't let that happen. It would have interfered with your plans for Anna and me."
ANOTHER FLASHBACK
"Did it work?" Asger asked.
"Yes." Grand Pabbie said. "The king and queen think all of the 'answers' lie in the heart of Ahtohallan itself."
"But that would mean..." Asger's voice trailed off.
"The death of the king and queen, yes." Grand Pabbie said.
"Isn't this a little...drastic?" Asger said carefully.
"It must be done." Grand Pabbie insisted.
"Why?" Asger asked.
"If I don't stop their plans, Anna would discover the truth about her sister." Grand Pabbie said. "She would encourage Elsa to reduce her fears, to explore her abilities. Her powers are growing even as we speak. For the good of the world, she MUST be kept confined to her chambers. She MUST be kept separated from her sister."
"Is there any evidence of your involvement?" Asger asked.
"None." Grand Pabbie said smugly. "And if there is, it would be lost at sea."
FLASHBACK ENDS
"I didn't have a choice, Elsa." Grand Pabbie said. "You weren't ready to face the world. I feared what you could do if you couldn't regain control over your powers."
"That was no excuse to kill my parents!" Elsa yelled. "It was also no excuse to help keep me prisoner in my room. Or to do nothing as Mother and Father neglected my sister. She was so desperate and alone, her books and portraits became her only friends. It was also no excuse to sit back and do nothing as Kristoff's parents were murdered. And what you have done to Hans is too heinous and reprehensible for words."
"You don't need to worry about Hans anymore, Elsa." Grand Pabbie said.
"The truth will eventually come out, Grand Pabbie." Elsa said. "That means war WILL come to Arendelle, especially if and when the Southern Isles learn what happened. A war that my sister and Arendelle are NOT prepared for!"
"The Southern Isles are no longer a problem." Grand Pabbie said cryptically.
Hans started when someone knocked on his bedroom door.
Apparently, he cried himself to sleep.
Someone knocked again. "Coming!" Hans called, assuming it was more guards as it was apparently time for another shipment of supplies. He rose stiffly to his feet, wincing as he did so. Before he went to the door, he stretched his arms and legs to get the blood flowing back into his limbs.
That would teach him to sleep in one position for so long.
Since it was dark outside, Han lit a nearby candle.
When he opened the door, he expected for a bunch of guards to rush him. His wrists started aching in phantom limb pain, almost as if in expectation for a pair of manacles.
Instead, Hans found himself facing his father's longtime advisor, Hǫrgr.
Hǫrgr was one of the few people kind to him growing up.
As usual, Hǫrgr looked the same. He looked stiff and proper in his uniform. His face was as expressionless as usual. His emerald-green eyes were frozen shards of verdant glass.
His long, black hair was held back in a stiff queue.
Hans couldn't remember a day when Hǫrgr looked disheveled or unkempt.
He was about to ask what was going on, when Hǫrgr elegantly went down to one knee and lowered his head. Hans knew it wasn't princely of him, but he gaped in shock.
Why would Hǫrgr bow to him?
Krig gleefully informed him that he was no longer a prince.
"Your Majesty." Hǫrgr said.
What the-
Your Majesty, he thought incredulously.
"Hǫrgr, what is going on?" Hans said. "I thought I wasn't a prince any longer."
"You are partially correct, Your Majesty." Hǫrgr replied.
"Huh?" Hans said intelligently.
"You are a king."