We do not own 'Frozen' or any of its characters.
"Frozen Again: 'Love Never Ends"
Act VIII
Chapter 12
"After the Ball"
Lost in this incredibly iridescent, eternal moment of enjoying one waltz after another, Hans and Elsa flow rhythmically across the dance floor in one another's arms.
The handsome Black Knight, in perfect time with the music, elegantly stops still in his red velvet cape as the music builds to its storybook crescendo when he draws his lovely lady to him.
Prince Hans leans down towards his own 'Sleeping Beauty' to seal their renewed, unmasked, unbelievable true love with a well-deserved kiss as the beats of music pass by, once upon a dream.
Elsa's anticipation for her Hans' reward was only satiated for a few glorious moments though before Minister Kai's booming voice was prompted by his King's hand gesture to make an announcement.
Kai loudly speaks over the boisterously dancing crowd savoring the medley's final moments of the romance filled evening of mystery, causing them all to pause mid-step.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for your enthusiastic participation in Queen Elsa's Birthday Masquerade Ball! Speaking on behalf of King Agnarr, Queen Iduna, Queen Elsa and Queen Anna, we hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as we have appreciated hosting you here with us on this auspicious day. Before the clock tower strikes midnight, to conclude our splendid Queen Elsa's glorious celebration, we here in Arendelle have one last birthday tradition we hope you will participate in." The rotund Arendelle Minister turns his attention from Elsa and her guests cavorting across the ballroom floor to fix his gaze on a very interesting object placed on a platform in the courtyard below the North balcony window he moves to.
"Everyone! You must join us outside in the courtyard for the Queen of Arendelle to blow the birthday bukkehorn!" 'Queen' Anna, in her enthusiasm, nearly knocks Minister Kai off the balcony as she waves her energetic arms about to gesture display the age-old tradition of her Norwegian forefathers dating back to Viking times. Even amid Elsa's frozen fever chaos of mischievous snowgies galore, the spirited girl recalled with such fond memories that perfect, first reunited birthday party Elsa threw for her little sister.
"Yes, dear guests. Please indulge our family a little further on this wondrous evening, as together we bring our brilliant birthday Queen's magical night to a close." King Agnarr steps in to address the multitude of astonished couples in the ballroom whom his youngest daughter was brashly ordering to step out into the frosty December night winter cold weather. "If you feel not suitably attired for the wintry weather in your costumes, you may observe the spectacle along with Queen Iduna and I from the advantageous view of the balcony in the Castle's Conservatory just across the hall." Securing his King Olaf cape around Iduna's skimpy Valkyrie bare shoulders imagining what fun was in store for him tonight when he could examine his wife's – ehem - costume - ehem- more closely, blushing King Agnarr rises to his tall armored boot feet.
He acquiesces that some of the guests were not, as he was, accustomed to this northern side of the equator's freezing temperatures. Even if the abnormally temperate for this time of year 20 degree cold was barely biting on this brilliant clear Winter solstice night in Norway, which the ice-gifted royal family wanted to celebrate together properly.
"Ill escort the girls and their guests outdoors, while you see to the King and Queen and those who stay inside—" Reliable General Mattias had moved towards Kai to confer the lead usher game plan with the normally staid palace administrator. But the large framed Arendelle political Councilor surprises the army General by turning him down flat, uncommonly preferring to travel outdoors with Queens Elsa and Anna for some reason instead.
'If you want to freeze your ass off to watch someone blow some silly oversized old horn, it's okay by me, Councilor. I'll rub my lamp to everyone remaining in here is boozed up and warm." Destin Mattias was enjoying his role as Genie if it could make his usual rival Kai Roservalen who always tried to edge him out of the picture of being the King's right-hand man surrender that privilege for a while.
Wonder what bee's in old George Washington's bonnet…?
As he begins to usher the guests either across the hall or down the stairs towards the courtyard, styled white wigged 'President' Kai looks down his snobbish nose at a particular South of the equator older gentleman in a not very democratic, impartial way.
The oh-so-debonair Avaloran one wearing that chic bullfighter costume, with a crimson red clad flamenco Señorita clinging adoringly on his satin, shirred-sleeve arms, whispering something in his ear.
"What a marvelous idea, Johanne! The bracing chill in the air should bring us all down from this populated soirée's intoxicating indoor warmth! Yes, this is true. I have been looking forward to spending some time in your country's al fresco beauty. Shall we, my lovely chica Bonita?" With a chivalrous suave air, Chancellor Esteban rolls in his Matador red cape muleta to wrap expertly around a beaming Johanne's shoulders, daringly dressed in a vivid red off-the-shoulder costume. The tall, sophisticate Avaloran then offers his gallant arm, sweeping his new fianceé from the Ballroom into the Hall, making her feel more like a pampered highbrow maiden to stand beside lords and princesses, than the mere household ladies' maid domestic she really was.
"Hmph." But Kai's frown was turned around when his wife Gerda, in her 18th century Martha Washington garb, lives up to her steadfast name. The bouncy plump woman brings peace and stability to her man as she comes bounding up, grabbing her matching costumed U.S. founding father's arm.
"Ooh! Come on, Kai! Let's go outside and enjoy this fully with the young people! This will be such fun, like when you and I used to race out in the nippy cool night long ago to check our roses! It is so good to see our little Elsa looking so pleased and content at last with her handsome Prince Hans! There is so much love around us, with the kingdom at peace too as we head into the Christmas holidays! Let's take joy in the season and accept the Lord's bountiful future more than begrudge the past. This is our first birthday celebration as a full family again, just like the old days! We have this blessed opportunity to bask in it, Kai! What more could we offer God in His Heaven than our true thankfulness for every moment of this beautiful night together? That's what our chance at seeing through the eyes of children taught me. To savor each blessing and embrace it with love." The godly woman was looking especially angelic in her spit-curled snow white, piled high hair and conservative, lace necked frock, as she pleasantly sings.
Gerda's short, plump body was so filled with joy that she could just pop, despite her more dour mate's distaste for his suave and smooth, tall and dark, prospective new brother-in-law they were just a few steps behind.
"I give thanks for the beauty of you every day of my life, dear Gerda." The large set man replies, allowing his anger to simmer down in his bouncy wife's eyes yet full of childlike faith as she squeezes his hand
"The Birthday Bukkehorn?" As he removes his own embroidered velvet red cape and gallantly places it around Elsa's shoulders – though he obviously knew the Ice Queen needed it not, it pleased the gentleman in him to do so – an incredulous Hans lets the amusing words roll off his titillated tongue.
The dashing Prince quirks a smile down at his blonde fiancée as the Black Knight deftly leads the group to march down the hall in step behind an impatient Princess Robin Hood Anna prodding Kai to open the door to the awaiting courtyard below.
Scores of tens of dozens of Arendelle citizens were waiting to greet them outside, warmly clothed in festive wear for this Scandinavian symbolic gesture to their beloved young Queen's birthday joy.
"Oh, yes. Hee hee hee."
As Hans gently yet firmly lifts her up as she were but a feather to the prepared platform rather than use the provided step ladder, Elsa giggles like a schoolgirl at the feeling of being so easily and physically airlifted, not by her cryokinetic magic.
Elsa then chuckles at the silly tradition that she herself had reinstated from their Norwegian Royal family of Arendelle's past glory days of yore which she had read up on during many a quiet hour in study of history books on the kingdom.
"It all started with my wanting to make up for missing so many birthdays growing up alongside, but separate, from Anna. I wanted to throw the most wonderful party ever for her. So, I did some research on Scandinavian Royal traditions. And I discovered the founder of our kingdom, King Olaf himself, according to the 'Prose Edda' skaldic legend, actually used to celebrate his important, victorious days with this Viking musical instrument called the 'Bukkehorn' in ancient times. I recovered the very horn that he was said to have played, recently discovered in the library's treasury of ancient Norwegian regalia.
Her hands still securely entwined in his, Elsa softly converses with Hans her love of history and country. Her attention span always short, Anna would hear, but she never could quite listen for long. So Elsa revels now in how easy it was to speak to Hans on these long-winded, oft considered boring subjects the shy girl never thought herself before capable to speak with about to anyone.
Anyone other than empathetic, like-minded Hans Westergaard.
But everything about being intimately close to her handsome Prince Hans felt so natural and right to Elsa on this unforgettable night. She would have felt more self-conscious and silly being put up to this farce – though she knew Anna meant well – had Hans not been here to stand so chivalrously undaunted at the reserved young woman's side.
Just as his ring and his cameo pendant have promised me he would be my strength, now and for all time.
Elsa's cyan blue orbs direct Hans' to share her significant gaze at the snowflake diamanté symbol of their promise of love to come, as his long fingers toy with the cameo pin peeking from behind her palest lavender portrait neckline collar.
"And wow, did you blow that old bugle like a pro, Elsa! It was the big finish of my unforgettable nineteenth birthday three Summer solstice's ago! Maybe Oaken's patent cold medicine made you a secret super bugler, Elsa!" Anna chuckles in glee from where she and Kristoff landed after leaving the balcony Sven had picked them up from before.
With Eliana on display on one side in her Maid Marion dress-up and inebriated Olaf draping his Friar Tuck loose snow body form over the huge Bukkehorn sliding in its curved crook, Anna points to the large Scandinavian horn. She was already standing with happy fists popping together nearby the massive, arched Viking instrument while the little sister made the scene ready for Elsa's final Masquerade night Birthday Queen performance.
"You wouldn't remember it, Hans, because you were not invited to my birthday party back then –" Anna says pointedly with pursed lips at her redheaded former enemy.
"You're not feeling sick, right?" Anna teasingly asks a thoroughly flushed Elsa after the ginger Robin Hood runs off at the mouth for many frost vapor puffed sentences, slapping her decorated teal gloves together for warmth.
"Just in case you are, we put the bugle up real high, facing away from Arendelle port this time. We figured the huge snowball that came out from the horn was caused by that one last big sneeze you launched, Elsa! Good thing it didn't hit any of the ships!" Kristoff gives a little shiver at the chilly memory. He was especially feeling frosty wearing his Grecian warrior leather skirt over bare legs the wind whipped beneath his long black cloak as he clambered up to the trio already on the platform. "Poor girl was feverish and sick for days in bed after that." Kristoff confides to Hans about his sister-in-law, no longer too shy himself to talk again under the cover of a black domino cloak he had swiped from the cloak room before he left the Castle.
"Considering the veritable cornucopia – don't you love that word? Hiccup! - of snowgies your sniffles and sneezes caused at the time, Elsa - Hiccup! - I ex-ex-extrapolated that massive snowball sneeze that crossed the horizon must have had crashed somewhere in the southern vicinity. It may have had enough velocity from this conical launcher to have even sent a vast amount of my mischievous little brothers out across another nation's unsuspecting countryside. Back then, Sven and I went to look around and ask people everywhere in Arendelle for sightings, but no reports ever turned up of a massive snowball landing that day. So it was all okey-dokey-doodle." Spouting many of his cherished new big words, a woozy, innocently partaken-of-too-much-drink Olaf finally was able to scramble up to the podium platform, after Alonso gave the little tipsy snowman with the not so strong stick arms a boost from below.
"Three Summer solstices ago… I knew that massive snowball had to be from you…" Hans murmurs to himself with a quirky smile in personal reflection of something he always had a suspicion of.
"Yeah, Elsa left me and Sven and Kristoff in charge of rounding up all those mischievous little guys her sneezes inadvertently created. We brought them all up to the North Mountain Ice Palace to hang out there with Marshmallow." Olaf gleefully adds.
So that is how I became so ill that terrible Summer with no one to care for me during my 'frozen' fever escapade. Except maybe for my brothers' nasty horses laughing at me for being shoved into a manure pile while doing my penance in the stables I was exiled to. Because in that case, I was only fit for shoveling such refuse by my family.
And rightly so at that time.
But how did you find me there in my humbled degradation so precisely, if not for some subconscious, undeniable attraction, even then…?
"You, letting me have the chance to take care of you then, was my extra bonus present, Elsa. Because you are my most precious treasure, who I'd do anything to make happy." Giving Hans a pointed look of warning over Elsa's back, Anna awards her dear big sister a great big hug. She nearly accidentally knocks the large Bukkehorn off the edge, had a quick reflexes Hans not had the foresight to scramble to grab and steady the teetering, priceless, ancient musical device.
"Somebody else better never forget that." The ginger girl threatens without missing a beat, never knowing the disaster just averted in her petulant wake.
Princess Anna was looking more herself with the fake moustache falling to the wayside of the platform on the wind, her braids messily tumbling down to frame her face that was especially cute when it was twisted lip angry.
"Fortunately, I, for one, have an incredible capacity for memory recall, Princess." The redheaded Dane responds in like cheekiness. The Prince of the Southern Isles' inherent arrogance to bully this brassy little sister peeks through once again as his mind was still calculating as to the why of this intriguing new data just revealed to him.
The baffling giant snowball from somewhere in the North on a direct path to mow him down particularly was a past query the intelligent Prince had meant to ask his Queen on some less dangerous, less momentous occasion in times of peace hopefully to come in the future.
Pray God it will be soon now that our path is clear.
"Hmph. This Queen's glad to hear it." With a reminiscent fist that makes Hans wince ever so slightly, Anna rubs in her title, however much she personally distained it. Then the uppity ginger young woman takes a step to a less precarious part of the high platform as Anna puts her hands on her hips and smirks across at her old sparring partner.
This new situation of Hans being Elsa's officially betrothed fiancé – whom Anna herself had a role in bringing back to battle her Papa's more 'eligible princely bachelors' for a speedier wedding date. Did I do that? Reality check! – was not going to cause the peppery youngest Queen of Arendelle to go easy on her favorite target any time soon.
{"It's almost go time, Baby."} Kristoff interrupts the feisty barbs passing between Anna and Hans with a more down to earth finger point up to the clock tower's nearly midnight hour strike.
"Okay! This is almost a wrap, everybody! You ready, Elsa?" Anna's twisted frown upon Hans immediately turns upside down to display a vibrant smile to her beloved big sister as she tugs on Elsa's iridescent purple sleeve. But Anna was surprised when Elsa suddenly pulls back and takes a step away from the bugle horn instead of towards it.
"What's up? Aren't we having fun?" Swaying back-and-forth on the platform, innocent Olaf looks up at her, obliviously unaware of Elsa's lack of enthusiasm for the outlandish musical instrument. The naïve snowman could not realize that her recalcitrance was most likely due to the bad memory of the Ice Queen's loss of control while first performing on it.
"You are a lady in control now, I have no doubt, my Queen." Prince Hans intuitively sensed his love's hesitation as he takes a place to solidly stand behind her and place his sturdy hand on her right shoulder with his bolstering support.
"We've got your back, Elsa." Anna takes a hint from Hans and steps up to place her smaller, but just as stalwart hand on Elsa's left shoulder with the bolstering words and shared nod with the Dane, eye to eye.
"No, it's not that I'm afraid to blow the Bukkehorn. I just don't want this beautiful night to end. You have both made this the finest, most unforgettable birthday full of dreams for me, ever. Thank you." Elsa almost tearfully whispers, as she warmly squeezes the hand of her dear baby sister whom Elsa knew went above and beyond to arrange for her Prince Charming to be here this very special night. Then she gracefully laces the fingers of her other hand with Hans, crossing her arms prayerfully over her heart, with Anna and Hans' strength joined together.
Gathering her tears, Elsa gives a determined glance upward to her expectant parents with a smiled nod to her guests on the balcony above. Then, finally she looks out to the crowd of citizens below the platform and to the sides on the hills who anxiously were awaiting this moment for their much-loved Queen.
She didn't want to let any of them down again by being silly and unsure when she had already proven by fire and ice and the elemental spirits of nature to be a strong and confident young ruler, ready to take on a bold new world.
"Try not to think too hard about it and just go with the moment." An encouraging Anna mouths in her big sister's ear as she nods for Hans' strong yet tender palm to lead Elsa in stability on the high platform to the rear of the elongated conical, looped Bukkehorn.
It was more intimidating now to Elsa than the last time where she could barely remember delivering the resounding note all the others present still spoke of, causing an involuntary shudder.
"Just make a wish and blow, min kaereste (my darling)." Hans whispers, cheering his shy girl on.
"But you already have made them all come true for me tonight, my handsome Prince." Trying not to be nervous, the platinum blonde Ice Queen quietly whispers to her lover.
Gratified Hans flashes that charming, debonair smile of his down at her, unabashed and bold and brilliant as the star streaked moon shared under the Northern Lights Elsa ruled.
Thinking she had never seen a more breathtaking vista than Hans Westergaard's stunning, soulful viridescent eyes, and with that impressive sight in mind, Elsa Bernadotte takes a deep breath, feeling in utter peace at heart.
With a slight chuckle, Elsa reluctantly puts her mouth in close position to the thoroughly disinfected and cleaned since her germy last blow, ancient Viking musical instrument which only fellow past Norwegian monarchs' lips had touched in eras gone by.
"How am I supposed to make any music on this thing? I don't even really remember doing it before. Just that intoxicating feeling of being so uninhibited, where I could only think of your pleading eyes looking so beseechingly at me then …
Elsa's eyes momentarily connect with Hans' in the dazzling nightscape backdrop in last minute wide-eyed anxiety.
"If you do strike the right note now, without launching another massive snowball avalanche on some poor unsuspecting fellow the next country over, I'll be collecting on a truly incredible passionate 'goodnight' kiss. It will be in recompense for the indirect kiss three and a half years ago which purposely struck me down with a feverish cold last time." At the very final second before a nervous Elsa almost chickened out from delivering her best attempt at music on the horn, her winsome, cocky Prince mumbles this spicy tidbit breathily close in her ear, followed by a little encouraging nibble on her fiercely reddened lobe.
The consequential warm sensation of which causes the ice cold, anxious Queen of Arendelle to, rather than panic in ice from her expelled breath, instead deliver a perfect high note on the ancient Viking horn.
It rings throughout the Kingdom of Arendelle under the clear Winter solstice sky, without one accidental flake of snow out of place escaping the horn.
Instead, the gentle coating of aurora borealis light reflects, refracts and colorfully glistens much like rainbow confetti on the soft snowflakes under the 5th Spirit of Harmony's command. They were so delicate and soft they would melt on skin contact to gently precipitate over the countryside.
CLAP! CLAPP! CLAPPP! CLAPPP!
"Yeah, yeah! Such pretty snowflakes!"
"Happy birthday, your Majesty!"
"We love you, Queen Elsa!" The watching crowd of citizens was pleased as punch that their beloved young Queen was displaying her full control of the elements she had mastered, the Winter Queen never to lose control again.
They all break into cheers of adulation the second before the clock tower chimes the midnight hour on Elsa of Arendelle's birthday celebration, and it officially comes to its fortuitous end.
"Yay! Happy merry holly jolly winter greeting tidings of good cheer!" Drunken and giddy with delight, Olaf takes the opportunity to sing out the festive holiday season that was only just starting as he dances with Eliana a jig in the new fallen aurora borealis lit snow.
"Told ya you could do it!" Anna congratulates her big sister with two thumbs-up to Mama and Papa who wave down at their pair of pink-cheeked and healthy, grown-up daughters.
And that panorama included the two young men Elsa and Anna had selected in this life as partners were stalwartly standing beside them both.
"A giddy scene for the young people. They make fine looking couples." General Mattias comments from the balcony above with crossed arms and a smug smile that looked very apropos to his Genie of the lamp costume.
"Indeed, my daughters have chosen well." Agreeable with his favorite old soldier, King Agnarr too acknowledges his Vise Admiral who was glancing back up to him with a kingly nod back that Queen Iduna was relieved to see.
"Indeed." A smirking, raised brow Yelana echoes the king's yielding eye-opening sentiment as she exchanges a glance with Mattias while wandering nearby.
"We have two happy children now at last, Agnarr, with two beautiful futures promising to be full of love and marriage and passion in the fairytale happy ending in store for each of them. Just like the enchanted one my fine young man had given me the chance to be the heroine of, not so very long ago…" On the edge of the balcony where she had been perched to watch the birthday girl blow the Bukkehorn, pleased Queen Iduna was rather enjoying hovering over her tall husband. Just the same as she often did hanging from trees when she was a mischievous teen trying to entice her Prince Charming to notice her and fall in love with her. For special Saami daughter Iduna already had fallen madly for him since that fateful day in her Enchanted Forest homeland when the elementals had shepherded the destined children together.
"Now that you've come back to your senses, min alskare, I certainly could feel like making you my hero again tonight…" The playful Northuldran beauty tantalizes as she unclasps the red satin cape Agnarr had covered her indecently exposed cleavage with before to lean in and give her King at eye-level a free preview of the late late show this 'sword warrioress' was promising. Ice Valkyrie Iduna's long chilled fingertips begin to remove from Agnarr's costumed face King Olaf's long, full ginger beard, with an amorous look in her brilliant indigo eyes that sparkled for him again.
"Maybe I can loosen up these stiff shoulders and whatever else you're holding in here, later…" The elemental symbols upon her Viking armor and glistening skin glow at each breathless touch between the two lovers making up for their earlier marital row as the Queen places her hand over her King's heart.
Then Valkyrie beauty Iduna lands butterfly kisses down her Agnarr's cheek as she seductively caresses his neck to free him of that facial hair that unnaturally aged her still dashing fellow, in his mate's personal opinion.
With more than one inquisitive eye in the throng of spectators watching the provocative scene, the secretly somewhat shy and inward Norwegian King blushes beneath his costume's ginger bearded hirsute-ness that he guiltily pulls back on.
"I always said our exotic eyed, adopted Swedish Princess had a wild streak in her, Cousin Agnarr. And you still color too easily at a woman's wiles. You have not much matured in these twenty-eight years, my boy. In some circles, it's said to show weakness." Prince Waldemar says, having one drink too many at the punch table, as his dilapidated Roman senator leaf crown circlet signified.
Iduna's annoying cousin stumbles over to where the King and Queen were holding court as he eavesdropped on their tender exchange.
"Or it shows he has been so moved by her true sentiment enough to shrewdly listen. Which displays both strength and courage, Cousin Waldemar, which you sorely lack, as a bachelor who will never learn better." The Duchess Helene puts her obese cousin on Friedrich's side in his place quite succinctly.
"Well, I-I never! I can tell your wastrel French legionnaire has returned, Helene. He's always been a bad influence on you whenever he finally makes an appearance anywhere, hmph." Waldemar's stuttering, steaming departure from the balcony causes Agnarr and Iduna to share a chuckle at meeting someone who finally would bring the over-opinionated man to heel.
"Oh, I have missed you, my 'Helene of Troy.' Je me soumets à votre plus grande sagrasse, Ma chèrie. (I submit to your greater wisdom, my darling.)" The comely man in the striking black and red Harlequin suit laughs glibly, confessing how he had sorely missed her stable presence and bold comportment. Ferdinand's Helena could stand up to any man, even against such an older intimidating lout such as her vexing, fat cousin, as Waldemar squirrels away like a shameless coward.
"What is a future without 'love and marriage and passioné'? Though not necessarily in that order. Are they not the cleverer of our species, as well as the more attractive, Amiral? Our ladies are so very astute in this delicate area of discernment that we men often lack in our competitive bluster against one another. Perhaps we men would be wise to listen to them more often, lest we come to further harm." Saying quite a mouthful for women's liberation in his debonair French Revolutionary style, Prince Ferdinand Egalité compliments Queen Iduna while giving King Agnarr a thought-provoking smirk.
The notably nimble French Prince made his way through the milling around Masquerade guests to where the King and Queen of Arendelle had moved from the ballroom to the Great Hall where they would respectfully see their many guests off for the night.
"My Helene thoroughly agrees with you on that pronouncement of love and the future, Madame Bernadotte, do you not, cher coeur (dearheart)?" The svelte Frenchman is soon welcomed by his wife, who curtsies quite respectfully to the Norwegian royals.
The Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin may not have owned 'the face that launched a thousand ships', but she did exude a certain calm, quiet, self possession of inward confidence that felt liberated to speak her mind to put men in their place – especially her charming husband - was refreshing to behold.
"I must say, it appears that Prince Ferdinand's new friend – your inimitable future son-in-law, Your Majesties – has had a positive impact on my époux (husband) and his ever wavering resolve. My Ferdinand's future has always been assured, whatever the order or length of time it took for him to realize it." The seemingly always amused, brown curl haired German Royal woman in the Columbine maid outfit smoothes her French Crown Prince's frilly Harlequin collar back from his chin, straightening it rigidly right, just as she did for so many other wrinkles in his life.
"And he is all the better for it. Egalitè needn't have spoken much of the specifics for me to see how much of a hold you constantly kept over his heart, Madame. I feel as if I know you already, and am heartily pleased to meet you at last, Duchess Helena. Prince Hans of the Southern Isles at your service."
Charming Hans had escorted Elsa, with Kristoff and Anna behind, to return to the Castle's interior to attend to the Queen's visitors once more for the evening before retiring.
"Likewise, Prince Hans. I can clearly see why the Queen of Arendelle has chosen you among all men—and not only for your good looks." With her thick German accent, Duchess Helene's strict voice pitches softer when she sees the evident emotion between the Danish Prince and that of the young Norwegian Queen hanging on his arm.
"He does unquestioningly have those, particularly in that especially fetching and sleek knight's armor." Princess Amber adds her praising comment as she trots up to Elsa on the arm of her less remarkable Prince Desmond. But the costumed Merlin's shy, puppy dog eyes trailing her were only for his 'Cendrillon' (Cinderella) who chose to dance with her blissful young man for most of the exciting Masquerade night she was thrilled to participate in all the mysteries thereof.
"Queen Elsa! Your birthday waltz was divine! I think we've never had so much fun at a party as much as we did tonight! This is my good friend, Prince Hugo. He arrived near the end of the Ball. But you were pretty busy with all your own romantic drama that you probably didn't notice him suddenly appear. I was surprised myself." Amiable Princess Sofia definitely did notice the dashing young man on whose arm she was attached to.
The Princess of Enchancia's pretty pink cheeks were literally glowing as she had been spun and danced back into the Castle by her favorite dance partner. "I'm so glad you made it to dance the last waltz with me." She whispers into the dark sepia hair of the unaccounted male guest.
The handsome young man was quite the stranger to Elsa, who felt she had become intimately acquainted with nearly every eligible royal young man in all of Europe and beyond by now.
"Enchante, Queen Elsa. Ya ocharovan vstrechey s toboy, vashe velichestvo. Udivitel'nyy vnutrenniy dvor vashego korolevstva vyglyadit tak krasivo, chto ya khotel by katat'sya na nem v lunnom svete (I am enchanted to meet you, your Majesty. Your kingdom's fascinating courtyard looks so beautiful that I would love to skate upon it in the moonlight.)" Dark, dashing Prince Hugo of Kiev awards Elsa with a sweeping bow. The long-legged young man elegantly moves in rhythm with the string quartet music softly playing in the background across the vestibule to bow as he kisses the back of the hand of the surprised blonde Queen.
"Oh, hehe." Elsa chuckles nervously, her lessons in the Slavic languages of her Eastern neighbors not quite up to par as she would have liked now that she was confronted with a fluidly speaking visitor from the region.
Hans silently takes a full forward step in front of Elsa, clutching her waist rather possessively at the unwelcome entrance of this latest young prince.
"YA uveren, vy by khoteli. (I'm sure you would be.) I don't believe I've had the pleasure of your introduction, Sir." Although, linguistically fluent Prince Hans, on the other hand, translated the playful, colorful phrasing of the Prince who was eyeing Hans' fiancée with a fair amount of competitive greeting.
"Oh, forgive me for forgetting the formalities in my enthusiasm of glimpsing your Arendelle kingdom's extraordinary remarkable possibilities! I only was stating in my native tongue previously how your courtyard is breathtaking. I am Prince Hugo of Kiev. I realize I should have introduced myself earlier, when I arrived much later than expected due to a delay on the part of my dogsled team to join you in celebration at your birthday Masquerade Ball, your Majesty. I am sorry not to be in costume, but there simply was no time to change on our racing trip here." The tall Ukrainian Prince explains, tossing Sofia a quirky smile at the enticing term 'racing'.
"Once again, I must thank you for allowing me to view it by the beauty of moonlight. I can only dream of how glorious it appears in the crystalline snow at daybreak, much akin to our Winter Palace in St. Petersburg." Romantic Prince Hugo was sporting the Nutcracker suite prince costume. The ballet aficionado wore the vivid red and gold soldier's uniform with the gold medallion symbol of his kingdom's crest proudly dangling around his slender neck.
"You are very welcome." Elsa answers with a respectful nod to the King and Queen of Enchancia – Sofia's parents – who stroll up when they spy the flamboyant young visitor with their daughter.
"Prince Hugo is a frequent guest at Enchancia, and is one of my son and daughters' dearest friends." With a motherly nod to her cherished daughter Sofia, Queen Miranda, wearing her best interpretation of Egyptian Queen Cleopatra, smiles to Elsa.
She and her husband King Roland had emerged with King Agnarr and Queen Iduna into the Arendelle Great Hall where, the Norwegian Royal family would bid their respected visitors goodnight after the long and exciting, successful Birthday Masquerade for their daughter.
"Hildegard! Cleo! I didn't think you would make it tonight! Such a shame you didn't get the chance to dress up and wear a fine Masquerade Ball dress as we did!" Still exhilarated by the Royal Ball, conceited Princess Amber signals for her twin brother Prince James to join the little party of last-minute visitors whom he would be most interested in seeing.
Of course the self-absorbed girl wasn't aware her nice, boy-next-door brother had already been accosted by the pair of girls still sparring over him by the end of the Ball.
"You must have had too much wine again, Amber. Obviously you haven't seen my stunning costume and perfect coiffure, or I would have blown your airy mind away." The spoiled rotten Princess of Freezenberg challenges her Enchancia counterpart/ good friend with the miffed, saucy remark. The violet long curly-haired Princess removes the long brown hooded cloak of Quasimodo's that Prince James had dutifully supplied her with to join the birthday girl and her bugle blowing silly ceremony in the cold outdoors earlier.
Hildegard tosses the cloak right onto her friend carelessly to reveal her lavish magenta scarfed Roman goddess costume beneath that clearly outshines her friend named Cleo who was more of a fade in the background type, shrinking violet. Hildegard ostentatiously exposes her glimmering, ruby jewel and sequin studded pinkish red gown.
The young woman, donning the drapey-sleeved, sparkling, showy dress of the Queen of the Olympian gods, 'Hera', give a rolling eyed Prince Hugo a catty smile.
"We are glad to have you all here safe and sound after your long and arduous journey, Your Highnesses. It sounds quite exciting to race a dogsled team from the eastern boundaries into Norway." After lithely climbing down from the balcony ledge on her husband's stabilized arm, Iduna bows her head with the cordial niceties. She looks to the good-looking young Prince who missed nearly all the night's thrilling ups and downs and magnificent dance of mystery that produced an advantageous outcome of Hans and Elsa being publicly accepted as a couple by her stubborn man at long last.
Thank goodness this one is Princess Sofia's sweetheart. One less suitor for your Hans to tangle with, my lovely girl…Not that your Hans needed to worry about a single prince among them outperforming him…
"Exciting? Dogsled racing is hardly that! And nothing compared to a fabulous Ball, your Majesties! But someone's silly dogsled had to go the long way around the fjord to make us late. We almost missed showing off our fabulous outfits." Princess Hildegard of Freezenberg throws back her hair in snobbish consternation, with ringlets that had been curled and frizzed out into true goddess style.
The finicky Royal Princess of one of the many Germanic duchies glares at her royal 'chauffeur', who had promised Princess Sofia's best friends, wanting to surprise his girl, they would arrive in time for the Masquerade via his speedy, record-breaking twelve team dog sled.
"I'm sure Hugo did his best, Hildy. My, isn't this place like a magical snow globe Wonderland?" The third member of the unexpected visitors who traveled by way of the racing Prince Hugo's sled, was of a more demure and quiet demeanor.
Princess Hildegard's tagalong childhood sidekick, Princess Cleo, had her darkest brown hair quick styled into a long ponytail, pulled back and gold bound in an Arabian Princess' loose style with a bejeweled Arabian kerchief on her head. The tan skinned Princess was donning a pair of aqua poofy pants in Agrabah Princess Jasmine style.
But pretty Princess Cleo had been buried beneath the cocoa brown robe to keep her undercover and allow her more vain and showy best friend to shine.
"I would have far preferred you to be the more chiseled jaw Roman Captain of the Guard Phoebus, like in the book, James. I have no idea why you chose this outlandish, warped human being get up – oh well. You're still so cute anyway, as that silly hunchback of Notre Dame." Princess Hildegard haughtily states, always taking her romantic hold over Amber's twin brother for granted.
Whereas, her sedate, slender and demure tan skinned Princess friend from Corinthia was more the sweet roll to James' softened butter as he was once again caught between the pair of lovely ladies silently vying over him.
As Cleo looks away, Hildegard awards a glimmering smile to Prince James who was horrified at the Princess of Freezenberg's meanness to her quiet unobtrusive friend.
"Your party has been so amazing, Queen Elsa! Thank you for inviting our family, and now our dear friends are here too for you to meet, Princess Anna!" Bubbly Sofia tries to give her half-brother some cover as she literally yanks his fat from the fire to address the more amicable Arendelle females.
"Sure, Sofia! We've become such good friends in one day, I just wish you guys didn't have to go so soon already! Just when we were really starting to get to know one another!" Friendly Anna really did like Sofia and James and even her sister, Amber. The Arendelle Princess appreciated all they did to help this night's masquerading grand scheme, as she gives the yellow Belle costumed beauty a warm hug to show her gratitude.
"Then may I propose we stay on a few days more in this 'Winter Wonderland' of a snowy sportsman's dream, as you call it, Sofie. It would be the perfect place for an ice skating competition, do you not think? I'd wager the Ice Queen herself would give a nezabvennyy - an unforgettable – performance." Prince Hugo pipes about the blue, his love of sport and desire to never be left out of anything exciting rearing its valiant head. Showing off, the slick Russian spins Princess Sofia around the cleared dance floor in a perfectly executed spin, while brashly announcing his sudden idea.
"A combined skating exhibition? What an intriguing scenario, min kæreste." Prince Hans picks up the not imperceptible challenge from this combative Russian Prince who was rubbing the Dane the wrong way for being pushy enough to inherently refer to Hans' Elsa in such an offhanded and impertinent way.
"Sounds like a 'game on' to me! Christmas themed figure skating match will be so much fun, won't it, Kristly?" Anna jumps in, hearing dribs and drabs of the newcomers' proposition. The watchdog little sister had been giving the evil eye to ward off any of the straggling suitors from greeting Elsa with anything more than a passing 'Happy birthday, Queen Elsa' or 'Good night, your Majesty, thank you for an enjoyable party.'
"I think it would be a blast to participate with some people our own age, Elsa! Kristoff and I are definitely in the skating match!" Eager Anna was keen on any chance to go outside and play. Although a gulping Kristoff honestly recognized Anna's skating skills, not to mention his own bumbling ones, had not much improved to enter into any sort of competition, despite years of multiple skating parties.
"Yep. Tons of fun." The more down-to-earth partner in their marriage rolls his eyes at the memory of Anna's slipshod attempts at the sport that required balance, never mind the Ice Harvester's own lumbering skills of keeping the feisty female erect rather than bottoms down on the ice.
"King Agnarr, if I may have a quiet word with you?" Hans uses the opportunity of the young people engaging in the inane social conversation when he sees King Agnarr just turn to leave the room.
"I'm listening, Vise Admiral." The clear-eyed King begins to respond as his wife prods his arm, gratified it was not too frosty as he swivels back to face Prince Hans.
"Your Majesty, some of your important guests are leaving!" Vexed Minister Kai - in a sour mood due to his own little sister being the recipient of whispered sweet nothings from a certain suave South American - huffs and puffs into the Great Hall to inform his monarch of the irate bunch.
"Yes, of course, Kai. I will attend to them. Please excuse me." The King was forced to push Hans to the back burner when Agnarr saw many of the irate Prince Royals signaling their early departure in the courtyard below.
"Understood, sir." The dutiful officer in Hans obeys, though feeling a bit deflated inside to be put off when the verile young man had a most significant, urgent request to make now that he was ten thousand percent sure his Elsa was ready to be his.
"Oh, Hugo! It would be lovely to spend Christmas together here with our new friends! We haven't had a proper ice dancing competition since we were kids!" Sofia exclaims as she claps her buttery yellow gloved hands together, obviously enthusiastic at the thought as she squeezes Anna's hands in excited joy.
"Now, children. We mustn't overstay our welcome. Perhaps the Royal family has wished to spend a quiet family Christmas together and be glad to see their annoying guests off." King Roland pleasantly as possible rebukes Sofia's Royal beau/sporting rival as his kindly eyes over his graying moustached smile meet that of his Scandinavian counterpart.
"Don't be silly, Your Majesty! You, Queen Miranda, all your children and their friends as well would be more than welcome to spend your holidays with us. It will be rather nice for our families to share the joyous season of Christ's birth with the gates wide open for once with dear friends. Will it not, Agnarr? Especially since our dear girls have become such close bosom friends already with the visiting princesses. It will be good for them to have some other young women about their age to enjoy the season and explore the great outdoors in the festive sporting events that Princess Sofia's young man suggests." Queen Iduna speaks up for her husband who had just returned from bowing and scraping with Councilor Kai to Princes Vittorio and Charles Honore and others with the promise to keep trade relations with their countries in good stead.
After that international relations ordeal had been appeased, stressed Agnarr could still be of his cold reclusive nature to warmly welcome any further strangers – especially dismayed, demanding, dissident young men he'd had it up to here with today – into his kingdom.
"Yes, Roland, my wife is correct. You are all quite welcome to stay for Christmas with us. It will be our family's honor to host yours." The Ice King smiles warmly to his counterpart, latching onto his Queen's suggestion. "Perhaps a few seasonal events in the wide open outdoors in competition with fellow young people all around in this bracing cold winter may prove to be stimulating for our girls this Christmas. Your family may accompany ours as we go to choose the perfect Christmas tree from the forests. And Arendelle Chapel's Christmas Eve bellringing Mass, I must say, is remarkable." The Arendelle King's mood softens as he remembers Christmases of years past when his girls were little angels and their young family was happy and at peace.
As we can be again now. Please, I pray, dear Lord, to give us this Christmas feeling back again as a family. Agnarr brushes thoughtfully at his ginger beard with the quickly added rejoinder after his Queen gives her moody man a pursed lip encouragement from beneath her jeweled, tall Valkyrie helmet.
"Then that's settled. You have me convinced of spending a wonderful family Christmas here in one of the most glorious kingdoms in all of Christendom, King Agnarr, Queen Iduna! If that's amicable to yourself and the children, Miranda? I think it much better than wandering around aimlessly with strangers on that Continental river tour we had booked." King Roland, wearing his Scottish King Fergus' green plaid kilt and black bear fur cape outfit quite proudly, bows his crowned head to his long braided brown haired wife.
She gazes enviously at how smoothly bold Queen Iduna was wearing that rather risqué female Valkyrie warrior armored costume, complete with tall leather boots, gauntlet bracers, filmy skirt, revealing bust armor with winged helmet and all.
How I wish I had the courage to choose something like that costume! Just look at those well-crafted boots! The former shoe cobbler of Enchancia mentally compliments the Arendelle Queen. Then Queen Miranda frowns down at her own less than daring Alice from Wonderland costume with simple Mary Janes she chose from what was leftover in the Arendelle Masquerade changing room's footwear choice.
"Of course, Roland. What a splendid idea for all concerned. I know how you wish to discuss becoming a vital trading partner of Arendelle with King Agnarr – and Queen Elsa, of course—before we left home. And now here's your serendipitous chance." Queen Miranda wisely was inclusive of the less vocal of the shared ruling monarchs who had been sedately standing in the sidelines while her parents settled their visiting guests' situation.
"Yes, it's a fine opportunity for creating new international trade deals." Elsa was imperceptibly prompted by her handsome Prince's decisive mind for deal-making when Hans' strong arm she was leaning on urges her to take the initiative rather than merely bowing to her father's lead in dealing with rulers of other nations.
"Then that's all decided. Our kingdom welcomes you to Arendelle, Royal family of Enchancia! Let us get you all well settled into our finest guest suites in the west wing of the Castle tonight. And please, it's just 'Iduna' and 'Agnarr', 'Elsa' and 'Anna' of course! Do feel free to leave off the formalities so we address each other on a first name only basis, as this will be a more intimate family gathering, Roland, Miranda. Hee hee, what fun to have guests staying over, for once, my love." Iduna was a more social person at heart than her recluse husband, and could see how the interaction with the pleasant visitor family would be a good distraction for her King. Especially in this trying transition time for he as a father sharing both his daughters with their new heroes.
Negotiations would hopefully give Elsa and Hans some space to enjoy these first precious days in the sun unfettered with time to steal away together amid entertaining guests where Agnarr would be required to be on his best behavior and refrain from spying on the freshly reunited couple.
And at the same time, it would allow the not so overbearing Papa - with clearer vision again now - the chance to become accustomed to seeing how suited a pair and how in love Elsa and her dashingly charming, well-mannered young man were, in the peaceful setting of Christmas.
Perhaps even enough to coax and convince the stubborn hardhead that a quick wedding would soon be in order.
"May I say, you look absolutely stunning in that Valkyrie costume, Iduna! How jealous I am of your pluck! I'm afraid I must admit to being a bit unadventurous in dressing up so brazenly bold. But you pulled off that look amazingly well, my dear." Miranda says as Iduna leads her first genuine houseguest – ever! – upstairs.
"Why, thank you, Miranda. I think you look wonderful in that whimsical outfit. I should have chosen it, rather than this uncomfortable thing. But I wanted to give my husband a prize. At the cost of my poor feet, I'm afraid." The often subdued, petite Northuldran woman leans against the door she had entered to pause to rub her ankles heels of her aching feet.
"Take care of your feet and they'll take you anywhere." Queen Miranda speaks her motto, recalling her own amazing journey from humble non-royalty girl to the castle.
Iduna, having a similar story of her own – though a bit more elementally complicated - with her own King who married a commoner, was impressed by the tall, undaunted widow shoemaker who had surpassed all the day's convention by winning the heart of a regal King.
And go from working class single mom to Royal Queen in the blink of wee sprite's eye.
"Soo…Looks to me like the fun never ends here in Arendelle. I think I'm going to miss this crazy place. Thanks for the invite, your Majesty, but it seems my adoring public demands me in other kingdoms. You understand, right?" Not cured of his vanity entirely, Prince Alonso's scratchy, bored voice makes the commentary with a raised glass salute to King Agnarr whose imploring letter to woo his daughter first brought him to this dangerous, yet enchanted Land of the Midnight Sun.
The King of Norway nods at his first eligible suitor stab as he passes a congenial enough Prince Alonso on his way into the hallway to satiate a few of the other more irritated ones at being so publicly humiliated by his daughter, the Queen of Arendelle.
The dapper young man was back in his Córdoban uniform's stylishly Spanish cut, gold and black tunic. He had been informed by a certain ravishing Paraiso Princess that he must bid their hosts a quick 'Bueno noches', so here he obediently was.
Princess Valentina left it to her fiancé to inform of their hasty departure to the continent via the magic reindeer of Arendelle everyone spoke so highly about that she conscripted them both from the Official Arendelle Ice Harvester and Deliverer.
They would be off to Europe to spend Christmas with some of her House of Braganza relatives and her dear uncle Pedro, ready to no doubt start off their matrimonial preparation celebration in his two-month party extravaganza countdown style.
The King and Queen of Paraiso visited Portugal yearly with their one and only precious daughter. Now she was ready to show off the massive diamond ring her Crown Prince Alonso had finally placed on her finger, just as she, the Crown Princess, had been demanding for a long while now.
"Sure didn't imagine it would all end this way a month ago when I first showed up here. But you'll just have to find some way to enjoy yourselves without me. I know it'll be hard." Alonso gives a self-confident, crooked smile that befitted his vanity. Yet it spoke of fond camaraderie for the memorable friends made here as the Argentinean Prince walked up to the Royal family gathered center of the Great Hall, and Queen Elsa in particular.
Alonso gives the beautiful Ice Queen a flamboyantly sweeping bow complete with a roguish farewell kiss to the back her extended pale hand. And green-eyed (in more ways than one) Hans, for once, was only too glad to allow this privilege to Prince Alosno among all the suitors the King had laid before him.
Hans and Alonso did not entirely hit it off from the start, after the jealous Dane arrived in Arendelle with gossip column reports that the young Córdoban Prince was his chief rival for Elsa's current affections.
But Alonso had proven to be a heroic good man, better friend and decent human being all along this incredible December than even the self absorbed Prince would have ever given himself credit for.
Besides, Hans Westergaard had little doubt of his Elsa harboring any attraction for Prince Alonso, even when the Devil Troll King made her dominate and possess the South American Prince as her slave during her maddened Black Ice Queen phase, she wasn't interested.
Alonso, despite himself, had come a long way from being that spoiled brat he was when he first arrived in Arendelle. He had proven himself a hero and not a coward to run away when all was going wrong, even rather useful on the battlefield at times. Then Prince Alonso had selflessly pitched in to help Hans become engaged to the very Queen the Crown Prince was supposedly pursuing for himself.
Feel free to have fun with that icy dame.
Subsequently, Alonso was rewarded, having gotten himself re-betrothed in the interim to the vivacious Princess of Paraiso, whose claws were so firmly in him now that Hans had no need to worry in the slightest any further.
"I suppose it is about time we all grew up, eh, Elsa? But remember to spend your days in the sun, pretty pale lady. And think of me, every now and then, with yearning at what you missed out on." Alonso winks in his best gallant fashion as he guiltily moves back to where Princess Valentina was impatiently tapping her toe, with a point up at the donging Arendelle clocktower which marked the half-hour past midnight.
The Argentine signals for one of the few last servants serving out drinks to fill his glass to the top one last time before he was forced to go out and brave the freezing cold this man from south of the equator was not at all comfortable in.
"Thank you for the enchanting evening, dearests! We already have said our adieus to your parents, dear Queen Elsa! You must promise me that you and your handsome man will attend the biggest event soon to take place in the Western Hemisphere! Our wedding! You are all invited to attend! It's to take place in Paraiso on the most romantic day of the year – Valentine's Day! What could be more perfect!? The Royal wedding of Crown Princess Valentina on Valentine's Day will be the celebration of the new year 1844 – perhaps even the decade!" The dark skinned beauty claims her Prince's arm (if not including the minor detail of his name to the flashy wedding title) most possessively as she advertises her much-anticipated wedding day to anyone who cared to hear.
Princess Valentina seemed to be a little bit more competitive even about such unimportant things as a particulate date as she looks at Elsa quite pointedly.
"Tell me you haven't set your wedding date with John there for sooner, Elsa! I'm sure you haven't! Weddings are such precious, once-in-a-lifetime, significant events for a young woman, there's nothing else she can think about until it happens at last! Ha ha hah! Of course, Alonsy and I have been planning ours for years and years. He just didn't know all the details about the wedding date until tonight. Every proper girl must count down to her wedding date if she's truly in love with her man. " Forever getting names wrong because she didn't give much mundane thought to the owner thereof, Princess Valentina was like a whirlwind of showy expression as the ostentatious young woman, back in her big pink puffed gown spins poor Alonso like a plaything across the dance floor one more time.
Who's John? Oh, she means Hans! Our wedding day!? That's right! Hans has asked me to set it and I still haven't answered him, have I?! He must think me a terrible fiancée! Valentina already knows everything about hers and they only just become engaged at the party. I've had months and haven't given much thought to the actual ceremony…And she's right. It's supposed to be all I can think of, isn't it?
"Never mind Valentine's Day. It's the reward of Valentine's Night you should be most excited for, Val." Giving Hans a lordly, almost triumphant smirk over Valentina and Elsa's heads, Alonso raises his glass full of 'cold trip fortifying' brandy as he tantalizingly murmurs this in his betrothed's ear under the intoxicating northern moon.
"Purr. Sounds about time to me, Handsome. I have had my trousseau already designed with your excellent tastes in mind, Alonsy." The Princess in her signature pinks literally purrs in her captured Prince's ear in return.
With a silly grin crawling across his comely features as result of the warming alcoholic beverage, Alonso shrugs to Elsa what she missed out on, and simpers in one last show off to his Danish sparring rival. Then he follows Valentina's lead towards the waiting flying reindeer team of Svala and Sven where a modestly Domino cloak covered Kristoff was instructing faithful Manuel on how to care for the magical, swift moving Rangifer transport that Valentina asked specifically for.
And what Valentina wants, Valentina gets.
Sven and Svala's skybound journey would certainly shorten the just-engaged couple's travel time exponentially. The flying reindeers would drop their South American visitors off in Portugal and still make it back to Arendelle for Christmas Eve for sure, if the furry grey friends left tonight.
Reward?… Wedding night!… Elsa's eyes start to glaze over as she looks from flirtatious Alonso and seductive Valentina to her betrothed, whose quizzical gaze she was almost unable to meet.
Something inside Elsa screams in a frantic panic, yet she didn't wish to jeopardize breaking this magical evening's spell by discussing her fears of that very unspoken event. She was already a great disappointment, she was certain, in contrast to the Brazilian Princess' decisive urbane verve and enthusiasm for the future event Alonso was intimating.
The once introverted Ice Queen couldn't even imagine herself acting as bold as Valentina sounded in response, with her own handsome Prince of the Southern Isles when their time came…
"I'm sure Westergaard knows just what I'm talking about." Alonso's eyebrows waggle at Hans as he tosses back his coiffed mane of dark brown hair while mounting Sven gallantly with his pink frilly handful of a future bride. The Argentinean young man mischievously takes audacious point of the word 'handful' literally beneath the Paraiso Princess' frilly skirt as he lifts her, much to Valentina's cooing delight.
"I am a lifelong naval officer." Hans meets his former rival's gaze with succinct gravity as opposed to Elsa's wide eyed gaze at the underlying innuendo inferred.
"Then let's drink to that." Alonso lifts his nearly empty glass to his lips as if in one last dare.
"Don't mind if I do." In one seamless motion, Prince Hans need not even turn his trained gaze from being locked with Alonso's to acquisition a glass full of a similarly stiff alcoholic beverage on the tray being served out to steady those boldly going out in the bitter cold this late at night.
"To the Queen!" Though knowing his stiff alcoholic tolerance was never his strong point, the vice where one lost control not normally to his liking, Hans was not prepared to back down either. Not from the dare from his number one main rival whom he'd entertained many thoughts of soundly thrashing during his trip here on this giddy, gaudy night.
With aplomb nonetheless, Hans boldly toasts his platinum lady love anyway with a smile and vigilant eyes glad to see his prospective father-in-law not yet returned to the Great Hall.
"To the Queen." With his own romantic royal interest in mind, more tolerant of drink Alonso gives Valentina a wicked smirk and she licks her lips at his bravado, though Elsa's startled eyes go wide at her shocking man's display.
The pair of competitive young men then both down their drinks as if in a macho challenge to see who would finish their intoxicating beverage first, as well as other unsaid topics.
To which Hans shockingly was victor, despite his tumbler being full and Alonso's already half empty.
"…He he heh…" Just coming down from her enraptured state of joy that her handsome Prince was nearby, Elsa was shy to speak of such foreign matters that made her nervous at seeing her chivalrous Hans so verbally arrogant like this, and yet…not entirely disliking it either.
However the facts of life and the reality of his full claim to her once off-limits body in the holy sacrament of marriage was just dawning upon her enlightened soul as Elsa witnesses the momentary wolfish hunger flash in her in Hans' foxy eyes.
"We will be setting our wedding date very soon as well and you both will be invited as honored dignitaries of your respective countries. Of course we can only hope our bridal tour will not be too interrupted if it coincides with your wedding ceremony in South America." The self-assured Dane over-confidently expounds. The stiff drink in him was that certain he could make a compelling argument to convince the King of his expeditious marriage to Elsa before returning to his required commission at sea.
This little bit of riled-up male competition after a few drinks caused the usually intuitive Hans not to sense Elsa's anxious rigid form as he escorts her out to the front where Alonso and Valentina were boarding the reindeer team's attached sleigh under faithful Manuel's command.
"All the children will think you're Santa and his reindeer sleigh bringing gifts early this year, Prince Alonso!" As she gives Sven and his Christmastime blanket with decorative jingle bells strung in his antlers a loving pet, Anna teases the half drunk Argentinean Prince who had become their friend in a way during this difficult time.
"Oh, dear Lord. Let's hope not to see those little angels for a very long time, Alonsy. I've heard that is one unfortunate consequence of weddings." Never enamored of children, self-centered Valentina expresses her dislike for both the thought of annoying little tykes running around her perfect, prim Palace in Paraiso, or her stunningly slim, slender stomach either.
"Anyway! Now you must promise me, Elsa, you and your handsome Prince will be sitting in the front row of our wedding in Paraiso! Who knows? Maybe you will even garner some ideas from our colorfully modern, magnificent wedding to embrace in your staid, quaint Scandinavian future one." Ever the vainglorious braggart, the royal female had been groomed by her father to be this competitive in nature, having royal rivalries with many other young women over the years whom Valentina felt intimidated by.
"Tootaloo, dearests! Keep one another warm in this dreadfully cold climate! At least until it's your turn to cozy up in bed with your own hot toddy!" With the innuendo laden phrases, the force of nature named Princess Valentina of Paraiso snuggles into the warm fur wraps and numerous plush thermal blankets her servant Manuel had lined the sled with for his mistress to brave the cool Norwegian skies.
With a clingy shove over, the Brazilian beauty possessively repositions her enviable bottom to sit atop her surprised – and not too unhappily – similarly heavily coated Prince Alonso's lap.
"Looks like we will be, soon enough. Ahem. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." The quirky raised brow Córdoban at last recognized that he had met his match in the flirtatious, vivacious, unstoppable vixen. So the half drunk young man buries his comely features in Valentina's dark brown cascades of fresh brushed out waves of curls beneath that white furry hat.
The Brazilian beauty had just recently changed from her stunning Titania the Fairy Queen costume. Valentina considered her hair in a loose high ponytail more dramatic a traveling fashion look to have her full head of dark curls wild and free. She instinctively knew it made her appear most advantageously excited and free-spirited as the prim Princess felt, vindicated at last as a woman who caught her man.
"Bye-bye! Safe trip!" Anna was there to slap a sleepy Sven on the rear, with a ready carrot to wake him up before his trip to the continent.
"Goodbye." With Hans standing securely behind her, Elsa joins Anna in warmly waving their well wishes to their unlikely new friends.
A vigilantly watching Wind Whisperer Kristoff sends Sven the silent message via their psychic communication that the skies were clear for the sleigh to depart on its two day journey to the southernmost part of the European continent and back.
"King Juan Ramón should be most pleased with the romantic outcome of this trip for his only son." Chancellor Esteban Flores makes the mature mental note out loud when the bullfighter costumed official of Avalor casually strides up beside King Agnarr and Queen Iduna.
The trio gaze out the window to see the jingle bells sleigh take off to the deep night sky. Svwn's sleigh would carry the ostentatious Princess of Paraiso and her newly affianced Prince of Córdoba some 1500 miles southbound to visit her regal relatives in Portugal before returning to South America.
"He's not the only one with a successful romantic conquest to be pleased about, eh, Esteban?" Matchmaker Queen Iduna quietly murmurs to her old friend as she watches Esteban's gracefully aged eyes light up in a certain, undeniable way. That was when dutiful Johanne Roservalen returns from changing from her shocking red flamenco Masquerade costume back to her less colorful, severe ladies' maid garb, ever ready to be useful to her Queen who was soon to retire and be in need of her services.
"This is true. Gracias for a most compelling evening, King Agnarr, poco ave canora. Do pardon me, I have a lady to assist." The classy Foreign Minister gives a clipped bow and excuses himself from Arendelle's royal first couple and their uppity guests left milling about. Esteban instead lends his gentlemanly aid to the domestic woman whom he had offered his heart and home to this night as well.
Chancellor Esteban lends his dear Johanne his capable hands and ambient charm too in helping clear away the disordered ball room and attend to any party guests who needed to be shown to their rooms for the night before they left in their docked ships in the morning.
"May I congratulate you and your heroic Prince Hans in your official engagement, Your Royal Majesty, Queen Elsa, as well as the magnifico Masquerade birthday celebration - particularly the dance - we were privileged to enjoy. I hope to be present at your wedding ceremony soon, as I would hope to have you grace us with your presence at our wedding in Avalor in the near future." Esteban grooms his eloquent moustache and well trimmed, black and white goatee as he gives a flowing bow to Elsa as the last flamboyant act of his toreador's billowy sleeves and vibrant red muleta cape outfit.
"Avalor?!" Minister Kai suddenly bursts out, all the nobles left pleasantly chattering in the Great Room giving a pause at the awkward interruption from the normally silent as the grave head manservant.
The unsettled man had been hanging around to spy where a charming Chancellor had come up to converse with the King and Queen, eavesdropping until the indispensable servant's proper etiquette senses had been affronted by the idea.
His one and only younger sibling striking out into the world with this come-hither-eyed lothario, after all the years time and tide was successfully trying to divide them.
"Steady on, man." General Mattias quietly stands beside the Councilor when Kai returned inside the castle right on the sleek Chancellor of Avalor's tail, looking like he wanted to murder the ambassador.
"Steady? What do you know, Mattias?! You haven't a sister! Or any family left for that matter!" Kai hisses, lashing out at the army General he had considered his rival for numerous years.
"Kai, please. Decorum." With an artificial smiled whisper under his ginger moustache, King Agnarr sympathizes with his best friend/servant/tutor. But the Arendelle King had to keep up appearances between his top men before this group of visiting Royals that he and Queen Iduna had been cordially bidding goodnight. The Arendelle ruler's head was already spinning from all the discussions for arranged pledges of peace talks and trade deals for future dates.
"No. But I'd like to think I have a brother in you, old friend." Showing his support and care, back in his normal jade green soldier's uniform, Mattias places a hand on Kai's angry shoulder.
The balding castle Minister's embittered gaze softens when he realizes how terse and uncivilized he was being. Kai takes a deep breath and affords Mattias a grateful nod and a smile to a relieved Agnarr.
The King would be quite busy himself entertaining the dignitaries, as his wife had convinced him that the beauteous younger Queen would be a bit preoccupied herself. And out of the duty of public affairs with her young man, at least for the morning's holiday start ahead.
"Yes, sire. Forgive me." Biting his trembling lip, the large set man does his utmost to button up his raw emotion and his George Washington coat vest as well. It had popped open in Kai's excitement over this unwelcome news of the impending ceremony in a distant kingdom of Avalor rather than here in Arendelle, where dutiful Kai had no hope of being in attendance even to give the bride away.
With her father and mother, holding court on one side of the room, preoccupied with attending to the stream of retiring guests, Elsa was on the other side near the door accepting many well wishes for both her birthday and engagement.
Not to mention her upcoming wedding's fuzzy details that had rumors abounding after Prince Hans' statements to Alonso had titillated the younger crowd.
With the ability to be as jealous as his red hair required, competitive Prince Hans was only too glad to lord over his former rival. And ensure it was clear on all the other gentlemens' honor not to encroach upon his territory henceforth, even if the Vise Admiral would be forced to return to his ship after a wedding period.
I am glad the Admiral has seen his way to extending my request for holiday leave this Christmastime to spend with his family in Arendelle and continue on until my wedding date to his daughter Elsa, as per the specified 'limited time' in our conversation earlier.
Nonetheless, I simply must elucidate to my Snowflake angel of my overwhelming desire to have our wedding ceremony occur as swiftly as possible before my re-deployment so that we have at least a few weeks' time to consummate our marriag – argh! – curb yourself, man!
With a few unbarred, racy mental images flashing in his head most likely due to the quick surge of alcohol he imbibed earlier in a foolish dare, Hans gives his gorgeous woman standing tantalizingly close by him a mysterious smile.
How tempting his Sleeping Beauty fair caused his male thoughts to be less than exemplary virtuous as Hans shakes himself soberly awake.
It is all perfectly natural in God's plan for men and women, once holy matrimony is achieved. Closing his cloudy eyes tightly, Hans placates himself with the decency justification, clearing his mind and the multiple texts he, as a maturing adolescent teen, had sought out to educate himself on how to be the perfect mate for the Queen of Arendelle.
"Ah, Westergaard! I have come to bid you – Hmm, what interesting thought is on your mind to have you suddenly go all red in the face, right to the tips of your big Danish ears? As if I cannot imagine your anticipation so close at hand, you lucky cur. Sacre bleu! Have you been drinking, mon ami?" Ferdinand Egalité had come to bid the happy couple "adieu". But once he saw his Danish companion's red features and subsequently brandy-scented features, as well as the sappy pathetic look of the body language towards his awe-inspiring young Queen, it was more than obvious to his trained eyes of such romantic matters.
The helpful Frenchman once again goes right into action.
"Here, you need this more than I, if you are to speak with the King again tonight with any shred of politesse." Ferdinand Egalitè magically produces a secret flask from inside his yet Harlequin dressed torso.
With a puzzled look, a shrugging Hans takes a swig of the bitter black coffee and potent – was that berry? - contents of the small metal flask, not even asking what the distasteful ingredients were that almost instantly brought his heated, whirring mind back to cool sanity.
"It is a concoction of medicinal Chinese shisandra berries and French Tanzania coffee bean my Papère introduced me to many years ago when I had one too many stiff drinks before speaking to a critical audience. For me, it was the Archbishop Angélique de Talleyrand-Périgord at my Catholic confirmation my dear Mamère would be sorely disappointed if I failed." Egalitè nominally explains his highly caffeinated French 'magic bullet' for instantly erasing any evidence of the effects of alcohol. "The side effect is your breath smells and tastes of rich coffee and exotic berry. All my ladies have said so." The Frenchman explains with a wry smile on his worldly knowledgeable face.
"What am I going to do without you, Egalité?" With all the pressing thoughts racing through his intoxicated swirling head, Hans was now able to think straight with his friend's cure after a deep breath and concealed acceptance of the flask in Ferdinand's proffered hand for him to keep for future reference.
"Keep it as a pre-wedding present, mon frere. There will be mornings you will require it." Ferdinand smirks at his less experienced friend.
"Merci pour tous vos efforts ce soir, et toutes les fois où vous m'avez libéré avant, mon ami. Je ne sais pas ce que tu as dit au père d'Elsa en mon nom, pour peut-être endiguer la marée et le faire refléchir, mais je ne peux jamais te remercier assez, mon frère. Pour tout. Je ne pouvais pas demander un meilleur ami." ('Thank you for all your efforts tonight, and all the times you have bailed me out before, my friend. I don't know what you said to Elsa's father on my behalf, to perhaps stem the tide and cause him to relent, but I can never thank you enough. For everything. I couldn't ask for a better friend.')
His clear head speaking in brotherly terms in fluent French—one of the many linguistic achievements Hans rarely had the chance to flaunt — a grateful Hans places his free hand on Ferdinand's arm in friendship. He recognized how much planning and forethought his French traveling companion had invested in giving tonight's masquerade its air of mystery. As well as his doubtlessly persuasive delivery of positive words that convinced the unmovable King of Arendelle to consequently put Hans in a better light.
"I am touched, mon ami. And impressed you know so much my native Français." Egalité grants Hans a small salute at his endless talents. "Ne soyez pas découragé par le froid glacial de l'amiral. (Do not be discouraged by the frosty chill of the Admiral.) C'est juste une façade pour protéger sa famille qu'il aime profondément. Il est un homme bon. (It is but a façade to protect his family he deeply loves. He is a good man.) You will come to appreciate that by and by." In the text of full French now that Hans understood, Prince Ferdinand lets down all of his pretenses to speak honestly with true emotion to his younger friend as an older brother would.
"It has been a pleasure to serve alongside you, cher ami (my dearest friend) Hans." But with that final fond statement, Prince Ferdinand Egalitè shocks Hans by grabbing his silver armored shoulders firmly kissing each of the Dane's stunned, again red cheeks in the very fraternal French manner. The affectionate gesture was accompanied by the final whispered words of advice concerning the Admiral of the Sjoforvaret both of them well-respected.
All remaining in the thinning out room's audience also were astounded at the outward show of fondness between the tall and polished young men.
"Gross." Standing alongside Elsa, Anna sticks out her tongue in that amused/yucked-out gesture of Hans' unfortunate situation, causing Elsa to gain some backbone to rescue her embarrassed fiancé.
"Prince Ferdinand. I will never be able to express my gratitude for your instrumental role in making this day possible and bringing my Hans safely home to me." Elsa had just finished decorously seeing off the last of the visitors to walk up to where a speechless Hans was being molested by the Frenchman.
"Oh, mon petite. Just a single one of your dazzling smiles is worth everything harsh we endured over the difficult cross-continent passage here. And now my dear friend Westergaard can reap his rewards, along with his new home where he has been dreaming to spend this precious Christmas with you." The rogue Prince of the French lives up to his reputation as he seizes a resigned Elsa by her instantly chilled shoulders, with the intention of kissing her soft pale cheeks in much same manner – and more enjoyably, pour certainement - as he did Hans.
"If I may have the honor and privilege to borrow your betrothed, mon frère?" Ferdinand's roving eyes were drinking in Elsa's silky curves up and down close up, causing the timid girl to blush all over her normally pale skin.
"Lightly, Egalitè." Hans seemed to take satisfaction in the authority of his status as Elsa of Arendelle's authorized protector as his eyes go from warning the Prince of the French to connect with Elsa's biting lipped smile to ready her to brave the incoming smatter of cheek kisses.
"Oh, mon chèri. I dare not spoil your immaculate beauty. Je laisserai cet honneur à Westergaard. (I will leave that honor to your Westergaard.) For now, I bid you lovebirds adieu." Whether it was Elsa's trembling fear, Hans' wary look or that of the cynical caution written all over Duchess Helene where she was hovering around the trio, Ferdinand intelligently defers to merely grant a gentlemanly sweeping kiss into Elsa's chilly palms he bravely unclenches, to his lips instead.
"My own dear heart, Helena, has informed me of my aged Papa's daily yearning for my homecoming as well this Christmas. I will look forward to seeing you as a homme marié domestiqué, très bientôt (domesticated groom, very soon) as I have never mastered the mundane commission." The expressive Harlequin flips his jester's hat puff with the defiant tease that his wife simply bats back, unfazed.
"Then you must learn to be an excellent domesticated daddy so our little boy instead." Princess Helene reminds her wanderlust husband of new duties to their bundle of joy at home that should keep her Ferdinand Philippe preoccupied, at least for a while.
Hans responds with a squeeze to Elsa's jittery hand as Prince Ferdinand confidently explains his abrupt departure and similarly expedient family plans of his own longtime, long-suffering love.
That's when King Agnarr and Queen Iduna come over to where all the action seemed to be taking place, having seen off the remainder of the guests for the night. The servants had situated those staying on for Christmas in Arendelle's ample guest rooms that had remained empty for far too long.
"Are you leaving us this early, Egalitè? I hoped you and I could talk some more." Agnarr queries his old friend, overhearing a bit of the dialogue between Elsa and the last remnants of her party guests to pick up that Prince Ferdinand was soon departing.
"Alas, me oui, (yes yes) Amirale. I'm afraid that my world exploratory wanderings in far-flung foreign parts have made me derelict in my duties to my homeland and my growing family for far too long. I am heartbroken to hear my poor Papère has missed having his scalawag eldest son around; no doubt my brothers and sisters must be almost grown-ups by now and barely remember the prodigal; and my dearest Mamère would be enraptured to have her delinquent boy home for Christmas, now that I am back on the continent. Certainly the devout woman will be glad to have her wayward child to attend Holy Mass and celebrate the blessed season of Advent's culmination in the coming of Christ at the Notre Dame Cathedral." The often blasé, unaffected Prince Ferdinand Egalitè has soft spot for his extremely devout religious Catholic Queen Mama, particularly at Christmastide.
"But even our fastest Navy schooner – I would swiftly dispatch, should you so wish it, Egalitè – would take much longer than the three days remaining to arrive at your home in Paris by Christmas, my friend." King Agnarr comments, ever thinking four-dimensionally in naval terms, astonished by the outlandish statement, even coming from his devil-may-care, globetrotting young friend.
"Oui. (Yes.) But I have first-hand travel miles to reassure me that another mode of transportation which Prince Hans' frère (brother) Eugene has introduced to me would be able to traverse the distance in plenty of time." Gracefully moving the conversation out towards the balcony, Ferdinand points his Harlequin white gloved finger up to where an even more colorful magic flying carpet had been intuitively hovering around the aurora borealis lit sky.
The Arabian rug had been waiting dutifully upon a more logical and prescient Lady Cassandra's anxious instruction to be at the ready for swift departure back to Corona and his new home with his new master thief's budding family.
"Besides, I have been dying to show off my aerial flying skills to my Helene to loosen her up and get her – how do you say – 'in the mood'. Motherhood has brought out a certain…alluring quality…I should revel in while I may." The Frenchman leans away from his bride, who was saying her formal farewells to the pair of Queens, to address Agnarr and Hans' ears expressively with a caddish Cheshire cat grin on his face.
"But you are still in costume, Fernan. Do you not wish to at least stay and change?" The bemused King notes the obvious as he watches the sneaky Harlequin nimbly leap aboard a surprised Magic Carpet.
The mystic rug was food supplied and luggage ready and waiting for his previously scheduled pair of passengers – Cassandra and Varian - who had already booked the ride home to Prussia.
"Why would I do that? This gives me more of the chance to disrobe on board in the privacy of the high-altitude where only the birds and the clouds and God in His heaven may be watching over me in my birthday suit while I finally fulfill my royal duty upon my ignored better half." Egalitè's raised eyebrows spoke volumes of his open, worldly charm to the not quite astonished men in earshot.
Married man Agnarr recovers first, knowingly smirking at his old friend's flippant on all sensual subjects attitude, watching how young Westergaard still was innocent enough to blush at the spicy Frenchman's innuendo.
I'm glad to see that in the Danish boy, at least.
"Did you pack your uniform, Ferdinand? We must stop somewhere to change our wardrobe before we arrive in France. That is, if your floor coverlet contraption really has the ability to fly us through the air like the birds for that far a distance. I cringe to think what your Catholic mother will say if I, a 'lowly' Protestant, drag you back to her house appearing in that." Bossy, serious, and proper Duchess Helene of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, with the indirect slight to Ferdinand's overbearing, piously prejudiced mother who opposed their marriage as yet, had the forethought to already pack her change of clothing.
Helene had her small traveling bag fetched from the cloak room where the perspicacious royal female had stashed her more formal travel dress suited to her peerage bloodline status.
"Of course, mon cherie. You are speaking to the always prepared Colonel of the 1st Regiment Hussars and Legionnaire extraordinaire, not to mention your future King of the French." And with the arrogant statement, Ferdinand Philippe Egalitè – who was the master of thinking on his feet, though not all of it based on open honesty, all the time – with a possessed pat of ownership produces a satchel from aboard Carpet that appeared filled with the same soft cloth fabric that was previously loaded on Carpet's plush fibers.
Did that warm bag smelling of fresh biscuits just move?
Ferdinand only nominally considers that strange thought as he tosses the 'clothing' bag to the rear of Carpet.
"That's what I was afraid of." Helene was never at a loss of saucy barbs to hurl back at her longtime fiancée as Prince Ferdinand easily lifts her slender body onto a shrugging Carpet's back.
But the serious minded young German woman had years ago psyched herself for anything when she fell madly in love with Ferdinand Egalitè. But her overwhelming devotion, completely beyond reason, was enough to chase her inconstant Prince halfway around the world and she here after becoming tired of waiting for her peripatetic beloved to return to her and their new son he'd not yet met.
"Then I wish you a safe journey, Egalitè. Give Louis-Philippe my salutations." King Agnarr gives the French Prince a convivial nod and cordial greeting to his father.
"'Bon cœur ne peut mentir, mon ami'. The heart sees farther than the head, my friend." Prince Ferdinand Philippe translates the fitting French idiom to his old war buddy. "Même les pilules amères peuvent avoir des effets bénéfiques. Even bitter pills may have blessed effects." With a wisdom beyond his years beneath that nonchalant, irreverent surface, Egalitè was obviously speaking to Agnarr's tslowly becoming less ense attitude towards accepting the former ostracized Prince into his family fold.
"I am banking on that, indeed, Ferdinand." Agnarr salutes the savvy Frenchman in the sky farewell.
"God bless you, Fernan." Valuing his final endeavor of friendship, Hans clearly felt blessed by the Lord above who placed Ferdinand Egalitè in his path to secure his future with Elsa so perfectly.
"Le Seigneur Dieu n'a-t-il pas dit: 'C'est en pardonnant qu'on est pardonné?' (Did the Lord God not say: 'It is in pardoning that we are pardoned'?) You are the one pure of heart to deserve this bounty, mon frère." Egalitè recognized the Danish Prince's path of Redemption gave Hans Westergaard's unsullied mind a heart of goodness and loyalty, even when offered easy, luxuriant debauchment that Ferdinand's beyond tarnished soul indulged in all too often.
"The Lord loves the righteous and the sinners who come back into His fold, just the same." Well-versed on that holy Biblical truth personally, Elsa knew enough of the French language to recognize Ferdinand's reference to Gospel truth. She and Anna, arm in arm, had noticed the Orleans Prince's sudden change of flight plans on the Magic Flying Carpet he had befriended somewhere along the journey between here and the Mediterranean, and decided to investigate.
"Oh, she is a Heaven-sent jewel among jewels of the crown, Westergaard. Cherish her." Astride Carpet, Ferdinand gives Elsa one last rakish smile and wink as he shares a parting look of approval with Hans.
"Et si j'étais vous, je fixerais la date du mariage le plus tôt possible, mon ami (And if I were you, I would set the wedding date sooner than later, my friend)." At times more rational than his flippant nature implied, the Frenchman murmurs his final bit of advice to Hans' with laughing eyes trained on the Dane's antsy, soon-to-be father-in-law.
"I plan to do just that." As Carpet readies to zip away, Prince Hans nods affirmatively to his brother in arms/traveling companion when he returns the salute from the Frenchman. Ferdinand had become so dear a friend during the heady and harrowing ten thousand mile voyage they had shared for the sake of the woman Hans adored, there weren't enough words to express his gratitude.
"And then no one can ever hide her radiance from me again, for my Elsa will soon be mine and we will be as one." Hans states with a dreamy look of pure love on his gorgeous features that were adoringly gazing upon his true love Elsa's face innocently shining just for him.
Mon ami –my friend in French
Mon Frère – my brother in French
pour certainement – for certain in French
Min dyrebare - my precious in Danish
Hello, my Frozen friends!
I hope you enjoyed this 'After the Masquerade Ball' episode in between the final Act VIII Christmas chapter!
As they say farewell (for now) to some of their adventurous companions who have romantic marriages of their own to attend to, and a skating competition with a few new friends staying on for the Christmas holidays, Hans and Elsa's relationship is heating up, with the pressing question of their wedding day on Hans' virile mind!
Maybe Elsa will give her Has-some Prince the best Christmas present of an answer in the next special part!
Do I hear wedding bells faintly ringing in Arendelle before the New Year?
How's that for a tease?! : I'd love to hear your reviews, my friends!
See you then!
God bless you all!
Love, HarukaKou ^0^
